WHO Health Emergency Highlights #103

Health emergencies in countries and the WHO's global response, including Ebola, tuberculosis, dengue, cholera, and COVID-19.

View this email in your browser Democratic Republic of the Congo The heroes that ended the Ebola outbreak Two years since an Ebola outbreak began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ituri provinces, and after huge efforts have been made, we feature some of the heroes behind the work to end the epidemic that claimed 2,287 lives: the health authorities, WHO and Africa CDC, UNICEF, the Red Cross movement and other international and local partners, donors, the researchers, and, most importantly, the people whose lives were changed. Pacific Engaging communities to prepare for COVID-19 Most of the places that have not reported a case of COVID-19 are in the Pacific. As early as January, WHO stepped up efforts to prepare and keep these nations virus-free, and none of them is complacent. Despite the success, the Pacific remains on high alert, as people are vulnerable to infectious diseases, food and water insecurity, and hazards like extreme weather; yet have limited health infrastructure and challenges related to small, widely dispersed populations. Yemen Video | Cholera breaks 1.5 million mark; almost a quarter are children More than 1.3 million cases of cholera and at least 1,566 associated deaths have gripped Yemen since 2018; with children aged below 5 accounting for almost a quarter of the suspected cases in 2020 alone. Full story here. Syria From Iraq to northeast Syria: WHO airlifts over 80 tons of emergency supplies From supplies to manage 4,300 cases of trauma, to medicines, medical supplies and consumables to treat other health issues, the shipments will support health care for hundreds of thousands of people in crisis-affected areas in northeast Syria. Zimbabwe On track to achieve the 2020 Global End TB Strategy milestones About 30,000 people in Zimbabwe fall ill of tuberculosis (TB) each year, and at least 4,600 of them die. But the 2019 WHO Global TB report shows the country is making progress to end TB, achieving high rates of treatment coverage. Still, Zimbabwe continues to be one of 14 countries that appear in all three lists of WHO's 30 High-Burden Countries for TB, TB/HIV, and multi-drug resistant TB. Democratic Republic of the Congo Ebola declared over, but support for survivors must continue The 10th outbreak of Ebola in the DRC has been declared over, thanks in large part to the leadership and commitment of the Government, with support from the WHO, several partners, donors, and the work of local communities. But while this calls for celebration, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warns: "We must resist complacency, as viruses do not take breaks. Ultimately, the best defence against outbreaks is to invest in stronger health system as the foundation for universal health coverage." Europe Stories of hope as refugees help tackle the COVID-19 pandemic Europe continues to struggle with COVID-19, but the pandemic brings unlikely heroes to the fore: refugees and migrants are supporting health systems and communities across the Region. The Americas Dengue cases surge in the region, highlighting need for mosquito control The 1.6 million cases of dengue reported in the Americas in the first five months of 2020 highlight the need to continue eliminating mosquitos, the vectors of this disease and others, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent report on dengue and other arboviruses. Indonesia COVID-19 Ambassador Programme assists disease control in South Sulawesi Contacts of COVID-19 patients take part in a 14-day quarantine programme, during which they are provided training and education that they can then share with their friends and family once their quarantine is completed. Contributions to the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies Allocations from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies More information on funding WHO's work in emergencies: WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies web portal Health Emergency Programme Results Framework and Budget Requirements Subscribe to the Health Emergency Highlights www.who.int/emergencies Copyright © 2020 World Health Organization, all rights reserved. Would you like to change how you receive these emails? Update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list