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Health facilities damaged, obstetric care stretched after Venezuela quakes, UNFPA says
Summary
UNFPA reported 41 health facilities sustained structural damage (3 inoperable), said emergency obstetric care is in short supply in affected areas and described efforts to supply 16 facilities with equipment and medicines.
At the virtual briefing, Paolo Narvaez for UNFPA said the earthquakes strained the health system and damaged facilities, reporting that "41 health facilities have structural damage, with 3 completely inoperable." He said many facilities face shortages of medicines, equipment and staff while disruptions to electricity and water complicate trauma care for thousands of injured people.
Narvaez emphasized the need to maintain lifesaving reproductive health services, including emergency obstetric care. He cited UNFPA support in Caracas and its work supplying medical equipment to 16 health facilities and providing prenatal care and clinical management services. The briefing included a brief account of a 19-year-old in Caracas awaiting a cesarean, used to underscore that births continue even amid disaster.
Narvaez said restoring health infrastructure and service delivery will take prolonged investment and coordination with national health authorities, and he urged donors to prioritize reproductive and maternal health in relief funding.
