Kyrgyzstan situation report: 2 September 2010

• The second round of the polio immunization campaign was conducted on 23–27 August 2010. • The training-of-trainers course on psychosocial and psychiatric support in emergencies concluded on 27 August 2010. • No outbreaks of infectious disease have been reported. HIGHLIGHTS HEALTH IMPACT No outbreaks of infectious diseases and no cases of acute malnutrition were reported. To date, fewer cases of infectious diseases have been reported this year than last year. HEALTH CLUSTER RESPONSE Health cluster coordination meetings were held in Osh on 27 August and Bishkek on 30 August. Members discussed coordination issues and gave updates on the status of ongoing and planned activities. The health cluster coordinator in Osh will visit all health cluster partners to discuss the current status of the planned project activities listed in the Flash Appeal. WHO represented the health cluster at meetings of the gender-based violence (GBV) subcluster. The health cluster is focusing on the medical and psychosocial aspects of GBV. WHO provided GBV subcluster members with the list of health care facilities of Osh oblast that was compiled and updated through the International Medical Corps. Members will use the list to identify health facilities that have the capacity to screen for GBV cases and to provide treatment and clinical management for sexual assault. Meetings are planned with the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) cluster to discuss intercluster cooperation and other issues of joint concern. The health cluster strategy and the WHO concept paper were completed and will be used to mobilize resources for the projects within the Flash Appeal. WHO RESPONSE Capacity building The rapid assessment of early warning and surveillance systems on 11–27 August entailed visits to many health care facilities and surveillance centres in Osh and Jalal- Abad oblasts. The early warning and communicable disease surveillance systems are functional. Nevertheless, there are gaps in the reporting system, with data gaps in weekly reports generated and insufficient analytical capacity to provide feedback on the data to health care providers. Kyrgyzstan Situation Report 2 September 2010 1 There is a continued need to support laboratory activities, particularly to detect and confirm bacterial infections. WHO recommends: • promoting the establishment of mobile teams of epidemiologists; and • strengthening capacity-building activities and training of health professionals on communicable diseases with emphasis on case definition and improvement of the disease monitoring and reporting system. In addition, access to Internet/e-mail communication should be expanded to all sanitary– epidemiological services and health care facilities at the district level. To improve diagnosis bacterial diseases, WHO will supply essential reagents to the local bacteriological laboratories in southern Kyrgyzstan. WHO is working closely with the Ministry of Health to purse these priorities and identify the financial resources required to implement these recommendations. Mental health and psychological support In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, WHO organized a five-day course to train 20 specialists from Osh and Jalal-Abad oblasts and Bishkek in providing psychological and psychiatric support in emergencies. A team of experts from the Russian Social and Forensic Psychiatry Institute conducted the training. Mental health in emergencies is a priority issue among not only the population affected by unrest but also health workers. MINISTRY OF HEALTH RESPONSE The Ministry of Health, in close cooperation with the health cluster partners, finished the second round of the national poliomyelitis (polio) vaccination campaign. Conducted on 23–27 August, the campaign was very successful. The number of mobile teams used to reach remote areas was increased from 103 to 119 in the second round. Health workers were trained and information campaigns conducted. WHO and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) actively monitored and supported the second round of the campaign. Preliminary data indicate that countrywide coverage reached 95.1%. The final data will be available within 10 days. Press conference at the start of the polio vaccination campaign © WHO URGENT NEEDS WHO is updating a list of the needs of the health system of southern Kyrgyzstan. It will be published in Russian and English on the Kyrgyzstan humanitarian response website (http://kg.humanitarianresponse.info). All partners are encouraged to consult the list before initiating assistance projects. 2 Contacts WHO Country Office, Kyrgyzstan Dr Oskonbek Moldokulov Tel.: +996 312 612677, +996 555 781162 (mobile) Email: omo@euro.who.int WHO Regional Office for Europe Dr Gerald Rockenschaub Regional adviser, disaster preparedness and response Tel.: +45 39 17 15 51 Email: GRO@euro.who.int Website: http://www.euro.who.int/emergencies WHO headquarters Mr Paul Garwood Communications Officer, Health Action in Crises Cluster Tel.: +41 22 791 3462, +41 794755546 (mobile) Email: garwoodp@who.int Website: http://www.who.int/disasters Further information WHO Regional Office for Europe website (http://www.euro.who.int/emergencies) WHO/EURO:2010-6314-46080-66657 © World Health Organization 2010 All rights reserved. The Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization welcomes requests for permission to reproduce or translate its publications, in part or in full. 3