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Health effects of particulate matter

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2013) C_WHO

This paper summarizes the evidence about the health effects of air pollution from particulate matter and their implications for policy-makers, with the aim of stimulating the development of more effective strategies to reduce air pollution and its health effects in the countries of eastern Europe,... more

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Interim Briefing Note - Addressing Mental Health and Psychosocial Aspects of COVID-19 Outbreak - Version 1.5

IASC Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings; OCHA Services (2020) C2

February 2020

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The cost of inaction on health equity and its social determinants

Yerramilli P., Chopra M., Rasanathan K. BMJ Global Health (2024) CC

Rising levels of inflation, debt and macrofiscal tightening are putting expenditures on the social sectors including health under immense scrutiny. Already, there are worrying signs of reductions in social sector investments. However, even before the pandemic, evidence showed the significant returns... more

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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

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Health for All – transforming economies to deliver what matters: Final report of the WHO Council on the Economics of Health for All

World Health Organization (WHO) (2023) CC

The Council was established in late 2020 by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Director-General, WHO) to provide new economic thinking – reassessing how health and wellbeing are valued, produced and distributed across the economy. An all-female group of 10 distinguished economists and area experts, t... more

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A healthy return: Investment case for a sustainably financed WHO

World Health Organization (WHO) (2022) CC

There has never been a more critical moment to invest in WHO, and strengthen the unique role it plays in global health. Now is the time to sustainably finance WHO and invest in a healthy return for all.

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Health Taxes in the Polycrisis Era

Klemperer K., Baker P. Center for Global Development (2024) CC

In 2019, the Task Force on Fiscal Policy for Health concluded that taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages were a highly effective but greatly underused policy tool to reduce consumption, save lives, and raise domestic resources. The Task Force estimated that if all countries increa... more

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Irreplaceable, effective, affordable, responsible: Why ODA is crucial for global health

Tilman Rüppel and Joachim Rüppel medmissio (2025) CC

This publication uses graphics to explain the importance of development cooperation in general and for health in particular. Financial contributions in the context of development cooperation have proven to be indispensable, effective, affordable and responsible in recent decades.

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Health Information System Strategic Plan 2008-2015

Department of Planning and Health Information, Ministry of Health Cambodia (2008) CC

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WHO clinical consortium on healthy ageing 2023

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2024) C_WHO

The 2023 meeting of the WHO Clinical Consortium on Healthy Ageing (CCHA) was the group’s ninth gathering and took place in Geneva 5–7 December 2023. The meeting was structured around seven panels, with a series of technical presentations, plenary discussions and group work, and a final session o... more

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Strengthening the collection, analysis and use of health workforce data and information: a handbook

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

Access to health workers who are fit for purpose, motivated and protected is a fundamental force of health service delivery and the achievement of universal health coverage and the health and health-related Sustainable Development Goals. Data and knowledge of the distribution, skill mix and future d... more

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Inequalities in public health care delivery in Zambia

Jane Phiri and John E Ataguba (2014) CC

International Journal for Equity in Health 2014, 13:24

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Handbook for public health capacity-building at ground crossings and cross-border collaboration

World Health Organization WHO (2020) C1

This handbook follows a comprehensive approach to health system strengthening at borders in order to support IHR national focal points and other national agencies in developing and implementing evidence-based action plans for IHR capacity development at ground crossings. The approach includes the mo... more

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Chapter 17 Environmental, Health and Equity Effects of Urban Green Space Interventions

Hunter, R.F.; Cleary A. , Braubach M. (2019) CC

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Learning from practice: case studies of health in strategic environmental assessment and environmental impact assessment across the WHO European Region

World Health Organization WHO World Health Organization WHO (2022) C_WHO

Health is routinely considered in strategic environmental assessment (‎SEA)‎ and environmental impact assessment (‎EIA)‎, following requirements of European Union directives and the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Trans... more

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Action on the Social Determinants of Health: learning from previous experiences.

Irwin A, Scali E World Health Organization (2010) C_WHO

Social Determinants of Health Discussion Paper 1 (Debates). This paper was prepared for the launch of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) by its secretariat based at WHO in Geneva. It was discussed by the Commissioners and then revised considering their input.

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Fostering Health Systems’ Monitoring to Better Serve Older Populations

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

The chapter Fostering Health Systems’ Monitoring to Better Serve Older Populations is part of the publication series entitled Decade of Healthy Aging: Situation and Challenges. The publications are designed to favor the prioritization of effective actions at the local level as well as the monitori... more

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Health Sector Supply Chain Strategy and Implementation Plan (2015-2017)

Ministry of Health, Zambia (2015) C1

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Retention of health workers in rural Sierra Leone: findings from life histories

Haja R. Wurie, Mohamed Samai and Sophie Witter, Human Resources for Health (2016) C1

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Health Care Waste Management Policy for Ghana

Ministry of Health Ghana (2020) CC

Ghana's attempt to regulate health care waste management started in 2002 with the development of guidelines on health care waste manage-ment by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 2006, the Ministry of Health developed the health care waste policy and guidelines. This guidance document im... more