By NNN-KUNA,
Geneva : The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced the return of its international staff to Iraq, lending greater support to respond to humanitarian crises and reform its healthcare system.
Foreign WHO staff based in Iraq were withdrawn after the August 2003 terrorist attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad. But the recent improvement in the country’s security situation plus the UN support for Iraq’s International Compact initiative led WHO to re-establish its permanent international presence.
WHO Country Representative Dr Naeema Al-Gasseer told reporters from Baghdad Thursday that WHO was here to serve Iraq. “Our day-to-day dealings with the government and other health partners will be vastly improved by having a permanent international presence here,” she added.
Since the 2003 withdrawal, Iraqi WHO personnel kept working throughout the country, helping national and local authorities deliver vital public health programmes. These included immunisations, communicable disease monitoring and noncommunicable disease prevention and control.
Key public health institutions have been rehabilitated and thousands of Ministry of Health staff were trained. However, the international teams continued conducting missions in Iraq using the WHO Country Office in neighbouring Jordan as a hub.
These took place in response to public health emergencies such as controlling avian influenza and cholera outbreaks, and advising on technical issues and health system reform.
The WHO headquarters in Geneva and its Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office have been supporting WHO’s Iraq operations.
Basing international WHO experts in Iraq will accelerate health sector reform. “WHO will intensify its recovery and relief assistance to Iraq and help its people obtain the healthcare they deserve,” said Dr Eric Laroche, Assistant Director-General for WHO’s Health Action in Crises Cluster.
“This will be done in close collaboration with the Iraqi public, private and civil society stakeholders.”
Dr Al-Gasser noted that this was like a pendulum. “We are still watching carefully for emergencies and humanitarian assistance, while at the same time focusing on assisting the government in policy development and investing in the recent security improvements,” she added.