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IHF NEWSLETTER AMERICAS Hurricane Katrina raises health concerns HURRICANE KATRINA MADE LANDFALL near New Orleans, Louisiana on 29 August 2005. With a sustained wind speed of approximately 200 km/h, Katrina destroyed many buildings and caused extensive damage. Eighty percent of the city was submerged under water. The United States Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency in all affected areas. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), close to 90,000 square miles (233,000 km) were declared as disaster areas (an area greater than the size of the United Kingdom). The Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization are collaborating with the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at the federal and state levels and with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), providing technical collaboration in a number of public health areas. Public health experts are evaluating the health impact of hurricane Katrina and its aftermath among survivors in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr Mirta Roses, today conveyed her condolences for the loss of human life to US Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt and offered PAHO’s experience and assistance in dealing with the disaster’s aftermath. For more information, please visit PAHO's special page on Hurricane Katrina at www.paho.org/English/ DD/PED/huracan-katrinahome.htm AFRICA African partners to tackle the crisis on human resources for health IN AN UNPRECEDENTED PARTNERSHIP, an African Regional Consultation on human resources for health (HRH) was jointly organized by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the African Council for Sustainable Health Development (ACOSHED). The Consultation was held from 18 to 20 July 2005 at WHO/AFRO in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, with the theme “Taking the HRH Agenda forward at the Country level”. The Consultation identified innovative actions to move Africa forward and ensure that regional and global investments yield intended results. Key actions include: ➜ Establishment of a Regional Platform – to assure that the African voice and perspective is not lost in the global dialogue, and that there is accountability for country level action. WHO declares TB an emergency in Africa IN AUGUST 2005, The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa comprising health ministers from 46 Member States has declared tuberculosis an emergency in the African region – a response to an epidemic that has more than quadrupled the annual number of new TB cases in most African countries since 1990 and is continuing to rise across the continent, killing more than half a million people every year. WHO/AFRO proposes US$949.5 million budget for the African region in 2006-07 THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION proposes to spend US$949.5 million in its African Region during the 2006-2007 biennium, compared to US$774.7 million in the ➜ Setting up of the African HRH Observatory to serve as an essential, action-oriented mechanism in HRH development. ➜ Responding to flows of health workers from Africa. Increased resources need to be efficiently targeted to assure that there is HRH development in the broader context of health systems strengthening. ➜ Tools to promote performance-based incentives and reward systems in the health sector. ➜ Focus on the need to implement HRH development actions at country level. For further information visit http://www.afro.who.int/press/2005/hrh_press_2.pdf 2004-2005 biennium. This is contained in a report to be presented by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, to the fifty-fifth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa taking place from 22 to 26 August in Maputo, Mozambique. Dr Sambo states that US$203.6 million, representing 21.4% of the 2006-2007 Programme Budget, is from the Regular Budget while US$745.8, representing 78.6%, is from Voluntary Funds (Other Sources). Of the total of US$949.5 million approved for 2006-2007, U$784.3 million has been allocated for Regional Priorities, representing an increase of US $177.3 million (29.2%) compared to the 2004-2005 Programme Budget. This accounts for 86.6% of the total budget increase. The guiding principles for implementing the proposed 2006-2007 Programme Budget in the African Region are decentralization, integration of interventions, strengthening of WHO presence in countries and strengthening monitoring and evaluation. 08 | 12 World | WORLD Hospitals hospitals and Health and health Services services | Vol. 41 No. 3
