REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Corinne Momal-Vanian, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which was also attended by Spokespersons and Representatives of the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration.

2010 WHO World Malaria Report

Christy Feig of the World Health Organization (WHO) said WHO would be launching the World Malaria Report this afternoon at 3.30 p.m. in Room III. The press release and some copies of the report were available at the back of the room, embargoed until 3.30 p.m. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan and the Director of WHO's Global Malaria Programme, Robert Newman, would be present for the launch, while the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria, Ray Chambers, would attend via video from New York.

Robert Newman, the Director of WHO's Global Malaria Programme, said the 2010 World Malaria Report was a good news report. The major increase in financing had resulted in unprecedented scale-up of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and effective treatment of malaria, among other things. 298 million insecticide-treated nets had been delivered to Africa between 2008 and the end of 2010. That was enough to protect 578 million people at risk, or 76 per cent of Africa’s at-risk population. Indoor residual spraying had also protected 75 million people, or 10 per cent of the population at risk in 2009.

For the first time, more than a third of cases had actually been diagnosed and confirmed with a diagnostic test in the public sector in Africa, up from below 5 per cent at the beginning of the decade. The number of courses of artemisinin-based combination therapies, a mainstay for treatment, had also seen an enormous increase, with a 158 million courses delivered to malaria-endemic countries last year. Eleven countries in the WHO Africa region had shown more than a 50 per cent decrease in malaria cases and deaths between 2000 and the end of 2009. Outside of Africa, there were 32 countries with a greater than 50 per cent decrease in malaria cases, and another 8 countries with a 25 to 50 per cent decrease.

Morocco and Turkmenistan had been declared malaria-free this year, said Mr. Newman. In 2009 in the WHO European region, for the first time, there had not been a single indigenous case of Plamodium falciparum malaria. The best news of all was that the number of overall global deaths from Malaria continued to decline, from a total of 985,000 deaths a year at the beginning of the decade down to 781,000 estimated for 2009.

Much of the progress had however been in small- to middle-size countries, and there was still a long way to go in some of the largest countries, where the greatest burden still lay. There had also been malaria resurgences in Zambia, Rwanda and Saint Tomé, a reminder that the progress made was totally dependent on continued investment and maintaining the coverage achieved so far. Further information on the report and the topic could be received from Mr. Newman.

Colombia

Elisabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the floods in Colombia continued. The raining season was very strong this year and had started last April. Combined with La Niña, this resulted in floods.

1.8 million people were currently being affected by the floods which had caused more than 200 deaths. Over 2,000 houses had been destroyed, 200,000 hectares of crops damaged and 40,000 livestock lost.

The United Nations system was working hand in hand with the Colombian Government to reach the most affected communities in conditions of major vulnerability. Seven rapid needs assessment missions were being carried out in Cesar, Cordoba, Magdalena, Choco, Sucre, Bolivar, Cauca, Narino and Cundinamarca. Twenty-eight out of Colombia’s 32 departments were in a state of emergency/affected.

The United Nations had allocated USD 6 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to respond to Colombia’s urgent needs during the first three months. These funds were a prelude to a larger appeal, to be launched probably in the next weeks.

Haiti

Asked about the status of the 100 million aquatabs that UNICEF was supposed to deliver to Haiti, Ms. Mercado said ordering 100 million aquatabs did not mean that they were immediately available. The aquatabs came in as UNICEF received them. Tens of millions of aquatabs had already arrived in Haiti, Ms. Mercado underscored.

Responding to a question, Corinne Momal-Vanian said demonstrations in Port-au-Prince had hindered access to health facilities until recently. A press release had been issued late yesterday in the name of the international community, including the United Nations, appealing for calm so that people could access health facilities and seek medical treatment for cholera and in order for reconstruction activities to go on.

Ms. Byrs said information on the latest figures of the Haitian Health Ministry and details on the appeal, which stagnated at a funding level of 20 per cent, were available from the documents at the back.

WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality

Ms. Feig said WHO's EURO Office would tomorrow be launching the first Indoor Air Quality Guidelines on indoor chemicals. They presented for the first time evidence and guidance to protect global health from the impact of nine indoor chemicals. The guidelines recommended targets for indoor air quality at which the health risks were significantly reduced, and they provided a scientific basis for legally enforceable standards in all world regions. Journalists wishing to receive more information on the topic could be connected to the EURO Office, Ms. Feig said.

Atlas on Substance Abuse

Ms. Feig said an Atlas on Substance Abuse would be launched today in Valencia, where a conference was currently being held. This was the first global report on resources currently in use to respond to health concerns on substance abuse.

Polio in the Republic of Congo

Marixie Mercado of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Congo’s Ministry of Health, UNICEF and partners, including WHO and Rotary International, would complete today the second of three rounds of nation-wide polio immunizations that were intended to reach the entire population in the Republic of Congo. The vaccinations were an effort to turn back the tide on a rare and unusually fatal outbreak that had led to at least 476 cases of acute flaccid paralysis, and 179 deaths since the first case had been reported from the port city of Pointe Noire, the epicenter of the outbreak, on 1 October.

Two attributes made this outbreak unusual. First, among those paralyzed by polio, on average between 5 and 10 per cent died when their breathing muscles became immobilized. In Congo, the case fatality rate was extremely high – 42 per cent, down from a peak of 47 per cent. Second, 60 per cent of cases and deaths had been among young men and women between 15 and 29 years old. It was also worthy to note that in Pointe Noire, where the data was more detailed, the numbers show that two thirds of the young adults affected had been young men and one third had been young women.

Stopping the outbreak in Congo was a top health priority due to the explosive nature of the outbreak, and the risk of it spreading nationally and beyond, Ms. Marixie said. Although polio cases had decreased by 99 per cent since 1998, from an estimated 350,000 cases then to 1,604 cases in 2009, 23 previously polio-free countries had been re-infected due to imports of the virus between 2009 and 2010. Congo had recorded its last case of indigenous polio in 2000. Genetic sequencing determined that the polio cases had been caused by a virus most closely related to that circulating in Angola.

A third round of nation-wide immunizations was slated for early January. UNICEF and its partners underlined that the success of the campaign hinged on effective leadership and social mobilization, as well as funding. UNICEF had a funding gap of USD 3 million to cover vaccines, social mobilization and hygiene activities.

Asked about the number of people immunized, Ms. Mercado said it was her understanding that the first round of immunizations had covered the entire population. A figure of the Ministry of Health listed 105 per cent coverage, meaning that people in the border region of Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo had also been immunized. Estimates for the second round of coverage, which ended today, were also extremely good.

In response to a question whether the immunization had helped in terms of staunching the epidemic, Ms. Mercado said according to UNICEF's country office the peak had been passed now. The case fatality rate had decreased from a peak of 47 per cent to 42 per cent now. Yesterday there had been no new cases and the day before there had been three new cases, but the numbers were much lower from a peak of 17 cases a day.

Pakistan

Jared Bloch of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said IOM's emergency medical programme, launched in September to help restore Pakistan's flood-damaged healthcare system, would be extended and expanded through May 2011 thanks to funds from Canada and the Pakistan Emergency Response Fund.

New activities, starting in January 2011, would include the refurbishment of four flood-damaged health clinics in Sindh and Punjab provinces. IOM would also support the Government in enhancing existing health centers for telemedicine and teleradiology. The centers were essential for doctors in remote areas who need to consult specialists.

Four months into the flood relief operation, IOM's rural health clinics in Sindh and Punjab continued to face high demand for basic health care. More than 45,000 patients have been treated since the clinics had opened in early September. This included consultations IOM medical mobile teams, who brought basic health care to flood victims in hard-to-reach areas, said Mr. Bloch.

