Vaccines are powerful weapons in the fight against pandemic viruses as shown by responses to both the 2009 H1N1 influenza and the COVID-19 pandemics. However, planning for accessing, allocating and deploying vaccines in a pandemic situation is a complex endeavour, beset with multiple challenges at a...ll levels – local, regional and global. The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners have prepared this revised guidance document to assist countries update their national deployment and vaccination plans (NDVPs) by leveraging global learnings from past pandemic responses, including the recent COVID-19 vaccination effort. The development and testing of a NDVP would not only advance pandemic preparedness efforts but would also have benefits in terms of increasing national capabilities to manage other health emergencies which require emergency vaccination campaigns.
more
2014
Addendum to meeting report: Regional consultation on HIV epidemiologic information in Latin America and the Caribbean
14 de setembro de 2020Este Modelo de Valores fornece orientações globais para alocação de vacinas contra a COVID-19 entre os países, e orientações nacionais de priorização de grupos para vacinação dentro dos países em caso de oferta limitada. O Modelo destina-se a auxiliar os elaboradore...s de políticas públicas e assessores especializados nos âmbitos global, regional e nacional nas decisões sobre alocação e priorização de vacinas contra a COVID-19. Este documento foi endossado pelo Grupo Consultivo Estratégico de Especialistas em Imunização
more
The WHO health advisory provides guidance to countries on adapting all existing preparedness and response plans and procedures for natural hazards such as cyclones, tropical storms, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and potential outbreaks of other diseases to their existing COVID-19 strategic prepared...ness and response plans. It advises countries to sustain all established public health and social measures to prevent and control COVID-19 while simultaneously preparing for responding to and effectively manage other disaster risks and events. It highlights WHO’s call for local, national, regional and global solidarity to support countries and communities with high levels of vulnerability to natural hazards during the COVID-19 pandemic.
more
2nd edition.
Like the original, this second edition of the guidance aims to inform the revision of existing national guidelines and standards for managing Tuberculosis (TB), many of which include guidance on children. It includes recommendations, based on the best available evidence, for improving ...the management of children with TB and of children living in families with TB. National and regional TB control programmes may wish to adapt these recommendations according to local circumstances
more
To complement the Global Strategy progress reporting, this report provides a detailed look at country leadership and action toward the Every Newborn National Milestones by 2020. Countries have taken the initiative to show the way forward and have demonstrated significant progress. As part of monitor...ing this progress, countries have adopted the Every Newborn Tracking Tool. This report presents a compilation of the data collated by the Every Newborn Tracking Tool in 2016, when 51 countries adopted the tool; it also spotlights examples of specific country activity for each National Milestone. Finally, Global Milestones for 2020 were part of the Every Newborn Action Plan to guide global and regional work in support of country efforts and this report highlights relevant progress towards those Global Milestones.
more
Every year, millions of patients are affected by infections transmitted during their stay in a health-care facility, where resistant germs are often transferred via the hands of health workers. Resistance to antimicrobials reduces or impedes the effectiveness of any treatment for the prevention and ...cure of infections. Hand hygiene is the most effective intervention to reduce transmission of infections and resistant germs. The World Health Organization recommends the 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene. Watch this video produced by WHO's Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean to learn more about Hand Hygiene and the WHO 5 moments !
more
Technical Update
Areas of Africa endemic for Buruli ulcer (BU), caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, also have a high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with adult prevalence rates between 1% and 5% (Maps). However, there is limited information on the prevalence of BU–HIV coinfection.... Preliminary
evidence suggests that HIV infection may increase the risk of BU disease (1–3). In the Médecins Sans Frontières project in Akonolinga, Cameroon, HIV prevalence was approximately 3–6 times higher among BU patients than the regional estimated HIV prevalence (2). Similarly in Benin and Ghana, BU
patients were 8 times and 3 times respectively more likely to have HIV infection than those without BU (1, 3). Further study is needed to clarify this association and enhance knowledge about the prevalence ofBU–HIV coinfection in endemic areas.
