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Integrating health in urban and territorial planning: a sourcebook

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

This sourcebook aims to detail why health needs to be part of urban and territorial planning and how to make this happen. It brings together two vital elements we need to build habitable cities on a habitable planet: 1) Processes to guide the development of human settlements – in this document ref ... more

Spirituality and medical practice: a Christian perspective

Benson Igboin Indian Journal of Medical Ethics (2015) C2

Everyday experience shows that there is a commonality between spirituality and medical practice. A text message I received from a friend recently read, "Please pray for me. I've been getting a mysterious headache for some days now. I will be seeing the doctor today." This clearly speaks of a relatio ... more

Standards for Prosthetics and Orthotics. Part 1: Standards

World Health Organization (WHO) (2017) C_WHO

WHO, in partnership with the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has published global standards for prosthetics and orthotics. Its aim is to ensure that prosthetics and orthotics services are people-centred an ... more

Primary health care and HIV: convergent actions - Policy considerations for decision-makers

World Health Organization WHO (2023) C_WHO

The 2030 health-related Sustainable Development Goals call on countries to end AIDS as a public health threat and also to achieve universal health coverage. The World Health Organization (WHO) promotes primary health care (PHC) as the key mechanism for achieving universal health coverage, and the PH ... more

Assessing Health Vulnerabilities and Adaptation to Climate Change

Berry, P.; P. M. Enright, J. Shumake-Guillemot et al. (2018) CC

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(12), 2626; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15122626 Climate change is increasing risks to human health and to the health systems that seek to protect the safety and well- ... more

The Activity Catalogue for Child Friendly Spaces in Humanitarian Settings

Psychosocial Centre - International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies World Vision (2018) CC

The Toolkit for Child Friendly Spaces in Humanitarian Settings was developed by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support and World Vision International. The toolkit provides a set of materials to assist managers and facilit ... more

A practical guide for developing Child Friendly Spaces

UNICEF (2016) CC

This guide is designed to assist UNICEF staff and partners, in establishing and operating Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) in an emergency. It attempts to provide readers with the main principles of a CFS and the processes on how to establish one. The overall aim is to improve the standards and capac ... more

Undernutrition in Myanmar. Part 1: A Critical Review of Literature

Cashin, Jennifer Leveraging Essential Nutrition Actions to Reduce Malnutrition (LEARN) (2016) C1

Despite improvements in recent years, the prevalence of undernutrition among women and children in Myanmar remains unacceptably high. One in three children are stunted and about 8% are acutely malnourished. Micronutrient deficiencies are common among infants, young children and pregnant women. In fa ... more

WHO Sierra Leone Country Cooperation Strategy 2022–2025

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

The Country Cooperation Strategy is the World Health Organization’s corporate framework developed in response to a country’s needs and priorities. The 2022–2025 CCS is the fourth for WHO in Sierra Leone. It is a medium-term strategic document that defines a broad framework for WHO’s work, at ... more

Regional Action Framework on Communication for Health: A vision for using communication to improve public health in the Western Pacific Region

World Health Organization WHO (2024) C_WHO

Strategic communication is at the heart of public health and more important than ever in the digital age. Using communication strategically requires expertise, skills and resources to plan, implement and evaluate interventions that encourage governments to implement policies that improve people’s ... more

Peru − Progress in health and sciences in 200 years of independence

Carrillo-Larco; R.M.; Guzman-Vilca, W. C.; Leon-Velarde, F.; et al. The Lancet Regional Health - Americas (2021) CC

Peru celebrates 200 years of independence in 2021. Over this period of independent life, and despite the turbulent socio-political scenarios, from internal armed conflict to economic crisis to political instability over the last 40 years, Peru has experienced major changes on its epidemiological and ... more

Noncommunicable diseases in the Region of the Americas: facts and figures

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) (2019) C_WHO

This booklet presents data on NCD mortality and prevalence of NCD risk factors, by country, for the Region of the Americas. The focus is on the 5 x 5 NCD agenda which includes the main NCDs (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases), and ... more

How to support survivors of gender-based violence when a GBV actor is not available in your area