IHF NEWSLETTER MIDDLE-EAST Queen Rania has consented to become WHO Patron for Violence Prevention in the Eastern Mediterranean Region AS WHO PATRON FOR VIOLENCE PREVENTION, Queen Rania will play a leading role in drawing attention to the importance of the issues that need to be addressed and in promoting action in the areas of prevention of violence and improvement of services to victims of violence, especially in the Middle East. She will also play a role in encouraging political leaders in the region and globally to take action to prevent family and community violence. Across the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, which includes most Arab countries, more than 130,000 people die on the roads every year, and road traffic injuries are the eighth leading cause of death for people of all ages. The vast majority of these deaths occur in the Region’s low and middle-income countries. Unlike high-income countries, where those most at risk of injury or death are drivers and passengers in cars, equally at risk of being involved in a road traffic crash in lowincome and middle-income countries are pedestrians, cyclists and users of informal modes of public transport. For further information contact: WHO Representative Office in Jordan; E-mail: who@jor.emro.who.int SOUTH -EAST ASIA Tsunami recovery process focuses on long-term health capacity development THE TSUNAMI OF 26 DECEMBER 2004 was one of the worst natural disasters in recent memory. Six months after the tragedy, the rebuilding and recovery process has provided an opportunity for the health sectors in the affected countries, assisted by the World Health Organization (WHO), to strengthen their health systems in a long-term, sustainable manner. Local health capacity and infrastructure are being fortified and local people have been trained in skills that will serve their communities better. Health systems in many affected countries had been devastated by the tsunami. For example, in Aceh, Indonesia, 53 of the 244 health facilities were destroyed or severely incapacitated. Fifty-seven of the 497 provincial health office staff died, while 59 were reported missing. WHO assisted the health sectors of the affected countries, at their request, in strengthening their resources and in setting up systems where they had been destroyed. In meeting the needs of the affected areas, WHO also provided technical guidelines, and medical supplies. Resources were mobilized in partnership with the government health authorities. The large numbers of displaced persons, crowded conditions, flooding and a vulnerable population posed an increased risk of communicable diseases following the tsunami. However, timely establishment of disease surveillance systems by health authorities, helped prevent any major outbreak. In Aceh, so far, the surveillance team has responded to 352 cumulative cases through alerts and response systems. This system of epidemiological surveillance and outbreak response system will now be used as part of the routine integrated disease surveillance. In India, with assistance from WHO, the state of Tamil Nadu had established disease surveillance units in four of the worst affected districts in the state. Surveillance for both water and vector borne communicable diseases was established. Except for sporadic cases, no major outbreak was reported from the affected communities. A mass measles and vitamin A immunization campaign reached out to more than 75,000 children below five years of age. Damaged hospitals and clinics were also upgraded and equipped with relevant instruments and resources. In Aceh, for example, the Meulaboh District Laboratory as well as the Provincial Food and Drug laboratory have been equipped by WHO. In the Maldives, the Public Health Laboratory has been provided with laboratory equipment such as a water purification system and accessories to assist in surveillance and monitoring of chemical and microbiological contaminants in food. As part of the United Nations country team, WHO is working closely with the government in the Maldives in the ‘Recovery Plus” process. Here, the challenges of the tsunami disaster are being transformed into opportunities to accelerate sustainable long-term development. Three thousand drums have been procured for collecting hazardous waste from tsunami-affected islands, and 13 health professionals have undergone training to develop and implement a national strategy for management of healthcare waste. With a view to long-term, sustainable use of water resources, ‘template’ water safety plans are being developed, and the needs for water quality surveillance assessed. Draft guidelines for food safety have been developed and 25 food inspectors trained. In India, through local efforts, WHO has initiated rigorous water quality monitoring and social mobilization for environmental sanitation and hygiene in the relief shelters in the worst affected district in Tamil Nadu. In addition, a long term project to monitor the changes in ground water quality following the disaster has been initiated in all the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu. Mental health of the affected populations has been a key concern. In every affected country, WHO, along with the concerned governments, has provided training for psychosocial support, with help from the communities. This emphasis on mental health in the tsunami-affected countries has set in motion some far-reaching changes. The Sri Lankan government plans to review its national mental health act and mental health policies. In Indonesia, Aceh will become the first province to have community mental health services. For more information, contact: pandeyh@whosea.org The Editor would like to thank the World Health Organization, the Amercian Hospital Association, the Pan American Health Organisation, World Medical Association, International Council od Nurses and the World Health Professing Alliance for their help in compiling the International news. Should you have any suitable news items, please email your information to Sheila@ihf-fih.org. Vol. 41 No. 3 | World Hospitals and Health Services | 09
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