more
En su condición de departamento técnico de la OMS para el paludismo, al Programa Mundial sobre Malaria le corresponde una importante función de liderazgo de la respuesta mundial. Por medio de sus acciones directas y su red, tiene la capacidad de conformar el ecosistema de la respuesta al paludism...o y lograr un impacto a nivel de los países. Teniendo esto en cuenta, el Programa Mundial sobre Malaria ha elaborado una estrategia operativa en la que se exponen sus prioridades para el periodo 2024-2030 y las cuatro palancas estratégicas para controlar y eliminar el paludismo que son parte esencial del mandato del Programa: normas y criterios, nuevos instrumentos e innovación, información estratégica para generar impacto, y liderazgo. La estrategia describe el modo en que el Programa Mundial sobre Malaria se transformará también por medio de una colaboración más eficaz con otros programas, con las oficinas regionales y en los países, y con los asociados, tomando como guía las enseñanzas extraídas del Decimotercer Programa General de Trabajo (13.º PGT) de la OMS y las prioridades del 14.º PGT.
more
The presentation titled "Malaria Capacity Building Initiative" outlines efforts led by the WHO and partner organizations to strengthen the skills and systems needed to fight malaria globally. It highlights the need for a coordinated, long-term strategy to build human resource capacity in malaria-end...emic countries—especially among national malaria control programs, frontline health workers, NGOs, and WHO staff. The document reviews past and current training activities, such as workshops on case management, entomology, vector control, epidemiology, and planning. It emphasizes the development of standardized training materials and competency frameworks, the role of national and regional training centers, and the use of blended learning methods (e.g., e-learning and in-person sessions). The goal is not just to deliver training, but to build sustainable capacity through partnerships, continuous improvement, quality assurance, and integration into health systems. It also calls for better coordination, tracking of trained personnel, and engagement of ministries of finance to ensure long-term support.
more
This publication provides an overview of the rehabilitation landscape in Armenia as of 1 November 2022. It summarizes notable accomplishments, identifies requirements and highlights opportunities for improvement within the rehabilitation sector in Armenia. The assessment was carried out under the gu...idance of the Ministry of Health of Armenia, along with its Health Care Policy Department. Technical assistance was provided by the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the WHO Country Office in Armenia.
more
El resumen ejecutivo del Informe de la OMS sobre la situación mundial de la salud bucodental presenta una instantánea de los datos más recientes sobre las principales enfermedades bucodentales, los factores de riesgo, los retos para los sistemas de salud y las oportunidades de reforma. La clara c...onclusión del informe es que la situación de la salud bucodental a nivel mundial es alarmante y requiere una acción urgente. El informe servirá de referencia para los responsables de la formulación de políticas y permitirá a un amplio abanico de partes interesadas de diferentes sectores orientar su labor de promoción hacia una mejor priorización de la salud bucodental en los contextos mundial, regional y nacional. Además, el informe proporciona, como un recurso en línea separado, los primeros perfiles nacionales de salud bucodental para los 194 Estados Miembros de la OMS, lo que da una visión única de las áreas y los marcadores clave de la salud bucodental que son relevantes para los responsables de la adopción de decisiones.
more
El objetivo general del marco es apoyar a la OMS y a los Estados Miembros en lo relativo a la participación significativa de las personas con enfermedades no transmisibles y afecciones de salud mental y neurológicas con vistas a la creación conjunta y la mejora de políticas, programas y servicio...s que les afectan. Este marco contribuirá a avanzar en la comprensión, el conocimiento y las medidas adoptadas sobre la participación significativa y los enfoques participativos conexos a partir de una base empírica en evolución. En él se ofrece orientación práctica y medidas para pasar de la intención a la acción y hacer realidad la participación significativa. El objetivo del marco es orientar a quienes trabajan en la OMS y en los Estados Miembros para hacer realidad la participación significativa de las personas con experiencia vivida. La OMS promoverá, brindará asistencia técnica y pondrá en marcha el marco en sus tres niveles (Sede, oficinas regionales y oficinas en los países) y apoyará a los Estados Miembros en la aplicación a nivel nacional mediante los procesos y procedimientos establecidos.
more
The Roadmap towards ending TB among children and adolescents, third edition builds on the 2013 and 2018 versions. The 2023 version recognizes the progress made over the past five years and outlines priorities and key actions designed to accelerate progress towards the targets elaborated during the 2...023 United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the fight against TB. Implementation of these key actions at the global, regional, national and sub-national levels is expected to find and treat more children and adolescents with tuberculosis (TB) disease or TB infection, to prevent TB, to improve treatment outcomes and prevent TB-associated disability. The 2023 Roadmap retains the strong focus on TB in children, while also emphasizing the importance of addressing TB among adolescents, and for the first time, among pregnant and post-partum women.
more
This publication articulates the WHO Botswana Country Office’s focus and investment needs for the biennium 2022–2023, building on achievements, networks, and partnerships fostered in 2020-2021.
