In 2013 the World Health Organization (WHO) published the report Protecting health from climate change:vulnerability and adaptation assessment. The aim was to provide basic and flexible guidance on conducting national or subnational assessments of current and future vulnerability (the susceptibilit...y of a population or region to harm) to the health risks of climate change, and of policies and programmes that could increase resilience, taking into account the multiple determinants of climate-sensitive health outcomes.
That guidance has been a very useful tool, applied to more than 50 countries and settings, and has helped countries to prepare their health contributions to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change national adaptation plans.
Since the launch of the guidance, WHO, technical partners such as Health Canada, and countries have learned much in terms of its applicability in different countries, at national and local levels.
At the same time, knowledge on climate change and health has increased.
WHO, the Pan American Health Organization and Health Canada have produced this updated version, which aims to better support countries in their assessments by proposing a simpler tool that incorporates
all lessons learned.
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La finalidad de estas orientaciones es aumentar la capacidad de los establecimientos de salud para proteger y mejorar la salud de las comunidades destinatarias ante un clima inestable y cambiante;
y habilitarlos para que sean ambientalmente sostenibles, optimizando el uso de los recursos y reducien...do al mínimo el vertido de desechos en el medio ambiente. Los establecimientos de salud resilientes al clima y ambientalmente sostenibles favorecen una atención de alta calidad
así como la accesibilidad de los servicios, y al ayudar a reducir los costos también garantizan una mejor asequibilidad. Por consiguiente, son un componente importante de la cobertura sanitaria universal (CSU).
El presente documento tiene por objeto:
Orientar a los profesionales que trabajan en el ámbito de la atención de salud a fin de que comprendan los riesgos sanitarios adicionales que entraña el cambio climático y se preparen eficazmente para afrontarlos.
Fortalecer la capacidad para llevar a cabo una vigilancia eficaz de las enfermedades relacionadas con el clima; y vigilar, prever y gestionar los riesgos para la salud asociados al cambio climático y adaptarse a ellos.
Guiar al personal de los establecimientos de salud para que trabaje con los sectores determinantes de la salud (en particular los de agua y saneamiento, energía, transporte, alimentación, planificación urbana y medio ambiente) a fin de que se prepare para afrontar los riesgos sanitarios adicionales que entraña el cambio climático mediante un enfoque de resiliencia, y promueva prácticas ambientalmente sostenibles en la prestación de los servicios.
Proporcionar al personal de los centros salud instrumentos que le ayuden a evaluar la resiliencia de los establecimientos ante las amenazas del cambio climático y su sostenibilidad ambiental a partir del uso adecuado de los recursos (en particular el agua y la energía y las adquisiciones sostenibles) y el vertido de desechos peligrosos (biológicos, químicos y radiológicos) en el medio circundante.
Promover medidas encaminadas al fortalecimiento constante y creciente de los establecimientos de salud y a garantizar que sigan siendo eficientes y responsivos para mejorar la salud y
contribuyan a reducir las inequidades y la vulnerabilidad en los entornos en que están implantados.
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RÉSUMÉ D’ORIENTATION
L’objectif des présentes orientations est de renforcer la capacité des établissements de santé à protéger et à améliorer la santé des communautés desservies face à un climat instable et changeant ; et de donner aux établissements de santé les moyens d’assur...er leur durabilité environnementale, grâce à une meilleure utilisation des ressources et à une diminution du rejet de déchets dans l’environnement. En étant résilients au changement climatique et écologiquement viables, les établissements de santé peuvent offrir des soins de qualité et des services plus accessibles, et en contribuant à réduire les coûts des établissements, ils garantissent également la prestation de soins plus abordables. Ils représentent par conséquent un élément important de la couverture sanitaire universelle (CSU).
