| 1. WHO calls for access to health and humanitarian assistance on fourth day of conflict in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territoryВт, 10 окт 2023[-/+] The World Health Organization (WHO) repeats its call for an end to the hostilities that are causing untold suffering in Israel and the Gaza Strip. Over 1000 people have died and many more injured following horrific acts of violence by Hamas and others on Saturday in Israel. Nine hundred people have died and many more injured in days of bombing by Israel in Gaza. The pain of so many families must be unbearable.
WHO has offered assistance to health officials in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.
On 9 October, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who agreed to a WHO request to facilitate the delivery of health and other humanitarian supplies from WHO to Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Such humanitarian corridors must be protected.
In the Gaza Strip, hospitals are running on back-up generators with fuel likely to run out in the coming days. They have exhausted the supplies WHO pre-positioned before the escalation. The life-saving health response is now dependent on getting new supplies and fuel to health care facilities as fast as possible.
WHO is urgently working to procure medical supplies locally to meet demand, and preparing supplies from its Global Medical Logistics Hub in Dubai, UAE. WHO is also gravely concerned about the health and well-being of hostages, including elderly civilians, seized from Israel by Hamas in attacks on 7 October. The hostages’ health and medical needs must be addressed immediately, and we call for their safe release. | ↑ |
5. WHO commends Egypt for its progress on the path to eliminate hepatitis CПн, 09 окт 2023[-/+] The Arab Republic of Egypt has become the first country to achieve the "gold tier” status on the path to elimination of hepatitis C as per WHO criteria. This means that Egypt has fulfilled WHO's programmatic coverage targets that will set the country up to achieve the reduced incidence and mortality targets of full elimination before 2030. | ↑ |
6. Governments make progress towards agreeing amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005)Сб, 07 окт 2023[-/+] Progress was made this week on many of the over-300 proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR). In this fifth round of intensive discussions, taking place under the aegis of the Working Group on Amendments to the IHR (WGIHR) – which includes the 196 States Parties to the IHR, the European Union and the Observer Delegation of Palestine – participants discussed proposed amendments including those in the areas of: - Points Of Entry
- Public Health Measures
- Health Documents
- General Provisions
- Final Provisions
- Definitions, Purpose and Scope, Principles and Responsible Authorities
- The Emergency Committee
- Decision Instrument for The Assessment and Notification of Events.
The Working Group also discussed a consolidated proposal by the proponent States Parties of proposed amendments to Article 13A Equitable Access to Health Products, Technologies and Know-How for Public Health Response, as well as Article 8 Consultation. It was agreed that efforts should continue during the intersessional period (before the next meeting of the WGIHR in December), including: - discussions between proponents of various proposed amendments, with a view to presentation of any outcomes for the consideration of the drafting group;
- intersessional briefings and facilitated intersessional consultations covering Articles, Annexes and topics discussed during this and previous meetings of the WGIHR, including those that have been the subject of intersessional work. This includes also work on financing for public health emergencies and IHR implementation, and the Public Health Alert – PHEIC – pandemic continuum, including definitions, criteria and the process for determining each. The outcomes of facilitated intersessional consultations will not constitute agreed text and will be made available in advance of the next WGIHR meeting in December 2023; and
- preparation, as relevant, by the Bureau with the assistance of the Secretariat, of draft text proposals based on the discussions so far, for consideration by the Working Group at the Sixth Meeting.
"We will continue work on a range of issues in the intersessional period before WGIHR6, as well as in early 2024. We are confident that we will be able to deliver on our mandate by the 77th World Health Assembly. The will is there,” said WGIHR Co-Chair Dr Abdullah Assiri of Saudi Arabia. “We have a very strong shared focus on our mandate to deliver a package of targeted amendments to the IHR and ensure that equity is reflected in the IHR. It would be easy to make the IHR worse. It will be hard to make them better. We will focus on the hard task, making them better,” said WGIHR Co-Chair Dr Ashley Bloomfield of New Zealand. The Co-Chairs noted that, in reference to Decision WHA75(9), it appeared unlikely that the package of amendments would be ready by January 2024. In this regard, the Working Group agreed to continue its work between January and May 2024. The Director-General will submit to the 77th Health Assembly the package of amendments agreed by the Working Group.
