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RespiCast: the new European Respiratory Diseases Forecasting Hub

ECDC - News - Tue, 01/16/2024 - 05:19
The European Respiratory Diseases Forecasting Hub (RespiCast) is open for weekly submission of several respiratory disease indicators such as influenza-like-illness, acute respiratory infection and COVID-19.
Categories: C.D.C. (Europe)

Tobacco use declines despite tobacco industry efforts to jeopardize progress

WHO news - Mon, 01/15/2024 - 18:23
Trends in 2022 show a continued decline in tobacco use rates globally. With about 1 in 5 adults worldwide consuming tobacco compared to 1 in 3 in 2000. WHO urges countries to continue putting in place tobacco control policies and continue to fight against tobacco industry interference.

WHO launches appeal for US$ 1.5 billion for key emergencies in 2024

WHO news - Mon, 01/15/2024 - 13:30
WHO today launched an appeal to protect the health of the most vulnerable populations in 41 emergencies around the globe in 2024. The appeal covers the emergencies that demand the highest level of response from WHO, with the aim to reach over 87 million people.

Preventing famine and deadly disease outbreak in Gaza requires faster, safer aid access and more supply routes

WHO news - Mon, 01/15/2024 - 11:57
As the risk of famine grows, and more people are exposed to deadly disease outbreaks, a fundamental step change in the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza is urgently needed, United Nations agencies warned today.

WHO certifies Cabo Verde as malaria-free, marking a historic milestone in the fight against malaria

WHO news - Fri, 01/12/2024 - 10:11
The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Cabo Verde as a malaria-free country, marking a significant achievement in global health. With this announcement, Cabo Verde joins the ranks of 43 countries and 1 territory that WHO has awarded this certification.

Multi-country outbreak of Salmonella Virchow ST16 infections linked to the consumption of meat products containing chicken meat

ECDC - Risk assessments - Thu, 12/28/2023 - 13:03
Since June 2017, a cross-border outbreak of Salmonella Virchow ST16 has been ongoing in five EU/EEA countries, the UK, and the US. A total of 210 cases have been reported. No deaths have been reported. A majority of cases have been linked to local restaurants serving kebab meat.
Categories: C.D.C. (Europe)

SARS-CoV-2 in animals: susceptibility of animal species, risk for animal and public health, monitoring, prevention and control

ECDC - Risk assessments - Thu, 12/28/2023 - 13:03
The epidemiological situation of SARS-CoV-2 in humans and animals is continually evolving. To date, animal species known to transmit SARS-CoV-2 are American mink, raccoon dog, cat, ferret, hamster, house mouse, Egyptian fruit bat, deer mouse and white-tailed deer. Among farmed animals, American mink have the highest likelihood to become infected from humans or animals and further transmit SARS-CoV-2.
Categories: C.D.C. (Europe)

Outbreak of Shigella sonnei in the EU/EEA, the United Kingdom, and the United States among travellers returning from Cabo Verde

ECDC - Risk assessments - Thu, 12/28/2023 - 13:03
An increased reporting of shigellosis cases, mainly caused by Shigella sonnei, among travellers returning from Cabo Verde has been ongoing in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US) since September 2022. This outbreak evolved rapidly during November and December 2022.
Categories: C.D.C. (Europe)

Threat Assessment Brief: Implications for the EU/EEA of the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-lineage

ECDC - Risk assessments - Thu, 12/28/2023 - 13:03
According to the current ECDC assessment, there is moderate probability of XBB.1.5 becoming dominant in the EU/EEA and causing a substantial increase in the number of COVID-19 cases within the next one to two months.
Categories: C.D.C. (Europe)

Intensified circulation of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and associated hospital burden in the EU/EEA

ECDC - Risk assessments - Thu, 12/28/2023 - 13:03
In recent weeks, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) circulation in the EU/EEA has intensified, with increasing transmission rates in all population groups and an earlier-than-usual start of the season. Several EU/EEA countries are experiencing high RSV circulation and the number of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) due to RSV is increasing. At this time of the year RSV infections are not unusual, however this year there is more RSV activity and it began earlier than in pre-COVID-19 seasons.
Categories: C.D.C. (Europe)

Multi-country outbreak of Salmonella Mbandaka ST413 possibly linked to consumption of chicken meat in the EU/EEA, Israel and the UK

ECDC - Risk assessments - Thu, 12/28/2023 - 13:03
A cross-border outbreak of Salmonella Mbandaka ST413 has been ongoing in the EU/EEA, Israel, and the UK since September 2021.
Categories: C.D.C. (Europe)

WHO teams deliver supplies to hospitals in Northern and Southern Gaza

WHO news - Wed, 12/27/2023 - 18:28
World Health Organization teams have undertaken high-risk missions to deliver supplies, with partners, to hospitals in Northern and Southern Gaza witnessing intense hostilities in their vicinity, high patient loads and overcrowding caused by people displaced by the conflict seeking refuge.

