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Publication Years
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Toolboxes
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The objective of this concept note and the framework it outlines is the elimination of a group of CDs and the negative health effects they generate, which together create a tangible burden on affect
...
ed individuals, their families and communities, and on health care systems throughout the Region. Though there is no unified consensus on the best measures to use for the public’s health and a nation’s epidemiologic situation, it is common for the disease burden to be measured by disease rates (incidence, prevalence, etc.), disease-specific death rates, comparative morbidity and mortality rates, geographic distribution, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). The current epidemiological situation, including data on disease rates or geographic distribution for the diseases in Table 1, is discussed below in Section 4. Hotez et al. (2008) were the first to review and compare the burden of DALYs in Latin America and the Caribbean—for NTDs, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB—as it existed about 10 years ago. Though the regional burden of TB, malaria, and neglected infectious diseases (NIDs) is somewhat less than it was 10 years ago, work (and schooling) continue to be lost to illness and premature death or disability, and the need for stepping up disease elimination efforts is evident in all communities living in vulnerable conditions....
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This guide provides strategic direction for host countries, event organizers, health authorities, and key stakeholders to effectively plan and cond
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uct Simulation Exercises (SimEx) and After Action Reviews (AARs) for mass gathering events. Packed with practical tools, it empowers users to seamlessly integrate these activities into ongoing learning and emergency risk management processes. Aligned with the International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005), the guide serves as a critical resource for strengthening global and national health resilience, ensuring safer and more prepared mass gatherings.
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The goal of the United States Government for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in Mozambique is to support country efforts to achieve epidemic
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control by 2020 through evidence-based policies and interventions to drive progress and save
lives. This document details PEPFAR's operational plan in Mozambique.
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WHO guideline on contact tracing
recommended
This practical guideline establishes definitions for “contact”, “contact person”, “contact tracing” and other associated concepts. It allows f
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or improvement of contact tracing strategies and provides recommendations attempting to answer some, though not all, questions that arose during the 2019 coronavirus pandemic and other outbreaks. The use of this guideline begins once people have been diagnosed and the potential for transmission exists. It is not, however, intended to assist with case investigation. The guideline empowers health workers, governments, and public health officials with the tools to implement effective contact tracing strategies.
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Psoriasis, which can involve the skin, nails and joints, is a chronic, painful, disfiguring and disabling noncommunicable disease (NCD)
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for which there is no cure. It negatively impacts on quality of life. Some of those who suffer from the disease develop chronic, inflammatory arthritis (psoriatic arthritis) that leads to joint deformations and disability. People with psoriasis are also reported to be at increased risk of developing other serious clinical conditions such as cardiovascular and other NCDs
more
Effective Ebola risk communication requires respect and transparency and remains as vital
as ever. An assessment of changing communication needs and
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preferences in Beni, North Kivu.
In the second year of the current Ebola outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), people at risk still don’t have clear answers to their questions about the disease in a language they understand. Many local health communicators are themselves confused about the disease prevention and treatment measures they promote. The language, content, and form of communication about Ebola affect how far people understand, trust and act upon it.
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Uganda is Africa's largest refugee-hosting country and ranks fifth globally. Over the decades, Uganda has hosted refugees from nations including South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Burundi,
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and Rwanda. As of early 2024, it hosts 1 600 000 refugees, primarily in refugee settlements in northern and southwestern Uganda, and in Kampala City. Thirteen districts accommodate 94% of these refugees.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and Uganda’s Ministry of Health conducted a joint review mission to provide a comprehensive overview of the health system's response. The aim was to understand service delivery challenges and identify opportunities to further support Uganda in strengthening health system capacity and ensuring continued access to health services for refugees, migrants and host communities.
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The report provides a global knowledge base on suicide and suicide attempts as well as actionable steps for countries based on their current resources and
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context to move forward in suicide prevention.
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In this review, the editors will investigate the impact of eight WASH interventions in preventing (reducing the risk of) and controlling outbreaks in LMIC, with particular focus on three diseases of current concern to the response community – chol
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era, Ebola, and Hepatitis E. Additionally, we will explore economic outcomes related to WASH interventions within an outbreak
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The document “Pandemic Planning Response Guide” provides guidance for organizations on how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a pande
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mic. It explains what a pandemic is and emphasizes the importance of advance planning to reduce disruptions to operations. The guide presents a structured response framework based on different pandemic phases—from early alert and pre-pandemic preparation to the active pandemic phase and the recovery period afterward. For each phase, it outlines triggers, strategic actions, and practical tasks organizations should implement, such as establishing communication plans, ensuring business continuity, supporting remote work, managing supply chains, and protecting employee health and safety. In addition, the guide discusses key planning considerations like crisis communication, mental health impacts, transportation disruptions, and workforce management. Overall, the document serves as a practical template to help organizations maintain essential services and adapt their operations during a global health emergency.
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World malaria report 2024
recommended
New data from the WHO reveal that an estimated 2.2 billion cases of malaria and 12.7 million deaths have been averted since 2000, but the disease remains a serious global health threat, particularly
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in the WHO African Region. According to WHO’s latest World malaria report, there were an estimated 263 million cases and 597 000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2023. This represents about 11 million more cases in 2023 compared to 2022, and nearly the same number of deaths. Approximately 95% of the deaths occurred in the WHO African Region, where many at risk still lack access to the services they need to prevent, detect and treat the disease.
