WER launches cholera epidemic appeal

Howard Lake | 5 July 2006 | Newswire

5 July, 2006
WER launches cholera epidemic appeal
International development charity World Emergency Relief (WER) has launched an appeal for development funds following the cholera epidemic in southern Sudan in April. Money raised from the appeal will fund long term development work to help prevent future epidemics.
When at its peak in April the cholera epidemic caused many hundreds of deaths. The one and only health centre in Ikotos county, the area at the centre of the epidemic, was overwhelmed by critically ill patients. Limited space and resources meant that, of those lucky enough to get treatment, many had to make do with straw mats in the health centre’s grounds with drips hanging from trees.
Having shipped out two tons of emergency medical supplies during the epidemic, WER’s now focusing on longer term relief efforts, such as the building of a new health centre. It’s new ‘Cholera in Sudan’ appeal pack has been sent to 10,000 possible donors identified by the database as having the potential to make high value donations.
The cholera epidemic went largely unreported,” says Alex Haxton, director of operations at World Emergency Relief. It’s just one more crisis in a crisis-ridden region, but it’s one that’s preventable in the future if the proper steps are taken now. We developed the mailing pack with our new fundraising partner Cascaid, and targeted it specifically to high end donors to raise the average donation level.”
WER, with local partner All Nations Christian Care (ANCC), is accessing Ikotos county via northern Uganda, a conflict-ridden area where few NGOs maintain a presence due to security concerns.
The conditions which gave rise to the epidemic included poor sanitation and a lack of safe water sources in the region. This was further exacerbated as large numbers of displaced people returned home following the official end of the 21-year civil war in southern Sudan.
As the epidemic took hold, the limited health facilities in Ikotos county – one clinic staffed by a medical assistant and six nursing assistants, serving a population of more than 184,000 people – became stretched beyond capacity due to its lack of beds, microscopes and basic medicines.
The content of WER’s cholera mailing pack includes a fact sheet about cholera, its causes and why people who are already malnourished are particularly susceptible. It also outlines what WER is trying to achieve in southern Sudan, including the building and supply of a new treatment centre, plus improvements to the water, medical and sewage infrastructure to help prevent future outbreaks.
Suggested donation levels start at £50, which would send a large shipment of medical equipment to a hospital in the region, and go up to £14,000 which would build and fully equip a 30-bed ward for the treatment of cholera patients.
WER Programme Manager Jeremy Horner and WER Trustee Margaret Edwards, traveled to Ikotos county last year to carry out an evaluation of WER’s work in the area. They reported nominal infrastructure in the region and the extreme isolation of many southern Sudanese communities. For those in need of medical assistance, chances of survival are further reduced by the lack of transport in the area. Medical facilities with surgical capacity are often hours or days away. From Ikotos itself it is a four day walk to reach the nearest electricity or telephone.
For more information about the cholera outbreak, WER’s work in East Africa or to make a donation visit www.wer-uk.org or call 0870 429 2129.
ENDS
For more press information contact CB Communications: Veronica Newport on 01363 866927 or Carole Pendle on 07768 462601
1. About World Emergency Relief (WER)
International development organisation World Emergency Relief (WER) is an UK registered charity, set up in 1995 and based in London. WER supports and funds 40 projects in more than 20 countries around the globe. A non-denominational Christian charity, its mission is to give young people in the developing world a living chance by addressing the root causes of poverty through its projects and programme work. In 2004/5 the charity was able to source and distribute donated goods for humanitarian relief and development purposes to the value of £32,493,110, including the provision of charitable grants.

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.