Thanks to those who were able to join us for the November week's Journal Club meeting, with a special thanks to Schola for her wonderful presentation of the IPC work in Goroka.  If anyone else would like to present some of their IPC challenges next year, please do let me know, as we would love to hear from you and would be happy to help in preparing a presentation.  We would also love to see any IPC photos that you would like to post on the WhatsApp chat too.

Just a bit of current epidemiology for the Western Pacific Region to let you know what to watch out for in your health services:

• WHO Western Pacific Region Respiratory Viruses Surveillance Bulletin - This WHO website gives an update on the respiratory viruses,  influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV, circulating in the region. 
• Currently there has been an unseasonal increase in the cases of influenza in many countries, which is due to a variant of the Influenza A virus H3N2 called subclade K (ICDRAP Update - Experts face upcoming season with uncertainty).  So, watch out for people with influenza-like symptoms coming into your health services and the way this virus can pass from patient to patient/staff.  
• Relief Web.int - Pacific Syndromic Surveillance System Weekly Bulletin - these regular reports monitor key symptoms in patients presenting at health services by country, as these can be a helpful early indicator of increases in respiratory or gastro-related infections.  On this Reports page on the Relief Web site (https://reliefweb.int/updates?view=reports) you can search for your country to find the reports related to your region.
• WHO Surveillance Bulletins and Newsletters - this site give surveillance report for polio, measles, influenza and other conditions.