Attacks on ETCs in Katwa and Butembo represented the first large-scale and organized attacks targeted directly at the Ebola response, and were of a different order of magnitude to episodes of mistrust in communities or dangers of being caught in crossfire between fighting parties. In addition, the persistence of pockets of community mistrust, exacerbated by political tensions and insecurity, have resulted in recurrent temporary suspension and delays of case investigation and response activities in affected areas; reducing the overall effectiveness of interventions.
The high proportion of community deaths reported among confirmed cases, persistent delays in detection and isolation in ETCs, challenges in the timely reporting and response to probable cases, collectively increase the likelihood of further chains of transmission in affected communities and increased risk of geographical spread within DRC and to neighbouring countries. As do the risk of increased population movement anticipated during periods of heightened insecurity.
As Ebola rages in DRC, survey highlights wide mistrust Only 32% of residents trust that authorities represent their best interest, and 26% believe Ebola isn't real.
The availability of an experimental vaccine is seen as a game changer in the ongoing Ebola outbreak in northeastern Congo. But some residents in the North Kivu province capital Goma aren't so sure. For starters, they don't know what "vaccine" is, nor its equivalent in Swahili, "chanjo." The findings are part of a new report by Translators without Borders, which surveyed 216 residents of Goma and engaged 75 others in a group discussion to assess whether the information provided by aid organizations on Ebola prevention is understood.
Several so-called dirty hand diseases no longer exist in Mangina commune located in the health zone of Mabalako, since the appearance of the Ebola virus disease. Finding local health care staff. And the civil society of Mangina commune encourages people to wash their hands regularly, even after Ebola.
Peter Graaff is the new World Health Organization special representative for the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. WHO Director-General appointed Graaff, who previously served as the WHO's director of Ebola emergency response in Liberia and West Africa.
The European Commission (EC) and 15 member states today signed framework contracts with Seqirus to produce and supply pandemic vaccine. The countries are Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.
Vytenis Andriukaitis, the EC's commissioner for health and food safety, said in the statement, "Today's signature signals a new era in the access of EU citizens to pandemic influenza vaccines. Member States signing the contracts can rest assured that their citizens will have access to vaccines in case of an influenza pandemic at the best price available "
The H7N9 Disease Situation Update from FAO/EMPRES – Animal Health.
Nipah Virus Sequences from Humans and Bats during Nipah Outbreak, Kerala, India, 2018 We retrieved Nipah virus (NiV) sequences from 4 human and 3 fruit bat (Pteropus medius) samples from a 2018 outbreak in Kerala, India. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that NiV from humans were 96.15% similar to a Bangladesh strain but 99.7%–100% similar to virus from Pteropus spp. bats, indicating bats were the source of the outbreak.
Zika virus (ZIKV) was discovered in Africa in 1947. Its impact on public health seemed restricted to sporadic local outbreaks associated with an illness characterized by mild fever1. But in 2013–14, ZIKV was introduced into the Americas, where it spread quickly. The large number of infections that occurred during the resulting epidemic revealed a previously unappreciated link between ZIKV infection of pregnant women and a devastating congenital neurodevelopmental disease in their babies.
Scientists are racing to stamp out the disease in southeast Asia before unstoppable strains spread. The vast majority of deaths from malaria happen in Africa. But southeast Asia has given rise to several drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite — sometimes with disastrous consequences.
Today the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) switched its recommendation for first-line treatment for severe malaria to a drug not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because the previously recommended drug will no longer be produced by the manufacturer.
About 300 people each year in the United States develop severe malaria, the CDC says.
A large measles outbreak in Washington State has prompted officials to declare a state of emergency. As of March 4, 2019, the Washington State Health Department reported 71 confirmed cases, with the majority of cases among individuals who were not vaccinated or who had an unverified vaccination status.
ASF Asia Update for 29 March from FAO/EMPRES - Animal Health.
USDA Provides Information for Producers and Veterinarians to Help Guard Against African Swine Fever Through Sound Biosecurity and Disease Reporting.
The US Department of Agriculture's Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Jack Shere is reminding pig producers and veterinarians of the signs and symptoms of a deadly swine disease that could dramatically impact the US pig population. African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious foreign animal disease that affects both domestic and feral (wild) pigs. It does not affect human health and cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans.
Government policies have paved the way for investments in mining and agriculture but have placed greater pressure on land and impoverished communities, said the U.N.
Farms that include wild habitat boost soil diversity and support more dung beetles: these could be a crucial first line of defence against foodborne pathogens that kill thousands globally.
Since the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) was adopted in 2015, more than half the world's countries have developed their own national action plan (NAP) to tackle AMR, establishing AMR coordination committees or equivalent to deliver them. But implementing NAPs at scale is proving a difficult task, especially in the resource-constrained settings of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The paper points to six key strategies for success and offers a series of practical tips and suggestions on how to implement each one.
The webinars are open to participation from beyond Action Package members and does not mean you have to become a member, so please do join and promote through your networks!
