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WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma meets in EMRO/Cairo
Blinding trachoma is one of the oldest infectious diseases, and is the first preventable cause of blindness in the world. It affects the poorest of the poor around the world. It is a neglected disease of neglected populations. Today it is estimated that there are around 60 million people in the infectious stage of the disease, mostly children under 10 years old, and some 6 million, mainly women, in the blinding stage of the disease, at risk of immediate irreversible visual loss. The disease is endemic in the poorest communities in 55 countries around the world. Africa is the most affected continent, and the disease perpetuates the vicious circle of poverty, causing blindness and taking away precious resources from the poorest countries in the world.
The WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Blinding Trachoma by the year 2020 (GET 2020) will hold its annual meeting in the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in Cairo from 2–4 April 2007. The aim of the meeting is to review the progress towards elimination of blinding trachoma and exchange information and experience on prevention or control and to advocate for additional support from all the Alliance’s partners—endemic countries, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, foundations, research institutions, donors, as well as the private sector. HE Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, First Lady of Egypt, HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Ahmed Al Saud, Chairman of the Board of IMPACT-EMR, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, the Ministers of Health of Egypt, Morocco and Sudan, as well as the Ministers of Housing, Environment, International Cooperation and the Mass Media of Egypt are invited to this meeting.
This 11th meeting marks the celebration of 10 years of the GET2020 Alliance, and is also expected to provide an opportunity to bring a regional focus to the work of the Alliance, in particular in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Progress towards the elimination of blinding trachoma has been successfully achieved by many Member States of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region through a combination of major public health efforts, using the WHO- recommended SAFE strategy, as well as overall socioeconomic developments.
The SAFE strategy endorsed by WHO has proved its effectiveness to eliminate blinding trachoma. The strategy comprises Surgery for preventing imminent blindness; Antibiotics (tetracycline ointment or oral azithromycin) to cure the infection; Facial cleanliness, mainly in children to stop transmission of the disease to siblings or caregivers; and Environmental improvement to promote healthy environments, use of latrines, and provision and use of water for personal hygiene.
The meeting will be attended by the Alliance partners, representatives of Member States, international experts working in trachoma elimination, International Agency for Prevention of Blindness/EMR, IMPACT/EMR, UNICEF, AGFUND, Islamic Development Bank (IDB), The Carter Center, the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), Christoffel-Blindenmission (CBM), Sightsavers International, World Vision, Al Noor Foundation, Light for the World, Organisation pour la Prévention de la Cecité, Helen Keller International and other nongovernmental organizations and WHO collaborating centres.
The participants will address the many challenges facing trachoma control activities. The main challenge today is that the financial resources available for implementing the strategy are largely inadequate, at national and international levels. Even worse, when funds are available they tend to cover only part of the strategy, therefore reducing its overall effectiveness and long-term beneficial effects.
Trachoma is a neglected disease that handicaps children and women, in the poorest communities in developing countries, and in vulnerable populations in countries in economic transition. “Elimination of blinding trachoma has to be addressed within the framework of eliminating the root causes of poverty itself, and of working together, by linking the elimination process to the development process at national and regional levels. In many endemic countries trachoma is not perceived as a priority, but by alleviating poverty and linking trachoma to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and community-based initiatives (CBI) we can advance the process of elimination”, said Dr Hussein A. Gezairy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.
It worth mentioning that trachoma is being eliminated from many endemic countries, and over 40 countries worldwide are implementing the SAFE strategy at various levels. Good progress towards the elimination of blinding trachoma has been achieved by many Member States, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, Morocco and Oman from the Eastern Mediterranean Region and Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Niger, Senegal and Tanzania from the African Region
WHO conference about the health care needs of Iraqis in neighbouring countries
The World Health Organization (WHO) will convene a ministerial consultation from 29 to 30 July in Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic to address the health needs of Iraqis in neighbouring countries. The Ministries of Health of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic will discuss how to ensure delivery of health care to the more than 2 million Iraqis estimated to reside in these three countries following the insecurity in Iraq. The conference will be attended by representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the four countries, together with ICRC, IFRC, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF and UNOCHA.
"We need to work with all partners to address the key health needs of Iraqis. To achieve this, a greater level of coordination and joint work between national authorities and humanitarian health partners is necessary. We also need to reach consensus on the mechanisms to be put in place in each neighbouring country for ensuring health care coverage for Iraqis that have been displaced outside their country", stated Dr Hussein A. Gezairy, WHO's Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.
The host countries are coping with the situation by covering the Iraqis through their national health systems. However, with thousands leaving Iraq every month, the national services are overwhelmed by the growing demand.
Participants will review the available information on the current health situation among the Iraqis, their access to health services and how the host countries are coping with the additional demand. They will discuss also the best strategies to cope with the influx of people and the possible resources required to meet the needs.
Course on Refractive Errors and Low Vision will be held in the WHO
The Regional Planning Course on Refractive Errors and Low Vision will be conducted from 19-25 November 2007 in the Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO-EMRO), with the support of IMPACT-EMR, Al-Noor Foundation, Sight savers International, Hong Kong Society for the Blind, and the International Center for Eye care Education. The course is being organized jointly by the EMR IAPB Office, Global Refractive Errors Working Group and the IAPB Low Vision Programme Committee.
The course aims at building the capacity of the national programs in tackling the burden of visual impairment that caused by low vision and refractive errors.
As per the WHO global estimates, there are nearly 314 million persons suffer from visual impairment. Out of these persons, the cause for 153 million is refractive errors. Regionally, in the Eastern Mediterranean region, there are 36.3 million visually impaired persons including 16 million who suffer from it due to refractive errors.
However, 75 % of this visual impairment could be treated, cured or prevented by highly cost-effective means.
Refractive errors such as short or long sightedness are the greatest cause of avoidable visual impairment among children. Meantime, people over 40 to 45 years of age need access to eye care and glasses to be able to read, work and carry out the close tasks needed for everyday life.
Furthermore, it is estimated that there are about 40–65 million people with low vision. The number of people with low vision will increase as a result of the ageing of the world’s population, and age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy are increasingly important causes of low vision.
Low-vision services are not available in many countries, particularly developing countries, or are located only in major cities. It is estimated that less than 5% of people needing low-vision care have access to it, but there is considerable variation between regions and countries.
Without appropriate optical correction, millions of children are losing educational and self development opportunities and adults are excluded from productive working lives, with severe economic and social consequences. Individuals and families are frequently pushed into a cycle of deepening poverty because of their in ability to see well.
Correcting refractive errors is so simple; however it has yet received little government or NGO’s attention and has been easily overlooked. A pair of spectacles could bring the world into focus of a child! Low vision care will allow children with low vision to be integrated into regular schools rather than being separated away from their counterparts and taught in special schools for the blind.
The global strategy of VISION 2020 focuses on visual impairment as a major public health problem and addresses its main causes including refractive errors and low vision.
So far, 80 % countries drafted VISION 2020 plans within their national agenda for health and 42 % countries did implement V2020- related plans.
One of the issues for discussion within this course would be identifying the priorities and strategies for meeting the refractive error and low vision burden on a regional scope.
One of the outcomes should enable the participants to develop systems in their respective countries for the delivery of effective and affordable community eye care including affordable spectacles and low vision devices.
