WHO & Regionals [to 22 August 2015]

WHO: Health workers are heroes in humanitarian action
19 August 2015 — The heroes are the doctors, nurses, paramedics and other health workers who selflessly serve their communities, often with little access to resources and sometimes at great risk to their own lives. World Humanitarian Day, 19 August, is a time to recognize those who face danger and adversity in order to help others. WHO is launching a campaign focusing on health workers. Join us as we send messages of thanks to health heroes around the world.
Find out more about World Humanitarian Day
WHO: Vaccine hesitancy: A growing challenge for immunization programmes
News release
18 August 2015 | Geneva – People who delay or refuse vaccines for themselves or their children are presenting a growing challenge for countries seeking to close the immunization gap. Globally, 1 in 5 children still do not receive routine life-saving immunizations, and an estimated 1.5 million children still die each year of diseases that could be prevented by vaccines that already exist, according to WHO.

In a special issue of the journal Vaccine, guest-edited by WHO and published today, experts review the role of vaccine hesitancy in limiting vaccine coverage and explore strategies to address it. Vaccine hesitancy refers to delay in acceptance or refusal of safe vaccines despite availability of vaccination services.

The issue is complex and context specific, varying across time, place and vaccines. It is influenced by factors such as misinformation, complacency, convenience and confidence.
“Vaccines can only improve health and prevent deaths if they are used, and immunization programmes must be able to achieve and sustain high vaccine uptake rates. Vaccine hesitancy is an increasingly important issue for country immunization programmes,” says Dr Philippe Duclos, Senior Health Adviser for WHO’s Immunization, Vaccines and Biological Department and guest editor of the special issue, entitled WHO recommendations regarding vaccine hesitancy.

The authors of the editorial of the journal note, “As the recent Ebola crisis tragically brought to light, engaging with communities and persuading individuals to change their habits and behaviours is a lynchpin of public health success. Addressing vaccine hesitancy is no different.”

The recommendations proposed by WHO aim to increase the understanding of vaccine hesitancy, its determinants and challenges. They also suggest ways organizations can increase acceptance of vaccines, share effective practices, and develop new tools to assess and address hesitancy.

Factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy
Concerns about vaccine safety can be linked to vaccine hesitancy, but safety concerns are only one of many factors that may drive hesitancy. Vaccine hesitancy can be caused by other factors such as: negative beliefs based on myths, e.g. that vaccination of women leads to infertility; misinformation; mistrust in the health care professional or health care system; the role of influential leaders; costs; geographic barriers and concerns about vaccine safety.

But the authors note there is no “magic bullet,” or single intervention strategy that works for all instances of vaccine hesitancy. The magnitude and setting of the problem varies and must be diagnosed for each instance to develop tailored strategies to improve vaccine acceptance.
Effective communication is key to dispelling fears, addressing concerns and promoting acceptance of vaccination.

Vaccine hesitancy is not only an issue in high income countries, but is a complex, rapidly changing global problem that varies widely. Interviews with immunization managers from WHO regions revealed that while in some cases particular rural ethnic minorities and remote communities were affected; in other areas wealthy urban residents expressed concerns regarding vaccine safety. In some areas concerns are related to subgroups of religious or philosophical objectors.

Determinants of vaccine hesitancy can act both as barriers and promoters: For example, a higher level of education does not necessarily predict vaccine acceptance, the experts note. In fact, a number of studies identify higher education as a potential barrier to vaccine acceptance in some settings, while other studies identify education as a promoter of vaccine acceptance in different areas. Even fear of needles can be a factor for vaccine refusal and WHO will issue, in September 2015, a position paper on pain mitigation.

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The Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) 21 August 2015, vol. 90, 34 (pp. 421–432) includes:
:: Addendum to report of the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS), 10–11 June 2015
:: Progress towards poliomyelitis eradication in Nigeria, January 2014–July 2015
:: Monthly report on dracunculiasis cases, January-June 2015

The Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) 14 August 2015, vol. 90, 33 (pp. 409–420) includes:
:: Outbreak news – Chikungunya: case definitions for acute, atypical and chronic cases

The Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) 7 August 2015, vol. 90, 32 (pp. 393–408) includes:
:: Laboratory response to the West African Ebola outbreak 2014–2015
:: Plans for containment of poliovirus following type specific polio eradication worldwide, 2015

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Call for Nominations: Recognized immunization experts solicited for Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (IPAC) 11 August 2015
Overview, Criteria, Application process
pdf, 123kb

Call for proposals: Evaluation of vaccine manufacturers’ perceptions regarding Controlled Temperature Chain (CTC) 6 August 2015
Terms of reference
pdf, 297kb
Deadline for application: 11 September 2015

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GIN July 2015 pdf, 1.37Mb

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:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Courtesy call of German Ambassador to WHO Regional Office for Africa
Brazzaville, 18 August 2015 – The German Ambassador to the Republic of Congo, His Excellency Thomas Strieder paid a courtesy call on the World Health Organization Regional Office in Djoue, Brazzaville where he was received by Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa. During the visit, they discussed a range of issues including polio eradication and ongoing efforts to ensure that investments made to eradicate polio contribute to future health goals. They also discussed how Federal Republic of Germany and WHO can work together to support the Republic of Congo in its health development efforts.
:: Asbestos use continues in Africa despite severe health warnings – 17 August 2015
:: Africa advances toward a polio-free continent – 12 August 2015

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
No new digest content identified.

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
No new digest content identified.

WHO European Region EURO
:: On World Humanitarian Day: Interview with a Syrian doctor 19-08-2015
:: First case of chikungunya diagnosed in Spain 13-08-2015
:: WHO European Region has lowest global breastfeeding rates 05-08-2015

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Regional Director’s statement on the occasion of World Humanitarian Day 2015
19 August, 2015, Cairo, Egypt — Every year, World Humanitarian Day provides us with the opportunity to recognize and honour the people who help other people – the humanitarian aid workers who dedicate their lives to serving those in need. It is thanks to these health workers and hundreds of others throughout the Region, who are willing to put the well-being of others above all else, that WHO is able to fulfil its mission to save lives.
Read the full statement
:: WHO continues support to immunization activities in Yemen
14 August 2015

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: More than 200 000 children in Papua New Guinea to benefit from polio, measles-rubella vaccine
PORT MORESBY, 12 August 2015 – More than 200 000 children stand to benefit from life-saving polio and measles-rubella vaccines as Papua New Guinea introduced the injectable inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and measles-rubella (MR) vaccine into the country’s routine immunization programme.
Read the news release