Le présent document a pour objectif de :
guider les professionnels travaillant dans des structures de soins de santé de manière à ce qu’ils comprennent les risques sanitaires supplémentaires liés au changement climatique et qu’ils s’y préparent efficacement ;
renforcer la capacité à exercer une surveillance efficace des maladies liées au climat ; et à suivre, anticiper, gérer les risques sanitaires associés au changement climatique et à s’y adapter ;
inciter les responsables des établissements de santé à collaborer avec les secteurs déterminants pour la santé (notamment l’eau et l’assainissement, l’énergie, les transports, l’alimentation, l’urbanisme, l’environnement) afin de se préparer aux risques sanitaires supplémentaires posés par le changement climatique grâce à l’adoption d’une approche de résilience, et à promouvoir des pratiques écologiquement durables dans la prestation des services ;
fournir des outils pour aider les responsables des établissements de santé à évaluer leur résilience face aux menaces liées au changement climatique et leur durabilité environnementale, sur la base de l’utilisation appropriée des ressources (en particulier l’eau et l’énergie et les achats durables), et du rejet de matières dangereuses (biologiques, chimiques, radiologiques) dans leur environnement ;
promouvoir des mesures visant à garantir que les établissements de santé soient constamment et de plus en plus solides et continuent d’être efficaces et réactifs pour améliorer la santé et contribuer à réduire les inégalités et la vulnérabilité dans leur contexte local.
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Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(23), 8849; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17238849
The aim of building climate resilient and environmentally sustainable health care facilities is: (a) to enhance their capacity to protect and improve the health of their target communities in an unstable... and changing climate; and (b) to empower them to optimize the use of resources and minimize the release of pollutants and waste into the environment. Such health care facilities contribute to high quality of care and accessibility of services and, by helping reduce facility costs, also ensure better affordability. They are an important component of universal health coverage.
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Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(12), 2626; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15122626
Climate change is increasing risks to human health and to the health systems that seek to protect the safety and well-being of populations. Health authorities require information about current associatio...ns between health outcomes and weather or climate, vulnerable populations, projections of future risks and adaptation opportunities in order to reduce exposures, empower individuals to take needed protective actions and build climate-resilient health systems. An increasing number of health authorities from local to national levels seek this information by conducting climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessments. While assessments can provide valuable information to plan for climate change impacts, the results of many studies are not helping to build the global evidence-base of knowledge in this area. They are also often not integrated into adaptation decision making, sometimes because the health sector is not involved in climate change policy making processes at the national level. Significant barriers related to data accessibility, a limited number of climate and health models, uncertainty in climate projections, and a lack of funding and expertise, particularly in developing countries, challenge health authority efforts to conduct rigorous assessments and apply the findings. This paper examines the evolution of climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessments, including guidance developed for such projects, the number of assessments that have been conducted globally and implementation of the findings to support health adaptation action. Greater capacity building that facilitates assessments from local to national scales will support collaborative efforts to protect health from current climate hazards and future climate change. Health sector officials will benefit from additional resources and partnership opportunities to ensure that evidence about climate change impacts on health is effectively translated into needed actions to build health resilience.
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The Lab identifies, develops, and launches sustainable finance
instruments that can drive billions to a low-carbon economy. The
2019 Global Lab Cycle targets four specific sectors across
mitigation and adaptation: blue carbon in marine & coastal
ecosystems; sustainable agriculture for smallholde...rs in West and
Central Africa; sustainable energy access; and sustainable cities
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Kiel Policy Brief, Ukraine Special 1, March 2022.Many African countries heavily rely on imports of agricultural commodities and agricultural inputs from Ukraine and Russia, for example wheat, other grains, and fertilizer. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has disrupted global access to grains due to re...duced production, exports, and increased trade costs. This policy brief investigates the possible long-term consequences of the conflict on food security in Africa
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Globally, levels of hunger remain alarmingly high. In 2021, they surpassed all previous records as reported by the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), with close to 193 million people acutely food insecure and in need of urgent assistance across 53 countries/territories, according to the findings o...f the GRFC 2022. This represents an increase of nearly 40 million people compared to the previous high reached in 2020 (reported in the GRFC 2021).
