Migration Health Division Information Sheet Series
Migration Health Assistance for Crisis-Affected Populations
HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria, Cholera, Re/Emerging Diseases and Mobility
Benin’s National Malaria Strategy calls for eliminating
malaria as a public health threat by 2030. ARM3 was
developed to measurably and significantly speed up
progress toward that goal.
To improve survival and quality of life among the 2.5 million children living with HIV, a comprehensive package of prevention, care and treatment is required. This package should include management of infections such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria and ear infections, as well as common opportunisti...c infections and HIV-related co-morbidities. WHO is developing a series of guidelines on each of these conditions, following the GRADE approach. The document on the management of pneumonia and diarrhoea in HIV-infected infants and children is the first of this series. The recommendations are similar to those for non infected children, but they cover specific aspects related to HIV infection.
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The emergence of multifrug-resistant malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) has been identified as an emergency issue that may have catastrophic consequences on the future of malaria elimination in the GMS as well as globally. In recognition of the need for a cohesive regional response,... GMS countries have committed to a shared goal of eliminating malaria from the GMS by 2030 working within the framework of the Strategy for Malaria Elimination in the Greater Mekong Subregion 2015-2030. Population mobility has been identified as a key concern in the context of multidrug-resistant malaria; and in a region of highly porous borders where the majority of intra-Mekong migration occurs through informal channels, addressing the health needs of migrant populations has never been more critical.
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L’ampleur de la résistance aux insecticides chez les vecteurs du paludisme met en péril l’efficacité des programmes de lutte anti-vectorielle. Si cette résistance n’est pas atténuée, le taux de morbidité palustre va s’accroître, entraînant une hausse significative des coûts liés ... la prévention de la maladie. Ce nouveau cadre est un guide pour l’élaboration d’un plan national de suivi et de gestion de la résistance aux insecticides chez les vecteurs du paludisme, lequel doit considéré comme partie intégrante du plan stratégique national de lutte contre le paludisme.
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The overall goal of the programme, to reduce the malaria morbidity and mortality by 75% (using 2012 as baseline) by the year 2020, continued to be pursued in 2014. The following areas were identified as some of the priorities for the year: Malaria Case Management under which we have Malaria in Pregn...ancy (MIP), Home Based Care and Diagnostics.
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The main objective of the malaria prevention and control programme in Somalia is to prevent mortality and reduce morbidity due to malaria. The groups most vulnerable to the disease, children aged under 5 years and pregnant women, are especially targeted. Effective case management - early diagnosis a...nd treatment - is a critical component of malaria prevention and control. To achieve the main objective of reducing malaria morbidity and prevention of malaria mortality, the availability of safe, effective, affordable and accessible anti-malarial drugs is a prerequisite.
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The ongoing Ebola epidemic in parts of West Africa largely overwhelmed health-care systems in 2014, making adequate care for malaria impossible and threatening the gains in malaria control achieved over the past decade. The study suggests that untreated malaria cases as a result of reduced health-ca...re capacity probably contributed substantially to the morbidity caused by the Ebola crisis. Mass drug administration can be an effective means to mitigate this burden and reduce the number of non-Ebola fever cases within health systems
Open Access through Wellcome Trust
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Review of International, Regional and National Policies and Legal Frameworks that Promote Migrants and Mobile Populations' Access to Health and Malaria Services in the Greater Mekong Subregion (Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam)
Migrants and mobile popul...ations face many obstacles in accessing equitable essential health care services due to factors such as living and working conditions, education level, gender, irregular migration status, language and cultural barriers, anti-migrant sentiments, and lack of migrant-inclusive health policies among others. Despite significant progress having been made in the context of malaria control in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), human movements can impact malaria transmission patterns and potentially introduce drug-resistant parasites. This legal framework review therefore serves as a guidance document on approaches to address malaria and malaria elimination for migrant and mobile populations (MMPs) in five countries of the GMS.
