Summary:
On 2 July 2014, 167,572 CHF was allocated from the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Salvadorean Red Cross Society (SRCS) to deliver immediate assistance to prevent and control dengue and chikungunya outbreaks. The SRCS conducted evaluations, coordinated with other humanitarian actors and provided humanitarian assistance that contributed to strengthening the population's capacity to better address these vector-borne diseases. The National Society distributed cleaning kits to eliminate the breeding grounds and engaged in fumigation campaigns that reached 7,731 families in 57 communities, 30 schools and 6 prisons in the municipalities of San Salvador, Ilopango and Soyapango (San Salvador department), Sonzacate (Sonsonate department), El Carmen (Cuscatlán department) and Bajo Lempa (Usulután department), as well as 57 Salvadorean Red Cross Society branches during the fourmonth operation.
According to Ministry of Health data for 2014, there were 167,001 suspected cases of chikungunya, including 6 reported deaths and 54 people hospitalized, which affected all of the country's 262 municipalities. As the year came to a close, the number of new cases considerably decreased. The Civil Protection system and the Ministry of Health issued two alerts and extended one of these in order to address and prioritize prevention actions in the most affected municipalities.
The IFRC, on behalf of the Salvadorean Red Cross Society, would like to extend thanks to the Canadian Red Cross Society, government of Canada and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) for their generous contributions to replenish the allocation made to this operation. The major donors and partners of the DREF include the Australian, American and Belgian governments, the Austrian Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross Society and government, the Danish Red Cross and government, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), the Irish and the Italian governments, the Japanese Red Cross Society, the Luxembourg government, the Monaco Red Cross and government, the Netherlands Red Cross and government, the Norwegian Red Cross and government, the Spanish government, the Swedish Red Cross and government, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), Medtronic Foundation, Z Zurich Foundation, and other corporate and private donors.
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