Download Full Report here: https://www.fsinplatform.org/sites/default/files/resources/files/GRFC%202022%20Final%20Report.pdf
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The Investment guidelines for youth in agrifood systems in Africa, developed jointly by FAO and the African Union Commission (AUC) through a multi-stakeholder and participatory process, highlight the importance of youth as change agents and key stakeholders contributing to sustainable agrifood syste...ms. The guidelines aim to accelerate investments in and by youth in agrifood systems by providing practical guidance - including tools and examples - to design, develop, implement, monitor and evaluate youth-focused and youth-sensitive investment programmes and to engage youth fully as partners in the entire process.
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The Vienna Declaration was signed at the end of the Fifth High-level Meeting on Transport, Health and Environment. The virtual meeting, hosted by the Federal Government of Austria, brought together 46 ministers and representatives of 56 countries in the pan-European region.
The group discussed ho...w to introduce substantial changes in transport and mobility systems in order to address multiple challenges such as ambient air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, physical inactivity and noncommunicable diseases, and social inequity in access to transport and mobility.
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Este documento realiza recomendaciones para la Supervisión de Salud Infantil en Atención Primaria de Salud, de manera de reorganizar y apoyar la eficiencia en la gestión de la oferta programática presencial ampliando la respuesta de acuerdo con la evolución de la pandemia. De esta forma, comple...menta las acciones señaladas en el documento “Orientación para la continuidad de la atención en APS en contexto de pandemia COVID-19” Ordinario N° 3991, diciembre 2020.
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The practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) has proved remarkably tenacious, despite attempts spanning nearly a century to eliminate it. Nevertheless, a number of countries have seen some declines in the practice – at least up until the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of which is yet to be fully... understood. Other changes in FGM are also evident. These include shifts in attitudes and in the ways the procedure is being carried out.
As the world rallies to accelerate progress against FGM, understanding what drives change in how people think about the practice and act is key to its elimination. Education is one such driver. It is an important mechanism to increase awareness of the dangers of FGM and of groups that do not practise it. Education also fosters questioning and discussion and provides opportunities for individuals to take on social roles that are not dependent on the practice of FGM for acceptance.
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Viral hepatitis is defined as inflammation of the liver cells due to viral infection. The burden of liver disease in South Africa is mostly underestimated as viral hepatitis, in particular chronic infection, is a silent and neglected cause of morbidity and mortality. However, the burden of disease i...s likely substantial given the prevalence of chronic viral hepatitis. This burden is further compounded by the lack of screening and access to care and treatment as well as inadequate disease surveillance, human and financial resources.
The National Guidelines for the Management of Viral Hepatitis were developed, with the purpose to:
inform healthcare workers in the public and private sectors about the disease, its epidemiology in South Africa and current methods of diagnosis and therapy
strengthen the healthcare response to viral hepatitis
empower communicable diseases workers and stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding appropriate and cost effective interventions
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El personal de enfermería desempeña un papel fundamental en la promoción de la salud y la prevención de enfermedades, y es uno de los grandes pilares del sistema de atención de salud. No obstante, la escasez de recursos humanos que afecta al sector en todo el mundo repercute en la calidad de lo...s servicios. Esta hoja informativa hace hincapié en los puntos de acción clave para invertir en la fuerza de trabajo e insta a los Estados Miembros de la OPS a fortalecer el sector a través de medidas basadas en la inversión en formación, la creación de empleo e incentivos, el liderazgo de alto nivel y la regulación de la práctica de enfermería.
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Introduction: Considering the global prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a vaccine is being developed to control the disease as a complementary solution to hygiene measures—and better, in social terms, than social distancing. Given that a vaccine will eventually be produced, informa...tion will be needed to support a potential campaign to promote vaccination.
