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WORLD
HEALTH DAY 2010
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|  World Health Organization Country
Office (WCO) Sri Lanka
has supported activities to mark the World Health Day 2010 together with
its counterparts. Relevant directorates of Ministry of Healthcare and
Nutrition, non health government organizations, UN agencies,
nongovernmental organizations and more importantly the municipalities and
urban councils have been invited to partner with WCO in getting this
endeavor a success.
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WHO’s Support to MoH in Influenza
A(H1N1) Pandemic Preparedness
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 Hon. Nimal Siripala
De Silva, Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition received a total stock of 315,000
doses of Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
and 2000 N-95 masks from Dr Firdosi Rustom Mehta, Actg
WHO Representative to Sri
Lanka as WHO’s solidarity for support
to the MoH in Novel Influenza A(H1N1) pandemic preparedness.
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Current level of Influenza Pandemic Alert Raised from
Phase 4 to 5
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Staff Retreat Programme: World
Health Organization, Country Office for Sri Lanka - “Wild Drift Team Challenge”
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 World Health Organization Country
Office for Sri Lanka
participated in Staff Retreat Program named “Wild Drift Team
Challenge” which was conducted in Sigiriya from 16th to 18th October 2009. This was a
long felt need after a period of nearly four years and conducted as a joint
venture with “Wild Drift” which is
management training Company that carries out their programmes
in a different way in the wilderness!
More
Information
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WCO
staff Aerobics- “Leading by Example”
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 Prevention of non communicable
diseases and promotion of healthy life styles was one of the action point
identified at the WHO staff retreat in Sigiriya. WCO staff worked on the action point and
tried to develop the office as a workplace that encourages healthy habits
which reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke one of the world’s
leading cause of death. “Saying No
to tobacco, eating a healthy diet and being physically active” are
important steps towards greater productivity and longer life. In view of
that WCO started aerobics exercise sessions Fridays at 3.00-3.45 pm under
the guidance of a trainer since 23rd October .
More Information
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WHO
Contribution to the United Nations (UN) Photographic Exhibition - “Through the eyes of children”
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 WHO Country Office participated
in UN Photographic Exhibition for the second time which was held on UN Day
24 October 2009 in Colombo.
The general purpose of the UN photographic exhibition was to highlight the
impact of UN projects on young lives and titled as “through the eyes of children”
which was piloted only in Eastern Province of Sri Lanka in 2008. In 2009 it
was organized in a much extensive way to cover more districts in the
island. Purpose of the exercise was to obtain photographs to show the
impact of UN projects/ interventions on young lives in different parts of
the country through the eyes of children.
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Humanitarian
Situation in North Sri Lanka
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As of 30th
November, about 134,790 IDPs still remain in
camps. Of this, 125,714 people are located in Menik
Farm; 3996 in Jaffna;
2276 in Mannar and 2804 in Trincomalee.
So far, about 120,185 people have returned with an additional 28,597
people released from Menik Farm back to their
areas of origin in Jaffna, Mannar, the Eastern
part, Mullativu and Killinochi.
The resettlement process of the Government of Sri Lanka has accelerated
during the last few weeks, with another 35,000 – 40,000 to be released
again from the IDP camps in Menik Farm before
the end of the year.
More
Information
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Hon Nimal Siripala de Silva elected Chairman of the Executive
Board
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 Hon Nimal Siripala de Silva, Minister of Healthcare and
Nutrition, was elected as the Chairman of the WHO Executive Board at its
122nd Session in May 2008 and will hold office for one year.
The Executive Board is composed of 34 members designated by the respective Member
States, and representing the six Regions of the WHO. The World Health
Assembly which is the supreme decision making body, attended by delegations
from all 193 Member States of the WHO, formally elects the members of the
Executive Board. The Members of the Executive Board are elected for three
year terms.
The Executive Board meets twice a
year. The main Board meeting, at
which the agenda for the forthcoming Health Assembly is agreed upon and
resolutions for submission to the Assembly are prepared, is held in
January.
More
Information…
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Seminar
on unusual occurrence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in North Central
Province of Sri Lanka
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The Epidemiology Unit of
the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition, in association with the WHO Sri
Lanka, organized a visit of a team of international experts to investigate
the unusual occurrence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in the North Central
Province of Sri Lanka. National and international experts met in Colombo during a
seminar held on 7th and 8th May to review all
available information with a view to providing technical assistance for
developing a pragmatic and feasible research proposal to address prevention
issues.
Many invaluable studies
have been done so far in the country by various renowned experts to try to
elucidate the causative factor. These have generated many hypotheses. In
order to conclusively prove the etiology of this disease, it was absolutely
essential that a team involving scientists and medical professionals would
be established.
It is
expected that the research team, with the input of the panel of experts
from around the globe, will achieve the objective of finding a rational
solution to this public health problem, in order to save people in these
affected areas from further disaster.
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WHO and the Ministry of Health launch
the ‘National Report on Violence and Health in Sri Lanka’
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 WHO and
the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition have launched on the 4th April
2008 the ‘National Report on Violence and Health in Sri Lanka’. This report
provides a foundation for understanding various types of violence and the
roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders in its prevention,
identification, investigation, assessment, and treatment. This is the first
national report ever published on this important problem in Sri Lanka.
It is expected that this
document will serve as a valuable resource for building knowledge,
promoting effective practices, and enhancing community collaboration. This
analyses available data to understand violence in the local context and its
impact on the country. It attempts to assess the magnitude of the problem
and describes different aspects of violence on the island.
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Leptospirosis
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 Leptospirosis is
an endemic disease in Sri
Lanka. The temperate climate, seasonal
rainfall, humidity and other ecological factors have contributed to the
maintenance of the disease in the country. Clustering of cases and
occurrence of outbreaks in relation to rainfall and paddy field cultivation
has been observed in many parts of the country.
During the last decade,
there has been an increase in the reported number of Leptospirosis
cases…
More Information…
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