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Managers Who Lead Handbook Improving Health Services

Management Sciences for Health (2008) C1

Managers Who Lead empowers health managers at all levels of an organization to lead teams to face challenges and achieve results. It answers questions such as: How can I lead and manage more effectively? How do I create a shared vision and a clear path for achieving it? What can I do to improve work ... more

OCHA Policy Brief on Gendered Drivers, Risks and Impacts of Food Insecurity in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2023) CC

It is widely understood that the food insecurity crisis in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa is one of the world’s fastest growing and most neglected crises. It lacks sufficient global focus, resources and urgency. As in so many crises, women and girls are disproportionately affected and shoulder t ... he consequences of protracted neglect, with unconscionable impacts on their safety, life chances and agency. Gaining a holistic view of the gendered drivers, risks and impacts of food insecurity in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa is difficult. This is due to a lack of data and prioritization, and the large geographical and socioeconomic terrain covered by both regions. However, what we do know about this crisis is more than enough to urgently address the needs of women and girls. An OCHA discussion paper on this topic (which will be published imminently, and from which this policy brief is drawn) found that there is: A strong risk of profound regression in gender equality gains made to date in the countries of concern, including on education, sexual and reproductive health, and the economic independence of women and girls (with knock-on effects on broader humanitarian and development outcomes). An increasing challenge to reverse what must be recognized as a protracted and growing gender-based violence (GBV) emergency in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa. The food insecurity crisis in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa is protracted, multidimensional and highly gendered, with spiralling impacts on gender equality and food security outcomes. It is driven by interwoven and overlapping factors, including climate change, political instability, conflict, socioeconomic conditions, migration and displacement and, more recently, COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine. Interlinked with these factors are gendered structural drivers of food insecurity, including deeply entrenched gender inequalities and harmful social norms. Gendered risks and impacts of food insecurity include alarming limitations on access to education, sexual and reproductive health rights, women’s agency and participation, and dramatic increases in different existing forms of GBV and the emergence of new ones. Recognition of such gendered dimensions of food insecurity and of the need for a multisectoral approach in the response is key to addressing the crisis, along-side sustained commitment and adequate allocation of resources. This policy brief draws out key findings from the OCHA discussion paper on this topic, which includes a desk review of studies, assessments and reports, and interviews with local women’s organizations on the front lines of the food insecurity crisis in communities across both regions. Below are the most pressing gendered drivers, risks and impacts of food insecurity (not in order of priority), as well as key gaps in the current humanitarian response to food insecurity, and recommendations to take forward. 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

WASH FIT: A practical guide for improving quality of care through water, sanitation and hygiene in health care facilities (Second edition)

UN Children's Fund UNICEF; World Health Organization WHO (2023) C_WHO

Fully functioning water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and health care waste management services are a critical aspect of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, and ensuring patient safety and quality of care. Such services are also essential for creating an environment that supports the dig ... 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

Guidelines on hand hygiene in community settings

UN Childrens Fund UNICEF; World Health Organization WHO (2025) C_WHO

On Global Handwashing Day, WHO and UNICEF have released the first-ever global Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Community Settings to support governments and practitioners in promoting effective hand hygiene outside health care – across households, public spaces and institutions. Framing hand hygiene ... more

GRID 2021 Internal displacement in a changing climate

Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (2021) C1

New displacements by conflict and disasters in 2020

Success, failure, and the imperative for justice in climate negotiations

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

Recent United Nations Conferences of the Parties (COPs) have demonstrated that health professionals are playing an increasingly prominent role in calling for rapid action to address the climate crisis.

10 Insights on Climate Impacts and Peace

Detges, A.; Klingenfeld D. , König C., et al. adelphi (2020) C1

A summary of what we know

Invisible women: A gender analysis of climate-induced migration in South Asia

Action Aid; CANSA; ICMPD; et al. (2021) CC

New research exposes how women and children are disproportionally affected by climate migration, which puts them at greater risk of gender-based violence, child labour and exploitation. Governments must ensure the safety and protection of women a ... more

Primary Protection: Enhancing Health Care Resilience for a Changing Climate

Robin G. and J. Balbus (2014) CC

Best Practices Report.PART 1 Primary Protection: Enhancing Health Care Resilience for a Changing Climatei Primary Protection: EnhancingU.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Multiple-hazards and systemic risk: Addressing climate-related disasters in times of COVID-19

UN office for Disaster Risk Reduction (2020) CC

The current effort on fighting COVID-19 cannot conceal the fact that climatic and geological hazards affect Latin-America and the Caribbean every year. At a time when countries of the region are actively responding to the pandemic, they also need to prepare for and implement actions to mitigate the ... more

Too lilttle, too slow- Too Little, Too Slow – Climate adaptation failure puts world at risk. Key Issues

UN Enivronemnt Programme UNEP (2022) C1

الرسائل الرئیسیة �شأن تقر�ر فجوة التكیف لعام As climate impacts intensify across the globe, nations must dramatically increase funding and implementation of actions designed to help vulnerable nations and com ... more

The World Climate and Security Report 2021

Brock, S.; Barrett, O.L.; Birkman, L.; et al. International Military Council on Climate and Security (2021) CC

The World Climate and Security Report (WCSR) 2021 from the Expert Group of the International Military Council on Climate and Security is a global assessment of the security dimensions of a changing ... more

Climate Action Tracker
recommended

New Climate Initiative; Climate Analytics (2022) CC

The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) is an independent scientific analysis produced by two research organisations tracking climate action since 2009. We track progress towards the globally agreed aim of ... more

Too lilttle, too slow- Too Little, Too Slow – Climate adaptation failure puts world at risk. Excecutive Summery

UN Enivronemnt Programme UNEP (2022) C1

As climate impacts intensify across the globe, nations must dramatically increase funding and implementation of actions designed to help vulnerable nations and communities adapt to the climate storm ... more

Medical promise of climate solutions

Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health (2022) CC

The Faster We Go, the Health We'll Be. The report outlines five climate solutions that research shows will deliver immediate, often localized, health and equity benefits. Our focus is on the solutions that proactively advance both health and health ... more

Code Red for Health response in Latin America and the Caribbean: Enhancing peoples' health through climate action

Yglesias_González; M.; et al. (2022) CC

The Lancet Regional Health - Americas 2022;00: 100248 Published online xxx https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2022.100248. The Lancet Countdown report, discuss the overlapping social, climate and health challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean, a ... more

WMO Statement on the State of the Global Climate in 2018

World Meteorological Organization (2019) C1

The 2019 edition treating data for 2018 marks sustained international efforts dedicated to reporting on, analysing and understanding the year-to-year variations and long-term trends of a changing climate.

Encouraging Public Officials to Lead on Climate and Health

Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health (2022) CC

The Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health shares a communication guide for health professionals to effectively communicate with public officials on the need for climate action. In seven s ... more