WHO/Europe Health Emergencies Newsletter - Issue No.27: 25.05.2023

Health Emergencies Newsletter

Issue No.27: 25.05.2023

TOP STORY

Fifth Meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Emergency Committee on the Multi-Country Outbreak of monkeypox (mpox)

The WHO Director-General transmits the report of the fifth meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Emergency Committee regarding the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox (mpox), held on Wednesday 10 May from 12:00 to 17:00 CEST.

The Emergency Committee acknowledged the progress made in the global response to the multi-country outbreak of mpox and the further decline in the number of reported cases since the last meeting. The Committee noted a significant decline in the number of reported cases compared to the previous reporting period and no changes in the severity and clinical manifestation of the disease. The Committee acknowledged remaining uncertainties about the disease, regarding modes of transmission in some countries, poor quality of some reported data, and continued lack of effective countermeasures in the African countries, where mpox occurs regularly.

The Committee considered, however, that these are long-term challenges that would be better addressed through sustained efforts in a transition towards a long-term strategy to manage the public health risks posed by mpox, rather than the emergency measures inherent to a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

MPOX (MONKEYPOX)

New Campaign - Eliminating mpox: Placing affected populations at the heart of our response

WHO/Europe is launching the campaign ‘Eliminating mpox: Placing affected populations at the heart of our response’ to raise awareness about the need for affected populations, health authorities and providers to remain vigilant as mpox has not gone away, and spring and summertime could see cases flaring up once more. The campaign also aims to spur sustained action to control and eliminate mpox in the WHO European Region. 

The campaign will:

highlight what affected communities, health authorities, event organizers, and health workers can all do to help control mpox and eventually stamp it out;
provide a platform for affected communities, including underserved populations, to talk about their mpox-related experiences, needs and hopes this year; and
shine a light on the important contribution of organizations who represent gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. These organizations have played and continue to play a crucial role in fighting mpox. Some of their work and successes to date are illustrated in a compendium – a collection of case studies – that WHO/Europe will launch as part of its mpox campaign.

An mpox resurgence in the European Region this spring and summer? To prevent that, key measures must continue

One year since its biggest ever mpox (monkeypox) outbreak, the WHO European Region – covering 53 countries across Europe and central Asia – is celebrating success in controlling the spread of the disease as the number of cases continues to decline. In the initial months of the outbreak, the European Region had the vast majority of cases globally. But strategic collaboration between health authorities and the most impacted populations – including timely risk communications and community engagement, along with a focused mpox vaccination campaign in some of the hardest hit countries – helped bring numbers down rapidly to practically no cases being reported at all, in a relatively short time.

Now WHO/Europe is calling for vigilance amid concerns that spring and summertime could see mpox cases flaring up once more. Pre-empting this, and coinciding with the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, WHO/Europe is launching a new mpox campaign today, to remind people that even though it is no longer defined as a public health emergency of international concern, mpox has not gone away; anyone can be infected; and that we have, and must use, the tools to further control and eventually eliminate it.

Cautiously celebrating our success in combatting mpox: new and updated resources offer inspiration and guidance on eliminating the disease

One year on from the start of the international mpox outbreak, the number of people with mpox has reduced significantly across the Region; likely due to a combination of increased risk perception and uptake of protective measures, alongside increased immunity from vaccination and/or infection.

While there are fewer people with mpox in the Region, some countries are still seeing persistent, low levels of transmission and globally, localised clusters of cases remind us that this outbreak is far from over. Spring and summer could see cases flaring up once more, both regionally and globally, triggered by people gathering for summer events, lack of access to vaccines and testing, or by travel to and from places with higher rates and less vaccination.

One year on from mpox: where are we now? – a conversation with Martin Joseph and Harun Tulunay

In summer 2022, at the peak of the mpox (monkeypox) outbreak in Europe, Harun Tulunay and Martin Joseph, both from London, United Kingdom (UK), experienced the painful and scary symptoms of mpox at a time when health information and advice was hard to come by. One year on, we asked them to look back, and share their reflections.

