International report: Houthi leaders' rejection of vaccines is behind the steady increase in diseases
English - Sunday 16 July 2023 الساعة 09:27 am
Sana'a, NewsYemen, exclusive:
The Social Impact Monitoring Project said that the steady increase in diseases in areas controlled by the Houthi militia, Iran's arm in Yemen, is a direct result of the increasingly low levels of immunity among children resulting from low immunization coverage and reluctance to use vaccines.
The report of the Social Impact Monitoring Project issued at the end of June confirmed that the Houthi leaders are referring to erroneous research and studies proving that vaccinations will lead to death not immediately but after a while.
"Several reports and key informants indicated that various misconceptions and rumors circulated on YouTube, television, radio and social media, which raise fear and suspicion," he added.
According to the Social Impact Monitoring Project, since 2021, polio has spread in Yemen, with more than 228 cases as of May 8, 2023, of which 86% were from areas under the control of the Houthi militia.
The report confirmed that there were also more than 22,000 measles cases in 2022, including 161 deaths, according to the United Nations.
According to the report, the first quarter of 2023 recorded more than 13,000 measles cases, 8,800 cases of dengue fever, and 20,080 suspected cholera cases.
Cases of diphtheria and whooping cough are on the rise, as are deaths from each disease.
According to the World Health Organization, these numbers mean that the actual numbers are likely to be much higher.
The report confirmed that various factors and causes have been reported that contribute to the low uptake of vaccines, including access to misleading information, lack of confidence in health facilities and humanitarian organizations, political polarization, and the absence of awareness campaigns.
The report of the Social Impact Monitoring Project indicated that in general, the Houthis' refusal of the vaccine is indirect or semi-public, as the Houthi leaders indirectly hinted at their rejection of vaccines, and the Minister of Health said that they are not responsible for the people who take the vaccines.
The report cited one example of the complex relationship between the Houthis and vaccines: “It was between 2017-2018 during the cholera outbreak, when the Houthi leaders negotiated with the World Health Organization about vaccines, and requested 3.4 million doses, and after giving 500,000 doses, they canceled the request because the Houthi health authorities believed that the vaccine inactive".
Anecdotal notes suggest that some women have stopped giving birth in hospitals to avoid costs and mistrust of health facilities, believing that vaccinations will harm them and their babies.
The report concluded that misinformation opens the door to the spread of viruses and other diseases and may increase the risk of disease, which leads to a weakening of the immune system and possibly death, and a lack of vaccines leads to high rates of infant mortality.
