Bishkek (21 July 2010) -- The first of two rounds of national immunization days (NIDs) against poliomyelitis (polio) in Kyrgyzstan were launched on Monday, 19 July. The launch ceremony was held in an outpatient clinic in the capital, Bishkek, with the participation of Dr Sabirjan Abdikarimov, the acting Minister of Health of Kyrgyzstan, and representatives of WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Kyrgyzstan has reported over 90% coverage with three doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) each year. It is supplementing routine immunization in response to the importation of wild poliovirus into Tajikistan, the first since the WHO European Region was certified as polio free in 2002. As of 12 July 2010, Tajikistan had reported 413 laboratory-confirmed cases of wild poliovirus type 1, with 19 deaths (4.6%). The latest confirmed polio cases had disease onset on 6 June 2010. In addition, six cases had been laboratory confirmed for wild poliovirus type 1 in the Russian Federation, the only country outside Tajikistan to confirm cases.    

Executive summary

i. Kyrgyzstan has experienced escalating violence since the previous government was overthrown on April 7 and an interim government took power. Subsequently, violent clashes took place in Osh and Jalal-Abad Oblasts (province) throughout April and May and fighting reached its highest intensity from June 10-14 during which shooting, killing, looting, and property destruction were widespread in cities as well as in rural areas leading to mass population displacements. After four days, a state of emergency was declared and an uncertain peace prevailed until the June 27 referendum.

ii. On June 24th, in Osh oblast, UNHCR registered a total of 25 settlements / centres that received IDPs from different rayons (districts). One assessment team met with one displaced Uzbek community in Mady village (Kara Suu rayon) that was not registered by UNHCR. The exact figures on IDPs (how many and where they were/are) and on settlements are not available.    

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, (8 July 2010) – The Republican Scientific-Research Centre for Trauma and Orthopaedics in Bishkek, has received a donation of Swiss-made orthopaedic equipment, following an appeal by the World Health Organization (WHO).
 
The orthopaedic equipment, with a net value of 140,000 USD, was donated by WHO, and handed over by the WHO Country Office in Kyrgyzstan on 8 July 2010. It will be used for reconstructive surgery of up to 30 patients from Osh and Bishkek, admitted to the Centre with gunshot wounds following the civil unrest in Bishkek on 7-8 April, 2010, and the events in Osh on 10-17 June.
 
Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Kasymbek Mambetov, and Director of the Centre Dr. Sabyrbek Jumabekov, as well as the Head of the WHO Country Office Dr. Oskon Moldokulov, and the Centre’s medical staff were at the Centre to attend the handover of equipment.    

Copenhagen/Geneva, (22 June, 2010) --  The World Health Organization is coordinating the international health response to the humanitarian crises in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, where delivering health care to thousands of displaced people remains a major challenge.

At least 300 000 people, mainly ethnic Uzbeks, have reportedly been displaced in Kyrgyzstan since conflict erupted in the south of the country on 10 June. At least 75 000 more people have fled the violence into Uzbekistan where they are now registered as refugees. Many are living in temporary camps.

The official death toll in Kyrgyzstan is 192, with 2029 people wounded and 912 hospitalized in Osh and Jalal-Abad. Senior government figures and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have stated, however, that the real number of casualties is likely to be several times higher.    

Copenhagen (23 April 2010) -- On 16 April 2010, WHO deployed a team of experts to investigate a suspected polio outbreak in the south-west of Tajikistan, in the area bordering Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

A sharp increase of acute flaccid paralysis cases (AFP) in early April prompted the Tajik government to notify WHO of a possible polio outbreak. After further investigation by the Tajik national health authorities jointly with WHO, laboratory tests by the WHO Collaborating Centre in Moscow confirmed polio virus as the cause of the outbreak. Tests are ongoing to further characterize the virus. WHO immediately alerted all other countries in eastern Central Asia of this new public health risk, as required under the International Health Regulations.

WHO has also alerted the governments of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to intensify surveillance for AFP cases and to rapidly conduct national or sub-national polio immunization campaigns.

Bishkek (12 April 2010) -- Civil unrest in Kyrgyzstan last week left over 70 people dead, more than 1500 injured and over 500 hospitalized. In response, WHO/Europe mobilized standard health kits from pre-positioned stocks in Bishkek, the capital. With nongovernmental organizations, WHO is coordinating the provision of trauma and surgical kits to local hospitals.

WHO/Europe started coordinating the health response and mapping both health needs and the health sector's response, supporting the Ministry of Health and collaborating with civil-society organizations and other partners.   

LONDON/GENEVA -- The world’s maternal mortality ratio (the number of maternal deaths per 100 000 live births) is declining too slowly to meet Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5, which aims to reduce the number of women who die in pregnancy and childbirth by three-quarters by 2015.

LONDON/GENEVA -- WHO today releases the first guide on age-friendly cities. The guide, which is based on consultations with older people in 33 cities in 22 countries, has identified the key hysical, social and services attributes of age-friendly urban settings. Istanbul, London, Melbourne, Mexico City, Moscow, Nairobi, New Delhi, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, and Tokyo were part of the consultation along with many other regional centres and towns.