In response to the first cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reported on the continent, many African Union Member States implemented large-scale public health and social measures (PHSM) rapidly. These measures were aimed at reducing transmission and the number of new cases being reported, p...rotecting the most vulnerable populations, and allowing time for countries to ramp up critical healthcare and diagnostic services. While these quick actions bought time for Member States, the negative socio-economic impacts are being felt widely, and countries are now exploring how best to ease these measures back while still managing the outbreak.
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The WHO COVID-19 Essential Supplies Forecasting Tool (COVID-19-ESFT) is meant to help countries forecast essential supplies for their COVID-19 response including personal protective equipment (e.g., masks and gloves), biomedical equipment for case management (e.g., ventilators and oxygen concentrato...rs), diagnostic reagents and equipment, essential drugs for supportive care, and consumable medical supplies.
The tool is best suited for estimating essential supply needs over a short time period (12 weeks or fewer) but can be used for longer.
COVID-19-ESFT does not quantify or account for resources already available locally or those pending delivery. When using the ESFT to inform procurement, we recommend factoring in resources already available locally and only including the additional resources required in the forecast.
This tool is updated regularly so users should monitor the website for the latest release version.
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The Epidemic Preparedness and Response Plan for Cholera in Syria (November 2015) outlines strategies to prevent, detect, and manage cholera outbreaks in the country, where poor water and sanitation conditions, displacement, and damaged healthcare infrastructure increase the risk of disease spread. T...he plan aims to reduce morbidity and mortality through early detection, rapid response, and coordinated interventions. It is divided into four key phases: the Pre-Epidemic Phase, which includes risk assessment, resource mapping, stockpiling medical supplies, training health workers, and raising community awareness; the Alert Phase, which focuses on surveillance, laboratory confirmation, and mobilization of rapid response teams; the Epidemic Phase, which involves case management, infection control, environmental measures such as water chlorination and improved sanitation, and public awareness campaigns; and the Post-Epidemic Phase, which evaluates the response effectiveness and identifies lessons to improve future preparedness. The plan emphasizes multi-sectoral coordination, strengthening health surveillance, and ensuring timely intervention to control and prevent cholera outbreaks in vulnerable communities.
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The global migration context is rapidly changing with new conflicts and coups, new public health threats, new levels of environmental stress and changing perceptions around human mobility. Against that backdrop, migration policies, actions and attitudes are becoming more and more extreme, according ...to the 2021 edition of the Mixed Migration Review, the annual publication by the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC).
Download the full report here: https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Mixed-Migration-Review-2021.pdf
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The World Health Organization (WHO) projects a global shortfall of 18 million health workers by 2030, mostly in low- and lower-middle-income countries. Contributing to the global deficit are chronic under-investment in education and training of health workers; workforce migration; an aging health wo...rkforce; rapid increases in chronic diseases; and inability to track existing human resources using health information systems. Health care worker shortages are compounded by the increased portability and virulence of infections. Rapid population growth, climate change, deforestation, international travel, migration, poverty, and social inequality have dramatically increased the risk of pandemics and highlighted the need for skilled health workforce to effectively respond to emerging health threats. This is evident now more than ever as COVID-19 exacerbates health inequity and barriers to access, and further strains the already fragile health systems in many countries.
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This malaria case management training manual was developed by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) of Ethiopia, in collaboration with several national and international partners. Primarily based on WHO guidelines and training materials, as well as the 2022 national malaria guidelines and various te...chnical documents, it aims to provide a standardised, simplified resource for clinical health workers in both the public and private sectors in Ethiopia. The manual aims to provide clinical health workers in both the public and private sectors in Ethiopia with a standardised, simplified resource.
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The Strategic Malaria Communication Guide for Central America is intended to facilitate the shift from malaria control to elimination by strengthening communication and advocacy initiatives throughout the region. Based on interviews and a review of literature, the guide offers National Malaria Progr...ammes (NMPs) recommendations on messaging, target audiences, communication channels and advocacy strategies. The guide's primary goals are to raise awareness of malaria elimination, encourage long-term commitment from decision-makers and mobilise sustainable resources. The guide outlines two strategic objectives: (1) creating a shared understanding of the long-term requirements for malaria elimination, including funding, surveillance and multi-sectoral engagement, and (2) expanding support among public, private and cross-sectoral stakeholders. With malaria cases having already reduced by 88% since 2000, the guide emphasises the importance of maintaining focus and investment in order to fully eliminate the disease and prevent its re-establishment in Central America.
Accessed on 10/06/2025.
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This chapter of the AMP LLIN Mass Campaign Toolkit outlines the strategic communication approaches that are essential before, during and after long-lasting insecticide-treated net (LLIN) distribution campaigns. It emphasises the importance of setting up a national communications sub-committee under ...the leadership of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) and the Ministry of Health (MoH) to coordinate advocacy, social mobilisation and behaviour change communication (BCC). The aim of these three components is to secure political and financial support, mobilise communities, and promote sustained net use through tailored, multi-channel messaging. Effective coordination and planning are critical for successful malaria prevention efforts.
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Thematic brief. This brief highlights the link between climate change and VBDs in Asia Pacific. Using malaria to tell the narrative, it lists key actions that policymakers and the public health community can consider in addressing the impact of a changing climate on health. The brief also includes ...a list of resources that countries can benefit from in planning their response.
