March 2004

Agenda:

1. Review of the minutes of the previous meeting;

2. Agencies' update;

3. AOB.

Participants:

Minutes of March Meeting:  Anne Marie to send her comments to Sarita and then the minutes to be circulated to the participants.

Update by the agencies:

2.1. IFRC:

·         Training on aseptic and rational drug use for nurses completed.

·         A 2 day training on water born diseases and bednets conducted in Pyongsong for  26 counties trianers.

·         Dr. Rubin Mararyan joined as Acting Health Coordinator from 9th March 2004.

·         Supplementary kits  for country hospitals arrived in Nampo and will be distributed next week.

·         Institution moniroting ongoing.

2.2. WFP:

·         Negotation ongoing with the government and UNICEF to conduct nutrition survey in  October 2004.

·          Cereals pipelines is secured, however there is the shortags of oil , which will affect the total intake level of befeniceiries.

·         Production of blended food so far not affected by the shortages of cereals and other food items.

2.3 ADRA:

·         Adequate funds received for the first phase and activities will be initiated in three counties in South Hamgyong province. Focus will be on upgrading the surgical facilities of three county hospitals and distribution of WHO Country Hospital Kits as well as installation of the equipment. On the delivery of essential  medicines, nutrition and water and sanitation related activities ADRA will coordinate with UNICEF.

·         ADRA is in the process of undertaking a feasibility study on spirulina as a micronutrient supplement. If feasible, this pilot project will be undertaken in baby home in Sariwon.

·         Proposal submitted to the German Foreign Ministry for a project on blended food to 10 county hospitlas as an additional supplemnt to the food provided by WFP.  A number of sanitation items for these hospitlas are also included in the proposal.

2.4 WHO: Dr. Jyoti Reddy, Medical Office, joined the WHO office in March 2004.

a.  Blood transfusion: Majority of the blood donors in DPRK observed to be femalels and criteria to be a donor were not fully followded.  Majority of blood donors were less than 50kg body weight. WHO suggested to encourage more participation of male blood donors, and advised the MOPH to adapt the internationally accepted criteria for a blood donor. The crietira are: i) BMI of a doner should not be less than 18.5Kgs/m²; and  ii) HB level of a donor should not be less than 12 g/dl.

b. IMCI:  The training of trainers and the basic training of health workers on IMCI in two provincial hospitals planned for August. A consultat is expected to conduct the proposed training. The adapted version of training modules already translated into Korean language. The  translation of ”IMCI chart”  in Korean language is expected to be completed for the proposed training.

c. Field visit: Jyoti visited the cental hospital in Sinuju and also visited Ri clinics. In Ri clinics, she observed the lack of basic equipment, medicine and charts and records, however the antenetal service was carried out. During pregnancy, antenetal visits on pregnant women were conducted, but the records on key information, such as blood pressure, fetal heart beat, body weight (weight gain during pregnancy) and HB level of pregnant women were missing. The health facilties have recieved about 50% of total requirement of the basic medicine, they requested sophisticated medicine.

2.5 UNFPA:

·         Training at ri level clinics planned for May.

·         Medical kits for Ri clinics expected to arrive in April/May.

·         Maternal health monthly meeting scheduled for next Monday, 29 March.

(Note: further comments by UNFPA on the above mentioned points will be shared in the next meeting)

2.6 UNICEF:

Health:

·         DIAKONIE will send raw materials for Amoxicillin, Sulfamethoxazole. Trimethoprim, Mebendazole and Lupolin. The shipment is expected to arrive by May/June.

·         Between January to March, 750,000 sachets of ORS produced.

·         For March, delivery of 1,557 Ri and 59 Hospita kits to Ryanggang, Kangwon, North Hamgyong , South Hamgyong started. Distributionlist for April alrady issued. The list inclues 700 Ri clinic/Hopsitals kits and 58 Provincial/County hospitlas kits to Pyongyag, Nampo and Kaesong cities and South Hwanghae province.

·         Iodized oil capsules distributed to Jaggang province for all pregnant women. Plan to distribute to Ryanggang and to some selected counties in North Hamgyang  in April/ May.

·         Second IMCI working group meeting held on 18 March at Pyongyang University Paediatric hospital. The meeting attended by 11 members of the IMCI group, WHO and UNICEF. Next meeting will held on 20 May. In the next meeting two pilot counties for IMCI will be finalized and printing of the translated documents for the IMCI training will be porcessed.

Nutrition:

·         A two day training on Growth Monitoring and Early Childhood Development conducted to the provincial tainers. A total of 15 traineers from different provinces attended the training. The new growth card was introduced in the training. The training was well received by the trainees. This is the first training session in which an ECD component was integrated. As well, the need to monitor the development milestones along with growth of a child was introducted.

·         A two day orientation on Early Childhood Development to the senior staff of the Ministry of Public Health is schaduled for next week.

·         The first Child Health Day (CHD) for 2004 schaduled for 20 May. The draft filed visit plan on the CHD shared with the partner agencies, and requisted to confim their participation by next week.

·         Strategy to reduce maternal and child undernutrition, a document prepared by the UNICEF Office East & Pacific Regional Office, shared in the meeting.

2.7.   ORCHA

·         Brendan shared the format of the mid-term review of the CAP 2004. The deadline to provide the sectoral inputs to ORCHA is 20 April.

AOB:

In the next meeting, Yvonne Forsen agreed to present a technical session in the next meeting.

☺☺☺☺