A lot has happened this year. While we continued to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, we were hit by disease outbreaks and
humanitarian crises. Yet, despite these challenges, we marched on, resolute in resolving critical health systems issues to increase
access to quality healthcare services. To furth...er our vision and bring concrete actions to reality, under
the leadership of the Government of South Sudan, we developed the Health Sector Strategic Plan to define the strategic
approaches, key interventions, mapping resource needs, and the implementation framework to strengthen the health system
to deliver essential quality health services equitably for 2023 to 2027. For WHO, this Plan will usher in a new reality -- access
to lifesaving or health-promoting interventions is doable and possible, making the health sector fairer, especially for those
unable to pay
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Almost the entire Rwandan population (98.5%) relies on polluting fuels, particularly firewood and charcoal, for cooking. Access to clean energy such as electricity is still limited. In 2022, 70% of the population lived in towns and villages that have electricity – 49% from the national grid and 21...% from off-grid (mainly solar) systems. When access is defined as connection and use of households to electricity, an estimated 47% of households had access in 2020, representing 86% of the urban population but only 38% of the rural population.
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Rev Panam Salud Publica 2023;47:e141. https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2023.141
Conformément aux recommandations de divers comités de l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS), le Bureau régional de l’OMS pour l’Afrique a mis en place trois initiatives phares afin de permettre aux États Membres de la Région africaine de se préparer aux urgences de santé publique, ...de les détecter et d’y riposter. Ces programmes sont le fruit de consultations approfondies avec plus de 30 Ministres africains, ainsi qu’avec des acteurs techniques, des partenaires à travers le continent et des institutions régionales telles que le Centre africain de contrôle et de prévention des maladies (CDC-Afrique), dont les contributions ont façonné les activités prioritaires. Le présent rapport est le quatrième rapport de synthèse trimestriel sur les progrès accomplis dans la mise en œuvre des initiatives phares.
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To enhance health co-benefits across urban policies which tackle air pollution and climate change, WHO, in cooperation with various international, national, and local partners, implemented the Urban Health Initiative (UHI) pilot project in Accra, Ghana. The Initiative prompted the health sector to u...se its influential position to demonstrate to decision-makers and the public the full range of health, environmental and economic benefits that can be achieved from implementing local emission reduction and energy access policies and strategies. Policy tracking, although not always considered, is a fundamental component of this procedure. It assesses the planning, implementation and progress of a policy to refine or adjust policies with the final objective of increasing the likelihood of the policy being successful. This report is an outcome of the last component of the UHI model process, Policy tracking and monitoring outcomes. The report proposes a framework for tracking urban health policies, with a special focus on the impacts of air quality and energy access on human health and well-being in African countries, giving some examples from the pilot project in Accra. The report also provides resources to survey air quality in cities and other tools to assess public health and the environmental impacts of urban policies and monitor or track their effects.
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Le Nigéria a signalé son premier cas de COVID-19 vers fin février 2020. Le pays a ensuite connu quatre vagues de
contaminations avec des pics en juin 2020, janvier 2021, août 2021 et décembre 2021. La pandémie de COVID-19
a eu de graves conséquences sur l’économie du Nigéria et a entra...né une perturbation des services de santé
dans l’ensemble du pays. Pendant la crise, de nombreux Nigérians n’ont pu accéder aux services de santé courants
en raison d’une baisse de revenus et des restrictions liées aux confinements. Les services de santé de la mère
et du nouveau-né, les services de vaccination, de soins aux enfants malades, de planification familiale et de
traitement des maladies non transmissibles ont été les plus perturbés
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High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the most serious risks factors for death from heart diseases and strokes, responsible for 13% of all deaths globally. In South Africa more than 1 in 3 adults live with high blood pressure and it is responsible for 1 in every 2 strokes and 2 in every 5 ...heart attacks. High blood pressure is known as a 'silent killer' because there are rarely any symptoms or visible signs to warn that blood pressure is high. That is why more than 50% of people with high blood pressure are unaware of their condition. In some cases, typically with very high blood pressure, symptoms such as headaches, visual disturbances, nose bleeds, nausea, vomiting, facial flushing and sleepiness may be experienced. Do not wait for symptoms to appear. High blood pressure becomes more likely with older age, but anyone, no matter their age, gender, fitness level or lifestyle can develop high blood pressure. Blood pressure should be measured at least once every year, so don’t delay!