Lethal combination of hunger and disease to lead to more deaths in Gaza

WHO news - Thu, 12/21/2023 - 16:47
Hunger is ravaging Gaza, and this is expected to increase illness across the Strip, most acutely among children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and older people. In new estimates released today, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) global partnership, which includes WHO, said Gaza is facing “catastrophic levels of food insecurity,” with the risk of famine “increasing each day.”

WHO prequalifies a second malaria vaccine, a significant milestone in prevention of the disease

WHO news - Wed, 12/20/2023 - 18:52
WHO has added the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine to the list of prequalified vaccines. The prequalification means larger access to vaccines as a key tool to prevent malaria in children with it being a prerequisite for vaccine procurement by UNICEF and funding support for deployment by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Addressing Global Health Challenges: Irish Taoiseach Varadkar and WHO Director-General in Dublin Talks

WHO news - Tue, 12/19/2023 - 15:30

Ireland’s Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar welcomed Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, to Dublin today, to discuss strengthening the partnership between Ireland and the WHO across a range of global and domestic health areas. Dr Tedros also met with Michael Higgins, the President of Ireland.

The meetings underscores Ireland's commitment to actively address pressing health issues on both national and global fronts. The discussions delved into strategies for tackling health emergencies, enhancing healthcare infrastructure, and fostering collaborative research initiatives. The leaders also discussed the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and agreed on the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated in no uncertain terms how important the World Health Organization is, and how central a role it plays in promoting and securing health and well-being for all, on a global scale. This visit is an important opportunity to affirm and strengthen Ireland’s partnership with the WHO.”

The leaders discussed the importance of learning from the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic to be prepared for any future outbreaks. They agreed on the importance of moving forward with the instrument on pandemic preparedness to be ready for such events. They also discussed the vital need for increased medical supplies to be allowed into humanitarian settings and the disproportionate impact that violence is having on children and women. This year, Ireland announced it will invest around €10 million in supporting the work of the WHO, with funding targeted to support healthcare in emergency settings and programmes aimed at tackling child malnutrition.

“Ireland plays a powerful role in advocating for peace and equity in health globally, and has provided vital assistance to WHO’s work around the world” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

In the context of the funding, the Irish, Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Micheál Martin T.D. commented saying it is: “recognising the importance public health measures globally, and in the light of increasing health needs arising from conflict and crisis, that Ireland is significantly increasing its support for the WHO.”

COVID-19 vaccinations shift to regular immunization as COVAX draws to a close

WHO news - Tue, 12/19/2023 - 13:42
Nearly 18 months after the first administration of a COVID-19 vaccine, incredible progress has been made. Yet despite this progress, inequities between lower and higher income countries are continuing to cost lives and are prolonging the pandemic.

New South-South health cooperation initiative launched linking Africa and the Caribbean

WHO news - Tue, 12/19/2023 - 11:51

The Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC), a new initiative to strengthen South-South health cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean, was launched today.

The initiative stems from the recognition that the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic fell most heavily on developing countries, especially on women and children. The pandemic led to the reversal of health gains, including maternal mortality.

HeDPAC will focus on strengthening the health workforce in the two regions, and on sharing innovative solutions in primary health care, with a special emphasis on climate resilience, and maternal and child health.

Promoting technology transfer for pharmaceutical manufacturing, building regulatory capacity, and enhancing universal health coverage will be core HeDPAC strategies.

Dr Haileyesus Getahun will serve as the first CEO of HeDPAC. Dr Getahun has a quarter-century of experience in global health, and currently serves as Director of Global Coordination on Antimicrobial Resistance at WHO.

“COVID-19 exposed weaknesses in our health systems, but we also have the opportunity to address those challenges”, said President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, who is a champion of the initiative. “The time to act is now”, he said.

“COVID-19 left an indelible scar on our global solidarity and the right of all people to good health”, said Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados, who is also championing HeDPAC. “It is our shared responsibility to ensure that the inequity of the global response to COVID-19 is not repeated. This is the kind of action that will allow us to help people where they need it most.”

