Highlights

▪ Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees have been identified as being among the most vulnerable population groups to COVID-19 infection in Ethiopia. To ensure an equitable and comprehensive COVID-19 response, IDPs and refugees are being intentionally targeted with key COVID-19 prevention messages and WASH support. Since the onset of the pandemic, UNICEF and its partners have reached 573,150 refugees and at least 135,253 IDPs with COVID-19 prevention messages. A total of 45,000 refugees and at least 3,835 IDPs have access to basic sanitation and 56,625 refugees and at least 18,365 IDPs have received WASH Non-Food Items (NFIs).

▪ Some 24 treatment, isolation and quarantine sites hosting refugees are now receiving enough safe water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene. The water, provided through emergency water trucking and roto tanks distributed to prevent COVID-19, has benefitted 16,005 refugees, including 3,257 women, 2,665 men and 10,083 children.

▪ As a part of the COVID-19 response, 17,548 caregivers of children aged 0-23 months and 24-59 months received Infant Young Child Feeding (IYCF) counseling. Among them, 7,191 received counseling in health facilities and 10,357 through established community platforms.

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Epidemiological Overview

As of 15 September, Ethiopia had 65,486 confirmed cases of COVID-19, representing an increase of 13,555 cases over the 52,131 cases reported in the No.17 COVID-19 Situation Report published on 31 August. As of 8 September, children under the age of one represented one per cent of the total caseload; children under the age of five made up two per cent of the total caseload and children aged 5-14 made up four per cent of all positive COVID-19 cases. The rate of overall positive cases is 5.6 per cent as per data released by the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) in the COVID-19 Daily Situation Report of 15 September.

As of 15 September, total samples tests were 1,157,292, while the number of people recovered was 25,988. In addition, 1,035 deaths have been reported while 280 people were in critical condition. Children under five account for 0.8 per cent per cent (CFR=0.36 per cent) of total deaths. Similarly, one per cent of deaths (CFR=0.2 per cent) have been reported among children aged 5-14 years.

As of 15 September, 1,400 people were under mandatory quarantine at designated hotels and selected sites in the country (155 in Addis Ababa hotels, 169 at the Addis Ababa University and 1,076 across the regions). A total of 23,987 people, having completed the 14-day follow-up, have been discharged from quarantine.

In addition, as of September 15, since the start of the Home-Based Isolation and Care (HBIC) management system of asymptomatic and mild cases in mid-July, 14,543 COVID-19 confirmed cases have been being followed up in the HBIC system. Some 7,426 have recovered while 7,138 are currently still on HBIC. Three COVID-19 related deaths have occurred in the HBIC, 139 cases have been transferred from treatment centers to HBIC, and 119 cases have been transferred from HBIC to treatment centers.