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The introduction of vaccines for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) added another measure to the existing set of
recommended preventive measures (wearing a mask in public, keeping a distance from other people and regular handwashing). The roll-out of the vaccines, however, raised concerns that vac...cination may lead to lower adherence to the existing
preventive measures. The advice from the World Health Organization (WHO) was to continue these public health and
social measures after being vaccinated.1 However, evidence from other epidemics suggests that there is lower adherence to
preventive measures when some level of protection exists (for example, individuals who use human immunodeficiency virus
pre-exposure prophylaxis
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The report provides an epidemiological update on cholera outbreaks in Haiti as of January 17, 2023. Since the first confirmed cases in October 2022, Haiti has reported 24,232 suspected cases, including 1,742 confirmed cases and 483 deaths. The most affected areas are in the Ouest Department, particu...larly Port-au-Prince. Children aged 1 to 4 years are the most affected group. The ongoing humanitarian crisis, security issues, and limited access to healthcare have worsened the outbreak, hindering epidemiological surveillance and case reporting. The PAHO/WHO is working with Haitian authorities to respond to the outbreak and mitigate its spread.
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En initiant ce nouveau rapport du Bureau de l’OMS en Centrafrique, nous voulons remercier le gouvernement et tous les partenaires de l’organisation, car vous avez été nombreux à vous associer à l’OMS pour affronter les problèmes de santé et surtout pour nous encourager à maintenir le ca...p dans un contexte national particulièrement difficile. Par la présente publication, nous voulons partager nos réalisations, les insuffisances et les défis du secteur de la santé.
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Background
Asthma remains highly prevalent, with more severe symptoms in low-income to middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with high-income countries. Identifying risk factors for severe asthma symptoms can assist with improving outcomes. We aimed to determine the prevalence, severity and ris...k factors for asthma in adolescents in an LMIC.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey using the Global Asthma Network written and video questionnaires was conducted in adolescents aged 13 and 14 from randomly selected schools in Durban, South Africa, between May 2019 and June 2021.
Results
A total of 3957 adolescents (51.9% female) were included. The prevalence of lifetime, current and severe asthma was 24.6%, 13.7% and 9.1%, respectively. Of those with current and severe asthma symptoms; 38.9% (n=211/543) and 40.7% (n=147/361) had doctor-diagnosed asthma; of these, 72.0% (n=152/211) and 70.7% (n=104/147), respectively, reported using inhaled medication in the last 12 months. Short-acting beta agonists (80.4%) were more commonly used than inhaled corticosteroids (13.7%). Severe asthma was associated with: fee-paying school quintile (adjusted OR (CI)): 1.78 (1.27 to 2.48), overweight (1.60 (1.15 to 2.22)), exposure to traffic pollution (1.42 (1.11 to 1.82)), tobacco smoking (2.06 (1.15 to 3.68)), rhinoconjunctivitis (3.62 (2.80 to 4.67)) and eczema (2.24 (1.59 to 3.14)), all p<0.01.
Conclusion
Asthma prevalence in this population (13.7%) is higher than the global average (10.4%). Although common, severe asthma symptoms are underdiagnosed and associated with atopy, environmental and lifestyle factors. Equitable access to affordable essential controller inhaled medicines addressing the disproportionate burden of asthma is needed in this setting.
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Infection prevention and control (IPC) in a CTC/ CTU IPC are all practical measures taken in the healthcare facility to prevent harm caused by infections to patients, health workers and communities.
