Toddler dies of H1N1 in Gaza, raising toll to 13
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=248208
20/12/2009
Gaza – Ma’an – A three-year-old died of H1N1 flu in the Gaza Strip, bringing the death toll attributed to the virus to 13, the Health Ministry there said on Sunday.
Gaza Health Ministry official Hassan Khalaf also said that a total of 185 people have been diagnosed with the disease so far.
Eight people are receiving treatment for H1N1 in Ash-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, he said, adding that most people who died of the disease also suffered from other chronic illnesses.
H1N1 was first diagnosed in Gaza two weeks ago. An Israeli-Egyptian blockade has severely limited travel into and out of the territory over the past two and a half years, which may have delayed the virus’ arrival.
The blockade has taken a toll on the Strip’s medical infrastructure, however, hindering efforts to combat the disease.
One H1N1 flu death case reported in Sudan
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/20/content_12674465.htm
2009-12-20
One H1N1 flu death case was reported in the capital of Sudan, Khartoum-based Akhir Lahza newspaper said on Sunday.
Sources told the Arabic-language newspaper that there were another three H1N1 flu cases in quarantine centers, two in Khartoum hospitals and the other at an hospital in Omdurman.
The Sudanese Media Center (SMC) reported at its website that the Sudanese federal Ministry of Health had requested the WHO to provide it with its share of swine flu vaccines so that the ministry could implement its new strategy to combat the disease.
The director of the Epidemiology Directorate at the ministry, Babikir al-Magboul, told the SMC that the vaccine was requested to be used according to specific strategy at a recommendation by the WHO.
“The WHO recommended immunization of the health cadres and other categories exposed to danger of the diseases including children aged less than one year, pregnant women and elderly people besides persons suffering from chronic diseases such as heart, chest, kidney and liver diseases”
As for safety of the vaccine, al-Magboul affirmed to the SMC that the WHO authenticated safety of the vaccine and that the organization is known for its keenness on safety of the nationals of its member states.
He further noted that the manufacturers of the vaccine were subject to international monitoring by the WHO to verify quality of their products.