As the leading health authority within the United Nations system in Botswana, the WHO Country Offi...ce has been at the forefront of supporting the government to improve health since 1996. The WHO Country Office supports the Ministry of Health in realizing the health goals the Government of Botswana defines. Acknowledging that as an upper middle-income country, Botswana provides the bulk of its resources for implementing health programmes, the WHO directly brings technical expertise to the table by collaborating with relevant partners. Where the country office has limitations in terms of human resources with the requisite expertise to answer the country’s needs, the regional level and headquarters of the WHO will be mobilized to provide the necessary support.
more
Infertility is a disease of the male or female reproductive system defined by the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Understanding the magnitude of infertility is critical for developing appropriate interventions, for monitoring access t...o quality fertility care, and for mitigating risk factors for and consequences of infertility.
The objective of this report is to provide estimates of the global and regional prevalence of infertility by analyzing all relevant and representative studies from 1990 to 2021, taking into account different study approaches. This report also provides insight into how the estimation of infertility prevalence can be improved to obtain more reliable and actionable data. These estimates improve the understanding of the burden of infertility, and provide a basis for appropriate policies and services to achieve universal access to fertility care for all.
more
To assess national-level responses to NCDs, WHO has implemented NCD country capacity surveys periodically since 2001. This report is the latest in that series. Since the first survey round, the NCD Country Capacity Survey (NCD CCS) has been conducted a further seven times, most recently in 2021. In ...the survey, completed by the NCD focal point within each country’s ministry of health or similar agency, countries are asked to report on the following topics relating to NCDs: (i) public health infrastructure, partnerships and multisectoral collaboration; (ii) policies, strategies and action plans; (iii) health information systems and surveillance; (iv) health system capacity for detection, treatment and care; and, added for 2021, (v) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on NCD-related resources and activities. The questionnaire is web-based and requires supporting documentation wherever possible. In the 2021 round, data were collected from May onwards, with the last survey responses arriving in September. Validation was carried out by WHO regional offices and WHO headquarters. Country responses to previous rounds of the survey were incorporated into the analysis to assess progress since 2010. Although all 194 Member States responded to the survey, data comparisons were restricted to the 160 countries that had responded to all rounds of the survey since 2010.
more
Building on the 2021 Interim guidance, this second version and update, incorporates the lessons and feedback from the hepatitis pilots that successfully demonstrated the feasibility of measuring hepatitis B and C impact targets to demonstrate elimination, whilst highlighting challenges caused by hig...h disease burden in some countries, as well as delays in reaching mortality targets due to the long natural history of disease progression to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
The path to elimination provides a framework with 3 levels of achievements for which WHO certification is available. Each stepwise progression from bronze to silver to gold tiers will promote an iterative expansion of prevention, diagnosis and treatment services for viral hepatitis services and strengthen measurement systems to support attainment of the 2030 elimination goals.
This updated version also includes changes, clarifications and new guidance on alternative measurement approaches for country validation of elimination. Through the validation process, WHO and partners continue to provide country support for strengthening health system capacity and patient-centred services that respect and protect the human rights of people living with viral hepatitis and ensures meaningful engagement of communities in the national, regional and global viral hepatitis response.
more
When you hear, read, or watch news about an outbreak of an infectious disease such as Ebola, you may feel anxious and show signs of stress—even when the outbreak affects people far from where you live and you are at low or no risk of getting sick. These signs of stress are normal, and may be more ...likely or pronounced in people with loved ones in parts of the world affected by the outbreak. In the wake of an infectious disease outbreak, monitor your own physical and mental health. Know the signs of stress in yourself and your loved ones. Know how to relieve stress, and know when to get help.
more
Challenges and Opportunities. This report presents a comprehensive assessment of the education and labor markets for nurses in the ECSA region. It documents the main challenges to train and deploy nurses and discusses opportunities for government and private sector employers to overcome these chall...enges. The report provides empirical evidence to support the expansion of nursing education within the region with a focus on private sector engagement, effective labor market regulation, and regional collaboration. A regional focus for investment may be necessary to create enough potential deals, reduce individual country and regulatory risks, encourage good private institutions to move across borders within the region, and seek to create regional standards for regulation.
more