Health situation in OPT, WHO action – WHO press release (excerpts)

Health action in crises

Highlights No 154 – 16 to 22 April 2007

Each week, the World Health Organization Department for Health Action in Crises in Geneva produces information highlights on the health aspects of selected humanitarian crises. Drawing on the various WHO programmes, contributions cover activities from field and country offices and the support provided by WHO regional offices and Headquarters. The mandate of the WHO Departments specifically concerned with Emergency and Humanitarian Action in Crises is to increase the effectiveness of the WHO contribution to crisis preparedness and response, transition and recovery. This note, which is not exhaustive, is designed for internal use and does not reflect any official position of the WHO Secretariat. 

/…

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

Assessments and events:

• The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) completed the fourth Family Health survey. With the results of this survey and of those conducted in 1996, 2000 and 2004, PCBS proposes to do a time trend analysis of demography, fertility and maternity and child health.

• Preliminary results show that the number of people suffering from chronic diseases has increased by 31.1% in the past two years.

• Overall, the number of households with safe drinking water has dropped by more than 8% – while the proportion averages 99.6% in Jerusalem governorate, only 68.5% of households have safe drinking water in Deir El-Balah governorate.

Actions:

• WHO continues monitoring health care provision in the West Bank during the strike.

• WHO, UNICEF, UNSCO, OCHA and UNRWA conducted field visits to the new IDP camp in Um Al Nasser in Gaza to follow up on the families’ needs and to assess the health care situation.

• WHO met with the Secretary General Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Coomaraswamy, to discuss the impact of sanctions on the health sector and on the access to health care.

• The WHO/ECHO pharmaceutical project is ongoing. All technical assistance activities are being defined by the specialists of the project team, in close cooperation with the MoH.

• In 2006, WHO’s emergency activities were funded by the Organization’s Regular Budget and contributions from ECHO, Finland, Japan and Norway as well as the CERF. For 2007, support has been pledged from Norway and Italy.

/…