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<body class='hmmessage'><div dir='ltr'><br><div><div dir="ltr"><div class="ecxgmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="ecxgmail_sendername">ProMED-mail</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:promed@promed.isid.harvard.edu">promed@promed.isid.harvard.edu</a>></span><br>
Date: 2013/4/9<br>Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Leishmaniasis - Syria (03): Turkey ex Syria<br>To: <a href="mailto:promed-ahead-edr@promedmail.org">promed-ahead-edr@promedmail.org</a><br><br><br>LEISHMANIASIS - SYRIA (03): TURKEY ex SYRIA<br>
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A ProMED-mail post<br>
<<a href="http://www.promedmail.org" target="_blank">http://www.promedmail.org</a>><br>
ProMED-mail is a program of the<br>
International Society for Infectious Diseases<br>
<<a href="http://www.isid.org" target="_blank">http://www.isid.org</a>><br>
<br>
Date: Tue 9 Apr 2013<br>
Source: PRWeb [edited]<br>
<<a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/uossm-med-org/leishmania-outbreak/prweb10613745.htm" target="_blank">http://www.prweb.com/releases/uossm-med-org/leishmania-outbreak/prweb10613745.htm</a>><br>
<br>
<br>
UOSSM [Union of Syrian Medical Relief Organizations] calls on the<br>
World Health organization (WHO) and the international medical agencies<br>
to assist the local health care providers and public health centers<br>
inside Syria and on the Turkish border in treating the escalating<br>
number of leishmania in Northern Syria, and to support the local<br>
health centers in their efforts to control the spread of the disease.<br>
According to Today's Zaman, "Approximately 100 000 people have been<br>
infected with the leishmaniasis in the past 2 years after civil war<br>
broke out in Syria, compared with before the conflict when the number<br>
of cases in Syria had been reduced to <a target="_blank">3000-4000</a>."<br>
<br>
The increase in the number of cases of _Leishmania_ in Turkey, impose<br>
an additional dimension to the crisis, making the outbreak on the<br>
verge of being regional public health crisis "The increase in the<br>
number of patients suffering from the disease is alarming not only for<br>
Syria but for Turkey as well since leishmaniasis has also reached<br>
Turkey"<br>
(<<a href="http://www.todayszaman.com/news-310925-leishmaniasis-outbreak-rings-alarm-bells-at-turkish-syrian-border.html" target="_blank">http://www.todayszaman.com/news-310925-leishmaniasis-outbreak-rings-alarm-bells-at-turkish-syrian-border.html</a>>).<br>
<br>
According to WHO, leishmaniasis is a poverty-related disease, and is<br>
associated with malnutrition, displacement, poor housing, illiteracy,<br>
gender discrimination, weakness of the immune system, and lack of<br>
resources. Leishmaniasis is also linked to environmental changes<br>
(<<a href="http://www.who.int/leishmaniasis/burden/magnitude/burden_magnitude/en/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.who.int/leishmaniasis/burden/magnitude/burden_magnitude/en/index.html</a>>).<br>
<br>
Mr Daher Zidan, pharmacist and project manager in UOSSM, has been<br>
working on the collecting and analyzing data, said, "The sharp<br>
increase in the number of reported cases of leishmaniasis in Aleppo<br>
and Idlib provinces, denotes the re-emerging of the disease, that is<br>
directly linked to the extensive annihilation of public health<br>
infrastructure, and the abandonment of Syrian local authorities from<br>
municipal maintenance and services." Added that, "The majority of<br>
those cases were reported in areas that are heavily affected by the<br>
conflict, and areas with high poverty and inaccessibility to good<br>
sanitation, due to water shortage and garbage build up that amplifies<br>
the growth of the sand fly." Mr Zidan briefly stated the major<br>
recommendation to control the spread of _Leishmania_, " As<br>
transmission involves sand fly bites to human and injection of the<br>
protozoal parasite, this makes our major priority the elimination of<br>
this fly, in addition to implementing other preventive and control<br>
measures. This is beside an extensive treatment and creation of<br>
specialized centers to control leishmaniasis."<br>
<br>
The UOSSM has initiated a well-organized program directed to treat the<br>
old and new cases of leishmaniasis, and coordinate the local municipal<br>
services for better spray and application of insecticide to get rid of<br>
the sand fly. The UOSSM has estimated that the budget needed to treat<br>
and control leishmaniasis is about [USD] 180 000, and urges the WHO<br>
and International medical and humanitarian organizations to<br>
contribute, in order to eradicate _Leishmania_ from the region.<br>
<br>
UOSSM views the _Leishmania_ outbreak as a regional public health<br>
crisis that necessitates collaborative efforts between local and<br>
international public health providers.<br>
<br>
The UOSSM is a coalition of humanitarian, non-governmental, and<br>
independent organizations, created following the deadly events in<br>
Syria, to provide medical and humanitarian aid to Syrians. UOSSM was<br>
established by 14 medical and relief organizations, and includes<br>
hundreds of physicians of mainly Syrian origin distributed in the<br>
United States, Canada, Europe, and in different Arab countries.<br>
<br>
--<br>
Communicated by:<br>
ProMED-mail from HealthMap Alerts<br>
<<a href="mailto:promed@promedmail.org">promed@promedmail.org</a>><br>
<br>
[It is no surprise that the number of cases increase and that the<br>
infection is spreading into Turkey with the flow of refugees.<br>
Leishmaniasis will also be seen in refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.<br>
Children are particularly vulnerable. ProMED-mail follows the outbreak<br>
closely and will be happy to received further information. - Mod.EP<br>
<br>
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at:<br>
<<a href="http://healthmap.org/r/3aLZ" target="_blank">http://healthmap.org/r/3aLZ</a>>.]<br>
<br>
[see also:<br>
Leishmaniasis - Syria (02): 20130328.1608713<br>
Leishmaniasis - Syria: RFI 20130227.1562934<br>
2012<br>
----<br>
Leishmaniasis, tuberculosis - Syria (02): comment 20121227.1471041<br>
Leishmaniasis, tuberculosis - Syria 20121226.1470184]<br>
.................................................ep/mj/mpp<br>
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