Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights | The present study focuses on inclusive education as a means to realize the universal right to education, including for persons with disabilities. It analyses the relevant provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Per...sons with Disabilities, highlights good practices and discusses challenges and strategies for the establishment of inclusive education systems.
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The article "Asthma in South African adolescents: a time trend and risk factor analysis over two decades" investigates the prevalence and risk factors for asthma in Cape Town adolescents from 2002 to 2017. The study finds that while the overall prevalence of asthma remained similar, the severity of ...the condition increased significantly. Risk factors for asthma and severe cases include smoking, pet exposure, outdoor pollution, and living in informal housing. Despite these trends, underdiagnosis remains a concern, as only one-third of adolescents with current or severe asthma had been formally diagnosed. The article emphasizes the need for better public health strategies to address environmental exposures and improve asthma diagnosis and treatment.
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The Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS) is a platform for global data sharing on antimicrobial resistance worldwide. It has been launched by WHO as part of the implementation of the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The data generated will help to inform n...ational, regional and global decision-making, strategies and advocacy.
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Nurses are key players in health promotion and disease prevention and the backbone of health care systems worldwide. Nurses work on the front lines of disease prevention, health promotion, and health management and are often the unsung heroes in health care facilities and emergency response. Despite... the critical role they play in health care, there is a nursing shortage across the world that will affect the delivery of competent nursing care. This fact sheet highlights key action points for targeted investment in the nursing workforce and calls on Member States to strengthen nursing within the context of their own country efforts. Suggestions for action and strategies for strengthening the nursing workforce in primary health care services are through investment in education, jobs, leadership, and service delivery are provided.
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The document is a UNICEF cholera toolkit designed to support prevention, preparedness, and response to cholera outbreaks. It provides guidance on water sanitation, hygiene, and health education, along with practical tools and resources for managing outbreaks. It is intended for use by UNICEF teams, ...governments, and partners to integrate cholera prevention into development programs and emergency response strategies.
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UNHCR is committed to strengthening programming to prevent, mitigate and respond to sexual and genderbased violence (SGBV) in all operations. In 2018, through funding from Safe from the Start, UNHCR launched a mainstreaming project with the specific objective of supporting UNHCR’s institutionalisa...tion of SGBV prevention, risk mitigation and response. For UNHCR, SGBV mainstreaming refers to the integration of prevention, mitigation, and response strategies across all areas of programming. This proactive and ongoing process of mainstreaming is a shared responsibility whereby all colleagues across all sectors and functional levels must consider SGBV risks and take measures to reduce exposure to identified risks throughout all stages of the operations management cycle. By mainstreaming SGBV prevention, risk mitigation, and response throughout the organisation, each sector increases its own capacity to improve protection outcomes and attain sector-specific standards.
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The World Health Organization organized a Consultation of National Leprosy Programme managers, partners and affected persons to discuss the draft Global Leprosy Strategy, 2021--2030. This virtual event took place from 26 to 30 October 2020. It was attended by more than 450 stakeholders. Contribution...s were shared through 70 presentations made by stake holders from all Regions. The presentations covered the key strategic approaches: global context, challenges in countries, contact tracing and post exposure prophylaxis, disability care, interruption of transmission and elimination of disease, stigma and d iscrimination, research. In addition to numerous comments received through the chat box and by email, the conclusions and recommendations of this Consultation will guide finalizing the post 2020 Global Leprosy Strategy.
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The new WHO recommendations for rabies immunization supersede the 2010 WHO position
on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for rabies. These updated
recommendations are based on new evidence and directed by public health needs that are cost-,
dose- and time-sparing..., while assuring safety and clinical effectiveness. In addition, new guidance on
prudent use of rabies immunoglobulins (RIG) is provided.
The following sections summarize the main points of the updated WHO position as endorsed by the
Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization (SAGE) at its meeting in October 20171. The full
version of the WHO position on rabies vaccines and immunoglobulins will be published in the Weekly
Epidemiological Record2 in April 2018.
Rabies prevention involves two main strategies: (i) dog vaccination to interrupt virus transmission to
humans; and (ii) human vaccination as a series of vaccine administrations before or after an exposure.