Webinar recording: "Antibiotic resistance: a cultural contexts approach to addressing a global health challenge."
This webinar sought to investigate the cultural factors that shape antibiotic use and help in understanding the transmission of antibiotic resistance, such as the way culture shapes the protocols defining how antibiotic resistance is researched and regulated.
The World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office yesterday said a large increase in cholera activity has been under way in Yemen since the first of the year.
This guide is intended for humanitarian decision-makers and practitioners working in the field or with donor, international, national, or non-governmental organisations. It is intended to help with decisions around financing, supervision, delivery, or evaluation of humanitarian interventions. It defines evidence-informed decision making, explores when and which evidence may be of use, and advises how to choose evidence, where to source it from, and how to assess the quality.
Read the full report in English here.
Eight years after the start of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and two years after the Japanese government lifted evacuation orders in areas of Namie and Iitate, radiation levels remain too high for the safe return of thousands of Japanese citizen evacuees. This report summarizes information from Greenpeace's latest extensive radiation survey in Namie and Iitate, Fukushima prefecture.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies hosted a two-day public workshop on August 22-23, 2018 called Exploring Medical and Public Health Preparedness for a Nuclear Incident. Through the workshop, participants from government, NGO and private sector organizations explored current assumptions behind and the status of medical and public health preparedness for a nuclear incident, examined potential changes in assumptions and approach, and discussed challenges and opportunities for capacity building in the current threat environment.
Dozens of fragile patients poured into a clinic in the wrecked Mozambican port city of Beira on Wednesday, as the government said it had confirmed the first five cases of cholera in the wake of deadly Cyclone Idai.
After the Storm: 3 Types of Post-Disaster Poisonings to Know, Prepare For.
National Poison Prevention Week (March 17-23) was started in 1962 to encourage Americans to "learn of the dangers of accidental poisoning and to take such preventive measures as are warranted by the seriousness of the danger." Fifty-seven years later, those threats—and probably some new ones—to personal and public health persist. They can also be prepared for and—in many cases—prevented. Here are three types of post-disaster poisonings that you should be aware of, and three ways to prepare your health for each.
The report finds "good progress" for 23% of the 93 environment-related SDG indicators, insufficient data to assess progress for 68%, and limited likelihood that the target will be met without increased action for 9%. More than 30% of the environment-related SDGs indicators still lack an agreed methodology. SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production) is characterized by the least data availability and funding, and the lowest priority in countries' Voluntary National Reviews and SDG prioritization processes.
Indonesia: Is our social protection system ready for natural disasters?
Six months ago this week more than 4,400 people died when a series of earthquakes sent tsunami waves crashing into coastal Central Sulawesi and liquefied entire neighbourhoods in the provincial capital, Palu. Ian Morse, who reported for us in the aftermath of the disaster, returned to see how survivors are faring. The answer is not very well. Four in five of the 170,000 people displaced still lack adequate shelter. Different layers of government blame each other for delays, while families are forced to live in makeshift accommodation or cram in with friends because hundreds of temporary shelters lack water and electricity. To combat the lack of media coverage – as even the national press moves on – one local group has set up its own "disaster news agency", communicating with survivors, and holding official aid and rebuilding efforts accountable. At least someone is on the case.
Cities are becoming a focus of climate change mitigation. But scientific studies of these efforts aren't focused on the cities where most people live, nor on the cities most at risk from the effects of climate change.
Urban areas face a conundrum, they need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and consumption of resources, whilst also increasing their resilience to climate change and extreme weather, and improving wellbeing. However, it is widely recognized that well intended intervention to address one of these sustainability objectives in isolation can undermine other objectives.
"They beat us like they wanted to kill us."
Before Macedonia made the news for agreeing to change its name, it became notorious as one of the most dangerous countries for migrants and asylum seekers on the Western Balkans route into the European Union. The route has since changed – Hungary erected razor-wire fences to keep migrants out, so they have ended up in Bosnia instead – but the abuses continue. Check out our three-part multimedia series from 2015 on the gangs, prisons, and guerrillas migrants encountered on their way through Bulgaria, Serbia, and Macedonia.
The Migrants, Refugees, and Health Webinar organized by WFPHA Working Group on Health in Emergencies and Disaster held on 25 March 2019. Multiple speakers including three members of the Working Group along with invited speaker from the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), The Lancet Commission on Migration and Health and EchoHealth Alliance discussed the importance of refugee and migrant health, the challenges to implement international guidelines to promote refugee and migrant health, how environmental changes can lead to forced migration and to climate refugees, and what actions need to be taken in the future to ensure access to health for migrants and refugees.
About 100 people attended the webinar!
If you missed the webinar or would like to listen again, a recording can be found here, all you have to do is register and the recording will start playing.
By conducting ten case studies that examined emerging science and technology oversight around the world, researchers articulated lessons for policymakers and other stakeholders interested in encouraging and enabling emerging science and technology.