This report presents a series of health intervention activities in the humanitarian assistance in Northern Iraq implemented during the Iraq war between March and May 2003 by Peace Winds Japan, with the fund from Japan Platform. Preparedness before the war included organization of mobile clinic teams, stocking of medical supplies and coordination between local health authorities and aid agencies. The initial rapid assessment effectively identified needs of massive number of displaced people with considerable health problems and those of disrupted local health service system. Maximum twelve mobile clinics covered a variety of sites in four areas in Northern Iraq including Kurdistan area and Mosul. Disease patterns in these areas are similar, showing acute respiratory infections are the most common. Neither large outbreak nor high incident severe malnutrition did occur though diarrhea was prevalent in some unsanitary areas. Disruption of local health service system prevented patients with chronic diseases and severe diseases such as cancer, and vulnerable groups such as disabled persons from receiving continuous or timely care and treatment. Co-ordination was successful in demarcation of NGO's activities and information sharing along with joint assessment.
Equitable and quality health care is a challenge of the future reconstruction phase.

Objective  Preterm birth is the major cause for neonatal deaths in low and middle income countries. The aim of this report is to evaluate the proportions of deaths of moderate to late preterm infants born at 32 to 36 weeks of gestations as well as the neonates with low birth weights weighing from 1500g to 2499g among the total neonatal deaths and analyze their causes of deaths in Lempira province, the Republic of Honduras. Study design  A secondary analysis based on the data sets from the regional office of Ministry of Health.Methods  We obtained data sets on infant mortality from January 2015 to June 2017 compiled by a regional office of Ministry of Health in Lempira province. We then calculated proportions of each cause of death in the groups of newborn infants stratified by gestational weeks and birth weights.Results  During the study period, a total of 253 neonatal deaths were recorded, comprising 66.9% of the total infant deaths (n=378). The number of the newborn infants who died during early neonatal period was 201 (79.4%). The number of preterm newborn infants who died during neonatal period was 146 (57.7%) and 70 (27.6%) were born at moderate to late preterm periods. 103 (40.7%) were born with their birth-weights below 2500g, and the number of those weighing from 1500g to 2499g were 61 (24.1%). The leading cause of deaths of moderate to late preterm infants was hyaline membrane disease (n=25/48: 52.1%), as was the case with low birth weight infants weighing from 1500g to 2499g. Conclusion  It was shown that approximately one fourths of neonatal deaths occurred in moderate to late preterm infants in Lempira province during the study period. Approximately half of these preterm infants died of hyaline membrane disease, who could have been saved with simple and low-cost equipment such as bubble continuous positive airway pressure.