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Malaria control and preventive activities in the countries of the World Health Organization Region for Europe (WHO/EUR) were strengthened within the framework of the Regional Roll Back Malaria strategy adopted by the member-states at the beginning of the 2000s. A political document "From control to malaria elimination" known as the "Tashkent Declaration" was unanimously endorsed by the member-states of the WHO/EUR with malaria problems in 2005. Since then, considerable progress has been achieved in the countries of the region, signified by the dramatic reduction of malaria incidence in conjunction with the prevention of re-establishment of infection on the territories where malaria was eliminated earlier. Several countries of the region had been certified by the WHO as free of local malaria transmission as a result of the activities of their National Malaria Elimination Programme, Armenia being one of the first in 2011. One of the main lessons learnt during the implementation of the activities by the National Malaria Elimination Programme in Armenia was that the development of an operational plan for malaria elimination required a comprehensive national effort. Full support, both political and financial, from the highest levels of government to smooth coordination between different government ministries, such as Agriculture, Defense, Finance, Health and Policy and Planning and others, was a prerequisite for operational success. The role and place of various partners in the achievement of malaria elimination in the country is discussed in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mountainous and sub-mountainous zones of the Republic of Armenia farmers mainly grow beans, chickpeas, and peas. In addition there are very small crop areas (mainly homestead lands) of faba bean, soybean, mung bean, and grass pea. The village population does not know much about the cultivation of these plants. The data show that in 2007-2009 the specific weight of legume in overall cropland was approximately 94%, and about the 96% of the gross harvest. Local production needs appropriate marketing strategy. The research of local market showed that more attention should be paid to the consumption of goods produced by the farmer households, as well as to offer them to various consumer groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Since the 90s’ E.multilocularis infection in foxes is rising and central-eastern European countries had seen first Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) human cases. AE is considered to be a very rare disease in Europe with average incidences of 0.03-0.20/100,000 inhabitants/year. Because of a suitable orography, this study aims to confirm whether there are human AE cases in Armenia, identify areas at risk, and also estimate AE annual incidence. Methods: Retrospective AE case finding was carried out at main 6 multiprofile medical centers equipped with the most innovative diagnostic means. The medical records of all patients with liver surgery admitted between January 2008 and June 2020 were reviewed. A specific form was developed in EpiInfo v. 7.2. Annual national incidence was estimated using population denominators provided by the National Institute of Statistics (the population of Armenia is estimated at 2 963 243 people). Results: From September 2019 until June 2020, overall 11 AE cases have been identified. All patients were diagnosed at advanced stages, with subsequent poor prognosis and costly treatment. Confirmation was based on tissue biopsy results. Age ranged from 19-59 years with a median of 39yrs. E. multilocularis was detected in rural communities, mostly in the Gegharkunik region (6 cases, 55%). Annual average incidence of AE was 0.033 varying between 0.032 in 2008 and 0.1 in 2017. For comparison with Armenia, an annual incidence in France was 0.026/100,000 in 2008 (the population of France is estimated at 65 273 511 people). Conclusions: All cases were not notified by the surveillance system and the real prevalence of AE in the country is unknown. This young age could indicate widespread of infection in animals. Therefore, the burden of AE disease is difficult to estimate. The surveillance system in Armenia can be improved by the development of national guidelines for the prospective registry, AE awareness campaigns. Key messages: First-time identification of human AE in Armenia calls for implementation of surveillance with a case definition and registry of all cases. AE is an emerging, and so far silent threat in Armenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the substantial global impact of influenza, there are limited economic data to guide influenza vaccination programs investments in middle-income countries. We measured the costs of influenza and the costs of an influenza vaccination program in Armenia, using a societal perspective. During December 2022 through March 2023, retrospective cost data were collected from case-patients and healthcare providers through structured questionnaires at 15 healthcare facilities selected through stratified sampling. Medical costs included medications, laboratory costs, laboratory and diagnostic tests, and routine health care service costs and direct and indirect societal costs were included. Vaccination program costs from the 2021–2022 influenza season were identified using accounting records and categorized as: planning, distribution, training, social mobilization and outreach, supervision and monitoring, procurement, and national- and facility-level administration and storage. The mean costs per episode for SARI and ILI case-patients were $US 823.6 and $US 616.57, respectively. Healthcare service costs were the largest direct expenses for ILI and SARI case-patients. Total costs of the 2021–2022 influenza vaccination program to the government were $US 4,353,738, with the largest costs associated with national- and facility-level administration and storage (30% and 65% respectively). The total cost per dose administered was $US 25.61 ($US 7.73 per dose for procurement and $US 17.88 for the marginal administration cost per dose). These data on the costs of seasonal influenza prevention programs and the societal costs of influenza illness in Armenia may inform national vaccine policy decisions in Armenia and may be useful for other middle-income countries. Influenza vaccines, like other vaccine programs, are recognized as substantially contributing to the reduction disease burden and associated mortality and further driving economic growth. However, a formal cost-effectiveness analysis should be performed once burden of disease data are available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]