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Improving maternal and child health in Asia through innovative partnerships and approaches. The case of Nepal

Fiona Samuels and Svetlana Ancker Overseas Development Institute (ODI), (2015) C1

Following an overview of maternal and neonatal child health in Nepal and in the districts covered by the project, the briefing outlines the background to the Strengthening Approaches for Maximizing Maternal, Neonatal and Reproductive Health (SAMMAN) project. It then describes the key aspects of the ... more

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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

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National Strategic Plan for Newborn and Child Health Development (2015-2018)

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Ministry of Health, Department of Health, Child Health Division World Health Organization (WHO), Country Office for Myanmar (2015) C_WHO

No publication year indicated
The specific objectives of the plan are to:
- Scale up evidence-based, cost effective interventions through effective strategies within a HSS approach and provide equitable coverage with quality.
- Reduce neonatal mortality by improved home-based newborn ... more

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WHO global disability action plan 2014-2021. Better health for all people with disability

World Health Organization (WHO) (2015) C_WHO

he WHO global disability action plan 2014-2021 is a significant step towards achieving health and well-being and human rights for people with disabilities. The action plan was endorsed by WHO Member States in 2014 and calls for them to remove barriers and improve access to health services and progra... more

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HEARTS. Technical package for cardiovascular disease management in primary health care. Team-based care

World Health Organization WHO, et al. (2018) C_WHO

Many low-resource settings have a shortage of physicians and health workers. (1) In order to provide patient-centred continuous care more effectively, primary care systems can include team-based care strategies in their clinic workflows and protocols. Team-based care uses multidisciplinary teams (wh... more

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Genomic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2: a guide to implementation for maximum impact on public health

World Health Organization WHO (2021) C_WHO

8 January 2021 Sequencing enabled the world to rapidly identify SARS-CoV-2 and develop diagnostic tests and other tools for outbreak management. Continued genome sequencing supports the monitoring of the disease’s spread and evolution of the virus. Accelerated integration of genome sequencing int... more

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Strengthening mental health responses to COVID-19 in the Americas: A health policy analysis and recommendations

A. Tausch; Oliveira e Souza, R.; Martinez Viciana, C.; et al. Pan American Health Organization (2021) CC

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a major impact on the mental health of populations in the Americas. Studies show high rates of depression and anxiety, among other psychological symptoms, particularly among women, young people, those with pre-existing mental health conditions, health workers, and p... more

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Linking Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) - Practical tools, approaches and case studies

World Health Organization (WHO) and InterAgency Standing Committee (IASC), Save the Children, et al. (2021) C_WHO

Technical Note Recently, the approach to hazardous events has undergone a considerable shift, away from reactive activities focused on managing and responding to events and towards a more proactive process of emergency and disaster risk management (DRM). The ultimate goal of this shift in focus is ... more

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Banking on health: the surging pandemic of health financialization

Dentico N. Society for International Development (SID) (2023) CC

In the last three decades, health financialization has surged in several creative ways, yet this growing phenomenon remains surprisingly unknown, and neglected, in the global health arena. Financialization in the health domain could be described as the uncontrolled expansion of finance along vari... more

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UNHCR’s mental health and psychosocial support

Meyer, S. UNHCR (2013) C2

A broad range of UNHCR’s key priorities overlap with MHPSS issues – for example, child protection and sexual and gender-based violence [SGBV] prevention and response. Despite all these existent synergies, UNHCR’s current policies and guidelines do not sufficiently link with MHPSS principles.... more

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Tracking Japan’s development assistance for health, 2012–2016

Nomura, S.; H. Sakamoto; M. K. Sugai et al. Globalization and Health (2020) CC

: Development assistance for health (DAH) is one of the most important means for Japan to promote diplomacy with developing countries and contribute to the international community. This study, for the first time, estimated the gross disbursement of Japan’s DAH from 2012 to 2016 and clarified its... more

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Communicable Diseases: Part 4 Other Diseases of Public Health Importance and Surveillance.

HEAT, UNICEF, Open University, AMREF Ministry of Health, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (2015) C1

Blended Learning Modulef or the Health Extension Programme In this study session, you will learn about the general features of faeco-oraldiseases: the main types commonly found in Ethiopia, their general symptomsand signs, how to treat mild cases and when to refer patients with severeconditions for... more

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Preparing for and responding to global health emergencies

Cochrane Convenes (2022) C1

Learnings from the COVID-19 evidence response and recommendations for the future. Reflections and recommendations from the evidence synthesis community.

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Continuity of essential health services: Facility assessment tool
recommended

World Health Organization WHO (2021) C_WHO

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 ... more

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A one health priority research agenda for antimicrobial resistance

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

The Quadripartite organizations have developed the One Health Priority Research Agenda for AMR report, this is a joint initiative to assist in directing and catalysing scientific interest and financial investments for the priority research agenda across sectors for countries and funding bodies. The ... more

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A Turning Point for Planetary Health

Lurie M. Milken Institute (2020) C2

History has shown that governments tend to deprioritize environmental commitments during times of financial and public crises as they work to mitigate immediate needs—and the age of COVID-19 has been no different. Even though human interaction with wildlife is believed to be the cause of the pande... more

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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

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Translating Community Research Into Global Policy Reform For National Action

S. Dilmitis; A. Welbourn; F. Anam; et al. ICW Latina; ICW WA; UNAIDS; et al. (2018) C2

Translating Community Research Into Global Policy Reform For National Action: A Checklist For Community Engagement To Implement The WHO Consolidated Guideline On The Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights Of Women Living With HIV 3rd edition | December 2018

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Integrating palliative care and symptom relief into primary health care : WHO guide for planners, implementers and managers

World Health Organization WHO (2018) C_WHO

Inequality of access to palliative care and symptom relief is one of the greatest disparities in global health care (1). Currently, there is avoidable suffering on a massive scale due to lack of access to palliative care and symptom relief in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (1). Yet basic p... more

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The Missing Billion. Access to Health Services for 1 Billion People with Disabilities

Kuper, H.; and P. Heydt (2019) CC

One billion people around the world live with disabilities. This report makes the case that they are being “left behind” in the global community’s work on health. This lack of access not only violates the rights of people with disabilities under international law, but UHC and SDG 3 cannot be a... more

Continuity of essential health services: Facility assessment tool recommended

Continuity of essential health services: Facility assessment tool
recommended