the aid library

Global patient safety action plan 2021–2030: towards eliminating avoidable harm in health care

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2022) C_WHO

Today, patient harm due to unsafe care is a large and growing global public health challenge and is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Most of this patient harm is avoidable. As countries strive to achieve universal health coverage and the Sustainable ... more

Northeast Nigeria Health Sector - Humanitarian Response Strategy 2025 - 2027 (December 2024)

Government of Nigeria; Health Cluster; World Health Organization WHO (2024) CC

The protracted humanitarian situation in northeastern Nigeria, particularly in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) States, remains a concern due to ongoing insecurity, displacement, food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and climate-related shocks. To address these complex challenges, the health sector has ... developed a comprehensive humanitarian response strategy aligned with the three States Development plans, Durable Solutions for the Population Displacement Plan, and the Humanitarian Need Response Plan for 2025. This strategy aims to reduce morbidity and mortality among crisisaffected populations by ensuring timely, equitable, and effective delivery of lifesaving health services, while strengthen the resilience of health system and enhancing local and national capacities for sustainable health response in protracted emergency. Supported by an in-depth analysis of the ongoing health humanitarian response using the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) methodology, the strategy is guided by three key objectives: 1. Provide access to lifesaving interventions and sustain an effective response to the prolonged health emergency. 2. Prevent, mitigate, and prepare for health risks from all hazards and respond to all health emergencies. 3. Advance the primary health care approach and essential health system capacities for universal health coverage. To achieve these objectives, the strategy employs the “Five C” framework which refers to: • Collaborative Surveillance: Enhancing collaborative efforts for effective monitoring. • Community Protection: Implementing community-based protection measures. • Safe and Scalable Care: Ensuring care that is both secure and scalable. • Access to Countermeasures: Facilitating access to necessary countermeasures. • Emergency Coordination: Coordinating emergency responses efficiently. These proactive approaches are designed to be more anticipatory and preemptive rather than reactive, aiming to meet the needs of the crisis-affected population by providing lifesaving interventions, enhancing preventive and anticipatory actions, and ensuring the resilience of the health system. All actions are guided by International Humanitarian Standards and the Humanitarian Principles. The implementation of the health humanitarian response strategy will involve collaboration with local authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international organizations. The strategy emphasizes localization and resource mobilization, efficient logistics and supply chain management, mainstreaming protection, and the deployment and training of healthcare workers. Continuous monitoring and periodic evaluation will ensure the effectiveness of the response. Cross-sector collaboration with sectors such as WASH, Nutrition, Education, and Protection will be crucial to enhance the quality and reach of health interventions. Additionally, sustainability and transition approaches will ensure long-term health outcomes and benefits, bridging the gap from humanitarian to development efforts. By adopting this comprehensive approach, the humanitarian response in northeastern Nigeria, particularly in BAY States, can be effectively guided, ultimately reducing the suffering of affected populations. more

Ebola Myths, Realities and Structural Violence

ANNIEWILKINSON ANDMELISSA LEACH (2014)

The scale of West Africa’s Ebola epidemic has been attributed to the weak health systems of affected countries, their lack of resources, the mobility of communities and their inexperience in dealing with Ebola. This briefing for African Affairs argues that these explanations lack important contex ... more

Sharing Smart Solutions in Water

Diego J. Rodriguez, Matthijs Schuring, Nansia Constantinou et al. The World Bank; Water Partnership Program (2013) C1

Water security, or having the right amount and quality of water in the right place at the right time, fosters social and economic progress. Where water is sufficient to meet demand, it can promote economy wide growth and enable countries to reach their food security, energy security, and human ... more

Guidelines for developing inclusive water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure

Arup; International Labour Organization ILO; UN Children's Fund UNICEF; UNOPS; WaterAid (2024) CC

Around the world, more than 2 billion people lack access to safely managed water, sanitation and hygiene services, with conflicts and climate change exacerbating the issue. Unsafe and insufficient WASH facilities, especially in rural and remote areas, can lead to increased health complications fo ... more

The Role of Empathy in Health and Social Care Professionals - Review

Moudatsou, M.; A. Stavropoulou, A. Philalidis, et al. Healthcare Journal (2020) CC

Healthcare 2020, 8(1), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8010026 The current article is an integrative and analytical literature review on the concept and meaning of empathy in health and social care professionals. Empathy, i.e., the ability to understand the perso ... more

Case Study: Strengthening capacities of National Societies in emergency WASH response and preparedness

