International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women- 25 th November 2024

The international day for the Elimination of Violence against Women aims to raise awareness about the impact of gender-based violence regarding women's physical, mental sexual and reproductive health. The health sector could play an essantial role in reacting and preventing gender-based violence. This implements identification of abuse at an early point, providing care and support for survivors and the referral of women to adequate and specialised services.  Furthermore as intense conflicts worldwide increase the risk of violence for women and girls, prevention and supports for survivors of GBV are crucial in every humaniarian response. Refugee women/girls are a particularly vulnerable group with regard to sexual violence. According to the WHO, every 5th refugee or displaced woman/girl experiences gender-based violence. Trafficking, abduction and practices such as female genital mutiliation and child marriage increase in conflict settings. You can find more information on this topic in our categories on women's health and in our Refugee Toolbox

Mpox Update

Within the last six weeks 3119 new cases of mpox have been confirmed in Africa, including 12 deaths. The most affected countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo with 1647 confirmed mpox cases and 9 deaths, followed by Burundi with 1030 confirmed cases and Uganda with 468 confirmed cases and one death. The number of mpox cases in Africa continues to rise. The first round of mpox vaccination has been concluded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with around 51 500 people being vaccinated so far.

In Uganda 100 new cases have been reported only wihin the last week. Affected in Uganda are specifically adults due to transmission over close intimate contact, including sexual contact and sex work networks.

Besides, a local transmission of clade Ib MPXV has been reported outside of Africa for the first time in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, where all household members had travelled to affected East African countiries with clade Ib and got infected with the virus. Also Zambia and Zimbabwe confirmed first travel-related cases. Since January 2022, 123 countries have confirmed 109 699 mpox cases and 236 deaths in total.

The subcategory Mpox within the RapidResponse Toolbox provides clinical guidelines, information about prevention, control and surveillance of the virus, and material about risk communication and community engagement. 

Caregivers have a major impact on maintaining health services and improving the health status of the population. The daily work in nursing, however, requires good organization, a high sense of responsibility, and continuous education on the latest standards of care. MEDBOX produced a video that is specifically addressed to caregivers. It explains the structure and content of the Caregiver Toolbox, tells stories from caregivers around the world and shows how the online library can simplify their work. Please find the video.