In 2017, WHO's Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean continued its support to Member States in containing outbreaks and building country capacities in surveillance, preparedness, readiness, response and prevention of health threats posed by emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

In 2017, the Infectious Hazard Management programme of the Department of Health Emergencies in the Eastern Mediterranean Region worked with Member States, and:

responded to, and contained a number of outbreaks of high-threat pathogens

supported the first-ever oral cholera vaccination campaign in Somalia

established the Emerging and Dangerous Pathogen Laboratory Network (EDPLN)

hosted the first-ever scientific conference on acute respiratory infections in the Region

Strengthened surveillance systems for detection of high-threat pathogens in Iran, occupied Palestinian territory, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates

The following photo essay covers some of the major public health activities undertaken in 2017 in support of health ministries, in coordination with regional and global health partners.

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January 2017 - Chikungunya investigation

WHO conducts field investigation in Gwadihor, Baluchistan for detection and confirmation of the first-ever outbreak of chikungunya in Pakistan. The investigation and subsequent control measures contained the outbreak quickly, and stopped its geographic spread. Gwadihor, Pakistan. January 2017.

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March 2017 - OCV campaign in Somalia

WHO staff administers oral cholera vaccine (OCV) to a child at the first and largest OCV campaign in Somalia, as a preventative measure to contain the cholera outbreak. Over 1 million people in hotspot areas received 2 doses of OCV as a preventative measure, which limited and contained the outbreak in one of the most challenging settings. Mogadishu, Somalia. March 2017.

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April 2017 - First EWARS assessment in Syria

WHO assessment team reviews Syria's disease Early Warning Alert and Response System (EWARS) for the country’s epidemic readiness and detection capacity, five years after implementation. The findings of the assessment resulted in developing a strategic plan for strengthening country’s routine disease surveillance system for monitoring and detection of health threats in real-time. Damascus, Syria. April 2017.

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May 2017 - Zika virus diagnostics training

Laboratory technicians receive hands-on training on sample collection and molecular diagnosis in a laboratory diagnostics workshop for Zika virus hosted by WHO. The training workshop rapidly built country capacity for detection of Zika and other arboviruses in the Region. Amman, Jordan. May 2017.

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June 2017 - Cholera response Yemen

WHO experts meet with health partners and local health workers to enhance surveillance and case management in response to one of the largest cholera outbreaks in Yemen, affecting over a million people across the country. Sana’a, Yemen. June 2017.

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September 2017 - RRT Training in Lebanon

Health workers participate in a Rapid Response Team training organized by WHO on field investigation and rapid response to respiratory outbreaks caused by novel pathogens. The training is part of the Regional Office’s efforts to establish trained national Rapid Response Team in every country in the Region with the capacity to investigate and respond to health threats from any novel pathogens. Beirut, Lebanon September 2017.

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September 2017 - Dengue assessment Pakistan

WHO meets with front-line health workers and health authorities during a field investigation of an outbreak of dengue fever in Khyber Pakhtunwala province in Pakistan. Despite being one of the largest outbreaks of dengue in recent times, it was rapidly contained through intensified vector (mosquito) control. GOARN experts from Queen Sirikit's National Institute of Child Health (a WHO Collaborating Centre for Case Management of Severe Dengue) in Thailand were deployed to improve case management. Peshawar, Pakistan. September 2017.

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September 2017 - Hajj Saudi Arabia

WHO team meets with public health workers to oversee public health preparedness and mitigation measures for detection of health threats amongst the pilgrims during Hajj (1438 H). This is in compliance with the requirements of International Health Regulations (2005). Effective preparedness activities paid off, and no major public health events were reported during the 2017 pilgrimage. Mina, Saudi Arabia September 2017.

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November 2017 - Rabat influenza lab workshop

Laboratory technician tests virus samples using WHO standard influenza kits during an influenza virus identification workshop. Such training workshops remain central to the work of WHO to enhance the capacities of national influenza centres in the Eastern Mediterranean Region for timely and effective detection of seasonal and pandemic influenza. Rabat, Morocco. November 2017.

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December 2017 - EMARIS meeting Amman

A panel of public health experts and young researchers discuss key topics in surveillance and response capacities for acute respiratory infection at the fourth bi-annual EMARIS meeting hosted by WHO & US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). EMARIS is a network of countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region working collaboratively to strengthen influenza surveillance, improve the use of surveillance data, and conduct ground-breaking research related to influenza and other respiratory viruses. Amman, Jordan. December 2017.

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December 2017 - EMARIS Conference Amman

Figure 12 Researchers and young scientists present their work at the first-ever scientific conference on acute respiratory infection in the Region, held in conjunction with the WHO-hosted EMARIS meeting. Over 50 young researchers presented their scientific research in the form of oral and poster presentations at the conference themed BETTER UNDERSTANDING, BETTER PREPAREDNESS AND BETTER RESPONSE. Awards were given to the top presenters for outstanding research and presentation. Amman, Jordan. December 2017.

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