IFRC (2021) CC

This case study takes a closer look at experiences in three countries and one sub-region, each with a unique profile, a specific set of challenges and opportunities, and differing levels of WASH competencies. Through the lens of the participating National Societies and the communities they serve, th ... more

Regional action framework for noncommunicable disease prevention and control in the Western Pacific

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

The Regional Action Framework for Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control provides a unified vision of objectives and recommended actions to combat the noncommunicable disease (‎NCD)‎ epidemic in the Western Pacific Region. Implementation should be supported by cross-sectoral coordination ... more

Financing Health for All: Increase, transform and redirect - The WHO Council on the Economics of Health for all - Council Brief No. 2

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2021) C_WHO

The world has been turned on its head by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This has provided a stark wakeup call on the severe under-financing of health systems around the world. It has laid bare the inequalities and limitations in the capacities of countries at all levels of ... more

Guidelines for Addressing Disease Risks in Wildlife Trade

World Organisation for Animal Health WOAH (2024) CC

For thousands of years, humans have been using wildlife for commercial and subsistence purposes. Wildlife trade takes place at local, national and international levels, with different forms of wildlife, such as live animals, partly processed products and finished products. Wildlife is a vital source ... more

PERSISTENCE OF THE CRISIS IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: UNDERSTANDING IN ORDER TO ACT

M. BENINGA Paul-Crescent, Dr. MANGA ESSAMA Déflorine Grâce, Dr. MOGBA Zéphirin Jean Raymond FES (2018) CC

The Central African Republic has experienced repeated sociopolitical crises since the tragic death of its founder, Barthélémy Boganda, the year before the county’s independence. Today there is a general tendency by foreign observers and analysts who are not conversant with the history of t ... more

International Technical and Programmatic Guidance on Out-of-School Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE)

UNFPA; World Health Organization WHO, UNICEF; et al. (2020) C_WHO

An evidence-informed approach for non-formal, out-of-school CSE programmes that aims to reach young people from left-behind populations This guidance is intended to assist anyone designing and/or implementing CSE in out-of-school settings, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This includ ... more

Nigeria: Humanitarian Response Plan (January - December 2018)

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2017) C1

Now entering its ninth year, the crisis in north-east Nigeria has created vulnerabilities and humanitarian concerns. An estimated 7.7 million men, women, boys and girls are in acute need of protection and assistance. While the humanitarian community has provided life-saving assistance to over 5.6 mi ... more

Setting Standards for Burn Care Services in Low and Middle Income Countries

Potokra, T.; et al. interburns (2013) CC

Burns are a global public health problem, accounting for close to 200,000 deaths annually. The majority of these occur in low- and middle-income countries, where a number of constraints complicate the public health task of addressing burns. While the primary prevention of burns in low- and middle-in ... more

Use of a Participatory Method for Community-Based Brucellosis Control Design in Agro-Pastoral Areas in Tanzania

Asakura S.; Makingi G.; John K. et al. Frontiers in Veterinary Science (2022) CC

Brucellosis is widespread in both humans and livestock in many developing countries. The authors have performed a series of epidemiological studies on brucellosis in agro-pastoral areas in Tanzania since 2015, with the aim of the disease control. Previously, the potential of a community-based brucel ... more

Steps Framework for Adult Critical Care Nurses.

Critical Care Networks - National Nurse Leads (2015) C1

tep 1 Competencies have been designed to provide staff with the core skills required to care for a critically ill patient safely, whilst under supervision. It is expected that Step 1 competencies will be completed prior to commencing an academic critical care programme. Steps 2 & 3 Competencies hav ... more

Considerations for developing a national genomic surveillance strategy or action plan for pathogens with pandemic and epidemic potential

World Health Organization WHO (2023) C_WHO

Pathogen genomic surveillance has become a priority for public health systems in recent years. Genomic sequencing is increasingly being used to characterize pathogens and monitor important public health priorities (e.g. poliovirus, influenza virus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Vibrio cholerae, ant ... more

Democratic Republic of the Congo Country Strategic Plan (2021–2024)

World Food Program WFP (2021) CC

Food and nutrition security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is subject to the relentless impact of conflict, epidemics and climate events that have persisted in the country for decades, further compounded by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Lack of infrastructure and investment in agriculture, ... more

IOM Continental Strategy for Africa 2020–2024

International Organization for Migration IOM (2020) C1

Intra-African migration remains a dominant trend in contemporary African migration. The Strategy frames the Organization’s new orientation with Africa at policy and strategic levels. It is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) ... more