#Snapshots April

Some of what we saw in our programs around the world in April

International Med. Corps

Published in

International Medical Corps #Snapshots

5 min readMay 15, 2019

Continuing the Fight Against Ebola

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently experiencing a dangerous spike in new cases. Our Emergency Response Team is on the ground in affected areas and supporting the Ministry of Health’s efforts to contain the deadly virus.

We are bolstering screening and referral capacity, providing training and supplies for infection prevention and control, and supporting surveillance efforts across all Ebola-affected areas in the DRC.

Despite the challenges, there has been great news from the incredible health workers at our Ebola Treatment Center: a ninth patient has been cured of Ebola! She will now return home to her loved ones.

Ready to Scale Up Response Efforts in Southeast Africa

For the first time in recorded history, two strong cyclones have hit Mozambique in the same season.

Cyclone Idai made landfall over Mozambique in mid-March, producing torrential rains and strong winds in that country and in Zimbabwe. A bit more than one month later, Cyclone Kenneth struck Mozambique, causing significant flooding and damage in the northern part of Mozambique. A total of 1.85 million people have been affected by the cyclones.

We are working with a local relief organization to provide aid in some of the areas most affected by Cyclone Idai, and are continuing efforts to access and help hard-to-reach areas affected by Cyclone Kenneth. In addition, we have provided hygiene materials to storm-affected families in Zimbabwe.

Providing a Range of Services in South Sudan

Sienna in Juba, South Sudan, with Dr. Mitima Djuma

Sienna Miller, our Global Ambassador since 2009, visited our programs in South Sudan, where she met with many of our beneficiaries and health workers.

Sienna also met students who are learning lifesaving skills at one of the three midwifery schools we support in South Sudan. Students study for more than two years to become midwives.

Kids Teaching Peers

We continue training junior community health workers who are helping to support the health and well-being of youth and families in refugee camps in Iraq.

Vaccines Save Lives

Measles cases continue to rise worldwide. In the Philippines, there have been 28,362 measles cases between January 1 and April 5, 2019.

We’ve helped the country’s Department of Health to provide measles vaccinations for almost 2,000 children — because vaccines save lives.

Prepared for the Next Emergency

Trevor Rhodes (middle) Emergency Specialist at International Medical Corps at the FEMA Southeast Private-Public Partner Summit

We are very excited to have been a part of the discussion at the FEMA Southeast Private-Public Partner Summit, working toward a culture of preparedness as hurricane season draws near.