African Health Sciences 2013; 13(2): 219 - 232 http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v13i2.4
The aim of this handbook is to provide network members and other laboratories involved in the diagnosis of tuberculosis, with an agreed list of key diagnostic methods and their protocols in various areas of TB diagnosis, ranging from microbiological diagnosis of active TB to the diagnosis of latent ...TB infection. This handbook offers a single source of reference by compiling all methods, with a strong focus on standard (reference) and evidence-based methods. In so doing, it will also contribute to the improvement of disease surveillance data for Europe.
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This important issue of Forced Migration Review draws our attention to the current challenges facing displaced Syrians and the continuing search for solutions. The statistics of Syrian displacement are staggering – and the numbers continue to rise. Half of Syria’s population has been displaced: ...five and a half million are registered refugees and over six million are internally displaced.
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This Rapid Advice Guideline updates the Interim Guidance on the “Assessment of infants with microcephaly in the context of Zika virus” published in February 2016 (WHO/ZIKV/MOC/16.3). The recommendations provides guidance on the screening, clinical assessment, neuroimaging, laboratory investigati...on and follow-up of children born to women living in areas of Zika virus transmission. The Guideline summarises the evidence base and rationale in support of the recommendations and expands the scope to address complications beyond microcephaly and what is now referred to as the congenital Zika virus syndrome
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En los últimos cinco años y como parte del ciclo programático humanitario, se han identificado las personas con necesidades en Colombia (anual) en un esfuerzo conjunto de los socios del Equipo Humanitario de País, en coordinación con otras contrapartes del Estado. La afectación histórica de m...illones de personas por diferentes emergencias humanitarias, como consecuencia del conflicto, la violencia y eventos de desastres naturales, ha requerido la presencia e intervención complementaria al Estado, por parte de organizaciones humanitarias tanto nacionales como internacionales. Después de cuatro años de Diálogos de Paz entre el Gobierno y las FARC-EP se dio la firma de un Acuerdo, el cual debía también representar el alivio humanitario en muchas regiones golpeadas; no obstante, el deterioro de la situación humanitaria interna en Colombia, se refleja en más de 5.1 millones de personas con necesidades, como lo podremos evidenciar en este documento.
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The goal of this Global Action Plan is to articulate synergistic actions that will be required to prevent HIVDR from undermining efforts to achieve global targets on health and HIV, and to provide the most effective treatment to all people living with HIV including adults, key populations, pregnant ...and breastfeeding women, children and adolescents. The Global Action Plan has five strategic objectives: 1) prevention and response; 2) monitoring and surveillance; 3) research and innovation; 4) laboratory capacity; and 5) governance and enabling mechanisms.
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This document provides guidance for countries on how to implement activities to achieve the interruption of yaws transmission. It is intended for use by national yaws eradication programmes, partners involved in the implementation of yaws eradication activities and WHO technical staff who provide te...chnical support to countries in the eradication of yaws.
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Molecular methods for antimicrobial resistance (AMR)diagnostics to enhance the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System
Interium guidance, 25 June 2021Timely and accurate diagnostic testing is an essential tool in preventing and controlling the spread of COVID-19. This document describes recommendations for national testing strategies and the use of PCR and rapid antigen tests in different transmission scenarios of t...he COVID-19 outbreak, including how testing might be rationalized in low resource settings. All testing should be followed by a strong public health response including isolating those who test positive and providing them care, contact tracing and quarantine of contacts.
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While much progress has been achieved over the past year, the Region of the Americas has stubbornly remained the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. PAHO is launching its 2021 COVID-19 Response Strategy and Donor Appeal to continue supporting Latin American and Caribbean countries and territories i...n their fight against COVID-19. This document outlines PAHO’s regional strategy for the year 2021 to sustain and scale-up the response to COVID‑19 pandemic in the Americas, suppress the community transmission of the virus and mitigate the longer-term health impact of the pandemic.
