Lessons from three African Countries.
Achieving Health for All, and in particular universal health coverage (UHC), will not happen without fully functioning basic water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in all health care facilities. Such services are needed to provide quality care, ensure ad...herence to infection prevention and control (IPC) norms and standards and guarantee that facilities are able to provide environments that respect the dignity and human rights of all care seekers, especially mothers, newborns and children. WHO undertook a series of national situational analyses in three countries (Ghana, Ethiopia and Rwanda) to understand current barriers to change, accountability structures and measures to strengthen WASH in health care facilities and more broadly, the quality of health service delivery.
more
The present Community Empowerment Manual draws upon the lessons learned of the Community Protection Approach implementation in Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory and Central America during the period 2015-2020 by WeWorld – GVC and its partners.
The Manual means to accompany Field Staff i...n devising the most appropriate strategy to engage with communities, given the conditions of access, security and time of the specific context in which a project is implemented. Even though the steps described proceed alongside the implementation of the Community Protection Approach, the manual has different sections providing guidance for the definition of engagement strategies in any context or project in question.
more
This handbook is an adaptation from the WHO Clinical Handbook Health care for women subjected to intimate partner violence or sexual violence developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), UN Women and United Nations Population Fund. The handbook draws on the work from professionals who are dedic...ated to preventing and responding to Gender Based Violence.
The Handbook guides health care service providers to provide comprehensive services to survivors of intimate partner violence and/or sexual violence. It also guides health professionals with respect to relevant stakeholders for referral purposes. The purpose is to ensure that relevant authorities are informed timeously in order act and ensure that those affected by violence receive speedy service as required.
more
Tuberculosis (TB) prevention is essential for reaching the End TB targets in the South-East Asia Region (SEAR) of World Health Organization (WHO)1. The targets of 80% reduction in TB incidence rate and 90% reduction in TB mortality by 2030 (compared to 2015 levels) can be achieved only with addition...al interventions aimed at preventing TB, according to epidemiological modelling studies commissioned by the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO SEARO). Optimal implementation of TB preventive treatment (TPT) is a critical intervention to accelerate reduction in TB burden in the SEA Region, which bears nearly 43% of the global TB burden. TPT by itself has the potential to reduce the overall annual TB incidence rates by 8.3% (95% CrI 6.5–10.8) relative to 2015.
more
Consolidating Earthquake Safety Assessment Efforts in India. This document provides succinct instructions on how to perform rapid visual screening (RVS), a quick method of earthquake assessment of buildings. It covers a brief description of RVS and its role as a simplified qualitative assessment in ...the wider methodology of earthquake assessment of buildings, and the recommended forms for pre-earthquake and post-earthquake Level 1 Assessments for seven building typologies. The method recommended by the primer is the BMTPC method which provides both Seismic Safety Index and Performance Rating to a particular building.
more
3rd edition. In 2001, Uganda adapted the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) developed by World Health Organization (WHO) for member states in African region. The Ministry of Health has been implementing the IDSR strategy since then with success across the country. This strategy prov...ides the opportunity for rational use of resources and maximises investments in health surveillance systems. The 3rd edition IDSR guidelines incorporates lessons learnt from previous
epidemics, new frameworks like the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), One Health, Disaster Risk Management (DRM), the WHO regional strategy for health security and emergencies, and the rising non-communicable diseases, and aims to strengthen implementation of IHR (2005) core surveillance and response capacities. These guidelines have been adapted to reflect national priorities, policies and public health structures; and shall be used in conjunction with other similar
guidelines/strategies or initiatives.
Overall, the 3rd edition technical guidelines will incorporate the following:
• Strengthening Indicator Based Surveillance
• Strengthening Event Based Surveillance
• Improving community-based disease surveillance
• Improving Cross Border Surveillance and response
• Scaling up e-IDSR implementation
• Improving reporting and information sharing platforms
• Improved data sharing across sectors
• Tailoring IDSR to Emergency or Disaster contexts
The 3rd edition guidelines are intended for use as:
• A general reference for surveillance activities across all levels
• A set of definitions for thresholds that trigger some action for response
• A stand-alone reference for level-specific guidelines on surveillance and response
• A resource for developing training, supervision and evaluation of surveillance activities
• A guide for improving early detection and preparedness for outbreak response.
