Wednesday 30th March 2015- The Independent: Children with mental health problems can wait for over three years to be assessed

‘Children with mental health problems can wait for more than three years to be assessed and up to nearly two years to receive treatment, according to a report [called Meeting the mental health support needs of children and adolescents].

Freedom of Information requests submitted by The Times newspaper found that the longest wait from first referral to being formally assessed since 2012 was at the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, where this took three years and 20 weeks in one case.

The longest wait from being assessed to getting treatment was found at the South London and Maudsley Trust in which a child waited a year and nearly 42 weeks.’

‘The number of children being sent to mental health service rose by more than 6 per cent between 2013 and 2014, according to information about 26 mental health trusts.  In some cases children had to travel hundreds of miles from one trust to another because of a lack of beds.

Norman Lamb, the care and support minister, said: “It’s completely unacceptable for children and young people to wait years for treatment sometimes hundreds of miles from home — we wouldn’t accept this for physical health.”

He said the Government was investing £1.25bn to improve care and deliver a maximum waiting time of 18 weeks for treatment.’

See:

Children with mental health problems can wait for over three years to be assessed

Friday 27th March 2015- World Health Organisation: Millions of Syrians endure deteriorating health crisis: WHO calls for increased funding

‘Ahead of next week’s third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria in Kuwait, the World Health Organization (WHO) appeals for US$ 124 million to continue its support to health services in the Syrian Arab Republic. ‘

‘It is estimated that there are more than 1.3 million people in need of health assistance in Aleppo. Last year, WHO delivered almost 3 million medical treatments to the Governorate, of which 1.2 million treatments reached opposition-controlled and besieged areas.

Only four out of eleven public hospitals remain operational in Aleppo and all health facilities are overcrowded and experiencing critical shortages of medical supplies.

Worsening situation across the country

Across the Syrian Arab Republic, 57% of public hospitals are only partially functioning or completely out of service.

Local production of medicines has been reduced by 70% and many life-saving treatments are not available.

The number of available health professionals has fallen to approximately 45% of 2011 levels and there are severe shortages of surgeons, anaesthesiologists, laboratory professionals, and female health professionals.

The water supply infrastructure has been destroyed and the current availability of safe water inside the Syrian Arab Republic is now at one third of pre-crisis levels.

“As weather temperatures become warmer, There is an increased risk of waterborne diseases. Therefore, improving hygiene conditions and practices is essential to protecting the population,” says Ms Hoff.

In 2014, WHO supported the delivery of an increased number of medical treatments which rose to more than 13.8 million treatments compared to 6.1 million in 2013. Almost one third of WHO’s supplies and equipment were delivered to hard-to-reach and opposition-controlled areas

So far In 2015, almost 4.7 million beneficiaries were reached with health assistance.’

As Aljazeera confirms: ‘57% of hospitals [have been] damaged. 36% of hospitals [have been] destroyed. At least 50% of Syrian physicians have fled.’

The image above is what remains of the Al-Kindi hospital in Aleppo, Syria after a bombing in 2013.

See:

Millions of Syrians endure deteriorating health crisis: WHO calls for increased funding

What’s left of Syria?- Aljazeera

Thursday 26th March 2015- World health organisation: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia

‘Between 11 and 22 March 2015, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 15 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including 3 deaths.’ Details of each individual case are available on the link below.

‘Globally, WHO has been notified of 1090 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including at least 412 related deaths.’

‘Infection prevention and control measures are critical to prevent the possible spread of MERS-CoV in health care facilities. It is not always possible to identify patients with MERS-CoV early because like other respiratory infections, the early symptoms of MERS-CoV are non-specific.’

‘Until more is understood about MERS-CoV, people with diabetes, renal failure, chronic lung disease, and immunocompromised persons are considered to be at high risk of severe disease from MERS‐CoV infection. Therefore, these people should avoid close contact with animals, particularly camels, when visiting farms, markets, or barn areas where the virus is known to be potentially circulating.’

See:

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia

Tuesday 10th March 2015- World Health Organisation: United Kingdom is declared free of Ebola virus disease

‘WHO commends the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on its diligence in containing the transmission of Ebola virus disease (EVD). The United Kingdom is therefore now declared free of EVD on the basis of the WHO guidelines.

On 28 December 2014, a health-care worker returned to Glasgow in the United Kingdom after volunteering at an Ebola treatment centre in Sierra Leone. The health-care worker, who had displayed no symptoms of EVD during the journey, developed a fever and myalgia on 29 December and was placed in strict isolation at the specialist Brownlee Unit for Infectious Diseases on the Gartnavel Hospital campus.

On the afternoon of 29 December 2014, laboratory testing using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed that the health-care worker had EVD. WHO was notified of the case. The patient was transferred for treatment in isolation at the Royal Free hospital in London on 30 December 2014 and remained there until fully recovered.

All passengers who travelled on the same flights as the health-care worker from Freetown, Sierra Leone, to Casablanca, Morocco, and then to London Heathrow and Glasgow were contacted and monitored for any symptoms of EVD for 21 days. By 18 January, they all had completed the 21-day follow-up period without developing EVD.

On 23 January 2015, the patient tested negative twice for EVD, and was therefore discharged from hospital on 24 January 2015. On 7 March 2015, 42 days had passed since the health-care worker had tested negative for the second time using RT-PCR testing. The United Kingdom is therefore now declared free of EVD on the basis of the WHO guidelines.’

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United Kingdom is declared free of Ebola virus disease

Monday 2nd March 2015- The Guardian: Pakistan jails 471 parents who refused to give polio vaccine to children

‘Hundreds of parents in north-west Pakistan have been arrested and jailed after refusing to give their children polio vaccinations, according to officials.

Feroz Shah, a spokesman for the district administration in Peshawar, said 471 people had been imprisoned in the city and surrounding villages under government orders on charges of endangering public security.’

Reasons for vaccination refusal included the fear of violence implied by the Taliban who prohibit vaccinations and have attacked health workers- as BBC News describes ‘In November four polio vaccination workers were shot dead in the south-west city of Quetta.’

Political involvement could be argued to deny the parental rights of the children’s families to decide whether their child is to be vaccinated or not, creating an ethical problem, as while the national safety of the region regarding the highly contagious nature of the polio virus is influential, does it excuse the government from depriving the patients’ parents of their say when it comes to their children’s safety, medically and socially?

See:

Pakistan jails 471 parents who refused to give polio vaccine to children– The Guardian

Pakistan arrests parents for refusing polio vaccine– BBC News