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Health Emergencies Newsletter
Issue No.29: 29.06.2023
TOP STORY
Statement by Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe to the press on COVID-19, extreme heat and mpox
This summer will be the first in more than 3 years that many of us will enjoy without the looming threat of COVID-19. Whilst it may not be a global public health emergency, COVID-19 has not gone away.
Close to 1000 new COVID-19 deaths continue to occur across the Region every week, and this is an underestimate due to a drop in countries regularly reporting COVID-19 deaths to WHO. And it continues to disproportionately affect the weakest and the most vulnerable.
COVID-19 exploited an epidemic of diseases, including cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic lung illnesses, which account for 75% of mortality in our region today. Those with such underlying conditions were, and still are, far more vulnerable to severe forms of COVID-19.
The Ukraine Recovery Conference in London heard details of 4 case studies from WHO demonstrating how health stakeholders are undertaking efforts to recover and resume their operations on the ground in the country. In a new report, WHO highlights how, following the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the mobilization of international support for the country’s economic and social stabilization, including through private sector engagement, can lead to fruitful results in health-care recovery efforts.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war in February 2022, WHO has verified over 1000 attacks on health care, with the cost of direct damage to the sector estimated at US$ 2.5 billion. Yet, even in the 10 most conflict-affected regions, nearly 90% of health facilities are now functioning. Thanks to the joint efforts of national, international, and local stakeholders, the health system has demonstrated remarkable resilience and there are already examples of early investments into the reconstruction of health facilities.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionately negative impact on children and adolescents from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, those who faced prolonged school closures, and those lacking essential support structures such as family and teachers, according to new data published today by WHO/Europe and the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study.
The data also highlight that, on average and across various indicators, older schoolgirls have experienced the pandemic's effects more than younger boys, with a marked impact on their mental health. This disparity underscores the need for targeted interventions and support systems to mitigate the longer-term consequences for vulnerable groups within our youth population.
The relationships of Hungarian adolescents with their friends and family, as well as the health and mental health of those adolescents, were adversely affected by the pandemic in 2022, according to WHO/Europe's collaborative Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study.
The study reveals a significant increase in adolescents reporting multiple health complaints after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The most significant increase was observed among 13-year-olds, with a prevalence surge from 33.1% to 50.3%.
More than half of Portuguese children were frequently unhappy in 2022, reveals a new WHO/Europe Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study conducted in collaboration with Aventura Social.
On 11 March 2020, several measures were implemented to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, including the closure of educational institutions and lockdowns. As a result, many school-aged children had to switch to online learning between March and August 2020 and from January to February 2021.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
The ongoing war in Ukraine, emergency preparedness, strained health-care systems, climate change and environmental pollution, paired with the challenge of unlocking improved health and well-being for all, were among several topics on the agenda as the WHO Regional Office for Europe convened its first-ever Partners Forum in Istanbul, Türkiye, on 13–14 June. The 1.5-day forum brought together representatives from over 30 of WHO’s funding partner organizations, including delegates from Member States, international organizations, development banks and charitable organizations.
WHO PUBLICATIONS
COVID-19
Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 22 June 2023
COVID-19 Vaccination Insights Report - 26 June 2023
Vaccinating older adults against COVID-19
MPOX (MONKEYPOX)
2022 mpox (Monkeypox) Outbreak: Global Trends
Multi-country outbreak of mpox, External situation report – 24 June 2023
WHO Emergency Appeal: Monkeypox - July 2022 - June 2023
UKRAINE EMERGENCY
War in Ukraine: situation report from WHO Ukraine country office -16 June 2023
