 A young girl is vaccinated in Forchana camp near the Sudanese border. Photo © Stephan Grosse Rueschkamp |
Caring for Darfur refugees and vaccinating thousands
In the last two years, an estimated 200,000
people entered eastern Chad in their effort
to flee fighting in the Sudanese region of
Darfur. The refugees face harsh living conditions
in the numerous camps set up
along a 500-kilometer stretch of border
between the two countries. The eastern
region of Chad is dry and desolate with little
potential for farming. Food and drinking
water are scarce and temperatures are
extreme. Lacking shelter, adequate food
and other necessities, many refugees suffer
from malnutrition, dehydration, respiratory
infections or emotional trauma linked to
their experiences in Darfur.
In Adré Hospital, MSF provides medical
care, surgery, pediatric and maternal care.
And MSF provides food and shelter to
many of the 83,000 refugees living in four
camps near the Sudanese border.
Immunization: a priority
In January 2005, MSF launched a meningitis-
vaccination campaign in eastern Chad
following an outbreak among Darfur refugees.
Teams vaccinated about 70,000 refugees
in the Breidjing and Forchana camps,
as well as local residents. MSF continues to
improve the surveillance system in the district
and treats patients who have contracted
the disease. Teams in the displacement
camps also provide antenatal care and
treatment for malnourished children. MSF
built hundreds of latrines, trucked in clean
water and opened health posts.
MSF carried out a meningitis vaccination
campaign during March 2005 in Chad's
southwestern Bongor district, following an
outbreak of the disease. The campaign lasted
one month and targeted all people
between the ages of six months and 30 years, that is, 72 percent of the area's
272,000 people. The campaign was carried
out in collaboration with local medical
authorities and the ministry of health.
In April 2005, MSF teams determined that
more than 6,000 people in Chad were
infected with measles, including more than
3,400 in the capital city alone. A first vaccination
campaign was launched in Bousso
district, some 300 kilometers south of the
capital, and targeted 40,000 children under
five years of age. MSF provided medical
support and drugs for 2,300 patients in
Bousso, and supported 17 health centers
for less severe cases and 2 hospitals for
severely infected patients in N'Djamena. In
early May, MSF carried out a massive vaccination
campaign in N'Djamena aimed at
immunizing an estimated 280,000 children.
Working with the ministry of health, MSF
opened 29 mobile vaccination sites.
Because measles is an aggravating factor
for malnutrition, MSF opened two therapeutic
feeding centers in N'Djamena and
four mobile feeding centers near the city to
care for those needing treatment.
In 2004, MSF started a malaria project in
Bongor district, which aims to reduce levels
of illness and death in the area. MSF is
also working to improve treatment by
introducing a new protocol that includes
highly effective artemisinin-based combination
therapy (ACT). MSF also runs a surgical
training program at Bongor Hospital.
MSF has worked in Chad since 1981. |
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