The original International Sanitary Regulations were adopted in 1951 under the WHO Constitution to set out agreed approaches and obligations for countries to prepare for, and respond to, disease outbreaks and other acute public health events with risk of international spread. The original International Sanitary Regulations were revised three times – in 1969 (when they became International Health Regulations), in 1981, and in 2005.
The IHR are an instrument of international law that is legally-binding on 196 State Parties, including the 194 WHO Member States. The IHR, in their version adopted in 2005, have been amended twice – in 2014 and 2022 (the most-recent amendments will come into force in May 2024). The newest proposed amendments come in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
(1) Liechtenstein and the Holy See are State Parties to the IHR but not Member States of WHO. | ↑ |
7. WHO recommends R21/Matrix-M vaccine for malaria prevention in updated advice on immunizationПн, 02 окт 2023[-/+] The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended a new vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, for the prevention of malaria in children. The recommendation follows advice from the WHO: Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) and the Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG) and was endorsed by the WHO Director-General following its regular biannual meeting held on 25-29 September. WHO also issued recommendations on the advice of SAGE for new vaccines for dengue and meningitis, along with immunization schedule and product recommendations for COVID-19. WHO also issued key immunization programmatic recommendations on polio, IA2030 and recovering the immunization programme. The R21 vaccine is the second malaria vaccine recommended by WHO, following the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, which received a WHO recommendation in 2021. Both vaccines are shown to be safe and effective in preventing malaria in children and, when implemented broadly, are expected to have high public health impact. Malaria, a mosquito-borne disease, places a particularly high burden on children in the African Region, where nearly half a million children die from the disease each year. Demand for malaria vaccines is unprecedented; however, available supply of RTS,S is limited. The addition of R21 to the list of WHO-recommended malaria vaccines is expected to result in sufficient vaccine supply to benefit all children living in areas where malaria is a public health risk. “As a malaria researcher, I used to dream of the day we would have a safe and effective vaccine against malaria. Now we have two,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Demand for the RTS,S vaccine far exceeds supply, so this second vaccine is a vital additional tool to protect more children faster, and to bring us closer to our vision of a malaria-free future.” Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, emphasized the importance of this recommendation for the continent, saying: “This second vaccine holds real potential to close the huge demand-and-supply gap. Delivered to scale and rolled out widely, the two vaccines can help bolster malaria prevention and control efforts and save hundreds of thousands of young lives in Africa from this deadly disease.” Key features of the R21 malaria vaccine: The updated WHO malaria vaccine recommendation is informed by evidence from an ongoing R21 vaccine clinical trial and other studies, which showed: - High efficacy when given just before the high transmission season: In areas with highly seasonal malaria transmission (where malaria transmission is largely limited to 4 or 5 months per year), the R21 vaccine was shown to reduce symptomatic cases of malaria by 75% during the 12 months following a 3-dose series. A fourth dose given a year after the third maintained efficacy. This high efficacy is similar to the efficacy demonstrated when RTS,S is given seasonally.
- Good efficacy when given in an age-based schedule: The vaccine showed good efficacy (66%) during the 12 months following the first 3 doses. A fourth dose a year after the third maintained efficacy.
- High impact: Mathematical modelling estimates indicate the public health impact of the R21 vaccine is expected to be high in a wide range of malaria transmission settings, including low transmission settings.
- Cost effectiveness: At prices of US$ 2 – US$ 4 per dose, the cost-effectiveness of the R21 vaccine would be comparable with other recommended malaria interventions and other childhood vaccines.
- Similarity of R21 and RTS,S vaccines: The two WHO-recommended vaccines, R21 and RTS,S, have not been tested in a head-to-head trial. There is no evidence to date showing one vaccine performs better than the other. The choice of product to be used in a country should be based on programmatic characteristics, vaccine supply, and vaccine affordability
- Safety: The R21 vaccine was shown to be safe in clinical trials. As with other new vaccines, safety monitoring will continue.
Next steps for the second recommended malaria vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, include completing the ongoing WHO prequalification which would enable international procurement of the vaccine for broader rollout. At least 28 countries in Africa plan to introduce a WHO-recommended malaria vaccine as part of their national immunization programmes. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has approved providing technical and financial support to roll out malaria vaccines to 18 countries. The RTS,S vaccine will be rolled out in some African countries in early 2024, and the R21 malaria vaccine is expected to become available to countries mid-2024.