UNHCR's Afghanistan shelter programme passes 200,000 home milestone

Adrian Edwards of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said UNHCR's work in Afghanistan in helping reintegration of returnees and internally displaced people had passed a milestone this week with the completion of the 200,000th home for a returnee family. UNHCR’s shelter programme in Afghanistan had begun in 2002 and had been an important element in the return of some 4.5 million refugees over the past eight years. The programme had cost some USD 250 million but had benefited some 1.4 million people - or around a quarter of all returnees.

Despite insecurity, Afghans had continued returning every year from neighbouring Pakistan and Iran, and in significant numbers. The biggest wave of returns had been between 2002 and 2005, but 2010 had nonetheless seen return levels exceeding 112,000 people until now. The prospect of a secure home was regularly cited by Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan as one of their primary requirements before making a decision to return. This year alone, UNHCR had helped more than 17,000 vulnerable returnee families with shelter assistance. Much of the actual work of construction was carried out by beneficiaries themselves.

The return of millions of Afghans had increased the estimated population of Afghanistan by some 20 percent. Returnees had contributed importantly in many economic sectors, bringing skills, know-how, and capital accumulated during their life in exile. But this huge population movement had also challenged the country’s socio-economic absorption capacities, particularly on poor rural communities with limited resources.

UNHCR believed that improved security and continued social and economic development would be critical to future return and reintegration perspectives. At present, however, humanitarian conditions were fragile. As such, due to the continuing high incidence of poor, homeless families within the returnee population, UNHCR’s housing programme would continue in 2011 at a similar level to previous years to support the sustainable reintegration of returning Afghan refugees.

In response to a question, Mr. Edwards said approximately 1 million Afghans were left in Iran and just over 2 million in Pakistan.

Ivorian refugees continue to enter Liberia

Mr. Edwards said amid continuing political uncertainty in Ivory Coast UNHCR had been seeing further arrivals of Ivorians in northeastern Liberia. As of Saturday, an estimated 3,500 people had entered Liberia with new arrivals reported in villages along the border at a rate now of around 150 people per day.

In line with the Liberian government’s non-encampment policy, the Ivorians were settling in local communities. Villagers had taken them into their homes and were sharing their own resources. UNHCR teams were registering and assisting arrivees, but the villages were spread far apart and, with poor road conditions, getting heavy trucks there was taking time.

Meanwhile in Guinea the number of newly registered Ivorian refugees in the southeast of the country was stable at some 200, although some of UNHCR's partners reported further arrivals in Lola prefecture yesterday morning. At the request of the local authorities, UNHCR had transferred the group to a transit center at Bosso, 18 km further from the border.

Mr. Edwards said a press release on UNHCR's recommendations for the incoming Hungarian EU Presidency was available at the back of the room.

IOM Helps Over 40,000 Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal to Resettle Abroad

Mr. Bloch said IOM had now helped over 40,000 ethnic Nepali Bhutanese refugees to leave camps in Eastern Nepal and resettle in third countries. Under the joint UNHCR-IOM resettlement programme, launched at the beginning of 2008, the United States has accepted 34,129 of the refugees, Canada 2,333, Australia 2,168, New Zealand 498, Norway 273, Denmark 326, the Netherlands 229 and the United Kingdom 111. The resettled refugees represented over a third of a caseload of some 108,000 Bhutanese of Nepali origin who had fled Bhutan in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

IOM statements in French, English and Spanish on the occasion of International Migrants Day, 18 December, were available at the back of the room.

Geneva Activities

Ms. Momal-Vanian introduced Ms. Alessandra Velluci who had succeeded Ms. Elena Ponomareva-Piquier as the Chief of the Press and Public Relations Sections of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva.

Ms. Momal-Vanian said a press conference on the renewal of the partnership between DHL and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs would take place at noon in Room III.

UNICEF would hold a press conference on the situation of children in South Sudan tomorrow at 10 a.m. in Room III. This would be followed by a press conference to present the UNCTAD/UNDP Creative Economy Report 2010, to take place at noon in Press Room I.

On Thursday, 16 December, there would also be the three press conferences that followed the Geneva International Discussions. They would be held towards the end of the day, Ms. Momal-Vanian said.