WHO & Regionals [to 6 February 2016]

Zero tolerance for female genital mutilation
February 2016 — More than 125 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of female genital mutilation. WHO opposes all forms of female genital mutilation, which can cause a wide range of both short- and long-term health risks, and which is a grave violation of the human rights of women and girls.

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Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) 5 February 2016, vol. 91, 5 (pp. 53–60) – Contents
53 Schistosomiasis: number of people treated worldwide in 2014

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Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
No new reports posted.

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:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Dr Moeti urges vigilance amid spread of Zika virus
Brazzaville, 4 February 2016 – Countries from the WHO African Region have been urged to be watchful and prepare to tackle any signs of the Zika virus disease. The call was made by Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa. “The most effective forms of prevention are reducing mosquito populations by eliminating their potential breeding sites, and using personal protection measures to prevent mosquito bites. I call upon countries in the Region to strengthen vector control, surveillance and laboratory detection of Zika virus disease and neurological complications, as well as public awareness”, said Dr Moeti..

:: Delegates adopted recommendations on Exchange of Best Practices to Reaching Every District/Community, equity and integration of child survival interventions in ESA –
Cape Town, 29 January 2016 – The first ever workshop on Exchange of Best Practices to Reaching Every District/Community (RED/REC), equity and integration of child survival interventions in East and Southern African (ESA) jointly organized by WHO, UNICEF and JSI, MCSP/USAID, ended with delegates agreeing on recommendations to address inequities in coverage of child survival interventions and make progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.
One hundred forty six (146) delegates drawn from the Ministries of Health child health and immunization programmes, partner organizations namely, WHO, UNICEF, JSI/MCSP, CDC, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Sabin Vaccine Institute, the Gavi Alliance and PATH agreed for WHO and partners to develop a framework for integration of child survival interventions to address inequities and make progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage. Additionally EPI managers were called upon to use findings and recommendations from the workshop to brief their respective ministers in preparation for the impending Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa scheduled to take place from February 24-25 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia…
…The meeting agreed on the following recommendations:
…Countries to further review the best practices identified, adapt and plan for use in the national context, and develop an operation framework based on the integrated RED/REC strategic approach
…The African Region and partners to adapt the current RED strategic approach guidelines to include the expansion of RED components with equity and integration
…EPI managers to brief their respective ministers on the need to capitalize on the gains and expand RED approach to address inequities before the ministerial meeting
…WHO and partners should develop a regional framework for equitable and integrated delivery of child survival interventions in order to address inequities and make progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage…

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: PAHO Director calls for political commitment and more resources to fight Zika in the Americas (02/03/2016)
:: PAHO Director to brief ministers of health on microcephaly/Zika in the Americas (02/03/2016)
:: Films with smoking scenes should be rated “R” to protect children from tobacco addiction (02/01/2016)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: WHO calls for preventive measures against Zika virus disease
New Delhi, 02 February 2016: WHO South-East Asia Regional Director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh is urging countries in the Region to strengthen surveillance and take preventive measures against the Zika Virus disease which is strongly suspected to have a causal relation with clusters of microcephaly and other neurological abnormalities.
WHO has declared the recent clusters of microcephaly and other neurological abnormalities reported in the Americas region as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
The Zika virus is of concern in the WHO South-East Asia Region as the Aedes aegyptii mosquito, responsible for its spread, is found in many areas and there is no evidence of immunity to the Zika virus in many populations of the Region.
In the past sporadic Zika virus cases were reported from Thailand and Maldives…

WHO European Region EURO
:: Preventing cancer – The European code against cancer 04-02-2016
:: Statement – WHO urges European countries to prevent Zika virus disease spread now 03-02-2016

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO calls on countries of the Region to take steps to prevent Zika virus
Cairo, 31 January 2016 — As the Zika virus outbreak continues to spread reaching 24 countries in the Americas (as of 27 January), WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ala Alwan is calling on governments to work together to keep the Region protected.

WHO Western Pacific Region
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