IHR News
The WHO quarterly bulletin on IHR implementation
What’s new in risk and disease control
Saudi Arabia - Hajj pilgrimage
Requirements and recommendations for entry visas for the Hajj seasons in 2011 have been published in WHO's Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER).
For further information, contact: ihrinfo@who.int
Revised recommendations for yellow fever vaccination for international travellers
Continued reports of rare but serious adverse events associated with yellow fever vaccine and the changing epidemiology of the disease have highlighted the need to revisit criteria for the designation of areas where there is a risk of yellow fever virus activity, and to revise the vaccine recommendations for international travel. The recommendations of a working group of international experts convened by WHO have been published in the WHO's Weekly Epidemiological Record. These recommendations include criteria for the designation of yellow fever risk, specific changes to the classification of areas with risk for yellow fever virus transmission, and revised vaccination maps for international travel.
New documents from Global Alert and Response
Fact sheet: Core components of infection prevention and control programmes in health care
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) occur worldwide in all countries, irrespective of their level of development, and can affect patients, health-care workers and visitors. HAIs can originate within the population of a health-care facility (HCF), can be associated with the use of medical devices or procedures or can result from the transmission of community-acquired infections to patients in the HCF. In some circumstances, an HCF can act as an amplifier, leading to the spread of infections within the health-care facility and beyond to the wider community. HAIs can result in serious illness, prolong hospital stay, drain health-care resources and may result in loss of life. This fact sheet highlights key messages and provides a checklist of core components for implementation by national authorities and health-care workers.
Public health risk assessment and interventions: The Horn of Africa and The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
The public health risk assessment for The Horn of Africa and for the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya are now available. They were developed to provide health professionals in United Nations agencies, nongovernmental organizations, donor agencies and local authorities currently working with populations affected by this emergency, with up-to-date technical guidance on the major public health threats faced by the displaced population. Public health threats represent a significant challenge to those providing health-care services in this evolving situation. It is hoped that this risk assessment will facilitate the coordination of activities between all agencies working among the populations currently affected by these crises.