Many determinants are known to affect brain health at different stages of life. The position paper provides a conceptual framework for what brain health is and how brain health can be optimized throughout life with actions across the following clusters of determinants: physical health, healthy envir...onments, safety and security, learning and social connection, and access to quality services. Optimizing brain health can not only reduces the prevalence and burden of neurological disorders, but also improve mental and physical health overall and create positive social and economic impacts, all of which contribute to greater well-being and help advance society, irrespective of the presence or absence of disorders.
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This document synthesizes key elements of the World Health Organization (WHO) normative guidance on health policy and system support for community health worker (CHW) programmes and their application for HIV programmes. Building on relevant elements of HIV guidelines, tools and evidence identified b...y experts, it provides recommendations on tasks and roles that can be performed by CHWs (including for HIV), identifies the policy and system supports to optimize CHW performance, and gives examples of best practice. Its purpose is to inform the optimal design and delivery of CHW programmes targeting – either specifically or as part of a broader approach – the scale-up and sustainability of HIV services.
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he WHO South-East Region in 2019 accounted for nearly a million missing TB patients from the estimated incidence. Active case-finding (ACF) or systematic screening for tuberculosis is an important tool to reach out to missing TB patients. When appropriately implemented, the activity is cost effectiv...e, helps to reduce diagnosis and treatment delays, and prevents the spread of the disease. This document presents an analysis of published ACF studies from the Region. It can be used by Member States for effective planning, implementation and monitoring of these activities.
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Eaton JW et al. Journal of the International AIDS Society 2019, 22(S1):e25237 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jia2.25237/full | https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.25237
Supplement Article
www.jaids.com J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Volume 78, Supplement 1, August 15, 2018
This strategy was developed to further support countries in their efforts to strengthen their capacity to implement key interventions to optimize their RHIS, enabling the monitoring and delivery of Health Care Services, especially Primary Health Care (PHC). The strategy proposes principles for integ...rated, interoperable, evidence-informed, aligned and partnership-based RHIS through five strategic goals with measurable interventions.
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As the global community aims to fulfill its commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the achievement of universal health coverage, dozens of countries have committed to the expansion of community health workers (CHWs) as the front line of their healthcare systems [1, 2]. Robust resea...rch demonstrates CHWs improve access to care, reduce maternal, newborn, and child mortality, improve clinical outcomes for chronic diseases, and prevent disease outbreaks [3].
To support the operationalization of quality CHW program design and implementation, USAID, UNICEF, the Community Health Impact Coalition, and Initiatives Inc. have updated and adapted the Community Health Worker Assessment and Improvement Matrix (CHW AIM) Program Functionality Matrix [12]. This tool can be used to identify design and implementation gaps in both small- and national-scale CHW programs, and close gaps in policy and practice.
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Over one third of all deaths in Kenya in 2019 were attributed to NCDs (Vos et al., 2020). The four major NCDs – CVDs, cancer,
diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases – accounted for 57% of these deaths. Furthermore, the direct and indirect economic
impact of NCDs is significant- Kenya is sai...d to have lost Ksh 230 billion or 3.4% of its gross domestic product in 2016 from rising
NCD-related medical costs and indirect productivity losses. At the household level, an estimated decrease of 28.6% in income
due to NCDs was reported in 2007 (Mwai & Muriithi, 2016; Mensah et al., 2020). Therefore, preventing and managing NCDs are
significant public health and economic priorities.
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For the purpose of this document, Interprofessional is defined as: Multiple health disciplines with diverse knowledge and skills who share an integrated set of goals and who utilize interdependent collaboration that involves communication, sharing of knowledge and coordination of services to provide... services to patients/clients and their care-giving systems. This best practice guideline, Developing and Sustaining Interprofessional Health Care: Optimizing patients/clients, organizational, and system outcomes is intended to foster healthy work environments. The focus in developing this guideline was identifying attributes of interprofessional care that will optimize quality outcomes for patients/clients, providers, teams, the organization and the system. This guideline identifies best practices to enable, enhance and sustain teamwork and interprofessional collaboration, and to enhance positive outcomes for patients/clients, systems and organizations. It is based on the best available evidence; where evidence was limited, the recommendations were based on the consensus of expert opinion.
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Guidelines on optimising oxygen use and ventilatory support in critically ill patients with COVID-19 (updated on 11/06/2021)
Global actions to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR) include optimising the use of antimicrobial medicines in human and animal health. In countries with weak healthcare regulation, this requires a greater understanding of the drivers of antibiotic use from the perspective of providers and consume...rs. In Bangladesh, there is limited research on household decision-making and healthcare seeking in relation to antibiotic use and consumption for humans and livestock. Knowledge is similarly lacking on factors influencing the supply and demand for antibiotics among qualified and unqualified healthcare providers. The aim of this study is to conduct integrated research on household decision-making for healthcare and antibiotic use, as well as the awareness, behaviours and priorities of healthcare providers and sellers of antibiotics to translate into policy development and implementation
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The NICE guideline on antimicrobial prescribing for acute exacerbations of COPD provides recommendations for optimizing antibiotic use to treat exacerbations effectively while minimizing the risk of antimicrobial resistance. It includes criteria for assessing the need for antibiotics, guidance on se...lecting antibiotics, and considerations for reassessment and follow-up care.
