Epidemiological situation in Gaza – UNRWA bulletin

Epidemiological

Bulletin for Gaza Strip

Volume 1, Issue 9, Thursday 18 June 2009

Highlights

Epidemiological weeks (20-23) of 2009

N. of Reporting Units 17/17

Population under surveillance 869 375

− The number of people under surveillance for this reporting period is 869 375 out of 1 073 303 (81%) Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA in the Gaza Strip. This number corresponds to beneficiaries accessing UNRWA Health services in 2008;

− The reporting completeness for epiweeks (twenty-twenty three) of 2009 was 100%;

− The number of consultations in the period 20-23 weeks shows a stationary trend with a slight decrease in the number of consultations in week 23.

− Watery diarrhoea as well as acute bloody diarrhoea and viral hepatitis remain the major causes of morbidity among reportable infectious diseases in the refugee population of the Gaza Strip. During weeks twenty-twenty three, the morbidity trend of all major diseases was fluctuating. An increasing trend is particularly evident for watery diarrhoea cases as was seasonally expected.

− Alert/alarm thresholds were not breached for any of the major diseases in the reporting period, their incidence remained within the seasonally expected range.