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Effective surveillance and monitoring of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors are essential for informing evidence-based public health policies, addressing health inequities, and ensuring progress toward global and regional targets. By tracking trends in NCDs, their modifiable risk... factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol, and air pollution, along with biological risk factors such as overweight and obesity, high blood pressure (hypertension), and elevated blood glucose (diabetes), policymakers can identify emerging threats, target vulnerable populations, allocating resources efficiently. Reliable data also enable countries to evaluate interventions, adjust policies, and strengthen health systems to reduce the burden of NCDs.
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Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) has been an alarming global public health issue. The disease affects mainly poor and marginalized people in low-resource settings and is caused by two subspecies of haemoflagellate parasite, Trypanosoma brucei and transmitted by tsetse flies. Progress made in HAT ...control during the past decade has prompted increasing global dialogue on its elimination and eradication. The disease is targeted by the World Health Organization (WHO) for elimination as a public health problem by 2020 and to terminate its transmission globally by 2030, along-side other Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD). Several methods have been used to control tsetse flies and the disease transmitted by them. Old and new tools to control the disease are available with constraints.
Currently, there are no vaccines available. Efforts towards intervention to control the disease over the past decade have seen considerable progress and remarkable success with incidence dropping progressively, reversing the upward trend of reported cases. This gives credence in a real progress in its elimination. This study reviews various control measures, progress and a highlight of control issues, vector and parasite barriers that may have been hindering progress towards its elimination.
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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases detected and reported in each country is influenced by
many factors including limited access and/or utilization of healthcare and COVID-19 testing, limited
surveillance, lack of knowledge amongst the population about when to seek testing, an asymptomatic pres...entation, and other unknown issues. This is true in all countries of the world, and not Africa specific, however there are factors unique to Africa which may also affect the way the virus behaves there. COVID-19 prevalence data are critical for planning effective mitigation strategies and understandingthe true impact of the disease and relevant intervention measures in Africa, which might be quite different from regions with a different population age distribution or risk factor profile.
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User satisfaction with assistive devices is a predictor of use and an important outcome measure. This study evaluated client satisfaction with prosthetic and orthotic assistive devices and services in three provinces in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Clients were quite satisfied with the as...sistive device and services provided, yet many reported barriers to optimal device use and difficulties in accessing follow-up services. There is a need to examine how prosthetic and orthotic devices can be improved further for better comfort and ambulation on uneven ground in low-resource contexts and to address access barriers.
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The mental health of women not only adversely affects them, but its impact on their
developing infant is also severe. If the ability of women to take care of their baby is
compromised, the survival and development of the infant is jeopardized. Maternal
depression in resource-constrained settings ...is linked directly to lower infant birth
weight, higher rates of malnutrition and stunting, higher rates of diarrhoeal disease,
infectious illness and hospital admission and reduced completion of recommended
schedules of immunization in children. It also adversely affects physical, cognitive,
social, behavioural and emotional development of children (1).
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The manual provides suggestions for implementing the checklist, understanding that different practice settings will adapt it to their own circumstances.
The implementation manual is designed to help ensure that surgical teams are able to implement the checklist consistently. By following a few cri...tical steps, health care professionals can minimize the most common and avoidable risks endangering the lives and well-being of surgical patients
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The scope of this PPC document is to serve as a guide to address the unmet public health need for a PPE system that protects the HW-F in tropical climate
s while caring for patients and providing heavy duty essential health services.
The characteristics described in this guidance are targeted fo...r PPE used in
health clinics, hospitals and communities in low resource settings where there is lack of advanced environmental controls and equipment. The purpose is to ensure harmonization in PPE design and its use to avoid confusion and exacerbating the risk of infections in HW-F. The principles of this PPC document can also be considered in risk reduction strategies
in other healthcare settings.
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Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) has significantly helped in early diagnosis and commencement of specific interventions for diseases control. It also plays a critical role in understanding the disease epidemiology and unraveling the transmission dynamics of the disease. This manual intends to p...rovide primary guidelines to assist health lab personnel in developing countries to establish a PCR diagnostic facility for efficient support to patient care as well as public health actions.
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The WHO Cholera Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) Target Product Profile outlines the key requirements for developing improved cholera RDTs. It highlights the need for fast, accurate, and easy-to-use tests for early outbreak detection in resource-limited settings. The document sets desired and acceptable ...performance criteria, including high sensitivity and specificity, rapid results (under 15 minutes), and usability by non-laboratory personnel. The tests should be affordable, stable in extreme conditions, and require minimal training. The goal is to enhance cholera surveillance and outbreak response, ensuring quick containment and improved public health outcomes.
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Vol. 2: Clinicians' Guide
Clinicians’ Guide is designed to assist busy medical practitioners in the field with patient management by providing current, essential, practical guidance and background, packaged into a single resource
Policy Brief, Updated in March 2017
Key messages
• Sex workers have the right to equal protection under the law, regardless of the legal status of sex work.
• Sex workers have the right to access HIV, sexually transmitted infection (STI) and other health services free from the thr...eat of violence, intimidation, incarceration, and stigma and discrimination.
• Justice and law enforcement sectors, together with the health sector and sex worker communities, should work in partnership to reform relevant legislation, policies and practices.
• Capacity development of all partners is critical to the success of the HIV response among sex workers.
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