; Recommendations on dengue - Dengue poses a significant public health burden in endemic countries and is poised to increase further both in terms of incidence and geographic expansion, due to climate change and urbanization.
- The live-attenuated quadrivalent dengue vaccine developed by Takeda (TAK-003) has demonstrated efficacy against all four serotypes of the virus in baseline seropositive children (4-16 years) in endemic countries and against serotypes 1 and 2 in baseline seronegative children.
- SAGE recommended that the vaccine be considered for introduction in settings with high dengue disease burden and high transmission intensity to maximize the public health impact and minimize any potential risk in seronegative persons.
- SAGE recommended that the vaccine be introduced to children aged 6 to 16 years of age. Within this age range, the vaccine should be introduced about 1-2 years prior to the age-specific peak incidence of dengue-related hospitalizations. The vaccine should be administered in a 2-dose schedule with a 3-month interval between doses.
- SAGE recommended that vaccine introduction should be accompanied by a well-designed communication strategy and community engagement.
Recommendations on meningitis - SAGE recommended that all countries in the African meningitis belt introduce the novel pentavalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine targeting serogroups A, C, Y, W and X (Men5CV) into their routine immunization programmes in a single-dose schedule at 9 to 18 months of age.
- In high-risk countries, and countries with high-risk districts, a catch-up campaign should also be conducted at the time of the introduction of Men5CV, targeting all individuals aged 1 to 19 years.
Recommendations on COVID-19 - SAGE was presented with updated data on the epidemiology of COVID-19, including death rates among priority-use groups; vaccine effectiveness data during Omicron XBB sub-lineages circulation; and pre-clinical and clinical data on novel monovalent XBB vaccines.
- Based on the data reviewed, SAGE recommended a simplified single-dose regime for primary immunization for most COVID-19 vaccines which would improve acceptance and uptake and provide adequate protection at a time when most people have had at least one prior infection.
- Available data suggest the monovalent Omicron XBB vaccines provide modestly enhanced protection compared to bivalent variant-containing vaccines and monovalent index virus vaccines.
- When monovalent XBB vaccines are not available, any available WHO emergency-use listed or prequalified vaccine, bivalent variant-containing or monovalent index virus vaccines, may be used since they continue to provide benefits against severe disease in high-risk groups.
IA2030 - Progress against the IA2030 indicators was stalled due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and was off-track for six of the seven impact goal targets; progress against the target for the introduction of new vaccines is on track driven by the introduction of new vaccines in low-income countries in 2022.
- While there are promising signs of recovery, it is uneven; recovery is especially slow in low-income countries and vulnerable populations living in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
- Low coverage of measles-containing vaccines has increased the risk of large, disruptive outbreaks.
- A shared action agenda for 2023-2024 that sets out a series of short-term and high-level priorities to align the efforts of countries, regions, global partners, and other stakeholders has been developed.
- The action agenda has six trajectories, which are catch-up and strengthening of immunization programmes, equity promotion, regaining control of measles, making the case for investment into immunization, accelerating the introduction of WHO-recommended vaccines, and advancing vaccination in adolescence.
Note to the editor: The R21 and RTS,S vaccines act against P. falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite and the most prevalent on the African continent. The updated WHO recommendation for malaria vaccines was informed by the results of the WHO-coordinated Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme, through which nearly 2 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have been reached with the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine since 2019. The pilot introduction of the first malaria vaccine has resulted in a substantial impact in reducing severe malaria illness, hospitalizations and child deaths.
| ↑ |
9. Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2024 southern hemisphere influenza seasonПт, 29 сен 2023[-/+] The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced the recommendations for the viral composition of influenza vaccines for the 2024 influenza season in the southern hemisphere. The announcement was made at an information session at the end of a 4-day meeting on the Composition of Influenza Virus Vaccines, a meeting that is held twice annually. WHO organizes these consultations with an advisory group of experts gathered from WHO Collaborating Centres and WHO Essential Regulatory Laboratories to analyse influenza virus surveillance data generated by the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS). The recommendations issued are used by the national vaccine regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies to develop, produce, and license influenza vaccines for the following influenza season. The periodic update of viruses contained in influenza vaccines is necessary for the vaccines to be effective due to the constant evolving nature of influenza viruses, including those circulating and infecting humans. The WHO recommends that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2024 southern hemisphere influenza season contain the following: Egg-based vaccines - an A/Victoria/4897/2022 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
- an A/Thailand/8/2022 (H3N2)-like virus; and
- a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.
