As you may be aware, there has been a significant measles outbreak in Samoa. ADRA Samoa are responding with funding support from ADRA Australia, ADRA New Zealand, and ADRA International. Please find below an update of the situation and how ADRA is responding.
A state of emergency has been declared in Samoa following a measles outbreak that as of December 2 has infected over 1.5% of the population. With over 3,200 measles cases reported and a current death toll of 48 (mostly children), humanitarian agencies including ADRA have been working non-stop in an attempt to stop the spread.
Given ADRA Samoa and the Seventh-day Adventist Mission’s strong presence within the community, they are working closely with government services to manage the flow of information to and from the community. ADRA Samoa has ‘paused’ all project activities to comply with the declared state of emergency, and has committed to roster staff seven days a week to support the Government response.
As part of their humanitarian response, ADRA Samoa has been able to provide the following support:
- ADRA Samoa is providing basic food and water to 10,000 people queueing at vaccination centres in urban areas of Apia.
- ADRA Samoa has received NZD$36,000 from the New Zealand High Commission in Samoa to provide hot meals to mobile vaccination team members for 14 days. This partnership is set to continue if the Government extends the declared emergency situation.
- ADRA Samoa is working with Samoa Airways and the Ministry Of Health to take delivery of eight neonatal ICU ventilators donated by:
- Queensland Children’s Hospital
- Taiwan Medical Research Unit
- Auckland Middlemore Hospital
- ADRA Samoa and the Samoa SDA Mission are hosting an Australia-based intensivist nurse and up to 16 neonatal medical personnel as surge capacity to the main hospital.
ADRA Australia is accepting donations into our Disaster Relief fund to help with the response in Samoa. To donate, visit adra.org.au/donate or call 1800 242 372.
