WHO & Regionals [to 21 November 2015]

Iraq completes round one of oral cholera vaccination campaign
Baghdad, 12 November 2015 – This week, the Government of Iraq, with the support of WHO and UNICEF, completed the first round of the oral cholera vaccination campaign. The campaign has vaccinated 91% of the targeted population of 255 000 Syrian refugees and internally displaced Iraqis across 62 refugee and internally displaced persons camps in 13 governorates. The turnout was very high with no refusals or concerns raised regarding the vaccine. A second round will begin in December to administer a second dose to ensure protection against cholera for 5 years or more.

Oral cholera vaccination campaign
The OCV campaign was discussed and agreed by stakeholders in September 2015. This was followed by planning and training sessions for governorate-level managers of the Expanded Programme on Immunization in Baghdad on 26 and 27 October. On 28 October, training was provided to 1302 vaccinators and 651 social mobilizers in preparation for the first round of the mass vaccination campaign.

The Shanchol vaccine used in the campaign is a WHO prequalified vaccine. To achieve the required protection among high-risk groups, 2 doses of OCV Shanchol vaccine will be administered at an interval of 2 to 6 weeks.

The first round of the campaign, lasting 5 days, began on 31 October and the second round is due to take place in early December 2015. The administration of a second dose is needed to extend the duration of protection for 5 years or more. The vaccine is being administered to all persons over one year of age living in the target camps.

Cholera vaccination is an additional preventive measure that supplements but does not replace other traditional cholera control measures. “We need to intensify health promotion and education activities to help communities protect themselves and their families from cholera and other communicable diseases,” said acting WHO Representative Altaf Musani…

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Global Alert and Response (GAR) – Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
:: 13 November 2015 – Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China
:: 12 November 2015 – Dengue Fever – Egypt
:: 11 November 2015 – Zika virus infection – Suriname

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Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) 13 November 2015, vol. 90, 46 (pp. 617–632)
Contents:
617 Global routine vaccination coverage, 2014
623 Progress towards regional measles elimination, worldwide, 2000–2014
632 WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on immunization: request for nominations
WHO: Request for proposals: country review of the second-year-of-life visit and development of a field guide
11 November 2015
Information and submission of proposalspdf, 117kb
Deadline for application: 14 December 2015
:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Health Ministers to discuss strategies and actions to tackle public health challenges in the African Region
Brazzaville, 12 November 2015 – Delegates from the 47 countries in the WHO African Region will meet in N’Djamena, Chad from 23-27 November 2015, for the annual session of the WHO Regional Committee. The week-long meeting is hosted by the Chadian government. The Regional Committee is the annual flagship meeting of ministers of health from the Region during which they discuss a range of strategies and actions to tackle public health challenges in the Region. As the highest decision-making body on health, its decisions have over the years contributed immensely towards improving the health and well-being of people
:: Measles vaccination has saved an estimated 17.1 million lives since 2000 – 11 November 2015
:: Affordable and effective vaccine brings Africa close to elimination of meningitis A – 10 November 2015

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: Inequality is a major barrier to good health, according to new research published in Pan American Journal of Public Health (11/11/2015)

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

WHO European Region EURO
:: Physical inactivity and diabetes 12-11-2015

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Iraq completes round one of oral cholera vaccination campaign
Baghdad, 12 November 2015 – This week, the Government of Iraq, with the support of WHO and UNICEF, completed the first round of the oral cholera vaccination campaign. The campaign has vaccinated 91% of the targeted population of Syrian refugees and internally displaced Iraqis in camps around the country. The second round will begin in December to administer a second dose to ensure protection against cholera for 5 years or more… [See “Measles” above]
:: Join WHO Instagram campaign #YearsAhead and help combat ageism
November 2015
:: 4 million children in Sudan targeted with oral polio vaccine
8 November 2015

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: Pharmaceutical sector governance: critical to universal health coverage
Countries are being urged to invest in governance in their pharmaceutical sector, as an important building block of universal health coverage. WHO’s Good Governance for Medicines (GGM) programme is commemorating 10 years of operation with a consultation of Member States, partners and other stakeholders in WHO’s South-East Asian and Western Pacific Regions in Manila.