Increase in serious ecstasy-related incidents in the Netherlands.

1 Krul J, Sanou B, Swart EL, Girbes AR. Medical care at mass gatherings: emergency medical services at large-scale rave events. Prehosp Disaster Med 2012; 27: 71–75. 2 Krul J, Blankers M, Girbes AR. Substance related health problems during rave parties in the Netherlands (1997-2008). PLoS One 2011; 6: e29620. way of strengthening its image as a reliable international partner and an important step to building its statehood. Over the past years, the PA, with support from WHO and other partners, has made impressive progress towards building core IHR capacities. However, much is still to be accomplished to enable the public health systems of the Occupied Palestinian Territory to detect and contain threats of international concern (fi gure). Several powerful factors hinder the fulfi lment of IHR requirements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The result of the Israeli occupation and the bitter rift between the main Palestinian factions is that the PA is presently able to extend its governance to less than 40% of territory of the West Bank. Most of the border crossings are under the tight control of Israel, and the border between Gaza and Egypt is ridden with hundreds of tunnels that provide an essential lifeline to Gaza, but also serve as a route for virtually uncontrolled traffi c of goods and people. The PA’s economic and fi scal vulnerability is another impediment to IHR implementation. The extreme Increase in serious ecstasy-related incidents in the Netherlands