Speaker: Tarik Jasarevic, jasarevict@who.int Tel: 0797472756
(extract)
Situation in Syria
In light of the continuing deterioration of the crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic and its impact on neighboring countries, WHO has established an emergency support team in Amman in Jordan to provide technical and operational support to its offices in the Syrian Arab Republic and the neighboring countries of Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt and Turkey.
The emergency support team (EST) will provide a consolidated, dedicated response to the crisis at the regional level by strengthening WHO’s four critical functions for the area: coordination; information; technical expertise; and core services
The EST will comprise international experts in public health, epidemiology, information management and logistical support. It will be operational for 3 months starting 12 January 2013, and its function will be periodically reviewed with the possibility of an extension
At the end of 2012 the Ministry of Health reported that:
o 48 out of 88 hospitals have been damaged/affected, of which 27 are out of service
o 198 out of 1,919 health facilities have been damaged/ affected, of which 117 are out of service.
o MOH has reported that 1,300,000 children under 5 years were vaccinated against measles and 1,500,000 children under 5 years were vaccinated against polio during the national campaign conducted from 26th November to 20th December across 13 of Syria’s 14 governorates.
Homs mission
WHO joined a joint UN mission to Homs governorate from 3rd Jan. to 17th Jan, to assess the health situation, monitor the activities implemented by NGOs receiving support from WHO, and expedite health responses in the governorate.
At present, 6 out of 13 public hospitals in Homs are out of service including the National hospital in Homs city. The Ibn-Al-Waleed Maternal and Child hospital has scaled up its operation to serve as a general hospital, however an assessment mission to the hospital revealed that only limited services are being provided.
Al-Birr hospital, operated by a charity, is fully functional and delivering free health care to vulnerable populations. WHO is providing support for trauma management, life-saving medicines including non-communicable diseases and supporting the provision of hemodialysis sessions. Due to increasing number of patients, hospital resources are rapidly being depleted.
Despite the efforts of MOH, children in the conflict affected areas of Bab Amer and Asheria (where fighting is ongoing) were not reached by the recently conducted National measles vaccination campaign (26th Nov. to 10th Dec.). The communities are also facing difficulties in accessing health care because of the non-functional public health centers and security constraints.
2,500 families out of 7500 that were displaced have recently returned to Bab Amer. As a response, WHO has mobilized one of its implementing partners, the Syrian Family Planning Association, to deliver health service twice a week by a mobile clinic.
WHO will promptly support the renovation of a health center in Bab Amer which has been partially damaged during the unrest.
All health facilities (public and private) in Homs visited by WHO’s assessment team have reported shortages of essential medicines and supplies.
WHO is reiterating its concern for the safety of health facilities and is calling on all Parties to honor the Geneva Conventions and calls for a halt to the violence to ensure safe access of patients and providers to the health facilities
Daraa mission
WHO and UNFPA visited Daraa. The governorate has 9 public hospitals of which 3 are fully functioning and 6 have been affected and are only partially operating.
The director of health services reported difficulties for patients to access health services and for health workers to reach their workplace due to the ongoing conflict.
Health authorities are facing serious difficulties in delivering medicines, vaccines and medical equipment to hospitals and health facilities. Referral services have broken down and 39 of the 40 ambulances belonging to the governorate have been stolen.
Some villages in the governorate cannot be accessed by health authorities in the governorate. There is therefore a need to strengthen mobile health services delivered by NGOs. The principal hospitals are receiving daily a high number of injured and wounded patients. WHO will promptly provide medical supplies and kits for hospitals to provide trauma care including life-saving medicines.
Situation au Mali
Des affrontements qui ont eu lieu dans la localité de Konna à 70 Km de Mopti ont occasionne des nombreux blessés dont certains ont été évacués à l’hôpital de Mopti et à Bamako
En réponse à une requête envoyée par le Ministère de la santé pour des besoins à l’hôpital de Mopti et les districts sanitaires de la région, l’OMS a fait un don de médicaments composés de kit traumatologiques, de kit paludisme et autres médicaments spécialisés.
La réunion du cluster sante a décidé hier :
o de mettre ne place immédiatement les sous clusters santé de Mopti et de Ségou pour coordonner les interventions et intrants
o Déployer dans les 72 heures de la mission humanitaire de l’ordre des médecins à Mopti et à Ségou pour appuyer l’équipe médicale en place. L’équipe humanitaire fournira au ministère de la santé les informations sur le profil des ressources humaine de l’équipe.
- Le ministère de la santé et tous les partenaires fourniront un état des stocks de médicaments et commodité disponibles et projetés dans les semaines à venir au plus tard vendredi 17 janvier