“The establishment of HeDPAC heralds a new global public health order to realize health equity through greater political commitment and action”, said Professor Senait Fisseha, Vice President of the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation. “Through this collaboration, vulnerable countries and groups, including women and children, stand to benefit.”

“WHO is pleased to partner with HeDPAC in its efforts to achieve universal health coverage for the people of Africa and the Caribbean”, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “South-South cooperation can play a critical role in catalysing a shared vision for health and the exchange of best practices between nations.”

Dr Getahun said, “There is no better role in global health than to contribute to health equity for the most vulnerable.”

HeDPAC media enquiries, contact info@hedpac.org

Additional media enquiries:

Rwanda: theophile.dushime@moh.gov.rw

Barbados: alex.downes@pmo.gov.bb

 

 

Time Series Analysis module in Italy

ECDC - News - Mon, 12/18/2023 - 16:07
On 11 – 15 December 2023, MediPIET Cohort 5, EPIET, EUPHEM and PAE fellows attended the annual Time Series Analysis (TSA) module hosted by Instituto Superiore di Sanita (ISS) in Rome, Italy.
Categories: C.D.C. (Europe)

WHO delivers health supplies to Al-Shifa Hospital, appeals for continued access to address urgent needs in north Gaza

WHO news - Sun, 12/17/2023 - 00:40

WHO staff participated in a joint UN mission to Al-Shifa Hospital in north Gaza on 16 December to deliver health supplies and assess the situation in the facility. Partners on today’s mission included OCHA, UNDSS, and UNMAS. The team delivered medicines and surgical supplies, orthopedic surgery equipment, and anesthesia materials and drugs to the hospital.  

Al-Shifa Hospital, currently minimally functional, needs to urgently resume at least basic operations to continue serving the thousands in need of lifesaving health care.   

Once the most important and largest referral hospital in Gaza, Al-Shifa now houses only a handful of doctors and a few nurses, together with 70 volunteers, working under what WHO staff described as “unbelievably challenging circumstances,” and calling it a “hospital in need of resuscitation.” The operating theatres and other major services remain nonfunctional due to lack of fuel, oxygen, specialized medical staff, and supplies. The hospital is only able to provide basic trauma stabilization, has no blood for transfusion, and hardly any staff to care for the constant flow of patients.  Dialysis is being provided to approximately 30 patients a day, with the dialysis machines operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, using a small generator.   

The team described the emergency department as a “bloodbath”, with hundreds of injured patients inside, and new patients arriving every minute. Patients with trauma injuries were being sutured on the floor, and limited to no pain management is available at the hospital. WHO staff said that the emergency department is so full that care must be exercised to not step on patients on the floor. Critical patients are being transferred to Al-Ahli Arab Hospital for surgeries.

Tens of thousands of displaced people are using the hospital building and grounds for shelter. A multi-pronged humanitarian response is needed to provide them with food, water and shelter.

Many of them asked our team to tell the world what is happening in the hope that their suffering might soon be eased. Al-Shifa Hospital continues to experience a severe shortage of food and safe water for health workers, patients, and displaced people. This reflects grave and growing concerns around persistent hunger across the Gaza Strip, and the consequences of malnutrition on people’s health and susceptibility to infectious diseases.  

WHO is committed to strengthening Al-Shifa Hospital in the coming weeks, so that it can resume at least basic functionality and continue to provide the lifesaving services that are needed at this critical time. Up to 20 operating theatres in the hospital, as well as post-operative care services, can be activated if provided with regular supplies of fuel, oxygen, medicines, food, and water. Substantial additional specialized medical, nursing and support staff, including emergency medical teams are also urgently needed.  

Currently, Al-Ahli Arab Hospital remains the only partially functional hospital in north Gaza along with three minimally functional hospitals – Al-Shifa, Al Awda and Al Sahaba Medical Complex - down from 24 before the conflict. WHO is also gravely concerned at the unfolding situation at Kamal Adwan Hospital and is gathering information urgently.

As hostilities continue and health needs across the Gaza Strip increase, Al-Shifa Hospital, a cornerstone of Gaza’s health system, must be urgently restored so that it can serve a besieged people trapped in a cycle of death, destruction, hunger, and disease.

 

 


WHO officially recognizes noma as a neglected tropical disease

WHO news - Fri, 12/15/2023 - 18:37
In a pivotal move towards addressing one of the world’s most underrecognized health challenges, the World Health Organization (WHO) today announced the inclusion of noma (cancrum oris or gangrenous stomatitis) in its official list of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

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