Inter-Agency Standing Committee (2023) CC

KEY MESSAGES Always talk to a GBV specialist first to understand what GBV services are available in your area. Some services may take the form of hotlines, a mobile app or other remote support. Be aware of any other available services in your area. Identify services provided by humanitarian pa ... rtners such as health, psychosocial support, shelter and non-food items. Consider services provided by communities such as mosques/ churches, women’s groups and Disability Service Organizations. Remember your role. Provide a listening ear, free of judgment. Provide accurate, up-to-date information on available services. Let the survivor make their own choices. Know what you can and cannot manage. Even without a GBV actor in your area, there may be other partners, such as a child protection or mental health specialist, who can support survivors that require additional attention and support. Ask the survivor for permission before connecting them to anyone else. Do not force the survivor if s/he says no. Do not proactively identify or seek out GBV survivors. Be available in case someone asks for support. Remember your mandate. All humanitarian practitioners are mandated to provide non-judgmental and non-discriminatory support to people in need regardless of: gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability status, age, ethnicity/tribe/race/religion, who perpetrated/committed violence, and the situation in which violence was committed. Use a survivor-centered approach by practicing: Respect: all actions you take are guided by respect for the survivor’s choices, wishes, rights and dignity. Safety: the safety of the survivor is the number one priority. Confidentiality: people have the right to choose to whom they will or will not tell their story. Maintaining confidentiality means not sharing any information to anyone. Non-discrimination: providing equal and fair treatment to anyone in need of support. If health services exist, always provide information on what is available. Share what you know, and most importantly explain what you do not. Let the survivor decide if s/he wants to access them. Receiving quality medical care within 72 hours can prevent transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and within 120 hours can prevent unwanted pregnancy. Provide the opportunity for people with disabilities to communicate to you without the presence of their caregiver, if wished and does not endanger or create tension in that relationship. If a man or boy is raped it does not mean he is gay or bisexual. Gender-based violence is based on power, not someone’s sexuality. Sexual and gender minorities are often at increased risk of harm and violence due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Actively listen and seek to support all survivors. Anyone can commit an act of gender-based violence including a spouse, intimate partner, family member, caregiver, in-law, stranger, parent or someone who is exchanging money or goods for a sexual act. Anyone can be a survivor of gender-based violence – this includes, but isn’t limited to, people who are married, elderly individuals or people who engage in sex work. Protect the identity and safety of a survivor. Do not write down, take pictures or verbally share any personal/identifying information about a survivor or their experience, including with your supervisor. Put phones and computers away to avoid concern that a survivor’s voice is being recorded. Personal/identifying information includes the survivor’s name, perpetrator(s) name, date of birth, registration number, home address, work address, location where their children go to school, the exact time and place the incident took place etc. Share general, non-identifying information To your team or sector partners in an effort to make your program safer. To your support network when seeking self-care and encouragement. more

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

Autism and asperger's: for parents, carers and anyone working with young people

Royal College of Psychiatrists (2019) C2

This webpage gives details about Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well as offering practical advice about how to get help. Accessed: 29.03.2019

Preventing suicide: A global imperative

World Health Organization (WHO) (2014) C_WHO

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 context to move forward in suicide prevention.

WHO alcohol brief intervention training manual for primary care

World Health Organization (Europe) (2017) C_WHO

Alcohol contributes significantly to the disease and mortality burden in the WHO European Region, and primary health care systems play an important role in reducing the impact of harmful alcohol use. Screening and brief interventions (SBIs) for alcohol are an evidence-informed approach to addressing ... more

Self-care competency framework: volume 1: global competency standards for health and care workers to support people’s self-care

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

The standards define 10 key competencies for health and care workers to support self-care in their clinical practice as well as the specific, measurable behaviours that demonstrate those competencies, focusing on people-centredness; decision-making; ... more

Mentally Challenged Children in Africa: Victims of Sexual Abuse

Jabulani G. Kheswa Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy (2014) CC

Vol 5 No 27 | ISSN 2039-2117 (online) | ISSN 2039-9340 (print) | The rate of sexual victimization of mentally retarded children is alarming and it goes unnoticed because the perpetrators could be parents, step- parents, relatives, well-respected ind ... more

Health in the Americas 2022: Overview of the Region of the Americas in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Pan American Health Organisation PAHO (2022) C_WHO

The objective of Health in the Americas: Overview of the Region of the Americas in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic is to respond to the need to address important public health issues in an increasingly timely manner, while serving as a platform with a close focus on specific issues of regional ... more