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the variables affecting the likelihood of refusal and indecision toward a vaccine against COVID-19 and to determine the acceptance of the vaccine for different scenarios of effectiveness and side effects.
Materials and Methods: A multinomial logistic regression method based on the Health Belief Model was used to estimate the current methodology, using data obtained by an online anonymous survey of 370 respondents in Chile.
Results: The results indicate that 49% of respondents were willing to be vaccinated, with 28% undecided or 77% of individuals who would potentially be willing to be inoculated. The main variables that explained the probability of rejection or indecision were associated with the severity of COVID-19, such as, the side effects and effectiveness of the vaccine; perceived benefits, including immunity, decreased fear of contagion, and the protection of oneself and the environment; action signals, such as, responses from ones' family and the government, available information, and specialists' recommendations; and susceptibility, including the contagion rate per 1,000 inhabitants and relatives with COVID-19, among others. Our analysis of hypothetical vaccine scenarios revealed that individuals preferred less risky vaccines in terms of fewer side effects, rather than effectiveness. Additionally, the variables that explained the indecision toward or rejection of a potential COVID-19 vaccine could be used in designing public health policies.
Conclusions: We discovered that it is necessary to formulate specific, differentiated vaccination-promotion strategies for the anti-vaccine and undecided groups based on the factors that explain the probability of individuals refusing or expressing hesitation toward vaccination.
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Recomendaciones elaboradas por el Ministerio de Salud, a través del Departamento de Ciclo Vital, a través de la División de Prevención y Control de Enfermedades.
El documento que se presenta a continuación, complementa a: “Estrategia Residencias Sanitarias, recomendaciones para la implementa...ción en el marco del plan de acción coronavirus COVID-19”.
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Este rotafolio es un material didáctico, ilustrado, importante para la labor que realiza el personal del sector de la salud,
llámense auxiliares de enfermería, agentes comunitarios de salud, promotores de salud, entre otros, para la divulgación y apropiación de los conceptos básicos de la TUB...ERCULOSIS, ya sea durante la visita domiciliaria o durante las actividades con las instituciones de salud de su zona u otras organizaciones, mediante acciones dirigidas ala prevención y el control de esta enfermedad.
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La presente Nota Informativa sirve como orientación a los solicitantes que están preparando una solicitud de financiamiento del Fondo Mundial para la tuberculosis. Ofrece recomendaciones sobre cómo establecer prioridades y metas para que las intervenciones relacionadas con la tuberculosis consiga...n la máxima repercusión posible. Promueve inversiones estratégicas para salvar vidas y obtener beneficios económicos, teniendo en cuenta la situación de la tuberculosis en cada país y otros factores contextuales:
• Su perfil de tuberculosis: tanto farmacosensible como farmacorresistente.
• El contexto del sistema de salud del país.
• Los obstáculos relacionados con los derechos humanos y el género.
• Las barreras socioeconómicas y estructurales que impiden acceder a los servicios
de tuberculosis.
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The Region of the Americas comprises 46 countries and territories and Brazil and Peru are among the WHO high- TB burden
countries. T o illustrate the recent increase in TB incidence in the region, we selected 12 countries from Latin America (Argentina,
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador..., Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela), which account for approximately 80% of the total estimated TB cases in the region.
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This regional report on the situation of tuberculosis (TB) in the Americas contains information from 2019, provided by the countries of the Region through the World Health Organization TB data collection system. These data have been consolidated and analyzed at the regional level. In addition to pre...senting the epidemiological and programmatic situation of TB in the Americas, the report aims to raise awareness and to motivate and encourage all stakeholders in the prevention and control of this disease, to accelerate efforts towards TB elimination in the Region, and to achieve the targets of the End TB Strategy. The report records the Region's achievements, but also the gaps in the work being carried out in diagnosis, treatment, comorbidities, vulnerable populations, risk factors, and funding, among other issues. Based on the information presented, specific recommendations are provided for further progress.
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