COVID-19

Lessons learned from COVID-19: how did the pandemic affect children’s health and habits?

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought seismic changes to the lives of many families across the WHO European Region. Lockdowns, restrictions, and emergency policies have changed our diets, physical activity patterns and many other daily habits that are tightly connected to our well-being. Data from a new WHO/Europe factsheet enable us to assess both positive and negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on health across the WHO European Region, with a special focus on school-aged children.

New WHO study shows health workers feel more confident to recommend COVID-19 vaccination following a training on patient communication

A newly launched evaluation report from WHO/Europe underscores the positive impact that communication training has on building the capacity of health workers to effectively communicate the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination and proactively address questions and concerns raised by patients and the public.

Health workers play a critical role in positively influencing vaccine acceptance and uptake. They continue to be among the most trusted sources when it comes to vaccination, leading by example and encouraging patients to accept COVID-19 vaccination.

To support health workers, WHO/Europe developed a comprehensive training module and resource package entitled “Communicating with patients about COVID-19 vaccination”. 

Unable to walk and housebound at the age of 12 – the extreme consequences of long COVID

At 11 years old, Jay from the United Kingdom was just like many boys of his age. He loved playing football with his friends, had a passion for boxing and spent hours trying to get to the next level of the latest computer game. In short, he was a normal boy on the verge of becoming a teenager, fit and healthy and doing well at school. The idea that he might get seriously ill was the very last thing on his, or his parents’, mind.

TURKIYE & SYRIA EARTHQUAKES

WHO Foundation Health Emergency Appeal for Türkiye and Syria

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UKRAINE EMERGENCY

New WHO initiative among efforts to protect the vulnerable from vaccine-preventable diseases in Ukraine

The protection of people at high risk of infectious diseases, particularly COVID-19, was at the centre of a national conference in Ukraine, held on 3 May, following European Immunization Week. The event was organized by the WHO Country Office in Ukraine, together with the Ministry of Health, the Center for Public Health and regional centres for disease control and prevention.

“Only by joint efforts can we ensure that high-risk groups are protected from infectious diseases. In this regard, vaccination remains a key priority at the national level. We appreciate WHO’s support and ongoing technical assistance on vaccination planning, as well as COVAX support in supplying COVID-19 vaccines. We are also grateful for the buses and cars donated to help make vaccines more accessible to people in remote and rural areas,” said Dr Ihor Kuzin, Deputy Minister of Health and Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine.

“The most important is to stay human”: the story of a Ukrainian nurse from Kharkiv caring for patients amid the war

“I haven’t fled because I love my colleagues and care about our patients. When it all started, they could not just stand up from their hospital beds and escape. What would they do all by themselves if all medical staff ran away?” says Khrystyna Lopatenko, a chief nurse at Kharkiv Oblast Hospital.

On International Nurses Day, celebrated on 12 May, Khrystyna shared her story about work under air raid sirens and in bomb shelters, and her motivation to stay in Ukraine and continue saving lives during the war.

WHO Health Emergency Appeal for Ukraine

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

WHO launches global network to detect and prevent infectious disease threats

WHO and partners are launching a global network to help protect people from infectious disease threats through the power of pathogen genomics. The International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN) will provide a platform to connect countries and regions, improving systems for collecting and analyzing samples, using these data to drive public health decision-making, and sharing that information more broadly.

Pathogen genomics analyzes the genetic code of viruses, bacteria and other disease-causing organisms to understand how infectious they are, how deadly they are, and how they spread. With this information, scientists and public health officials can identify and track diseases to prevent and respond to outbreaks as part of a broader disease surveillance system, and to develop treatments and vaccines.

FLOOD EVENT

Flooding in northern Italy and central Europe threatening the health of thousands of displaced residents

Severe rainfall across northern Italy and central Europe, including parts of Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia, has caused numerous rivers to burst their banks, leading to the death of at least 13 people in Italy and forcing thousands of residents to flee their homes. The extreme weather has also reportedly led to landslides and the destruction of roads, hampering emergency response operations.