Currently, rabies vaccines made from inactivated cell cultures are extremely well tolerated and have no
contraindications.
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28 May 2021
Contact tracing is a key component of a public health response to infectious disease outbreaks. The purpose of this guidance is to reinforce the place of community engagement and participation in the contact tracing process. The guidance and related products articulate best practice pri...nciples for community engagement and how they can be operationalized as part of any community-centred contact tracing strategy. The material provided can stand on its own or be used to complement other documents that support strategies, implementation plans or training and capacity building modules.
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When situations occur in which unwanted events are rightly or wrongly connected with vaccination, they may erode confidence in vaccines and the authorities delivering them. This document presents the scientific evidence behind WHO’s recommendations on building and restoring confidence in vaccines ...and vaccination, both in ongoing work and during crises. The evidence draws on a vast reserve of laboratory research and fieldwork within psychology and communication. It examines how people make decisions about vaccination; why some people are hesitant about vaccination; and the factors that drive a crisis, covering how building trust, listening to and understanding people, building relations, communicating risk and shaping messages to the audiences may mitigate crises. This document provides a knowledge base for stakeholders who develop communication strategies or facilitate workshops on communication and trust-building activities in relation to vaccines and immunization, such as immunization programme units, ministries of health, public relations and health promotion units, vaccine safety communication trainers and immunization advisory bodies.
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This document outlines PAHO’s regional priorities for the year 2023 to sustain and scale up health emergency and humanitarian assistance in the Americas, with a focus on five priority countries currently facing a prolonged humanitarian crisis and recovering from recent acute emergencies: Colombia,... El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of). These goals align with and build on the World Health Organization’s Global Health Emergency Appeal for 2023, its principles, priorities, and strategies.
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Constituting the fourth part of the World Drug Report 2022, this booklet focuses on the market dynamics of various stimulants – cocaine, amphetamines and “ecstasy” – and of NPS.
The first chapter contains an analysis of the global market for cocaine, starting with a review of cocaine supply..., including trends in the cultivation of coca bush and in the manufacture of and trafficking in cocaine at the global level and in the various regions. An analysis of different eradication strategies is included, as well as of the role of women in the cocaine supply chain. The chapter also presents the latest estimates of and trends in cocaine use, including a brief introduction to the various cocaine consumer products. Finally, it reviews the trends in the use of cocaine and the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in different regions
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Interim guidance. 12 May 2021. The Continuity of essential health services: Facility Assessment Tool can be used by countries to rapidly assess the capacity of health facilities to maintain the provision of essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. It can help to alert the authorities ...and other stakeholders about where service delivery and utilization may require modification and/or investment. This assessment tool covers the following aspects of essential health services:
health workforce (numbers, absences, COVID-19 infections, health workforce management, training and support);
financial management and barriers;
service delivery and utilization (facility closures, changes in service delivery, community communication campaigns, changes in service utilization and catch-up strategies);
IPC capacities (protocols, safety measures, guidelines and the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff);
availability of therapeutics, diagnostics and supplies, and vaccine readiness; and
provision of COVID-19 primary care services.
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Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) is the flagship publication of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It is a periodic report that summarizes the latest data on the status and trends of biodiversity and draws conclusions relevant to the further implementation of the Convention.
GBO-5 provi...des global summary of progress towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and is based on a range of indicators, research studies and assessments (in particular the IPBES Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services), as well as the national reports provided by countries on their implementation of the CBD. The national reports provide rich information about the steps taken in countries worldwide in support of biodiversity conservation, sustainable use, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits. This body of Information provides a wealth of information on the successes and challenges in implementing the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and in reaching the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
This Outlook draws on the lessons learned during the first two decades of this century to clarify the transitions needed if we are to realize the vision agreed by world governments for 2050, ‘Living in Harmony with Nature’. You can download the report in several languages
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The article "Economic Burden of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): A Systematic Literature Review" examines the financial impact associated with moderate-to-very severe COPD. The review analyzes studies published between 2006 and 2016 that discuss healthcare resource utilization (HRU), di...rect costs, and indirect costs related to COPD, with a focus on Europe and North America. It highlights that direct costs, including hospitalizations and medical treatments, increase with the severity of COPD and the frequency of exacerbations. Multivariate analyses identify key factors driving these costs, such as comorbidities and prior treatment history. The findings underscore the significant economic burden of COPD on healthcare systems and emphasize the need for improved management strategies to reduce costs and optimize patient care.