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Antibiotic resistance has been recognized as a major global health threat and optimizing prescribing is one of the most effective measures to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics. The quality of prescribing depends mostly on those prescribers belonging to clinical medical specialties... having direct contact with patients. These doctors, who comprise the majority of antibiotic prescribers,undergo long-term undergraduate and postgraduate training that shapes their professional knowledge and behaviour
J Antimicrob Chemother2019;74: 3611–3618doi:10.1093/jac/dkz375 Advance Access publication 3 September 2019
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This document presents the World Health Organization Operational framework for building climate resilient and low carbon health systems*. ***The framework's goal is to increase the climate resilience of health systems to protect and improve the health of communities in an unstable and changing clima...te, while optimizing the use of resources and implementing strategies to reduce GHG emissions. It aims to contribute to the design of transformative health systems that can provide safe and quality care in a changing climate.
Implementation of the framework's ten components would help health organizations, authorities, and programmes to be better able to anticipate, prevent, prepare for, and manage climate-related health risks and therefore decrease the burden of associated climate-sensitive health outcomes. Implementing low carbon health practices would contribute to climate change mitigation while also improving health outcomes. Achieving these aims is an important contribution to universal health coverage (UHC), global health security, and specific targets within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The document is a useful resource for decision-makers in health systems, including public health agencies, and other specialized institutions, and for decision-makers in health-determining sectors.
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This report sets out the compelling case for repurposing harmful agricultural producer support to reverse this situation, by optimizing the use of scarce public resources, strengthening economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ultimately driving a food systems transformation that can suppor...t global sustainable development commitments.
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The aim of this guidance is to enhance the capacity of health care facilities to protect and improve the health of their target communities in an unstable and changing climate; and to empower health care facilities to be environmentally sustainable, by optimizing the use of resources and minimizing ...the release of waste into the environment. Climate resilient and environmentally sustainable health care facilities contribute to high quality of care and accessibility of services, and by helping reduce facility costs also ensure better affordability. They are, therefore, an important component of universal health coverage (UHC).
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Stewardship is defined as “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care”. It was originally applied in the health-care setting as a tool for optimizing antimicrobial use, termed “antimicrobial stewardship” (AMS). Stewardship has since be...en applied in the context of governance of the health sector as a whole, taking responsibility for the health and well-being of the population and guiding health systems at the national and global level.
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La finalidad de estas orientaciones es aumentar la capacidad de los establecimientos de salud para proteger y mejorar la salud de las comunidades destinatarias ante un clima inestable y cambiante;
y habilitarlos para que sean ambientalmente sostenibles, optimizando el uso de los recursos y reducien...do al mínimo el vertido de desechos en el medio ambiente. Los establecimientos de salud resilientes al clima y ambientalmente sostenibles favorecen una atención de alta calidad
así como la accesibilidad de los servicios, y al ayudar a reducir los costos también garantizan una mejor asequibilidad. Por consiguiente, son un componente importante de la cobertura sanitaria universal (CSU).
El presente documento tiene por objeto:
Orientar a los profesionales que trabajan en el ámbito de la atención de salud a fin de que comprendan los riesgos sanitarios adicionales que entraña el cambio climático y se preparen eficazmente para afrontarlos.
Fortalecer la capacidad para llevar a cabo una vigilancia eficaz de las enfermedades relacionadas con el clima; y vigilar, prever y gestionar los riesgos para la salud asociados al cambio climático y adaptarse a ellos.
Guiar al personal de los establecimientos de salud para que trabaje con los sectores determinantes de la salud (en particular los de agua y saneamiento, energía, transporte, alimentación, planificación urbana y medio ambiente) a fin de que se prepare para afrontar los riesgos sanitarios adicionales que entraña el cambio climático mediante un enfoque de resiliencia, y promueva prácticas ambientalmente sostenibles en la prestación de los servicios.
Proporcionar al personal de los centros salud instrumentos que le ayuden a evaluar la resiliencia de los establecimientos ante las amenazas del cambio climático y su sostenibilidad ambiental a partir del uso adecuado de los recursos (en particular el agua y la energía y las adquisiciones sostenibles) y el vertido de desechos peligrosos (biológicos, químicos y radiológicos) en el medio circundante.
Promover medidas encaminadas al fortalecimiento constante y creciente de los establecimientos de salud y a garantizar que sigan siendo eficientes y responsivos para mejorar la salud y
contribuyan a reducir las inequidades y la vulnerabilidad en los entornos en que están implantados.
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