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Coronavirus in Sub-Saharan Africa - How africans in 12 nations are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak

GeoPoll (2020) C2

The spread of COVID-19 poses a challenge for emerging markets such as those in Africa and Latin America. While governments around the world are suffering from a shortage of ventilators, hospital beds, and personal protective equipment, availability of these items is already extremely limited in some... more

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Beyond the Rhetoric: Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival in Nepal

Sharma, G. & Pandey, S.R. Nepal Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (NJOG) (2015) CC

Nepal has performed exceptionally in improving reproductive, maternal and child health outcomes over the past two decades. In this article, we discuss these achievements and outline a vision for the future of maternal, newborn and child survival in Nepal after the era of the Millennium Development G... more

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Africa’s Health Financing in a New Era

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) (2025) CC

Africa’s health sector is facing an unprecedented financing crisis, driven by a sharp decline of 70% in Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 2021 to 2025 and deep-rooted structural vulnerabilities. This collapse is placing immense pressure on Africa’s already fragile health systems as ODA ...is seen as the backbone of critical health programs: pandemic preparedness, maternal and child health services, disease control programs are all at risk, threatening Sustainable Development Goal 3 and Universal Health Coverage. Compounding this is Africa’s spiraling debt, with countries expected to service USD 81 billion by 2025—surpassing anticipated external financing inflows—further eroding fiscal space for health investments. Level of domestic resources is low. TThe Abuja Declaration of 2001, a pivotal commitment made by African Union (AU) member states, aimed to reverse this trend by pledging to allocate at least 15% of national budgets to the health sector. However, more than two decades later, only three countries—Rwanda, Botswana, and Cabo Verde—have consistently met or exceeded this target (WHO, 2023). In contrast, over 30 AU member states remain well below the 10% benchmark, with some allocating as little as 5–7% of their national budgets to health. In addition, only 16 (29%) of African countries currently have updated versions of National Health Development Plan (NHDP) supported by a National Health Financing Plan (NHFP). These two documents play a critical role in driving internal resource mobilisation. At the same time, public health emergencies are surging, rising 41%—from 152 in 2022 to 213 in 2024—exposing severe under-resourcing of health infrastructure and workforce. Recurring outbreaks (Mpox, Ebola, cholera, measles, Marburg…) alongside effects of climate change and humanitarian crises in Eastern DRC, the Sahel, and Sudan, are overwhelming systems stretched by chronic underfunding. The situation is worsened by Africa’s heavy dependency with over 90% of vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics being externally sourced—leaving countries vulnerable to global supply chain shocks. Health worker shortages persist, with only 2.3 professionals per 1,000 people (below the WHO’s recommended 4.45), and fewer than 30% of systems are digitized, undermining disease surveillance and early warning. Without decisive action, Africa CDC projects the continent could reverse two decades of health progress, face 2 to 4 million additional preventable deaths annually, and a heightened risk of a pandemic emerging from within. Furthermore, 39 million more Africans could be pushed into poverty by 2030 due to intertwined health and economic shocks. This is not just a sectoral crisis—it is an existential threat to Africa’s political, social, and economic resilience, and global stability. In response, African leaders, under Africa CDC’s stewardship, are advancing a comprehensive three-pillar strategy centered on domestic resource mobilization, innovative financing, and blended finance. more

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The nature and contribution of innovative health financing mechanisms in the World Health Organization African region: A scoping review

Nabyonga-Orem J., Christmals C.D., Addai K.F. et al. Journal of Global Health (2023) CC

Achieving financial risk protection for the whole population requires significant financing for health. Health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are plagued with persistent underfunding, and recent reductions in official development assistance have been registered. To create fiscal ... more

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Capacitating People with Disabilities

Kasino, R. (2022) CC2

On 31 May 2022, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Namibia – Angola Office handed over equipment to the Namibian Federation of the Visually Impaired (NFVI), at their head office in Windhoek. The main objective of this handover is to support the federation with equipment including a Perkins Braille... more

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Health Namibia Budget Brief

UNICEF (2022) C_UNICEF

Strengthening health financing to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage. Total Government Health Expenditure exceeds the commitment by African Union member states to commit at least 15% of their budgets to the health sector. With a sector allocation of 16.6% of total budget in 2022/... more

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Palliative Care Core Curriculum

