This report covers the period 17/January/2009 to 31/December/2009.

In brief

Programme purpose: The 2009-2010 West and Central Africa Zone's (WCAZ) Plan aims at providing support to National Societies to properly address the needs of vulnerable people. The 2009 plan of action focuses on the implementation of the safety and resilient community framework. Integrated approach targeting community at risk has been developed with NS and PNS that covers DRR, Health and OD issues at branch level with strong community participation. Some of the projects

The technical consultative meeting on the ex-post 2008/2009 cereal and food balance sheets and provisional 2009/2010 in the CILSS, ECOWAS and UEMOA countries members took place from the 4th to 6th November 2009 in Accra, Ghana. The present press release is published:

- Rainfall in 2009 was highly heterogeneous. In the Central and Eastern Sahel, the rains were late with sporadic dry spells causing delays in crops establishment and development. In the Western Sahel the rains started relatively early without major interruptions. In

General Context

Pandemic A (H1N1): There is an overall slight decline in the incidence since 4 weeks mainly due to the declining trend in South Africa. Twenty seven (27) countries are now affected in our Region with a total case load of 13,583 and 102 deaths. Floods in West Africa which affected 635,273 people and killed 187 others are subsiding but we continue to monitor the health consequences. Other humanitarian concerns include political crises in Guinea and Niger, disease outbreaks, the complex emergencies in central African countries and the food crises in the horn of Africa.

Each week, the World Health Organization Health Action in Crises in Geneva produces information highlights on critical health-related activities in countries where there are humanitarian crises. Drawing on the various WHO programmes, contributions cover activities from field and country offices and the support provided by WHO regional offices and headquarters. The mandate of the WHO departments specifically concerned with Emergency and Humanitarian Action in Crises is to increase the effectiveness of the WHO contribution to crisis preparedness and response, transition

Executive summary

The Federation's West and Central Africa Sub-zone (WCAZ) priorities are guided by the following strategic initiatives intended to support the development and work of National Societies: the Global Agenda Goals and the Framework for Action, Strategy 2010, the African Red Cross and Red Crescent Health Initiative (ARCHI) 2010 and decisions coming out from Pan African Conferences such as the Algiers Plan of Action and the Johannesburg Commitment.

Working within these initiatives, the West and Central Africa sub-zone immediate focus is to support National

HIGHLIGHTS

- Number of displaced people in Burkina Faso rises to over 90 000.

- Over 50% of the capital, Ouagadougou, including key infrastructures, has suffered damage.

- Waterborne diseases remain a major public health risk in affected countries due to stagnant water, flooded water supplies and disrupted water and sanitation systems.

- WHO working with Ministries of Health to strengthen surveillance, conduct joint assessments, coordinate the health response.

A- Situation in countries

1- Burkina Faso

The United Nations Disaster Assessment

Contexte général

Pandémie A (H1N1): Le nombre des cas confirmés dans notre Région était de 12 216 avec 69 décès au 22 septembre 2009. En Afrique du Sud, l'Institut National pour les Maladies Transmissibles a notifié 11 545 cas confirmés et 59 décès. Les inondations en Afrique de l'Ouest retiennent toujours l'attention de la communauté Humanitaire avec actuellement plus de 635 273 personnes sinistrées et environs 187 morts depuis les trois derniers mois. Les autres préoccupations humanitaires demeurent les épidémies les urgences complexes dans les pays d'Afrique

This report covers the period 01/01/09 to 30/06/09

In brief

Programme purpose: As outlined in the 2009-2010 plan, the West and Central Africa Zone's (WCAZ) immediate focus is to support National Societies in providing assistance to address the needs of vulnerable people. In disaster management WCAZ faces challenges due to new disaster patterns related to climate variability. Risks are growing in large cities because of increasing violence, acute poverty, and urban migration and flooding because of uncontrolled urbanization.