the aid library

WHO Worldwide country situation analysis: response to antimicrobial resistance

World Health Organization WHO (2015) C_WHO

WHO would like to express its gratitude and appreciation to all Member States that provided information to the WHO survey on policies and activities at the national level in ... more

Brief sexuality-related communication: Recommendations for a public health approach

Tamara Adrián-Hernandez,Elham Atalla, George Ayala et al. World Health Organization (WHO) (2015)

This guideline provides health policy-makers and decision-makers in health professional training institutions with advice on the rationale for health-care providers’ use of counselling skills to address sexual health concerns in a primary health c ... more

Antibiotic Stewardship - From Principles to Practice / Ebook

British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy BSAC (2019) C2

This book provides significantly expanded content and experience in relation to a broader stewardship context- for example, stewardship in specific populations, different countries as well as the role of different professions in stewardship to polit ... more

Review of Evidence on Antimicrobial Resistance and Animal Agriculture in Developing Countries

Grace, D. International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) (2015) C2

This short paper aims to identify key evidence gaps in our knowledge of livestock- and fisheries-linked antimicrobial resistance in the developing world, and to document on-going or planned research initiatives on this topic by key stakeholders. ... more

Developmental roadmap for antimicrobial susceptibility testing systems

Belkum, A.van, T. T. Bachmann, G. Lüdke, et al. (2019) CC

Nature Reviews Microbiology Vol. 17 (2019)pp.51-62 Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) technologies help to accelerate the initiation of targeted antimicrobial therapy for patients with infections and could potentially extend ... more

National Action Plan for Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance: Myanmar 2017-2022

World Health Organization WHO (2017) C_WHO

Myanmar, as a country going through rapid socio-political transition and institutional development also suffers with a high burden of infectious disease. An ongoing challenge has been to effectively reach its 51 million population, most of whom battle tuberculosis, acute respiratory infections, diar ... more

COVID-19 & Vaccination
recommended

Mauder, S. (2021) CC

Issue Brief no.8. January 18,2021 Vaccination against the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus represents a milestone in the fight against ... more

Global report on health data systems and capacity, 2020
recommended

World Health Organization WHO (2021) C_WHO

31 Janaury 2021 SCORE for health data technical package. The first global assessment on the status and capacity of health information systems in 133 countries, covering 87% of ... more

Global strategic directions for nursing and midwifery 2021-2025

World Health Organization WHO (2021) C_WHO

Available in English, French, Spanish and Russian from the website https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/344562

Preventable Epilepsy: Taenia Solium Infection Burdens Economies, Societies and Individuals

World Health Organization World Health Organization WHO (2016) C_WHO

Burden of T. solium: Neurocysticercosis is a disease induced by T. solium larvae penetrating human tissues, especially the nervous system. Neurocysticercosis burdens economies, societies and individuals because of ... more

Infrastructure, policy and regulatory interventions to increase physical activity to prevent cardiovascular diseases and diabetes: a systematic review

Durão, S.; Burns, J.; Schmidt, B. et al. BMC Public Health (2023) CC

Background Noncommunicable diseases are major contributors to morbidity and mortality worldwide. Modifying the risk factors for these conditions, such as physical inactivity, is thus essential. Addressing ... the context or circumstances in which physical activity occurs may promote physical activity at a population level. We assessed the effects of infrastructure, policy or regulatory interventions for increasing physical activity. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase and clinicaltrials.gov to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs), controlled before-after (CBAs) studies, and interrupted time series (ITS) studies assessing population-level infrastructure or policy and regulatory interventions to increase physical activity. We were interested in the effects of these interventions on physical activity, body weight and related measures, blood pressure, and CVD and type 2 diabetes morbidity and mortality, and on other secondary outcomes. Screening and data extraction was done in duplicate, with risk of bias was using an adapted Cochrane risk of bias tool. Due to high levels of heterogeneity, we synthesised the evidence based on effect direction. Results We included 33 studies, mostly conducted in high-income countries. Of these, 13 assessed infrastructure changes to green or other spaces to promote physical activity and 18 infrastructure changes to promote active transport. The effects of identified interventions on physical activity, body weight and blood pressure varied across studies (very low certainty evidence); thus, we remain very uncertain about the effects of these interventions. Two studies assessed the effects of policy and regulatory interventions; one provided free access to physical activity facilities and showed that it may have beneficial effects on physical activity (low certainty evidence). The other provided free bus travel for youth, with intervention effects varying across studies (very low certainty evidence). Conclusions Evidence from 33 studies assessing infrastructure, policy and regulatory interventions for increasing physical activity showed varying results. The certainty of the evidence was mostly very low, due to study designs included and inconsistent findings between studies. Despite this drawback, the evidence indicates that providing access to physical activity facilities may be beneficial; however this finding is based on only one study. Implementation of these interventions requires full consideration of contextual factors, especially in low resource settings. more

