The first National Stakeholders meeting for the Myanmar component of ECOMORE2 project has been held in Yangon on 03rd August 2018.
This meeting came just after signature by the Myanmar Authorities of the Partnership Agreement which framed the implementation of the study. Therefore this meeting bring together stakeholders involved in this ECOMORE2 component and especially Medical Doctors from the 9 hospitals selected by NHL, have discovered the methodology and the SOPs of the study; see presentation made by Dr Khin Nyein Zan attached.
Leptospirosis is definitely a neglected disease in the region while the extreme weather events are a priori increasingly frequent in Myanmar; yet little is known about their health impacts and little research has been done to examine short-term and deferred health implications. This meeting gave opportunity to NHL to raise awareness of participants and to explain benefits of this study in terms of public health.
Surveillance of Leptospirosis is very challenging because this disease show clinical signs which are similar with dengue, flu and other febrile syndrome. The innovative approach is to assess if dogs can be sentinel for Leptospirosis outbreaks because they are susceptible to drink contaminated water and the disease progresses fast to severe form with typical symptoms. Dr Aung Zaw Moe from the Veterinary Diagnosis Laboratory made and extensive presentation on this study on Leptospirosis in dogs.
Discussion were animated, see video; actually several hospital practitioners doubt that non severe febrile people will consult at Out Patients Department (OPD) in hospitals and so the study should miss many suspected cases and they do not believe that it will be possible to identify 400 positive cases. This issues will be discussed in detail during the 3-day Working Group planned from 28 to 31 August 2018. Dr Yupin Suputtamongkol, from the Faculty of Medicine of Mahidol University, practitioner at Siriraj Hospital in Thailand with recognized clinical expertise in Leptospirosis, Dr Patrice Piola, epidemiologist, Head of the Epi-Unit at Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, designer of the protocol for the Myanmar component and Dr Nguyen Trung Cap, Head of ICU at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi, experienced in management of Leptospirosis will participate in these Working Groups that will bring together MDs, Lab technicians and data managers from NHL and hospitals, involved in the project; the objective is to review the operational procedures and disease management in consideration of organization and constrains at hospital level.
Besides the participation of people from the Department of Medical Services, the National Health Laboratory, the Yangon General Hospital, the New Yangon General Hospital, the East Yangon General Hospital, the West Yangon General Hospital, the Yankin Children Hospital, the North Oakkalarpa Teaching and General Hospital, the Thingangyun Sanpya General Hospital, the Insein General Hospital, the Thanlyin Hospital, the University of Public Health, the Myanmar Veterinary Association (MVA) and the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department (LBVD), the participation of representative of the WHO, IDRC, ADB, JICA and French Embassy was remarked.
Add Comment