African Palliative Care Association APCA (2012) C2

To contribute to the availability of basic knowledge and skills for the provision of palliative care in the African region, the African Palliative Care Association (APCA) has developed a competencybased core curriculum framework for use in introductory training on palliative care. The curriculum ... more

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Guidelines for Use of the APCA African Palliative Outcome Scale

African Palliative Care Association APCA (2011) C2

The Guidelines for the Use of the APCA African Palliative Outcome Scale (POS) has been developed by the APCA, in collaboration with stakeholders, to help appropriately trained health practitioners and researchers across the region to utilise the APCA African POS in their work place (Powell et... more

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High-Performance Health Financing for Universal Health Coverage

The World Bank The World Bank (2019) CC

The majority of developing countries will fail to achieve their targets for Universal Health Coverage (UHC)1 and the health- and poverty-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) unless they take urgent steps to strengthen their health financing. Just over a decade out from the SDG deadline of 20... more

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how to use your pump correctly - Outcome of illustrated information leaflet on correct usage of asthma - metered dose inhaler

Wrench, W.; van Dyk, L.; Sirinivas, S.; Dowse, R. (2019) CC2

Research globally has shown that metered dose inhaler (MDI) technique is poor, with patient education and regular demonstration critical in maintaining correct use of inhalers. Patient information containing pictorial aids improves understanding of medicine usage; however, manufacturer leaflets i... more

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Tracking Universal Health Coverage in the WHO African Region, 2022

World Health Organization WHO, Regional Office of Africa (2022) C_WHO

n 2015, Member States of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its accompanying Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the third goal of the agenda focusing on health – good health and well-being. This has the attainment of universal health coverage (UHC) a... more

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Preparedness for the deliberate use of biological agents A rational approach to the unthinkable

World Health Organization (2002) C_WHO

For biological agents, the publication covers 11 bacteria, fungi and viruses listed by states parties to the Biological Weapons Convention in declarations of past offensive research and development programmes, or considered of special concern for possible use in terrorism. All of these agents c... more

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Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey 2015-16: Key Indicators Report

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Ministry of Health and Sports (2016) C1

The primary objective of the 2015-16 MDHS project is to provide up-to-date estimates of basic demographic and health indicators. Specifically, the MDHS collected information on fertility levels, marriage, fertility preferences, awareness and use of family planning methods, breastfeeding practices, n... more

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2010 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey: Key Findings

National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda and ICF International. (2012) C2

This report summarizes the findings of the 2010 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS). The 2010 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) was designed to provide data for monitoring the population and health situation in Rwanda. The 2010 RDHS is the fifth Demographic and Health Survey to be ... more

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Securing the future from drug-resistant infections

Interagency Coordination Group on Antimicrobial Resistance IAGG World Health Organisation WHO (2019) C_WHO

Antimicrobial resistance is a global crisis that threatens a century of progress in health and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. There is no time to wait. Unless the world acts urgently, antimicrobial resistance will have disastrous impact within a generation.

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Covid-19 RCCE Strategies for Cross-Border Movement in Eastern and Southern Africa

Social Science in Humanitarian Action (2020) CC

Key Considerations This brief focuses on cross-border movement in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) and its implications for development of risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) strategies aimed at preventing transmission of COVID-19 in the ESA region. Given the extensive risk of cross... more

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Disability in Humanitarian Context: A Case Study from Iraq

Handicap International (2018) CC

This brief presents and addresses some of the challenges that prevent internally displaced persons with disabilities and other vulnerable population groups (elderly, injured persons, pregnant women, etc.) in camp settings from accessing humanitarian services in Iraq and impede on the development of ... more

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Mentally Challenged Children in Africa: Victims of Sexual Abuse

Jabulani G. Kheswa Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy (2014) CC

Vol 5 No 27 | ISSN 2039-2117 (online) | ISSN 2039-9340 (print) | The rate of sexual victimization of mentally retarded children is alarming and it goes unnoticed because the perpetrators could be parents, step- parents, relatives, well-respected individuals by family members, neighbours and educator... more

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Legal capacity and the right to decide: WHO QualityRights core training: mental health and social services: course guide

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2022) C_WHO

Ensuring mental health and well-being has become a worldwide imperative and an important target of the Sustainable Development Goals. But in all countries around the world, our response has been woefully insufficient, and we have made little progress to advance mental health as a fundamental huma... more