more
In the face of rapid increases in the number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean, coupled with shortages of human and material resources, including medical equipment and gases, there is a need to redesign models of care in the Region to optimize available resources... and ensure that more patients receive the quantity and quality of oxygen they need. Oxygen is included in the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines and is used to care for patients at all levels of integrated health services networks. The efficacy of oxygen use in the treatment of patients with respiratory conditions caused by COVID-19 has been demonstrated, but there is great opportunity to improve the effectiveness of its use if it is used in a rational, sustainable, and safe way. Bearing in mind that the efficacy of a health technology is measured by its benefit under actual conditions of use, practical actions can be taken to improve the use of medical oxygen and avoid oxygen shortages. A drug is considered to be used rationally when patients receive it according to their clinical needs, in doses appropriate to their individual needs, for an appropriate period, and at a low cost to them and their community. By providing instruction on the rational use of oxygen and promoting it, negative repercussions can be avoided, such as loss of efficacy as a result of activities related to oxygen storage, distribution, and administration. Rational use of oxygen also involves controlling waste due to leaks in storage and distribution systems, use of gas at incorrect pressures, use of incorrectly adjusted flowmeters, and disconnections, among other problems. Another aspect to consider is the provision of adequate technical support for all oxygen production systems, in terms of maintenance and calibration, availability of electrical energy, and specific knowledge about these systems. For these reasons, a set of guidelines has been put together for the development of an efficient management system to deal with situations of oxygen scarcity, both now and in the future.
more
Em vista do aumento repentino do número de hospitalizações causadas pela pandemia de COVID-19 na América Latina e no Caribe, bem como da escassez de recursos humanos e materiais, como equipes médicas e gases medicinais, é necessário reformular os modelos de atenção na Região de modo a otim...izar o que já está disponível e garantir que mais pacientes recebam oxigênio na quantidade necessária e com a qualidade adequada O oxigênio consta na lista de medicamentos essenciais da Organização Mundial da Saúde sendo usado na atenção a pacientes em todos os níveis das redes integradas de serviços de saúde. Considerando que já está comprovada a eficácia do uso de oxigênio no tratamento de pacientes com afecções respiratórias causadas pela COVID-19, há uma grande oportunidade de melhorar a efetividade caso se promova seu uso racional, sustentável e seguro.
more
El oxígeno está incluido dentro de la lista de medicamentos esenciales de la OMS y es utilizado para atender pacientes en todos los niveles de las redes integradas de servicios de salud. Dado que la eficacia del uso de oxígeno ya está probada en el tratamiento de pacientes con afecciones respira...torias provocadas por la COVID-19, existe una gran oportunidad para mejorar la efectividad promoviendo su uso de una manera racional, sostenible y segura.
more
This technical note summarizes the consolidated guidelines and adapts them to the context of Latin America and the Caribbean, in order to adequately monitor the number of people on ART. For this purpose, guidance is presented on the indicators and the methodology to know more precisely the number of... people who are in ART.
more
User's guide for teachers and community educators Indigenous Early Childhood .
MaterialLa presente guía es un instrumento para la implementación de los materiales para docentes y educadoras comunitarias y el cuadernillo para niños y niñas del Nivel Inicial, dicho cuadernillo está pensado para... niños y niñas de 3 y 4 años específicamente, y el material para docentes correspondiente podrá ser utilizado hasta el preescolar.
La guía surge de la necesidad de contar con orientaciones sencillas y claras a fin de facilitar al docente y a la educadora comunitaria la aplicación de los contenidos de manera flexible para que en cada pueblo indígena pueda ser adecuado y contextualizado a su realidad cultural y lingüística.
more
Guide to the use of educational materials
Basic School Education 1st and 2nd cycle
La Guía didáctica está dirigida a los docentes del 1° y 2° Ciclo de la Educación escolar Básica, del contexto indígena y tiene el propósito de brindar orientaciones metodológicas para el uso efectivo de m...ateriales didácticos que contribuyan al desarrollo de las capacidades establecidas para este nivel.
Esta guía surge de la necesidad de contar con propuestas y orientaciones sencillas a fin de facilitar al docente la implementación de los materiales de manera flexible de manera que pueda adecuarse a cada pueblo indígena según su realidad cultural y lingüística.
more
Training manual for volunteers
Early Childhood Reading Promotion
Este material busca generar conciencia sobre el impacto de la lectura en la vida de los niños y las niñas y ofrecer herramientas para sensibilizar, capacitar y demostrar a las familias de las comunidades todo lo que se puede gener...ar promoviendo el vínculo y el apego a partir de la lectura desde temprana edad.
more
Clinical guideline for paediatric care of tuberculosis and TB-HIV co-infection
LAM test as a diagnostic aid in patients with HIV and suspected tuberculosis: technical guidelines
Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2021;45:e74.
Some characteristics of patients and healthcare providers influence treatment success in MDR-TB cases. Physicians’ and nurses’ knowledge about MDR-TB must be improved, and follow-up of MDR-TB patients who are living with HIV and of those affiliated with the... subsidized health insurance scheme in Colombia must be strengthened, as these patients have a lower likelihood of a successful treatment outcome.
more