Cell culture- or recombinant-based vaccines - an A/Wisconsin/67/2022 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
- an A/Massachusetts/18/2022 (H3N2)-like virus; and
- a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.
For quadrivalent egg- or cell culture-based or recombinant vaccines for use in 2024 southern hemisphere influenza season, the WHO recommends inclusion of the following B/Yamagata lineage component: a B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata lineage)-like virus. | ↑ |
10. Top donor Germany signs major contribution to WHO for health emergencies; signs host agreement for WHO pandemic hubЧт, 28 сен 2023[-/+] Germany deepened its longstanding engagement with WHO on Thursday with two new agreements: one to contribute a further €40 million to WHO’s work in health emergencies, and a second to host the Berlin-based WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. With the new contribution, Germany has provided €53.5 million so far this year to support WHO’s response to more than 50 active health emergencies. “This is important because climate disasters, conflicts, and the ongoing pandemic demand urgent action,” said Susanne Baumann, State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office for Germany (GFFO), whose delegation met with WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Our support is flexible and vital for saving lives around the globe.” Through the GFFO, the country provides substantial funding to humanitarian crises in Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine, Yemen, and to Ebola responses in Africa. Germany is an all-time top donor to WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE), having contributed €115 million since the CFE’s inception in 2015. The contributions have made a significant impact on the health of people caught up in humanitarian crises; this year alone, CFE funding allowed WHO to bring immediate, lifesaving support to victims of floods in Libya, conflict in Sudan, cholera and diphtheria outbreaks, and earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. Of the new €40 million contribution, €20 million goes to the WHO Health Emergencies Appeal 2023, €10 million to the Ukraine emergency, €10 million for emergencies in Africa. Thursday’s meeting also featured the signing of a host agreement for the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. The Hub was established with Germany’s support in Berlin in September 2021 to provide the world with better data, analytics and decisions to detect and respond to health emergencies. Coinciding with the signing of the host agreement in Geneva, the German government held in Berlin a high-level forum “Pandemics: no time for neglect,” which focused on political priorities and actions on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, along with financing for resilient health systems. WHO’s Chief Scientist, Dr Jeremy Farrar, and Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Emergency Intelligence and Surveillance Systems, addressed the Forum. “After last week’s historic political declaration at the UN General Assembly committing to stronger collaboration, investments, and governance to prevent, prepare, and respond to future pandemics, I am appreciative of Germany’s leadership leveraging the political momentum to host this high-level forum,” Dr Tedros said. “We must continue the dialogue to align on strengthening and financing health systems.” In the coming weeks, Germany will join with WHO in two more Berlin-based events: - Breaking Barriers: Advancing the One Health Agenda with a Focus on Environment (12-13 October).
- The World Health Summit 2023 (15-17 October) will gather stakeholders from more than 100 countries under the theme: “A Defining Year for Global Health Action.”
