can be attributed to 5 or more episodes of diarrhoea before the age of 2. In emergencies, exposure to water-borne diseases often increases as the health environment deteriorates while malnutrition itself increases the incidence, duration and severity of infection. The data on access to clean water and sanitation can be found in the WASH section People with greater nutritional needs remain most at risk, including young children, pregnant and nursing mothers, the elderly and those living with tuberculosis and/or HIV. Poor nutrition status combined with the communicable and noncommunicable disease burden and the generally weak health delivery in SADC remains a cause for concern. six months; • Promotion of optimal complementary feeding with continued breastfeeding up to 24 months; • Promotion of consumption of foods with adequate micronutrient content; • Promotion of nutrition counselling care and support for PLHIV; • Promotion of multisectoral collaboration integrated nutrition response; and for • Strengthening or establishment of adequate monitoring systems. RECOMMENDATIONS Increased mobilization of partners and of resources is necessary to allow coverage of nutrition interventions at scale. In line with the SADC Food and Nutrition Strategy 2015 to 2025, the priority nutrition actions in response to El Niño include but are not limited to: • Identification, treatment and management of moderate and severe cases of malnutrition, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable, including children and pregnant and lactating women; • Promotion of exclusive breastfeeding for the first HEALTH AND COMMUNICABLE DISEASES Before the El Niño event, access to health services was already affected by economical, geographical, socio-political and sometimes cultural factors. In Madagascar, 40 per cent of the population lives at more than 10 km from a health facility. Measles vaccine coverage was only 77 per cent in Botswana in 2015, and 4 per cent to 84 per cent in Madagascar. Only 47 per cent of pregnant women could attend the antenatal care 4 in Mozambique. El Niño worsened the situation. In the context of the current drought, the situation is exacerbated by health facilities being hampered by limited water availability and an increase in patients suffering from drought-related illnesses such as diarrhoea. As of 15 June, fifteen disease outbreaks have been notified or reported in the fifteen SADC countries: cholera currently affects Malawi, Mozambique, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and A health worker measures the mid-upper-arm circumference of a boy. Source: UNICEF/UNI186128, Photo Credits: Calvin Zimbabwe; typhoid in Malawi and Zimbabwe and malaria outbreaks have been notified in Botswana, Malawi and Madagascar. El Niño is likely to further increase the number of cholera cases. Peri-urban areas and informal settlements are particularly vulnerable, as these are characterized by high population density and lack of adequate sanitation infrastructureIn Angola, the Yellow fever outbreak which has been detected in Luanda late December 2015 continue to spread despite mass vaccination campaigns currently ongoing with around 8 million people already vaccinated. As of 15 June, 3,137 cases, including 345 deaths have been reported. The outbreak is of high concern due to persistence of local transmission in Luanda, continue extension to 12 highly populated provinces, and high risk of spread to neighbouring countries. However, the emergence of cholera in more well-established 15