Health action in crises/OPT – WHO information highlights 22-28 June 2009 (excerpts)

Health Action in Crises

Highlights No 262 – 22- 28 June 2009

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.

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OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

Assessments and Events

• Palestinian Ministry of Health diagnosed a new case of H1N1 on June 23, bringing the overall number of cases in West Bank to nine

Actions

• WHO and HCC hosted a meeting for the Medical Waste Management (MWM) Task Group to discuss ways to improve the system.

• WHO donated a fully equipped mobile clinic to MoH in Gaza to be used to increase surveillance and epidemiological work for the H1N1 influenza plan.

• WHO organized a training day for 14 MoH staff for data entry of anthropometric measurements

• WHO mental health team organized a one day workshop for discussing the roles and functions of the newly established mental health directorate and the integration of acute psychiatric units in the general hospitals. The workshop was attended by 25 technical officials.

• WHO mental health team organized a one day workshop for discussing the prescription, distribution, dispensing and storage of psycho-tropics and 20 technical officials attended.

• WHO has received support from OCHA, Italy, Norway and Australia. Spain, Switzerland and ECHO have contributed to the CAP.

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