The floods caused by the Tropical Cyclone IDAI has affected 3 million people in the Republics of Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe leaving 839 people dead, and this figure continued to rise as the rains stopped and water subsided. To date, over 201,476 people (Table 1) have been displaced and about 31...7 camps established. A total of 2,347 people have been reported injured and over 300 people are still missing in the affected countries.
more
Results from the baseline study indicated that schoolgirls in the southwestern refugee settlement context lacked access to the menstrual hygiene knowledge and products required for them to manage their menstruation in a healthy and dignified manner. Although UNHCR mandates that all women and girls o...f reproductive age are to receive distributions of disposable sanitary pads, soap and underwear, 71% of the girls reported not having enough menstrual products, 65% reported not having enough soap and 59% reported not having enough underwear. 44% percent also reported that they didn’t have enough information about menstrual hygiene.
more
For the 24th consecutive year, PAHO has published the report Health Situation in the Americas: Core Indicators featuring the latest information on key indicators for the Region of the Americas. This 2018 edition includes data on the 82 core indicators for the countries, territories, and sub regions ...of the Americas, grouped into the following categories: demographic-socioeconomic, health status, risk factors, service coverage, and health systems. Information is also presented on 22 indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
more
As of 21 March 2019, a total of 250,000 people are reported to be affected by the floods in nine districts. An estimated 48 per cent of the affected population is under 18 years of age.
There is limited road access in the Chimanimani, the worst affected district.
An estimated 60,000 children are ...in need of immediate protection services, and 100,000 children are in need of welfare and civil registration services in nine flood affected districts.
Initial estimates indicate that 54 classrooms from 114 schools have been affected by the floods, impacting about 30,000 learners. Over 5,000 households have been reached with critical WASH Hygiene kits in affected districts.
more
Risk of spill-over of EVD to Uganda has been categorised as very high. On 28 September 2018, WHO elevated the risk at the regional level which includes Uganda from ‘high’ to ‘very high’. Uganda has a very long and largely porous border with the DRC. High population movements across the borde...rs occur for various reason including for trade, social activities and services and asylum. There are cross-border markets in several border districts in Uganda and DRC that involve thousands of people crossing into and out of DRC and Uganda for trade purposes several days in a week.
more
The disaster and Red Cross Red Crescent response to date
9 March 2019: Tropical Cyclone Idai forms over Northern Mozambique Channel. CVM preparedness and early warning actions underway
13 March 2019: IFRC Surge Capacity is deployed to Maputo
14 March 2019: 342,562 Swiss francs allocated from th...e IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to meet the immediate shelter, WASH and health needs of 1,500 households
15 March 2019: Tropical Cyclone Idai makes landfall in Beira,
Mozambique.
17 March 2019: IFRC Surge Capacity arrival in Beira with CVM to conduct preliminary assessments.
19 March 2019: IFRC issues an Emergency Appeal for 10 million Swiss francs for 75,000 people for 12 months.
more
UNICEF trucks water to the camps where people displaced by the conflict have temporarily settled. UNICEF also installed latrines, showers and water storage tanks in the camps and distributed family hygiene kits to protect children against waterborne diseases.
Response to the tropical cyclone in southern Africa
Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Meningitis outbreak in Togo
Lassa fever outbreak in Liberia.
The WHO/UNICEF JMP report, WASH in Health Care Facilities, is the first comprehensive global assessment of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in health care facilities. It also finds that 1 in 5 health care facilities has no sanitation service*, impacting 1.5 billion people. The report further rev...eals that many health centres lack basic facilities for hand hygiene and safe segregation and disposal of health care waste.
more
Strengthening of SDB teams through refresher trainings and regular simulation exercises/drills
Continue social mobilization and community engagement through mobile cinema and community awareness sessions
Procure and preposition additional PPE kits
Effective Ebola risk communication requires respect and transparency and remains as vital
as ever. An assessment of changing communication needs and preferences in Beni, North Kivu.
In the second year of the current Ebola outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), people at ris...k still don’t have clear answers to their questions about the disease in a language they understand. Many local health communicators are themselves confused about the disease prevention and treatment measures they promote. The language, content, and form of communication about Ebola affect how far people understand, trust and act upon it.
more
Despite Pakistan's progress in reducing the number of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases to 8 in 2017 and 12 in 2018, 2019 has seen a significant rise in the number of WPV1 cases (41 cases as of July 8 2019). One of the most intractable challenges the Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) is ...facing is refusals by parents and caregivers to immunise their children with the polio vaccine. In light of this challenge, the Pakistan programme has revisited its strategy and put forward this Extension of the National Emergency Action Plan 2018/2019 (NEAP), which will carry the programme forward from July to December 2019
more
This manual will contribute directly to the fourth focus area of the FAO Action Plan by promoting the prevention of infections and the prudent use of antibiotics in the pig and poultry sectors. The pig and poultry sectors are addressed together, as these sectors generally have the highest use of ant...ibiotics. This manual is jointly applicable to veterinarians, other health professionals and farmers; a key to success in using antibiotics effectively and prudently is good dialogue among these professions.
more
This publication describes an arduous campaign to tackle the use of antimicrobials - specifically antibiotics - in the Danish swine-producing sector thanks to the collaboration between the regulatory sector within the Ministry of Environment and Food, private veterinary practitioners and swine produ...cers. The document is a retrospective tribute to all those who had the foresight to make significant changes to ensure consumer protection - improving hygiene at primary sites, developing options for intervention, identifying sites for intervention, setting targets, restructuring the relationship between the veterinary services and farmers, and implementing changes in behaviour for greatest impact
more
A ‘how-to’ guide for Neglected Tropical Disease programmes
This toolkit provides step-by-step guidance to NTD programme managers and partners on how to engage and work collaboratively with the WASH community to improve delivery of water, sanitation and hygiene services to underserved population... affected by many neglected tropical diseases. The toolkit is based on real-life programme experience, which users can match to their needs and local context. It includes a series of tools to help build multisectoral partnerships, mobilize resources, and design, implement and evaluate interventions.
more
GUIDE PRATIQUE À L’INTENTION DES PROGRAMMES DE LUTTE CONTRE LES MALADIES TROPICALES NÉGLIGÉES
This toolkit provides step-by-step guidance to NTD programme managers and partners on how to engage and work collaboratively with the WASH community to improve delivery of water, sanitation and hygien...e services to underserved population affected by many neglected tropical diseases. The toolkit is based on real-life programme experience, which users can match to their needs and local context. It includes a series of tools to help build multisectoral partnerships, mobilize resources, and design, implement and evaluate interventions.
more
Known avoidable environmental risks to health cause at least 12.6 million deaths every year, and account for about one quarter of the global burden of disease (2016 data) (1). Air pollution alone causes about 7 million
deaths a year, placing it among the top global risks to health (2). Global envir...onmental challenges are on the rise, including climate change, rapid urbanization and increased resistance to drugs.
more
Safe water, sanitation and hygiene (collectively known as WASH) are crucial for human health and well-being. Yet, millions of people globally lack adequate WASH services and consequently suffer from or are exposed to a multitude of preventable illnesses.