WHO & Regionals [to 3 January 2014]

WHO: 2014 in review: key health issues
Health headlines have recently been dominated by the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and humanitarian emergencies in many other countries. 2014 also saw major public health successes, and a clearer understanding of a number of public health threats. WHO produced reports on a range of critical health issues and provided new advice to help countries improve their people’s health. Here are a few highlights:
:: January – April
:: May – August
:: September – December

:: Global Alert and Response (GAR): Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
– Ebola virus disease – United Kingdom 30 December 2014
On 29 December 2014, WHO was notified by the National IHR Focal Point for the United Kingdom of a laboratory-confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). This is the first EVD case to be detected on UK soil.
– Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China 30 December 2014
– Human infection with avian influenza A(H5N6) virus – China 28 December 2014
– Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia 26 December 2014
– Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China 24 December 2014

:: The Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) 19 December 2014, vol. 89, 51/52 (pp. 577–588) includes:
– Index of countries/areas
– Index, Volume 89, 2014, Nos. 1–52
– Revised guidance on meningitis outbreak response in sub-Saharan Africa
– Monthly report on dracunculiasis cases, January– October 2014
WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
Press Releases
:: National health systems – Africa’s big public health challenge 22 December 2014
Feature Stories
:: Cured of Ebola, Rebecca returns to cure others – 24 December 2014
:: Liberia: Local students become active Ebola case finders – 22 December 2014

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: PAHO year in review: 2014 public health highlights in the Americas
Washington, D.C., 24 December 2014 (PAHO/WHO) – The year 2014 was marked by progress as well as significant challenges for public health in the Americas. The region’s countries advanced toward goals including universal health coverage, expanded access to vaccination, and ensuring that fewer babies are born with HIV. They also confronted major new challenges, including the arrival and spread of the chikungunya virus and the need to prepare for the possible imported cases of Ebola…

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: Strengthening emergency preparedness, response capacities can save lives in mega disasters like tsunami 24 December 2014

WHO European Region EURO
:: First Ebola case detected on UK soil 02-01-2015
:: Avian influenza A(H5N8) continues to spread in poultry 23-12-2014

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
No new digest content identified.

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: 2014: Pacific year in review
2 January 2015 – The Pacific responded to a number of challenges in 2014, from outbreaks of vector-borne diseases to strengthening capacity to respond to public health threats such as Ebola. At the same time, work to combat the NCD crisis accelerated, through, for example, the launch of the Tobacco Free Pacific initiative and salt reduction activities. The Pacific voice was heard on the global stage at the World Health Assembly and the 3rd International Conference on Small Islands Developing States…