The main goal of IPC in the cholera response is to
• To reduce transmission of health care-as...sociated infections of cholera and any other infectious disease
• To enhance the safety of staff, patients and visitors
• To enhance the ability of the organization/health care facility to respond to an outbreak
• To reduce the risk of the hospital (health care facility) itself amplifying the outbreak
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
WASH are all measures taken to guarantee environmental hygiene, safe water of all used within the health facility. It encompasses water, sanitation, waste management, cleaning within the health facility which in this case is CTU/C. A complete WASH package in the CTU/CTC reduces the risk of spread of Vibrio cholerae inside and outside the CTC/CTU.
The probability of spreading or acquiring cholera through a CTC/CTU can be highly reduced when proper IPC and WASH measures are respected, followed and monitored. These measures are, in principle, valid in CTC/CTUs and ORPs, although they need to be adapted to the specific characteristics of the facility concerned.
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The Country Cooperation Strategy is the World Health Organization’s corporate framework developed in response to a country’s needs and priorities. The 2022–2025 CCS is the fourth for WHO in Sierra Leone. It is a medium-term strategic document that defines a broad framework for WHO’s work, at... all levels, with the Government of Sierra Leone and all health partners for the next four years. This document is guided by the country’s major policy and strategy documents including the 2020 National Health and Sanitation Policy (NHSP); the 2021–2025 National Health Sector Strategic Plan (NHSSP); and the 2019–2023 National Medium-term Development Plan (NMTDP). The current CCS also reflects the broad priorities of WHO as outlined in its Thirteenth General Programme of Work (2019–2023, extended to 2025) with a focus on improving access to universal health coverage, protecting people from health emergencies, and improving people’s health and well-being. The CCS priorities are also in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) in Sierra Leone and will contribute to attaining the country's SDG targets
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The Mapping Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Use Partnership (MAAP) project has conducted a multi-year, multi-country study that provides stark insights on the under-reported depth of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis across Africa and lays out urgent policy recommendations to addr...ess the emergency.
MAAP reviewed 819,584 AMR records from 2016-2019, from 205 laboratories across Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Eswatini, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. MAAP also reviewed data from 327 hospital and community pharmacies and 16 national-level AMC datasets.
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ي الغرض من إطار عمل إجراءات المراقبة القائمة عىل األحداث هو أن به
ن
تستعي السلطات والوكاالت المسؤولة عن المراقبة
ُ واالستجابة. كما
تيب إرشال تعىل سبيل المثال؛ هذ...ه الوثيقة ألصحاب المصلحة
ي
ُ
ُعد بمثابة ك
ا عاما ي
إطار استخدام
ي
الذين يرغبون ف ن
نهج "صحة واحدة" متعدد القطاعات لتنفيذ المراقبة القائمة عىل األحداث . و للقيام بذلك، تشتمل الوثيقة عىل فصول وملحق
ن مرتبطة ويمكن
للمستخدمي تغييها وتحديثها
بناء عىل احتياجاتهم الخاصة.
ُعد هذه
الت ي وت نسخة منقحة من النسخة األصلية "إطار عمل المراقبة القائمة عىل األحداث"
عام
ي
ن صدرت
ف 2018 .و ال ينسخ إطار
العمل هذا أو يحل محل أي مواد أخرى متاحة حاليا في ما يتعلق بمج ال المراقبة القائمة عىل األحداث أن
ن ؛ وبدال من ذلك، ينبعي
يستند إطار العمل إل الوثائق الموجودة سابقا ذات الصلة أو مرتبطة وأن يكون تيب
ُ
ك ا إرشاديا عملي ا لتنفيذ المراقبة القائمة عىل
األحداث أفريقيا.