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The goal of asthma treatment is to obtain clinical control and reduce future risks to the patient. To reach this goal in children with asthma, ongoing monitoring is essential. While all components o
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f asthma, such as symptoms, lung function, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and inflammation, may exist in various combinations in different individuals, to date there is limited evidence on how to integrate these for optimal monitoring of children with asthma. The aims of this ERS Task Force were to describe the current practise and give an overview of the best available evidence on how to monitor children with asthma.
22 clinical and research experts reviewed the literature. A modified Delphi method and four Task Force meetings were used to reach a consensus.
This statement summarises the literature on monitoring children with asthma. Available tools for monitoring children with asthma, such as clinical tools, lung function, bronchial responsiveness and inflammatory markers, are described as are the ways in which they may be used in children with asthma. Management-related issues, comorbidities and environmental factors are summarised.
Despite considerable interest in monitoring asthma in children, for many aspects of monitoring asthma in children there is a substantial lack of evidence.
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Issue Brief 31: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can occur when viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi change over time. There is no longer a response to medicines, and the infection treatment gets re
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ally difficult which increases the risk of a disesase spread, which can lead to severe health problems. AMR is an increasing threat to global public health worldwide that requires cross-sectional and cross-disciplinary action. It is present in every country and is spurred by several human-made factors, including over- and/or inadequate use of antibiotics, poor hygiene and infection prevention control, and excessive usage of antibiotics outside the health care sector e.g. in life stock production.
more
Tuberculosis (TB) is, and should be, a curable disease; however, each year significant numbers of patients acquire or develop drug-resistant TB, which has a much lower cure rate. Patients with
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drug-resistant TB have a high prevalence of symptoms; hence, staff caring for these patients should have some familiarity with palliative care, so that general palliative care principles are available to all patients. The timely identification, and addressing, of adverse events occurring during the treatment course is considered as general palliative care for those receiving curative treatment. This publication summarizes the general palliative care approach, which is recommended for use in settings and services that occasionally treat palliative care patients, but do not provide palliative care as the main focus of their work. The review focuses on 18 high TB priority countries of the WHO European Region.
more
Globally, the cancer burden is rising, exerting significant strain on
populations and health systems at all levels of income. There are
concerted efforts towards enhancing access to comprehensive
cancer
...
prevention and control initiatives.
more
The internationally recognized criteria for diagnosis of neurocysticercosis include a requirement for neuroimaging techniques, such as computerized tomography (CT)
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and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ideally supported by serology. These facilities are not available in all settings, especially in rural areas of low-income countries, making it difficult to identify and treat patients. Additionally, there is controversy about the role, type and duration of anthelmintic, antiinflammatory and antiepileptic drug (AED) treatments for different forms of neurocysticercosis.
These guidelines were developed to assist health-care providers in appropriate, evidence-based management of parenchymal neurocysticercosis. The guidelines do not address other forms of neurocysticercosis and do not include management of extraparenchymal disease (including cysticerci in the cerebral ventricles or subarachnoid space). The aim of the guidance is to improve decision-making to ensure appropriate patient care and to avoid misdiagnoses and inappropriate treatment of patients with neurocysticercosis.
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Sharing successful strategies from the Eastern Mediterranean Region in mitigating noncommunicable diseases and mentalhealth disorders during the COVID-19pandemic and beyond
World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
(2023)
C_WHO
The "Stories from the field" document by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean shares effective strategies from the Eastern Mediterranean Region for addressing noncommunicable diseas
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es (NCDs) and mental health challenges, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights regional success stories in mitigating NCDs and mental health conditions through innovative, country-specific interventions. The report emphasizes multisectoral collaboration, community engagement, and resilience in public health responses. It aims to inspire further action and knowledge-sharing to enhance health outcomes in challenging settings across the region.
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Rabies is fatal, vaccine-preventable disease responsible for an estimated 59,000 human deaths each year. Most cases are transmitted by dogs, and mo
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st deaths occur in underserved populations in Africa and Asia. Approximately 40% of deaths occur in children.
more
Millennium Development Goal 8E aims for affordable access to essential medicines. Essential medicines, as defined by WHO, are those that “satisfy the health-care needs of the majority of the population”
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and that should therefore “be available at all times in adequate amounts”. However, there is a category of medicines that faces a unique challenge in terms of availability. These are the medicines governed by the international conventions on narcotic and psychotropic substances. “Controlled medicines” is the common definition for pharmaceuticals whose active principles are listed under the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs as amended by the 1972 Protocol, such as morphine and methadone; the 1971 United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances, such as diazepam and buprenorphine; and the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, such as ergometrine and ephedrine. The conventions list substances in “Schedules” according to their different levels of potential for abuse and harm, and the commensurate severity of control measures to be applied by countries.
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The global prevalence, morbidity and mortality related to childhood asthma among children has increased significantly over the last 40 years. Although asthma is recognized as the most common chronic diseas
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e in children, issues of underdiagnosis and undertreatment persist. There are substantial global variations in the prevalence of asthma symptoms in children, with up to 13-fold differences between countries. The rising number of hospital admissions for asthma may reflect an increase in asthma severity, poor disease management and/or the effect of poverty. The financial burden of asthma is relatively high within developed countries (those for which data is available) spending 1 to 2% of their healthcare budget on this condition. Established in 1989, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) attempts to raise awareness about the increasing prevalence of asthma, improve management and reduce the burden of asthma worldwide. Despite global efforts, GINA has not achieved its goal, even among developed nations. There are multiple barriers to reducing the global burden of asthma, including limited access to care and/or medications, and lack of prioritization as a public healthcare priority. In addition, the diversity of healthcare systems worldwide and large differences in access to care require that asthma management guidelines be tailored to local needs.
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