Sustainable water and sanitation in South Sudan
59% per cent of the population in South Sudan does not have access to safe water, according to UNICEF. Dirty water, poor hygiene practices and a lack of sanitation significantly increases the risk of diseases like cholera and acute diarrhoea – the leading cause of death among children in the country. This crisis is compounded […]
Response to cholera outbreak in northern Mozambique
A cholera outbreak was declared in the city of Pemba, Cabo Delgado Province last week. This outbreak follows the other affected provinces of Niassa, Zambezia, Tete, Manica, Sofala, Inhambane and Gaza and the neighbouring country of Malawi – experiencing the deadliest cholera epidemic in decades with more than 1,200 deaths. MENTOR is co-ordinating the cholera […]
Making water truly safe: WASH and the risk of vector-borne diseases in urban settings
The MENTOR Initiative urge immediate action to integrate disease control with water and sanitation, as the UN 2023 Water Conference gets underway today (22 March) to address the global water agenda. Otherwise, many millions of people living in densely populated urban settings are at risk of death and suffering from vector-borne diseases. Richard Allan, MENTOR […]
Community healthcare for women in Central African Republic
A network of women is providing essential health services to other women in their communities, in three of the most vulnerable and conflict affected prefectures in Central African Republic (CAR). Called Female Focal Points (FFP), it was formed after a study of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in 2016 found women were not always comfortable approaching […]
Improving hygiene and sanitation in South Sudan
Around 70 people completed training in Community-Led Total Led Sanitation (CLTS) in Torit, South Sudan last week as part of an initiative to make the entire country open defecation free by 2030. South Sudan remains one of the countries with the highest rates of open defecation worldwide. The newly equipped trainers will introduce the effective […]
Malaria survey in Angola
A survey to collect key data about malaria-related behaviours across three provinces in Angola will be conducted in 2,000 households over the next two months. Nearly 60 surveyors and supervisors have been trained to carry out the work. The training included theory as well as practical exercises in the field, to improve their understanding of […]
Update: The MENTOR Initiative’s humanitarian response following the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey
MENTOR’s team in northern Syria have repurposed five mobile clinics that are typically used for diagnosing and treating leishmaniasis, to provide critical healthcare and trauma kits in the worst affected areas in Aleppo and Idleb governorates. Our highly experienced medical officers and assistants are working from the mobile clinics to treat a range of trauma […]
Emergency response in Syria following earthquakes on 6 February
The MENTOR Initiative in Turkey, Iraq and Syria remains fully operational, and has a decade of experience working across northern Syria, including those areas affected by the earthquake. Here, we co-ordinate and deliver large scale disease control, and support communities and healthcare facilities. In the past 48 hours, MENTOR has repurposed four mobile clinics and […]
World NTD Day
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are estimated to cause suffering to over 1.7 billion people worldwide. MENTOR is working with its partners to tackle NTDs such as dengue and leishmaniasis, in the challenging context of humanitarian emergencies. The disease burden is especially high in these settings due to conflict, inaccessibility and populations that are often displaced […]
Results from trial of new malaria control tool published in Malaria Journal
Results from MENTOR’s trial of an innovative malaria control tool called Durable Wall Lining (DWL) have been published in the Malaria Journal. Analysis of the data from the trial in Liberia shows it has the potential to provide longer lasting, continuous protection from malaria. The material was found to be more effective than commonly used […]