WHO published the first COVID-19 Strategic Response and Preparedness Plan (SPRP) on 3 February, 2020. This report highlights the main points of progress that were made up to 30 June 2020 under the three objectives outlined in the SPRP: scaling up international coordination and support; scaling up co...untry preparedness and response by pillar; and accelerating research and innovation. The report also discusses some of the key challenges faced so far, and provides an update on the resource requirements for the next phase of WHO’s response as part of an unprecedented whole-of-UN approach to the pandemic.
more
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) was established by the Council of Europe. It is an independent body which ensures respect for human rights in the fight against racism, discrimination (based on "race", ethnic/national origin, colour, nationality, religion, language, sexu...al orientation and gender identity), xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance. The members of the Commission shall be independent and impartial. They shall be appointed on the basis of their moral authority and recognised expertise in matters of racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance. As part of its statutory mandate, ECRI produces country reports for each country which analyse the situation regarding racism and intolerance in each member State of the Council of Europe and make proposals to resolve the problems identified.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
more
Special Focus on COVID-19
The report provides updated estimates for drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools including progress from 2015 to 2019. It highlights the rapid improvement needed to ensure students have access to handwashing facilities with soap and water during the COVID-19 pan...demic, and to meet associated SDG targets by 2030.
more
India is experiencing rapid demographic and epidemiological transitions with NCDs causing significant disability, morbidity and mortality both in urban and rural populations and across all socioeconomic strata. According to the ICMR State Level Disease Burden Initiative, in 2016, NCDs accounted to a...n estimated 6.0 million deaths, constituting 62% of the total mortality of that year.
more
Organizing and Delivering High Quality Care for Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases in the Americas
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated and added yet another layer of vulnerability to an already dire web of vulnerabilities of girls in the African continent, which constitute about 49% of the total child population. Critically, gender equality and girls’ multidimensional vulnerability have been ...accentuated to an unprecedented level. The pandemic has triggered major concerns about the potential reversal of the strides achieved over the years towards gender equality and human development in Africa.
more
The Guidelines on promotive and preventive mental health interventions for adolescents - Helping Adolescents thrive (HAT), provide evidence-informed recommendations on psychosocial interventions to promote mental health, prevent mental disorders, and reduce self-harm and other risk behaviours among ...adolescents.
The HAT Guidelines aims to inform policy development, service planning and the strengthening of health and education systems, and facilitate mainstreaming of adolescent mental health promotion and prevention strategies across sectors and delivery platforms.
more
Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) provides a vast amount of information and the highest possible resolution for pathogen subtyping. The application of WGS for global surveillance can provide information on the early emergence and spread of AMR and further inform timely policy development on AMR control.... Sequencing data emanating from AMR surveillance may provide key information to guide the development of rapid diagnostic tools for better and more rapid characterization of AMR, and thus complement phenotypic methods. This document addresses the applications of WGS for AMR surveillance, including the benefits and limitations of current WGS technologies
more
Malaria Journal (2018) 17:460 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-018-2606-9
In malaria endemic countries, asymptomatic cases constitute an important reservoir of infections sustaining transmission. Estimating the burden of the asymptomatic population and identifying areas with elevated risk is import...ant for malaria control in Burkina Faso.
more
Children in refugee situations face many potential dangers, such as violence, abuse, exploitation, discrimination, separation from their families, trafficking and military recruitment. The impact of these experiences can be devastating and long-lasting. Children have different needs from adults and ...these needs can only be identified and met if they are approached in a way that is specific to children.
The impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic has exacerbated the dangers faced by children in refugee situations and laid bare the need for their protection and for ensuring that all their human rights are upheld all the time.
The goal of this publication is to share examples of approaches by members of the Initiative that have proven effective for children.
more
nContraception and Reproductive Medicine (2017) 2:26 DOI 10.1186/s40834-017-0053-6
Young women in Burkina Faso and Mali are increasingly using modern contraceptives for family planning; however, the LAPM contraceptive prevalence rate remains low. Our analysis indicates that social norms around idea...l family size for both men and women continue to drive young women’s choices around family planning and impede use of LAPMs. To increase modern contraceptive use and curb fertility rates, local governments and development organizations should focus on women’s empowerment and include male partners.
more
Applying the evidence of what works from HIV-related stigma and discrimination in six settings to the COVID-19 response
This brief provide evidence-informed guidance to countries on the intersection of stigma related to HIV and COVID-19 in national responses.
The Government of the Republic of Zambia has placed priority on ensuring that Zambians are healthy and productive as a catalyst to the attainment of socioeconomic development . The Vision 2030 aims to transform Zambia into a prosperous middle-income country as articulated also in the 7th National De...velop-ment Plan (7NDP) and National Health Strategic Plan 2017 – 2021 (NHSP 2017-2020). However, this aspiration is threatened by the double burden of Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseas¬es. Zambia has been recording an increase in morbidity and mortality due to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. According to the 2016 WHO NCD country profiles, 29% of all deaths in Zambia are attributed to NCDs. This is unacceptably high, considering that most of these diseases can be reduced by modifying four main behavioural risk factors for NCDs which are tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity.
more
However, very little is known about the trend of the quality of life over
time in untreated PLWHA compared to treated patients.
Exploring quality of life trends in treated and untreated
patients will help the health care system develop adapted
strategies to better manage the PLWHA in low-income
...
countries.
This study aimed to assess the quality of life of persons
living with HIV in Burkina Faso, in their routine followup and its change over time.
more
The publication provides an overview and analysis of international instruments that set standards related to the use of antimicrobials across the human, animal and plant sectors, and their release into the environment. The purpose of the document is to identify existing instruments and standards in ...order to guide both their implementation and to inform discussions and direction for future international instruments related to antimicrobial use.
more
For the first time WHO and UNICEF bring together the data on sanitation coverage and investment, and how it impacts health, economies, and the environment. Citing evidence on what works from successful countries and global guidelines, WHO and UNICEF call for strong government leadership and investme...nt in resilient sanitation services. The report charts an ambitious way forward following the SDG6 global acceleration framework themes of governance, financing, capacity development, data and information, and innovation to achieve universal access to safe sanitation.
Read the full publication report here: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240014473.
more
Applying the evidence of what works from HIV-related stigma and discrimination in six settings to the COVID-19 response
This brief provide evidence-informed guidance to countries on the intersection of stigma related to HIV and COVID-19 in national responses.
This fourth progress report November 2020 of the Global HIV Prevention Coalition reviews the progress in the 28 focus countries and complements the three previous progress reports. This report describes key developments in 2019–2020, identifies challenges and opportunities (including those associa...ted with the COVID-19 pandemic) and outlines priorities for the years ahead. It is divided into two main sections.
more