US$ 239 million is needed to support critical response efforts in the Americas between 1 January and 31 December 2021
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Interim guidance, 6 October 2021
Direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins (antigens) in nasal swabs and other respiratory secretions using lateral flow immunoassays (also known as rapid diagnostic tests, RDTs) offers a faster and less expensive method to test for SARS-CoV-2 than the reference ...method, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs). This interim guidance offers recommendations on the priority uses of antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) in specific populations and settings, including (i) for primary case detection in symptomatic individuals suspected to be infected and asymptomatic individuals at high risk of COVID-19, (ii) for contact tracing, (iii) during outbreak investigations and (iv) to monitor trends of disease incidence in communities. Ag-RDTs meeting minimum performance requirements can be used outside of clinical and laboratory settings, including in communities, by trained operators in accordance with instructions. The guidance additionally provides recommendations on implementation, product selection and storage.
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Available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish
https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/334254
22 December 2020
The COVID-19 vaccine safety guidance manual has been developed upon recommendation and guidance of GACVS members, as well as by experts incorporating current and available information critical to all stakeholders when COVID-19 vaccines will be introduced.
For ease of use, the man...ual is available in a compiled form and in several separate modules that can be consulted individually. For each module, specific training material is also available to facilitate implementation.
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This assessment tool is to support municipalities and local authorities in identifying the risks and vulnerabilities that refugees and migrants face and to identify gaps where possible methods to minimize the impact of the pandemic exist so that they can be prioritized within local policy processes.
orientations provisoires, 14 juin 2021
La détection directe des protéines virales du SRAS-CoV-2 (antigènes) dans les écouvillons nasaux et autres sécrétions respiratoires à l'aide de tests immunologiques à flux latéral (également appelés tests de diagnostic rapide, TDR) offre une méthode plus rapide et moins coûteuse pour te...ster le SRAS-CoV-2 que la méthode de référence, les tests d'amplification des acides nucléiques (TAAN). Ces lignes directrices provisoires offrent des recommandations sur les utilisations prioritaires des tests de diagnostic rapide à détection d'antigène (TDR-Ag) dans des populations et des contextes spécifiques, notamment (i) pour la détection primaire des cas chez les personnes symptomatiques suspectées d'être infectées et les personnes asymptomatiques à haut risque de COVID-19, (ii) pour la recherche des contacts, (iii) pendant les enquêtes sur les épidémies et (iv) pour surveiller les tendances de l'incidence de la maladie dans les communautés. Les TDR-AG répondant aux exigences minimales de performance peuvent être utilisés en dehors des milieux cliniques et des laboratoires, y compris dans les communautés, par des opérateurs formés conformément aux instructions. Le guide fournit en outre des recommandations sur la mise en œuvre, la sélection des produits et le stockage
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This publication presents a comprehensive methodology to support the Member States of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in preparing for and responding to heat-health risks in the Region of the Americas. It builds on World Health Organization and the World Meteorological Organization globa...l documents, as well as on the disaster preparedness methodologies employed throughout the countries of the Region. This publication is part of an effort coordinated by PAHO to support Member States in multihazard preparedness, and includes: early warning system strengthening; threat characterization; activation and deactivation procedure definition; and institutional coordination. It engages different disciplines and recognizes the importance of intersectoral collaboration to respond to heat-health risks. It aims to bring awareness of the impacts of heat on the health of people of the Americas to public health decisionmakers, and thereby strengthen health service provision.
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his guidance provides interim guidance for the integration of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virologic and genomic surveillance, from sentinel site case enrolment and sampling to the eventual sharing of the virus sequence data, a process known as end-to-end surveillance. This guidance builds on experience...s and lessons learned as countries adapted their influenza surveillance systems in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and reviews new evidence to provide guidance on end-to-end surveillance. The guidance includes new algorithms and strategies to adapt sentinel systems to make them resilient and agile for addressing global and national surveillance needs for influenza and COVID-19.covid-
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