ي
ن
ف ويتوافق إطار العمل ك لمنظمة الصحة العالمية
المشي
ي
هذا مع الطبعة الثالثة من التقييم الخارج فيما يتعلق
ر بالمؤشات التالية: تعزيز
ي عىل كشف األحداث ذات األهمية للصحة العامة واألمن الصح أنظمة المراقبة و اإلنذار المبكر القادر ة
ر المؤش )
حسنة والتعاون عي القطاعات وبين 1.D2)؛ مستويات استجابة الصحة العمومية الوطنية والمتوسطة
ُ
وقنوات االتصال الم
العامة واألمن الصح والمحلية فيما يتعلق بمراقبة األحداث ذات األهمية للصحة
ي
ر )المؤش
ن 2.D2)؛ القدرة عىل
وتحسي تحليل
ن البيانات عىل المستوى المتوسط والوطت ي
ر )المؤش
رش 3.D2 .)باإلضافة إل وع
الدول تنفيذ و
ي
ن
ف عرض مهام ووظائف المراقبة
القائمة عىل األحداث إذ ، اللوائح الصحية
ي
درجات التقييم المشي ك وإحراز تقدم نحو تلبية المتطلبات المبينة ف ن
ي
ستضمن زيادة ف ن
الدولية
.
تحسين أيضا، تنفيذ المراقبة المتكاملة لألمراض واالستجابة لها، وذلك بالنسبة
ي
ن
تعد هذه الوثيقة مكملة ويمكن أن تساعد ف ل لدول
ا
ي
االتحاد األفريق
ي
ن
اعتمدت االسي األعضاء ف اتيجية المتكاملة لمراقبة األمراض واالستجابة لها،
لت عىل وجه الخصوص ي
بالنسبة
للطبعة الثالثة ) 2019 تتضمن أجزاء حول
( الت المراقبة القائمة عىل األحداث ي
.
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For the past years, Haiti has been engulfed in a socioeconomic, political, and humanitarian crisis that has reached critical levels since mid-September 2022 with the intensification of gang violence and social unrest. The widespread insecurity and
political instability have drastically affected the... country’s access to essential goods and services, including food, water, and health. The current fuel supply crisis has affected the water and electricity supply to the population, health centers, and hospitals. Due to problems of insecurity and violence, patients and health personnel have difficulty accessing hospitals and health services.
In parallel, the public health system and international partners face limited response capacity due to reduced international personnel in Haiti, logistics issues, and difficulties in importing supplies. Indeed insecurity, roadblocks, and lockdowns are affecting the importation of internationally procured goods, which may slow the arrival of essential lifesaving supplies to support cholera response efforts. This scenario is particularly problematic, as cholera recently resurfaced in early October.
Armed gangs now control over 60% of the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, affecting at least 1.5 million people, and have expanded their influence outside of the capital city, interrupting vital humanitarian programs in most of the national territory,
including COVID-19 vaccination campaigns.
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On 6 February at 4:17 am, a 7.8 degrees magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey near Syria’s
northern border. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was centered about 33 km (20 miles)
from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital. Tremors were felt as far away as Lebanon, Greece...,
Palestine, and the island of Cyprus. Another big earthquake was felt on the same day at around 1:24
pm local time, largely in the same affected areas. Aftershocks will continue to shake the area as fault
lines adjust to such a huge initial tremor. There’s even a risk—albeit a small one—of an aftershock
bigger than the original quake.
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“2022 was an eventful year for the WHO Country Office in Ghana,” says Dr Francis Kasolo, WHO Representative to Ghana.
In 2022, WHO Ghana collaborated with partners to deliver interventions in support of the Government of Ghana's health sector agenda to ensure healthy lives for all towards ach...ieving Universal Health Coverage. This 2022 annual report highlights some of the achievements that were chalked in our efforts to help promote the health and wellbeing of Ghanaians
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Malawi Coronavirus(COVID-19) statistics. Total and daily confirmed cases and deaths.
The following technical report outlines the rationale, process and results of a joint research study, coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), co-chaired by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Ministry of Environment and Sus...tainable Development in collaboration with the Climate and Climate Air Coalition, the Stockholm Environment Institute, the Clean Air Institute and leading international and national experts. A rationale section describes the links between greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, short-lived climate pollutants, air pollution and adverse health outcomes. A summary of the research study describes how scenarios were modelled to examine the health and economic implications of raising ambition in Colombia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
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