sharon sanders
Editor-in-Chief & President
[h=3]WHO buries the lede while forecasting new outbreaks[/h] Via WHO, a news release with a bland headline but an ominous warning buried deep inside: WHA reaches agreement on polio, International Health Regulations and strengthening surgical care. Thanks to Sharon Sanders atFluTrackers for spotting this passage (with her bolding):
May 24, 2015 at 08:02 PM
http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/...ulations-and-strengthening-surgical-care.html
Delegates endorsed the International Health Regulations Review Committee recommendation to extend the deadline to 2016 to all countries that need more time to implement the Regulations. The recommendation also emphasizes a dynamic, ongoing process of evaluation and improvement, and the value of independent assessment.
The recent Ebola outbreak has highlighted the importance of all countries having strong capacities to rapidly detect, respond to and prevent global public health threats such as disease outbreaks. The International Health Regulations (2005), oblige all Member States to have these capacities in place. Only one-third of all countries (64), however, reported that they had met the minimum requirements in 2014.
Speakers at today?s meeting recognized the important role WHO plays in providing expertise and guidance to help countries enhance surveillance systems and laboratory services, build early warning and alert systems, and train health workers so that they can deal with major public health threats. They expressed strong support for pairing well-resourced countries with other countries to help them to meet the IHR requirements.
It's a truism in journalism that you don't bury the lede?the fact that goes in the first paragraph because it's the whole point of the story. If I'd edited this release, I'd have rewritten the lede to something like this:Two-thirds of WHO members are unprepared for the next public-health disaster, regardless of having signed the International Health Regulations that oblige them to have preparations in place, the World Health Assembly was told on May 22.
May 24, 2015 at 08:02 PM
http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/...ulations-and-strengthening-surgical-care.html