In a whole-of-government investment approach, Germany commits funds from its federal ministries: the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the German Development Bank (KfW), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and the Ministry for the Environment. | ↑ |
11. Ground-breaking research series on health benefits of the artsПн, 25 сен 2023[-/+] WHO and the Jameel Arts & Health Lab have announced a forthcoming Lancet Global Series on the health benefits of the arts. The research collaboration builds on a 2019 WHO Report that presented evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being. | ↑ |
12. New analysis confirms world seeing an upsurge of choleraПт, 22 сен 2023[-/+] Comprehensive cholera statistics for 2022, published by WHO today, shed light on the scale and extent of the ongoing cholera upsurge. While data for cholera remain inadequate, cases reported to WHO in 2022 were more than double those in 2021. Forty-four countries reported cases, a 25% increase from the 35 countries that reported cases in 2021. Not only were there more outbreaks, but the outbreaks were larger. Seven countries –Afghanistan, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Nigeria, Somalia, Syrian Arab Republic–have each reported over 10 000 suspected and confirmed cases. The larger the outbreak, the harder it typically is to control. Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through food and water contaminated with faeces containing the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is closely linked to the lack of adequate safe water and sanitation, due to underdevelopment, poverty and conflict. Climate change too is playing a role in this upsurge as extreme climate events like floods, droughts and cyclones trigger new outbreaks and worsen existing ones. Current data for 2023 suggest that this global upsurge is continuing. Twenty-four countries are currently reporting active outbreaks, with some countries in the midst of acute crises. The increased demand for cholera materials has been a challenge for disease control efforts globally. Since October 2022, the International Coordinating Group (ICG)—the body which manages emergency supplies of vaccines—has suspended the standard two-dose vaccination regimen in cholera outbreak response campaigns, using instead a single-dose approach. WHO is supporting countries to respond to cholera outbreaks on an emergency footing through the strengthening of public health surveillance, case management, and prevention measures; providing essential medical supplies; coordinating field deployments with partners; and supporting risk communication and community engagement. WHO has appealed for US$ 160.4 million to respond to cholera through the global strategic preparedness, readiness and response plan. US$ 16.6 million has been released from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies for cholera response in 2022 and 2023. | ↑ |
13. World leaders commit to new targets to end TBПт, 22 сен 2023[-/+] World leaders at the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis have approved a Political Declaration with ambitious new targets for the next five years to advance the global efforts towards ending the TB epidemic.
The targets include reaching 90% of people with TB prevention and care services, using a WHO-recommended rapid test as the first method of diagnosing TB; providing social benefit packages to all people with TB; licensing at least one new TB vaccine; and closing funding gaps for TB implementation and research by 2027. “For millennia, our ancestors have suffered and died with tuberculosis, without knowing what it was, what caused it, or how to stop it,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Today, we have knowledge and tools they could only have dreamed of. The political declaration countries approved today, and the targets they have set, are a commitment to use those tools, and develop new ones, to write the final chapter in the story of TB.” Progress made towards 2018 targetsTaking stock of progress towards targets set in 2018 for a five-year period, WHO reported that while global efforts to combat TB have saved over 75 million lives since the year 2000, they fell short of reaching the targets, mainly due to severe disruptions to TB services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflicts. Only 34 million people of the intended 40 million people with TB were reached with treatment between 2018 and 2022. For TB preventive treatment, the situation was even more grim, with only 15.5 million of the 30 million people targeted to be reached with preventive treatment accessing it. Funding for TB services in low- and middle-income countries fell from US$ 6.4 billion in 2018 to US$ 5.8 billion in in 2022, representing a 50% financing gap in implementing the required TB programmes. Annual funding for TB research ranged from US$ 0.9 billion to US$ 1.0 billion between 2018 and 2022, which is just half of the target set in 2018. This has placed an even heavier burden on those affected, especially the most vulnerable. Today, TB remains one of the world’s top infectious killers: annually more than 10 million people fall sick, and over 1 million lose their lives to this preventable and curable disease. Drug-resistant TB continues to be a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance with close to half a million people developing drug-resistant TB every year. “Uniting around the TB response by world leaders, for a second time, provides an opportunity to accelerate action and strengthen health systems capable of not only addressing the TB epidemic, but also protecting the broader health and well-being of communities, strengthening pandemic preparedness and building on lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO Global TB Programme. “Averting TB-related financial hardship and preventing the development of the disease in vulnerable groups will help diminish inequities within and between countries, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.” TB incidence and deaths have risen between 2020 and 2021 but coordinated efforts by countries, WHO and partners are resulting in a recovery of essential services. Launch of the TB vaccine accelerator council