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Lancet Glob Health 2019 Published Online January 24, 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30479-0
The health-care system collapse underway in Venezuela is a cause of utmost concern for its people and, increasingly, for the wider region. Declines in provision of basic services, such as ...childhood immunisation, malaria control, water, sanitation, and nutritional support, have led to increasing morbidity and mortality rates from an array of preventable diseases, including malaria, measles, and diphtheria. Secondary and tertiary care have also been greatly affected, due to declining investment, out-migration of providers, and spiralling hyperinflation that has driven the country and its people into poverty.1 As is so often, and so tragically, the case, the most affected populations have been the most vulnerable: infants and children, their mothers, the poor (now the great majority of the populations), and indigenous people
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Weekly Epidemiological Record No 9, 2022, 97, 61–80
This position paper supersedes the 2016 publication, “Malaria vaccine: WHO position paper-2016.”1 It includes the updated WHO recommendations on the wider use of the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine for the reduction of malaria morbidity and mortality in ...children living in areas of moderate to high malaria transmission. It also incorporates findings from the evaluation of the WHO-coordinated Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP), recommended by SAGE and MPAG in 2015, and from additional studies since 2015.
This paper does not include findings on vaccine efficacy in infants first vaccinated at 6–12 weeks of age. Because of the lower vaccine efficacy observed in this age category, WHO did not recommend pilot implementation or RTS,S/AS01 vaccine introduction for these young infants. Recommendations2 on the use of RTS,S/AS01 vaccine were discussed by SAGE and MPAG during a joint session in October 2021; evidence presented at the meeting can be accessed at https://terrance.who.int/mediacentre/data/ sage/SAGE_eYB_Oct2021.pdf
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Schistosomiasis, which is the second most important parasitic infection after malaria in terms of its socioeconomic impact, is responsible for the loss of an estimated 4.5 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) worldwide. Schistosomiasis, including both intestinal and urinary forms of the di...sease, occurs in 78 countries across the globe. An estimated 240 million people are infected, with more than 779 million living at risk globally. The majority of those infected and those at risk for infection live in low-income countries, and approximately 80% of the morbidity occurs in impoverished communities and households in sub-Saharan Africa. Within Uganda, 91 of the 134 districts are endemic for intestinal schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma mansoni, and the eastern region, especially along Lake Victoria, has one of the highest S. mansoni burdens worldwide. Schistosoma haematobium is only endemic in the five districts of the Lango region in northern Uganda.
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DNA studies of Egyptian mummies shows evidence of the existence of Schistosomiasis about 5000 years ago. Schistosomiasis is increasing in prevalence, affecting nearly 10% of the world’s population and ranking second only to malaria as a cause of morbidity & mortality.
Schistosoma haematobium are... found in tropical Africa & part of southwest Asia.
Schistosoma mansoni are found in tropical Africa, part of southwest Asia, south America & Caribbean islands.
Schistosoma japonicum are found in parts of Japan, China, Philippines, India & part of southeast Asia.
Blood flukes are known as schistosomes because of the "split body" on the ventral side of the male, in which the female is held during insemination and egg laying.
Man is the definite host harbouring adult parasites, and fresh water snails are intermediate hosts.
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Species of the genus Schistosoma are digenetic trematodes and the causative agents of the Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) schistosomiasis; a parasitic disease that ranks second only to malaria in terms of socioeconomic impacts. Over 220 million people worldwide are currently infected, 90% of whom l...ive in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with an estimated annual mortality of at least 200,000. Infection in humans, as well as alternative mammalian definitive hosts, occurs in contaminated freshwater environments via cercariae shed from specific snail intermediate hosts. Early acute morbidity can occur following cutaneous penetration, sometimes leading to an urticarial rash known as swimmers itch or cercarial dermatitis.
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To eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) by 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a campaign against the disease. Since the launch in 2000, significant progress has been made to achieve this ambitious goal. In this article we review the progress and status of the LF programme in Afric...a through the WHO neglected
tropical diseases preventive chemotherapy databank, the Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN) portal and other publications. In the African Region there are 35 countries endemic for LF. The Gambia was reclassified as not requiring preventive chemotherapy in 2015, while Togo and Malawi eliminated LF as a public health problem in 2017 and 2020, respectively. Cameroon discontinued mass drug administration (MDA) and transitioned to post-MDA surveillance to validate elimination. The trajectory of coverage continues to accelerate; treatment coverage increased from 0.1% in 2000 to 62.1% in 2018. Geographical coverage has also significantly increased, from 62.7% in 2015 to 78.5% in 2018. In 2019, 23 of 31 countries requiring MDA achieved 100% geographic coverage. Although much remains to be done, morbidity management and disability prevention services have steadily increased in recent years. Vector control interventions conducted by other programmes, particularly malaria vector control, have had a profound effect in stopping transmission in some endemic countries in the region. In conclusion, significant progress has been made in the LF programme
in the region while we identify the key remaining challenges in achieving an Africa free of LF.
