WHO & Regional Offices [to 29 July 2017]

Eliminate hepatitis: WHO
News release
27 July 2017 | GENEVA – New WHO data from 28 countries – representing approximately 70% of the global hepatitis burden – indicate that efforts to eliminate hepatitis are gaining momentum. Published to coincide with World Hepatitis Day, the data reveal that nearly all 28 countries have established high-level national hepatitis elimination committees (with plans and targets in place) and more than half have allocated dedicated funding for hepatitis responses.
On World Hepatitis Day, WHO is calling on countries to continue to translate their commitments into increased services to eliminate hepatitis. This week, WHO has also added a new generic treatment to its list of WHO-prequalified hepatitis C medicines to increase access to therapy, and is promoting prevention through injection safety: a key factor in reducing hepatitis B and C transmission.
From commitment to Action
“It is encouraging to see countries turning commitment into action to tackle hepatitis.” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Identifying interventions that have a high impact is a key step towards eliminating this devastating disease. Many countries have succeeded in scaling-up the hepatitis B vaccination. Now we need to push harder to increase access to diagnosis and treatment.”…

Highlights
WHO prequalifies first generic hepatitis C medicine and first HIV self-test
July 2017 – In the lead-up to Paris AIDS conference, WHO today prequalified the first generic version of sofosbuvir, a critical medicine for the treatment of hepatitis C, as well as the OraQuick ® HIV Self-Test.

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Weekly Epidemiological Record, 21 July 2017, vol. 92, 29/30 (pp. 405–416)
:: Progress towards measles elimination in Bangladesh, 2000–2016
:: Performance of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance and incidence of poliomyelitis, 2017

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WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
:: WHO participates in a forum on effective interventions to reduce harmful use of alcohol 26 July 2017
:: WHO provides lifesaving treatment for severely malnourished children with medical complication in South Sudan  26 July 2017
:: WCO Tanzania takes the Transformation Agenda forwards  26 July 2017

:: Partners agree to harmonise actions to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian efforts
Dakar, 18 July 2017 – Organisations involved in managing health emergencies and disease outbreaks in the African Region have agreed on better ways of coordinating their activities in the event of a crisis so as to save more lives and resources.
With more than 100 public health emergencies occurring each year in the African Region, the need to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the preparedness and response to health emergencies to meet the needs of affected communities has become paramount.
At the end of a three – day meeting in Dakar, Senegal, the Organisations agreed to undertake a number of specific joint actions in the next two years aimed at improving the quality and impact of their interventions. Some of the activities include:
…Mapping of partner institutions capacities in African region,
…Mapping of laboratory capacity in the region including diagnostics and vet labs for One Health
…Engaging key partners in the Pandemic Supply Chain Network Lead organizations: WFP
…Harmonize emergency training programs in the African region
…Develop repository of tools and documents for response to public health emergencies.
…Lead organizations: WHO AFRO , GOARN and Africa CDC
The event attracted over 70 representatives and experts from national, regional and international organizations. Among these were UNICEF, FAO, OCHA, WFP, UNHCR, IOM, MSF International, US CDC, AFENET, ALIMA, Nigeria CDC, IFRC, ARC, NICD South Africa, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Public Health England, UVRI, KEMRI, Africa CDC, GOARN and WHO.

:: The Regional Expert Meeting on Medicine Regulatory Harmonization Initiative is being convened by IGAD  24 July 2017

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: Countries of the Americas take action to eliminate hepatitis (07/28/2017)
…According to a PAHO/WHO survey in May 2017, at least 21 of the 25 countries surveyed in the Region of the Americas have created frameworks within their Ministries of Health that are now addressing and implementing hepatitis response measures.

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
::  Enhance awareness, action to eliminate hepatitis in South-East Asia Region 27 July 2017
 
WHO European Region EURO
:: World Hepatitis Day: making hepatitis elimination a reality 27-07-2017

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO commemorates World Hepatitis Day in Pakistan  27 July 2017
:: Statement by UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, WFP Executive Director, David Beasley and WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, following their joint visit to Yemen  26 July 2017  [See Milestones/Perspectives above for full text]
:: GoS, WHO, FAO, and OIE fight antimicrobial resistance with new national plan 25 July 2017