Moroje Taha-EMERGING AND RE-EMERGING INFECTIONS IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN REGION

Abstract

Political destabilisation and forced migration in Eastren Mediterranean Region (EMR) countries have resulted in a lack of preparedness and slow responses to disease outbreaks. Coupled with weak health infrastructure and limited laboratory diagnostic capacities, this situation has led to emerging and re-emerging infections among countries in the EMR region. In addition to climate change and environmental changes, modern and sophisticated technologies, as well as microbial mutations and evolution, have allowed microbial outbreaks to become critical. These are the main factors in the emergence of these infectious diseases. Multiple outbreaks caused by infectious agents have been discovered in the region including: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-COV) in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar. Also, cholera is present in Yemen, causing continues outbreaks and Arboviruses are alarming threats in South Sudan. The lack of vaccinations has caused the emergence of measles and malaria in Pakistan and Somalia. Moreover, Turkey has been heavily affected by tularaemia outbreaks. In response to the growing occurrence of infectious diseases outbreaks, public health bodies in the region have worked in close proximity with health and humanitarian organisations to improve preparedness and responses to outbreaks and plan the activation of robust surveillance systems. The World Health Organization has established a network for the EMR to facilitate communications between different health experts. The system emphasises the weakness of surveillance programs in the region and the lack of action plans in case of outbreaks. An urgent response is still needed from EMR countries to establish resilient public health systems to rapidly diagnose, contain and prevent newly emerging and re-emerging infectious agents.