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WHO Media Advisory: Dr Chan and Etienne visit to Brazil

Directors of PAHO and WHO in Brazil to assess Zika virus response

Washington, D.C., Feb. 22, 2016 (PAHO/WHO)— The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Margaret Chan, and the director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa F. Etienne, are meeting this week with top Brazilian officials, including Minister of Health Marcelo Castro, to assess the Zika virus situation and response.
In their visit to Brazil, Chan and Etienne will meet with President Dilma Rousseff on Tuesday, Feb. 23, at the Presidential Palace.

They are scheduled to visit the National Center for Risk and Disaster Management (Cenad) for discussions with top cabinet members, including the ministers of health, national integration, defense, foreign affairs, social development and fight against hunger alleviation, as well as the secretary of government and the executive secretary of the Ministry of Education.

As part of their assessment of actions taken by Brazil in response to Zika virus infection and its possible consequences, Chan and Etienne will be in Recife, Pernambuco, on Feb. 24 to visit the Institute of Integrative Medicine Professor Fernando Figueira (IMIP), a clinical research center that is the National Referral Center for Mother and Child Care Programs. WHO Executive Director for Outbreaks and Health Emergencies Bruce Aylward will accompany them.

Chan, Etienne and Castro are slated to hold a press conference on Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 17:00h, at PAHO/WHO headquarters in Brasilia.

MEDIA ADVISORY

WHAT: Press Briefing on Brazil’s response to Zika virus infection and its possible consequences

WHO: Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO

Carissa F. Etienne, Director of PAHO

Marcelo Castro, Minister of Health of Brazil

WHEN: Wednesday, February 24, 1700h

WHERE: Office of the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO / WHO)
Northern Embassy Sector, Lot 19, CEP 70800-400, Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil

HOW: In person or live on TV NBR,
Web Radio Health: webradio.saude.gov.br/radio or Twitter/Periscope Ministry of Health @minsaude

Additional links: PAHO Zika: www.paho.org/zikavirus

Media Contacts:

In Brasilia, Brazil:

Luis Felipe Sardenberg, cunhaslui@paho.org , +55 61 3251-9581

In Washington, D.C.:

Media team: mediateam@paho.org , Leticia Linn: linnl@paho.org; +1 202 974 3440

Daniel Epstein: epsteind@paho.org , +1 202 974 3579

Sonia Mey-Schmidt: maysonia@paho.org , + 1 202 974 3036

In Geneva, Switzerland:

Media team: mediainquiries@who.int

Media Contacts:

Donna Eberwine-Villagran, eberwind@paho.org , Tel. +1 202 974 3122, Mobile +1 202 316 5469; Sebastian Oliel, oliels@paho.org

Phone +1 202 974 3459, Mobile 202 316 5679, Department of Communications, PAHO/WHO– www.paho.org

http://www.paho.org

http://www.facebook.com/PAHOWHO http://www.youtube.com/pahopin http://twitter.com/pahowho #ZikaVirus #FightAedes