In the lead-up to this historic meeting, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, officially launched the TB vaccine accelerator council to facilitate the development, licensing and use of new TB vaccines. The Council, supported by the WHO secretariat, will be led by a ministerial board, consisting of nine members who will serve on a rotating basis, for a term of two years. The Council will also have subsidiary bodies to support its interaction and engagement with different sectors and stakeholders broadly, including the private sector, scientists, philanthropy, and civil society. BCG is currently the only licensed TB vaccine. While it provides moderate efficacy in preventing severe forms of TB in infants and young children, it does not adequately protect adolescents and adults, who account for the majority (>90%) of TB transmission globally. The Council aims to identify innovative sustainable financing, market solutions and partnerships across public, private, and philanthropic sectors. It will leverage platforms like the African Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), BRICS countries (Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa), G20, G7 and others to strengthen commitment and actions for novel TB vaccine development and access. | ↑ |
18. Billions left behind on the path to universal health coverageПн, 18 сен 2023[-/+] The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank have jointly published the 2023 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Global Monitoring Report, revealing an alarming stagnation in the progress towards providing people everywhere with quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare. | ↑ |
20. Dead bodies from natural disasters and conflict do not generally pose health risks, Red Cross and WHO sayПт, 15 сен 2023[-/+] Amid devastating loss of life due to disasters and conflict, there is often unfounded fear and misunderstanding concerning the dead. It is therefore important that communities have the tools and information they need to manage dead bodies safely and with dignity. This is in part to help survivors along the path to recovery, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) said today. When many people die in natural disasters or armed conflict, the presence of these bodies is distressing for affected communities. Some may move quickly to bury bodies, such as in mass graves, in part in an attempt to manage this distress, and sometimes because of the fear that these bodies pose a health threat. This approach can be detrimental to the population, the organizations said. Though local authorities and communities can be under immense pressure to bury the dead quickly, the consequences of mismanagement of the dead include long lasting mental distress for family members as well as social and legal problems. Well managed burials include easily traceable and properly documented individual graves in demarcated burial sites. This should ensure that the exact location of each dead body, as well as the associated information and personal belongings, is known as outlined in guidance developed by the organizations, in particular the ICRC/IFRC/WHO Manual for the Management of the Dead After Disasters. Cremations should not take place before the body is positively identified.
In order to support better management of the dead, the organizations provide supplies and expertise to local authorities to help them manage the sometimes-overwhelming task of burying the dead. Today in Libya, Red Cross and WHO teams are working directly with authorities, communities and the Libyan Red Crescent Society, supporting them with guidance, materials, and training. The ICRC and WHO are both delivering body bags in Libya to help with the dignified treatment of the dead. The bodies of people who have died following wounds sustained in a natural disaster or armed conflict almost never pose a health danger to communities. This is because victims who have died from trauma, drowning or fire do not normally harbour organisms that cause disease with common precautions. The exceptions are when deaths occur from infectious diseases such as Ebola or Marburg diseases or cholera, or when the disaster occurred in an area endemic for these infectious diseases.
Under any circumstance, dead bodies near or in water supplies can lead to health concerns, as the bodies may leak feces and contaminate water sources, leading to a risk of diarrheal or other illness. Bodies should not be left in contact with drinking water sources.
“The belief that dead bodies will cause epidemics is not supported by evidence. We see too many cases where media reports and even some medical professionals get this issue wrong,” said Pierre Guyomarch, the head of ICRC’s forensics unit. “Those who survive an event like a natural disaster are more likely to spread disease than dead bodies.”
“We urge authorities in communities touched by tragedy to not rush forward with mass burials or mass cremations. Dignified management of bodies is important for families and communities, and in the cases of conflict, is often an important component of bringing about a swifter end to the fighting,” said Dr Kazunobu Kojima, Medical Officer for biosafety and biosecurity in WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme.
“An unnecessary rush to dispose of bodies of those killed in disasters or conflict deprives families of the opportunity to identify and mourn their loved ones, while providing no public health benefit. Dignified treatment of the dead requires appropriate time to identify the deceased and mourn and perform funeral rites in accordance with local cultural and social norms,” said Gwen Eamer, IFRC’s Senior Officer for Public Health in Emergencies and Head of Emergency Operations, Morocco Earthquake Response.
The ICRC, IFRC and WHO wish to remind authorities and communities of the following:
- While it is distressing to see dead bodies, community leaders or authorities should not hastily bury bodies in mass graves or carry out mass cremations. Burial or cremation procedures must keep in mind cultural, religious, and family concerns.
- The bodies of those who die from natural disasters or armed conflict are generally not a source of disease.