Global report on diabetes World Health Organization 2016

World Health Organization WHO (2016) C_WHO

Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar, or glucose), or when the body cannot effectively us ... more

Global report on diabetes 1. Diabetes Mellitus – epidemiology. 2. Diabetes Mellitus – prevention and control. 3. Diabetes, Gestational. 4. Chronic Disease

World Health Organization WHO (2016) C_WHO

Worldwide rates of diagnosis and effective treatment for cystic fibrosis

Guo, J.; Garratt, A.; Hill, A. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis (2022) CC

Time has seen management for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) advance drastically, most recently in the development of the disease-modifying triple combination therapy ivacaftor/tezacaftor/elexacaftor. There is ... more

Situational Brief: Covid-19 & Migration in Germany

Gottlieb, N., M. Hintermeier, K. Bozorgmehr (2020) CC

Germany’s overall response to COVID-19 has been evaluated as reasoned and sound. Nonetheless, it has exposed weaknesses and blindspots in the German healthcare system regarding the inclusion of mi ... more

Forests and Trees for Human Health: Pathways, Impacts, Challenges and Response Options

Cecil Konijnendijk, Dikshya Devkota, Stephanie Mansourian & Christoph Wildburger (eds.) International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) (2023) C2

Forests, trees and green spaces, hereinafter ‘forests and trees’ for short, provide multiple goods and services that contribute to human health. These include medicines, nutritious foods and other non-wood forest products (NWFPs). Globally, at least 3.5 billion people use NWFPs, including medici ... more

An analysis of funding patterns in development assistance for mental health: who, when, what, and where

Gribble RSF, Liese BH, Wickremsinhe MN Global Mental Health (2021) C1

Background: Mental health has recently gained increasing attention on global health and development agendas, including calls for an increase in international funding. Few studies have previously characterized official development assistance for mental health (DAMH) in a nuanced and differentiated ma ... more

Africa’s Health Financing in a New Era

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) (2025) CC

Africa’s health sector is facing an unprecedented financing crisis, driven by a sharp decline of 70% in Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 2021 to 2025 and deep-rooted structural vulnerabilities. This collapse is placing immense pressure on Africa’s already fragile health systems as ODA ... is seen as the backbone of critical health programs: pandemic preparedness, maternal and child health services, disease control programs are all at risk, threatening Sustainable Development Goal 3 and Universal Health Coverage. Compounding this is Africa’s spiraling debt, with countries expected to service USD 81 billion by 2025—surpassing anticipated external financing inflows—further eroding fiscal space for health investments. Level of domestic resources is low. TThe Abuja Declaration of 2001, a pivotal commitment made by African Union (AU) member states, aimed to reverse this trend by pledging to allocate at least 15% of national budgets to the health sector. However, more than two decades later, only three countries—Rwanda, Botswana, and Cabo Verde—have consistently met or exceeded this target (WHO, 2023). In contrast, over 30 AU member states remain well below the 10% benchmark, with some allocating as little as 5–7% of their national budgets to health. In addition, only 16 (29%) of African countries currently have updated versions of National Health Development Plan (NHDP) supported by a National Health Financing Plan (NHFP). These two documents play a critical role in driving internal resource mobilisation. At the same time, public health emergencies are surging, rising 41%—from 152 in 2022 to 213 in 2024—exposing severe under-resourcing of health infrastructure and workforce. Recurring outbreaks (Mpox, Ebola, cholera, measles, Marburg…) alongside effects of climate change and humanitarian crises in Eastern DRC, the Sahel, and Sudan, are overwhelming systems stretched by chronic underfunding. The situation is worsened by Africa’s heavy dependency with over 90% of vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics being externally sourced—leaving countries vulnerable to global supply chain shocks. Health worker shortages persist, with only 2.3 professionals per 1,000 people (below the WHO’s recommended 4.45), and fewer than 30% of systems are digitized, undermining disease surveillance and early warning. Without decisive action, Africa CDC projects the continent could reverse two decades of health progress, face 2 to 4 million additional preventable deaths annually, and a heightened risk of a pandemic emerging from within. Furthermore, 39 million more Africans could be pushed into poverty by 2030 due to intertwined health and economic shocks. This is not just a sectoral crisis—it is an existential threat to Africa’s political, social, and economic resilience, and global stability. In response, African leaders, under Africa CDC’s stewardship, are advancing a comprehensive three-pillar strategy centered on domestic resource mobilization, innovative financing, and blended finance. more

Quality of care in fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings: taking action

World Health Organization WHO (2020) CC

In fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings, delivery of quality health services faces significant challenges, including disruption of a routine health service organization and delivery systems, increased health needs, complex and unpredictable resourcing issues, and vulnerability to multi ... more