BMC Infectious Diseases volume 23, Article number: 342 (2023).
Tuberculosis (TB) is among the leading causes of death globally. The disease has a huge burden in Namibia, with a case notification rate of at least 442 per 100,000. To date, Namibia is among the countries with the highest global TB bur...den, despite all efforts to reduce it. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with the unsuccessful treatment outcomes of the Directly Observed Therapy Short course (DOTS) programme in the Kunene and Oshana regions.
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This video provides an overview of how a virus spreads, invades the body’s cells, and results in symptoms, as well as how a vaccine works to use the body’s natural immune response to protect us from these germs.
Specific attention is paid to the unique aspects of the COVID-19 virus, the mRNA va...ccine, the vaccine variations and boosters that are a source of confusion.
This video is part of our Supporting Vaccination Toolkit for Community Health Workers (CHWs). This free digital toolkit is designed to increase the self-efficacy and effectiveness of CHWs in conducting vaccine outreach in communities, ultimately increasing vaccination rates.
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This video focuses on acknowledgement of the stresses and experience of CHWs and the importance of self-care. Healthful coping strategies and daily self-care practices are covered, including resources for support.
This video is part of our Supporting Vaccination Toolkit for Community Health Worker...s (CHWs). This free digital toolkit is designed to increase the self-efficacy and effectiveness of CHWs in conducting vaccine outreach in communities, ultimately increasing vaccination rates.
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PLOS Glob Public Health 3(7): e0001132. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001132. This paper therefore proposes a framework for strategic communications for malaria governance that involves five key elements: knowing the audience, defining the message, designing a medium, identifying a messenger..., and selecting the timing.
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Eur J Med Res 28, 80 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-023-01046-1. Africa has a higher burden of malaria-related cases and deaths globally. Children under five accounted for over two-thirds of all malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This scoping review aims to map evidence of the preva...lence, contextual factors and health education interventions of malaria amongst children under 5 years (UN5) in SSA.
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Diabetes is an increasingly prevalent yet under-recognised health crisis in Africa, driven by demographic and socioeconomic transitions. In 2021, 24 million adults in the region were living with diabetes, and this figure is expected to increase by 129% by 2045.
Heliyon 2023 Oct 20;9(11):e21286. doi: 10.1016/heliyon.2023.e21286. This study conducted a systematic review of observational, community-based studies from 2013 to 2022, aiming to estimate the prevalence of prediabetes and its associated risk factors within the adult East African population. Twenty...-one studies were analysed, revealing an overall prediabetes prevalence of 12.58%.
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Asthma is a common breathing condition. Chances are that at least one in every fifth person will have it. People with asthma might have a cough, or wheeze and a feeling of tightness in their chests. A group of researchers from the United Kingdom teamed up with seven African countries to learn about ...the challenges that children living with asthma in Africa face. One part of their research focuses on air pollution specifically. This research indicates ways to deal with asthma triggers and help more people understand asthma and enjoy a normal active life.
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The Country Cooperation Strategy is the World Health Organization (WHO)’s reference for country work guiding planning and resource allocation through alignment with national health priorities and harmonization with other development partners. It clarifies roles and functions of WHO in supporting t...he national strategic plan for health through the Sector-Wide Approach and Malawi Growth and Development Strategy II. The Country Cooperation Strategy is based on a systematic assessment of the recent national achievements, emerging health needs,
challenges, government policies and expectations. An evaluation of the previous CCS was conducted and jointly discussed with the Ministry of Health as well as other key stakeholders. This process led to the identification of the, achievements, challenges and shortfalls of the previous CCS. Through this process the areas where WHO needed to focus on were also identified. The CCS development has also been done in parallel with the formulation of the new Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP) to ensure that there is a linkage between the two.
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On 16 February 2022, Malawi received confirmation of Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1) from an acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) case in Lilongwe.
In 2022, WFP continued to implement its Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2017-2023 in Namibia, contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2 (Zero Hunger) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Through WFP’s projects in 2022, a total of 32,610 people were reached, which is ne...arly 10 per cent of the total population experiencing limited or uncertain access to adequate food.
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The Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP)—locally known in Chichewa as Mtukula Pakhomo—is a non-conditional critical safety net for the most vulnerable, ultra-poor Malawians. By providing monthly cash transfers to over 1.3 million people annually, this programme helps ultra-poor families to meet... their basic needs and build resilience, with the ultimate goal of building human capital and moving them out of poverty.
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In Malawi, the national Social Cash Transfer Programme provides unconditional monthly cash payments to the most vulnerable and ultra-poor households.
750,000 people are estimated to be food insecure. This number may magnify as households continue to recover from impacts of COVID-19.
Over 63% of household surveys were responded to by female heads and 37.5% of the Key informant respondents were women. Women and children continue to be more dispr...oportionally affected by the drought than men.
Communities continue to develop negative coping strategies as drought conditions persist.
Increase in nomadic and cross border population movements. Over 1,792 Angolan nationals were repatriated from Namibia in January 2022 whilst others remain integrated in the Namibian communities.
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Hypertension is the leading preventable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and disability globally. In low- and middle-income countries hypertension has a major social impact, increasing the disease burden and costs for national health systems. The present call to action aims to stimulate all A...frican countries to adopt several solutions to achieve better hypertension management. The following 3 goals should be achieved in Africa by 2030: (1) 80% of adults with high blood pressure in Africa are diagnosed; (2) 80% of diagnosed hypertensives, that is, 64% of all hypertensives, are treated; and (3) 80% of treated hypertensive patients are controlled. To achieve these aims, we call on individuals and organizations from government, private sector, health care, and civil society in Africa and indeed on all Africans to undertake a few specific high priority actions. The aim is to improve the detection, diagnosis, management, and control of hypertension, now considered to be the leading preventable killer in Africa.
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An interdisciplinary approach to address global health challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, loss of biodiversity, human migration has been framed by the One Health approach. This approach is promoted at global level by the Tripartite of the World Health Organisation, the World A...nimal Health Organisation, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, recently joint by the United National Environment Program to form the Quadripartite. The German government through its Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development supports this approach with its One Health strategy and investment in several technical cooperation projects.
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There has been a rapid expansion of cash-based, social protection programmes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in recent years as Governments increasingly realise the enormous benefits cash transfers offer (World Bank, 2018). In fact, as an investment in human capital and inclusive economic development, ...social protection is arguably one of the most efficient uses of Government resources and “one of the smartest investments that policymakers can support” (Cummins, 2021).
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As Uganda builds back from the COVID-19 shock, the Ugandan government is strengthening its commitment to a more gender-inclusive and sustainable economy. This report supports these efforts by describing the gendered impacts of COVID-19 and provides recommendations for Ugandan policy makers and World... Bank Group operations to ensure women’s participation in an inclusive and sustainable recovery. It presents gender-disaggregated data from three main sources: high-frequency phone surveys that track the impacts of the COVID-19 shock: one of Ugandan nationals conducted in June and one of refugees conducted in November 2020; interviews with 28 representatives of government institutions, development partners, and women’s organizations in Kampala and in rural areas; and a review of relevant policy and gray literature on climate change, the green economy, and women’s economic empowerment.
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Dolutegravir HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) data from Africa remain sparse. We reviewed HIVDR results of Malawians on
dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy (November 2020– September 2021). Of 6462 eligible clients, 33 samples were submitted to South Africa, 27 were sequenced successfully, and 8 ...(30%) had dolutegravir HIVDR. Malawi urgently requires adequate HIVDR testing capacity.
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