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As the Americas undergo profound demographic change and there are more persons aged 65 years or older than children younger than 5 years, it is crucial to recognize that national immunization programs must be redesigned to ensure comprehensive protection for individuals across the lifespan. By adopt...ing a life course approach (LCA) to immunization, vaccination programs can be tailored to close immunity gaps at different stages of life. The life course approach foresees the establishment of multiple strategies to reduce missed opportunities for vaccination according to age group. This technical document explains the key concepts of the LCA with a focus on immunization by vaccination, as well as the underlying biological mechanisms that require the application different vaccines at different life stages according to changes to the immune system and in the epidemiological situation of a community.
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Le panorama du paludisme a profondement changé durant la dernière décénnie. Les financements ont augmenté, les outils permettant de sauver des vies ont été mis en œuvre à plus grande échelle, la charge du paludisme a diminué et un nombre grandissant de pays envisagent son élimination.
C...e cadre actualisé fait le point sur les outils, les activités et les stratégies nécessaires pour atteindre l'élimination du paludisme et empêcher la reprise de la transmission dans les pays, quelle que soit l'étape à laquelle ils se trouvent sur la route menant à l'élimination ou l’intensité de la transmission. Le cadre est destiné à servir de référence pour élaborer des plans stratégiques d’élimination du paludisme au niveau national et doit être adapté aux contextes locaux.
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Oral diseases are among the most common chronic diseases worldwide and constitute a major public health problem due to the huge health and economic burden on individuals, families, societies, and health care systems. The recent emphasis on the role of determinants of health, common risk factors and ...their recognition in the context of the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) provides good opportunities for integrating oral health into NCD prevention and control efforts. This Strategy for oral health in South-East Asia, 2013-2020, presents guidance to Member States in developing national policy and action plans to improve oral health within existing socioeconomic, cultural, political and health system contexts. It expresses the consensus on major strategies in the area of oral health promotion as well as oral disease prevention and control for the South-East Asia Region aiming at reducing the health and socioeconomic burden resulting from oral diseases, reducing oral health inequities, and improving the quality of life of the population.
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Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, health is receiving unprecedented public and political attention. Yet the fact that climate change also presents us with a health crisis deserves further recognition. From more deaths due to heat stress to increased transmission of infectious diseases, ...climate change affects the social and environmental determinants of health in ways that are profound and far-reaching. The fundamental interdependency of human health and the health of the environment is encapsulated in the concept of planetary health, a scientific field and social movement that has been gaining force since the 2015 publication of the Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission report “Safeguarding human health in the Anthropocene epoch”.
We see an urgent need for strategic communication to raise awareness of climate-health synergies in order to overcome the misperception that climate and health are two independent agendas. The fragmented and sector-focused nature of thinking and action remains a significant barrier to integrating health considerations into climate planning and project development. Inevitably, collaboration across sectors requires a community of practice. Despite recent efforts focused on the climate-health nexus, much work remains to be done to translate scientific findings for policymakers, mobilise climate financing resources in support of health co-benefits, and promote genderjust solutions within climate change projects.
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Deuxième d’une série consacrée à la prévention de la thrombose associée au cancer (Cancer-Associated Thrombosis, ou CAT en anglais), le présent article a pour but d’améliorer l’enseignement aux patients et leur état de santé. Le premier article, intitulé « Importance de la thromboe...mbolie veineuse liée au cancer », expliquait la pathologie ainsi que les lacunes cernées dans les connaissances des patients atteints de cancer (Sardo, Bayadinova, Jenkins et Penton, 2021). Il mettait en lumière le fait que ces patients reçoivent très peu d’information sur le risque de thromboembolie veineuse (TEV). Les stratégies proposées dans le présent article visent à sensibiliser les patients atteints de cancer à la TEV, à fournir des outils d’enseignement aux patients et, en fin de compte, à réduire le fardeau de la thrombose associée au cancer.
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