Vector Surveillance and Control

 Zika virus is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito from the Aedes genus, mainly Aedes aegypti in tropical regions. This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.  Zika virus,  is known to circulate in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, has been recently associated with potential complications such as neurological disorders and neonatal malformations.

This week the 138th session of the WHO  Executive Board will convene in Geneva at the headquarters of the World Health Organization. On the agenda: WHO reform, health systems, noncommunicable and communicable diseases, promoting health through the life course, and preparedness, surveillance and response. The 138th session of the WHO Executive Board (EB) runs from Monday 25 January to Saturday 30 2016.

 WHO Ebola Situation Report - 6 January 2016 stated that Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have all now succeeded in interrupting human-to-human transmission linked to the original outbreak in West Africa. For detailed information, please visit http://apps.who.int/ebola/current-situation/ebola-situation-report-6-january-2016.

The new Safety Requirements for Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency -a publication of the International Atomic Energy Agency jointly sponsored by 13 international organizations, including World Health Organization, is released. The publication provides the requirements for ensuring an adequate level of preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency, irrespective of its cause.