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A cross sectional study was cond ucted with the object ive of assessing health
prob lems, hea lth coping strategies and hea lth care demand of non-displaced
communities whi ch are in food crisis. The study cons isted of a household su rvey
(n=53 I househo lds), Focus Group Oiscuss ions( N=IO grou ps) and an individ ual indepth
interv iew of government officia ls ( n = 9) th rough which quantitative and
qualitative data were coll ected.
The study Woreda (d istri ct) of North Wollo Zone, Amahara Regional State,
Eth iop ia. The di strict was highly affected by the fam ines of the 1970s and 1980s and
has been fac ing repeated food sholtages ever since.
In the three months reca ll period 748(29.4%) of the 2,547 household
members reported be ing ill, out of which only 122 (16.3%) sought western-style
medical care. The ma in reason (72.7% of the responses) for not seeking med ical ca re
was lack of money to cover the medical cost and/or for transportation and
accommodation. Most households had not recovered from the past famines' economic
shock, due to the recurrent nature of food prod uction fai lure. The an nual per capita
income in the surveyed population was found to be 3 10.4 (US $ 43.7). In fo rmat ion
was obta ined from 148 hou sehold s on the hea lth- cost co ping mechanisms; these
were 72(48.6%) of the househo lds from the sa le of animals and anima l products,
32(2 1.6%) from the sa le of grai ns and the rest from loans, sav in gs, sa le of househo ld
uten si ls and fi re-wood, and work ing in food-far-work or cash-for work programmes.
The most vul nerable groups who were severely affected by the current food cr isis
were elders, women-headed househo lds and those who have no product ive assets, i.e,
the poor. About half of the 531 stud ied ho useholds had no sin gle an im al; 55.5 were
currently dependent on food aid . This fin ding shows the exhaustion of the hea lthcost-
co ping strategies of the communiti es. A rel at ive ly hi gh number of the
households (24.6%) were found to consume a fa mine food (Lathyrus Sativus) which
causes neuro-tox icity when consumed for along period as a main diet. The line
mini stry offi ces, from the region to the district, lack tra ined manpower in d isaster
management; there is a tendency for them to fo rward a ll disaster issues to the spec ific
government authority for disa ster management issues, the Disaster Prevention and
Preparedness Commiss ion (OPPC).The study recommendations are as fol lows: a)
Health aid shou ld be part of food aid package; b) Special attention should go to the
most vu lnerable gro ups of the community; and c) Training of di saster managers at all
levels IS mand atory fo r a better handl ing of di sasters. |
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