- Unless the deceased has died from a highly infectious disease, the risk to the public is negligible. However, there is a risk of diarrhoea from drinking water contaminated by faecal material from dead bodies. Routine disinfection of drinking water is sufficient to prevent waterborne illness.
- Rapid, disrespectful mass burials or cremations, make identification of the dead and notification to family more difficult and sometimes impossible.
- The only time dead bodies pose a health risk of epidemics is when the deaths resulted from some infectious diseases or when a natural disaster occurs in an area where such a disease is endemic.
- Lime powder does not hasten decomposition, and since dead bodies in disaster or conflict are generally not an infectious risk, the disinfection of these bodies is not needed.
- After any contact with the deceased, hands should be washed with soap and water, or cleaned with alcohol-based hand rub if there is no visible soiling.
The ICRC, IFRC and WHO urge all parties to conflict, and responders in disasters, to follow established principles for the management of dead bodies, for the good of all of society, and have offered further support as needed. | ↑ |
22. INB Bureau to develop a proposal for negotiating text of the pandemic accordСр, 13 сен 2023[-/+] The Drafting Group of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (WHO CA+) held discussions and informal meetings from 4 – 6 September 2023 in order to advance work on a pandemic accord. During the meeting, informal meetings of the INB Drafting Group discussed the following articles of the INB Bureau’s text: Article 4 (Pandemic prevention and public health surveillance) and Article 5 (Strengthening pandemic prevention and preparedness through a One Health approach) (jointly) co-facilitated by India, United Republic of Tanzania and the United Kingdom; Article 9 (Research and development) co-facilitated by Mexico and Norway; Article 11 (Co-development and transfer of technology and know-how) co-facilitated by Colombia, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia; Article 12 (Access and benefit-sharing) co-facilitated by Australia and Ethiopia; and Article 13 (Supply chain and logistics) co-facilitated by Indonesia and Pakistan. The INB will hold additional co-facilitated informal meetings of the drafting group on Articles 4 and 5 (jointly), 11, and 12 by 22 September 2023, when the INB Drafting Group will resume its work to take stock of progress achieved through these informal meetings.
The INB Bureau will develop a proposal for negotiating text of the WHO CA+ for the consideration of the INB at its next meeting, based on the discussions of the INB from its fourth, fifth, and sixth meetings, as well as the meeting of the INB Drafting Group, including its informal meetings, and the reports of the co-facilitators of those informal meetings. It was agreed that the proposal for negotiating text would be without prejudice to the right of any Member State to present textual proposals and to the status of the compilation document.
It was decided that the seventh meeting of the INB will take place from 6-10 November and will resume from 4-6 December 2023, to allow the presentation and consideration of the negotiating text of the WHO CA+. | ↑ |
23. WHO launches new resources on prevention and decriminalization of suicideВт, 12 сен 2023[-/+] Today the World Health Organization (WHO) launches two resources designed to strengthen suicide prevention efforts: Preventing suicide: a resource for media professionals (2023 update) and a policy brief on the health aspects of decriminalization of suicide and suicide attempts.
Suicide is a major public health problem. Each year more than 700,000 people take their own life. It is the fourth leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds. Not only is each loss of life tragic in itself, but it also has profound and devastating effects on families and entire communities. | ↑ |
24. Unprecedented focus on global public health at UN General AssemblyПт, 08 сен 2023[-/+] WHO is urging leaders to put health for all on the highest political agenda and apply lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO’s appeal comes as the world faces multiple humanitarian and climate-related crises which are threatening lives and livelihoods around the world. | ↑ |
25. WHO initiative signs new licensing agreements on COVID-19 technologiesВт, 29 авг 2023[-/+] The COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP), a multi-stakeholder partnership to facilitate sharing of intellectual property (IP), knowledge and innovations has announced three new licensing agreements acquired through the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP). The agreements include the following licenses to transfer know-how, materials and clinical data needed in different countries: - Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp, the first private manufacturer, is offering its patent and know-how for a COVID-19 vaccine that has seen more than three million doses administered across seven countries. It is the first time that a vaccine manufacturer is using the WHO C-TAP model - a win-win opportunity for the manufacturer, recipients of the technology and, most importantly, patients in need around the world. The agreement will enable licensing of IP facilitating technology transfer and staff training.
- Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) is sharing a second license for a COVID-19 vaccine prototype. The agreement includes plant visits and training, direct assistance and ongoing consultation with recipient manufacturers, including on quality and regulatory matters.
- The University of Chile is sharing its technology for a COVID-19 assay for quantification of neutralizing antibodies.
C-TAP was launched in May 2020 by the WHO and the Government of Costa Rica with the support of 44 Member States, UN Development Programme, Unitaid, UNAIDS, and implementing partners such as MPP. It works under the principles of the Solidarity call to action and was designed to serve as a platform for developers of COVID-19 therapeutics, diagnostics, vaccines and other health products to voluntarily share their intellectual property, knowledge, and data to accelerate technological innovation and expand global production capacity. C-TAP was acknowledged as an important tool in the 2021 “ Local Production Resolution” to facilitate sustainable access to quality-assured, safe, effective and affordable medicines and other health technologies. Furthermore, it has played an important role in raising awareness of the role of technology and knowledge sharing and access-oriented voluntary licensing. “COVID-19 is here to stay, and the world will continue to need tools to prevent it, test for it and treat it,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Through C-TAP, WHO and our partners are committed to making those tools accessible to everyone, everywhere. I am grateful to the leadership shown by those license holders who have contributed technology.”
Charles Gore, Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool said: “Access to essential medicines and health technologies needs to remain a top priority on the global health agenda. We congratulate Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp, CSIC and the University of Chile for licensing their products to MPP and hope it will send an important message to other originators around the world to enter into further licence agreements under the auspices of C-TAP.” During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic only two public health R&D Institutes -- the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the US National Institute of Health (NIH) decided to share their key COVID-19 technologies with C-TAP. Addition of the three new licenses now provides an important boost to the overall effort. The new licenses are global, transparent and non-exclusive to all manufacturers and are accessible on the C-TAP website. Importantly, the first license, on a serological test, resulted in a sub license to Biotech Africa from CSIC to develop their diagnostic technology.
C-TAP has also established a Technology Access Pool database that provides a searchable repository. With a principle of transparency, this publicly available database will support coordination and will link to other data sharing platforms where clinical, regulatory, patent, and manufacturers data is available for selected technologies. WHO is preparing to share findings of the review of C-TAP and a proposed model for an evolved technology access pool. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to provide comments on a concept paper including the process and timelines for its implementation.
Quotes from the organizations signing new C-TAP licenses - Charles Chen, CEO of Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp. stated, "We believe that the most effective response to a pandemic must be rooted in solidarity, cooperation, and collective global effort. By joining the C-TAP initiative, we are providing equitable access to our vaccine technology. It underscores our commitment to ensure that vaccines reach all corners of the globe, leaving no one behind. This is not just about COVID-19, it is about setting a precedent for future global health challenges. By demonstrating our commitment to open science and cooperative strategies. We hope to inspire other organizations to follow suit. To all those that trusted, participated, collaborated, and supported us, thank you! For without you, we could not make this C-TAP initiative possible.”
- University of Chile Rector, Professor Dr. Rosa Devés Alessandri, said, “For the University of Chile, the achievement of our scientists, is a source of pride and an encouragement for the advancement of biomedical research in our country. It shows how excellent research carried out internationally has the capacity to offer solutions with a high social impact in the field of health. We thank all the organisations that have made it possible for the University of Chile to contribute to global health".
- Eloisa del Pino, President of CSIC said ‘This licensing agreement with C-TAP opens the possibility of finding partners in third countries to advance clinical trials with this vaccine as a future alternative to licensed COVID vaccine options worldwide, especially in resource-poor countries.”
About C-TAP C-TAP was launched in 2020 by the WHO Director-General and the President of Costa Rica, and supported by 44 Member States, to facilitate timely, equitable and affordable access to COVID-19 health products through transparent, public health oriented, non-exclusive and broad licensing agreements.
WHO technical teams support by providing assessment of technologies to technology givers and receivers. This includes the recently launched WHO-Unitaid briefing document to support how to navigate interfaces between public health and intellectual property. About MPP The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to and facilitate the development of life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders to prioritise and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations. | ↑ |
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