Field teams from the United Arab Emirates and the World Health Organisation have completed the first phase of a comprehensive health assessment on Socotra Island in Yemen, conducted in close coordination with Yemen’s Ministry of Public Health and Population.
The multi-phase operation will comprise four scheduled field visits over one year, representing the initial phase of an ambitious program designed to reduce mortality related to poor health and malnutrition by 20 per cent over the next two to five years through an integrated health system strengthening approach.
The assessment covered 38 enumeration areas across all 29 sub-districts of Socotra Island. Preliminary results show that 93 per cent of targeted health facilities were surveyed, with data collected from 4,214 households. Field teams conducted over 930 caregiver interviews, took anthropometric measurements from eligible children and mothers, facilitated 12 focus group discussions with community groups, and completed all 15 planned key informant interviews with stakeholders, including local authorities, donor organisations, and UN agencies.
The project will now enter the data cleaning and analysis phase, leading to a comprehensive report revealing the current status of maternal and child health and nutrition in the community. Future stages include procurement and distribution of medical supplies, recruitment of technical experts, training programs, and community awareness campaigns.
The initiative reflects the UAE’s data-driven humanitarian approach, implemented in partnership with international health organisations to improve public health indicators among vulnerable populations. This assessment comes at a critical time for Socotra Island, which faces significant health challenges including food insecurity and repeated outbreaks of cholera, measles, and dengue fever.
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