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The objective of this concept note and the framework it outlines is the elimination of a group of CDs and the negative health effects they generate, which together create a tangible burden on affected individuals, their families and communities, and on health care systems throughout the Region. Thou...gh there is no unified consensus on the best measures to use for the public’s health and a nation’s epidemiologic situation, it is common for the disease burden to be measured by disease rates (incidence, prevalence, etc.), disease-specific death rates, comparative morbidity and mortality rates, geographic distribution, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). The current epidemiological situation, including data on disease rates or geographic distribution for the diseases in Table 1, is discussed below in Section 4. Hotez et al. (2008) were the first to review and compare the burden of DALYs in Latin America and the Caribbean—for NTDs, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB—as it existed about 10 years ago. Though the regional burden of TB, malaria, and neglected infectious diseases (NIDs) is somewhat less than it was 10 years ago, work (and schooling) continue to be lost to illness and premature death or disability, and the need for stepping up disease elimination efforts is evident in all communities living in vulnerable conditions....
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South Sudan continues to struggle with a severe health crisis affecting 8.9 million people, primarily in flood- and conflict-affected regions with population movements (displacement and returns), and disease outbreaks. The nation's health system, heavily reliant on international aid, faces staffing ...and resource shortages. Vulnerable groups, including women, children, the elderly, and those with disabilities, have limited healthcare access and face heightened risks of mortality and illness.
The life expectancy at birth (55 years) is among the lowest globally, as mortality rates remain among the highest with neonatal, infant, under-five mortality rates estimated at 39.63, 63.76 and 98.69 deaths per 1000 live births respectively, and a maternal mortality ratio of 1,223 deaths per 100,000 live births. Although some disease specific mortality rates such as TB and AIDS-related mortality have declined, mortality due to malaria and non-communicable diseases have increased over the past five years.
The main causes of morbidity remain communicable diseases; malaria, is the top cause of morbidity (64%) and mortality (45%) among outpatients, followed by pneumonia and diarrhea.20 Several Counties report malaria cases above the threshold perennially especially during the rainy seasons, affecting mainly children under five years. The last malaria indicator survey (2017) estimated malaria prevalence of 32%, 34% and 18% among children under-five, protection of civilian’s sites, and internally displaced persons, respectively.
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Ethiopia has been repeatedly affected by conflict, flooding, drought, and disease outbreaks in the past years. As of January 2024, the country is actively responding to the longest recorded cholera outbreak which started in August 2022, recurrent measles outbreaks which started in August 2021, and t...he highest number of malaria cases reported since 2017. The El Niño phenomenon is expected to cause further havoc up to July 2024, by causing drought in some parts of the country, and flooding in others. Food insecurity due to lost harvest and livestock is aggravating already high malnutrition rates, negatively impacting morbidity and mortality.
The Health Cluster is closely collaborating with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to prepare for, prevent, and respond to public health emergencies by mobilizing resources to enable health partners to provide life-saving health services to vulnerable populations.
In an environment with ever-increasing needs and decreased funding, the below priorities for 2024 and 2025 have been identified: 1 Strengthen advocacy for longer-term, development funding to address root causes of recurrent disease outbreaks, including through the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus 2 Advocate for increased access to quality health services, with a strong focus on:
sexual and reproductive health services (including for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence)
inclusion of people with disabilities, older people, and people living with HIV
remote populations through inclusion of Mobile Health Teams (MHT) as part of the health system 3 Standardize health services provided by Health Cluster partners through the implementation of Essential Health Care packages, aligned with existing MOH guidance, aimed at ensuring quality service delivery for affected populations, especially at community level 4 Strengthen quality of, and access to data for needs analysis and informed decision-making 5 Strengthen subnational coordination, with increased focus on zones and local health partners
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This position paper supersedes the 2022 WHO position paper on malaria vaccines. It includes the updated WHO recommendations on the use of the RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M vaccines for the reduction of malaria morbidity and mortality in children living in endemic areas, prioritizing areas of moderate ...and high malaria transmission.
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