WHO & Regionals [to 28 February 2015]

:: Health crises in Central African Republic, Iraq, South Sudan and Syria need US$1 billion
24 February, 2015 Geneva – Raging conflict and beleaguered health services are threatening the health of tens of millions of people across the Central African Republic, Iraq, South Sudan and Syria. To respond, the World Health Organization today called on the international community to provide $US1 billion to support its on-going efforts – and those of partners – to treat, immunize and provide the wide range of life-saving health services needed to populations in need.
– Read the full news release on WHO’s increased funding needed to meet health needs
– More information on Central African Republic
– More information on Iraq
– More information on South Sudan
– More information on Syrian Arabic Republic

:: Warning signals from the volatile world of influenza viruses
26 February 2015 — The current global influenza situation is characterized by a number of trends that must be closely monitored. These include: an increase in the variety of animal influenza viruses co-circulating and exchanging genetic material, giving rise to novel strains; continuing cases of human H7N9 infections in China; and a recent spurt of human H5N1 cases in Egypt. Changes in the H3N2 seasonal influenza viruses, which have affected the protection conferred by the current vaccine, are also of particular concern

:: WHO/Europe calls for scaled-up vaccination against measles
Over 22 000 cases reported in Europe in 2014–2015
Copenhagen, 25 February 2015
The WHO Regional Office for Europe calls on policy-makers, health care workers and parents immediately to step up vaccination against measles across age groups at risk. This will help to put an end to the outbreaks occurring in countries in the WHO European Region and to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.
Seven countries in the Region have reported 22 567 cases of measles in 2014 and thus far in 2015. This threatens the Region’s goal of eliminating the disease by the end of 2015. Even though measles cases fell by 50% from 2013 to 2014, large outbreaks continue.
“When we consider that over the past two decades we have seen a reduction of 96% in the number of measles cases in the European Region, and that we are just a step away from eliminating the disease, we are taken aback by these numbers. We must collectively respond, without further delay, to close immunization gaps,” says Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “It is unacceptable that, after the last 50 years’ efforts to make safe and effective vaccines available, measles continues to cost lives, money and time.”…

:: Global Alert and Response (GAR): Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
– 26 February 2015 Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China
– 26 February 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia

:: GIN February 2015

:: The Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) 27 February 2015, vol. 90, 09 (pp. 69–88) includes:
– Japanese Encephalitis Vaccines: WHO position paper – February 2015
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:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: WHO identifying innovative ways to strengthen immunization services in Central Africa – 26 February 2015
Douala, 25 February 2015 –- The World Health Organization (WHO) Inter-country Support Team (IST) for Central Africa is convening its Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Managers’ meeting in Douala, Cameroon from 23 to 27 February 2015 to strengthen and improve access to immunization services in 10 countries in Central Africa.
:: Kenya hosts commemoration to accelerate comprehensive implementation of WHO FCTC in the African Region – 25 February 2015

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: Tobacco: 10 years fighting a top killer in the Americas (02/26/2015)

:: PAHO/WHO supports CDC-led effort to eliminate malaria on Hispaniola by 2020 (02/25/2015)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
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WHO European Region EURO
:: WHO/Europe calls for scaled-up vaccination against measles 25-02-2015

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO supports tax increase on cigarettes in Egypt 26 February 2015

:: Save lives: Recommit to implementing WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control  26 February 2015

:: More progress needed to control the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-COV) in Saudi Arabia
23 February 2015
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 23 February 2015 – A team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and Institut Pasteur, France concluded a mission to Saudi Arabia to assess the current situation of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) following a surge of cases in the past few weeks and to make recommendations for improving the surveillance, prevention and control of the virus. Already this month, more than 50 cases have been reported in several locations in the Kingdom, including infections acquired in health facilities (called nosocomial infections) in Riyadh, Qassim Region and Damman City, eastern region
Members of the joint mission held discussions with high-level representatives from the Ministry of Health, visited the Command and Control Centre that has been leading all activities related to the control of the MERS-CoV, and toured the emergency and isolation facilities of the Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Hospital. Government officials and the WHO-led mission shared their concern about the rising number of MERS-CoV cases in recent weeks and in particular in health care facilities….
…The mission, along with the Saudi Arabian health authorities, identified main areas that should be urgently addressed:
– Understanding the animal/human interface, that is, modes of infection and transmission;
– Filling critical knowledge gaps in the science and epidemiology of MERS-CoV by conducting further research studies and by sharing the findings widely and rapidly;
– Improving disease prevention, especially in health facilities that continue to experience avoidable infections;
– Intensifying social mobilization, community engagement activities and communications. The mission also stressed the need for intersectoral cooperation and coordination, especially between health, agriculture, and other sectors….

WHO Western Pacific Region
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