Since the emergence of COVID 19 in December 2019, various public health responses measures have been implemented to control the pandemic. Among measures taken by the Africa CDC was the launch of PACT initiative to accelerate COVID 19 testing. Key to the initiative is the engagement of Community Heal...th Workers (CHWs) in risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), surveillance activities for early case identification, contacts tracing and in facilitating referrals for testing and continuum of care.
As of 31 May 2021, Through PACT support, over 17154 CHWs have been trained and locally deployed in 24 AU Member states. The PACT supported CHWs visited more than 2,568,654 households for community engagement activities, active case search and contact tracing, identified 1,618,601 Contacts, 710,167 COVID 19 suspect cases based on the standard case definition and facilitated referrals for 553053 (78%) suspect cases for testing. These efforts were crucial for early identification and isolation of cases in limiting further transmission.
more
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.
more
Tuberculosis continues to represent a severe public health problem in the Region of the Americas, even more so in the case of indigenous peoples, whose TB incidence is much higher than that of the general population. To achieve tuberculosis control in these communities, it is necessary to respond t...o communities’ diverse needs from an intercultural perspective that allows the application of a holistic approach—from a standpoint of equality and mutual respect—and considers the value of their cultural practices. In the Region of the Americas, although there has been progress toward recognizing the need for an intercultural approach to health services, obstacles rooted in discrimination, racism, and the exclusion of indigenous peoples and other ethnic groups persist. To respond to this situation, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) prepared this guidance which––based on an intercultural approach in accordance with the priority lines of the current PAHO Policy on Ethnicity and Health and its practical development in the Region’s indigenous populations––represent a support tool for implementing the End TB Strategy. This publication integrates PAHO’s accumulated experience and best practices developed by its Member States in recent years, including discussions and experiences shared in regional meetings on the issue, and emphasizes innovation and social inclusion. This requires an urgent shift away from traditional paradigms, taking specific actions that gradually reduce TB incidence and moving toward effective multisectoral actions that have proven effective in quickly containing the epidemic. This publication integrates PAHO’s accumulated experience and best practices developed by its Member States in recent years, including discussions and experiences shared in regional meetings on the issue, and emphasizes innovation and social inclusion. This requires an urgent shift away from traditional paradigms, taking specific actions that gradually reduce TB incidence and moving toward effective multisectoral actions that have proven effective in quickly containing the epidemic.
more
This unit is written so that you will have the opportunity to learn from mistakes.The unit will take you on a journey of personal stress management, one step at a time
Each lesson covers a number of topics and provides various activities for you to complete. In Lesson 1, you will learn about what s...tress is and its effects on your health and behaviour. In the next lesson, you will learn to recognise signs and symptoms of stress. Lessons 3 will outline I’ve been a caregiver for 12 years. I have passed through thick and thin. In the process, I think, I’ve destroyed myself—and perhaps people and things I care about. I wish someone had talked to me about it long ago. I wish I had asked them for help.
2ObjectivesCounselling for Caregivers the causes of stress, and Lessons 4 and 5 will discuss strategies for coping with stress for caregivers and for children, respectively. The unit also contains some important questions and activities, which can help you acquire understanding and knowledge that will enable you to develop positive, healthy ways of coping with stress in your life. You can complete this unit successfully. Enjoy your journey!
more
This booklet is intended to heighten awareness of the mental health needs of nurses and provide useful exercises to assist nurses to manage stress at work.
This book is not designed to be a substitute for professional advice. It should be used in conjunction with specific health advice from your he...alth care provider.
more
Background Unrest in Chile over inequalities has underscored the need to improve public hospitals. Nursing has been overlooked as a solution to quality and access concerns, and nurse staffing is poor by international standards. Using Chile’s new diagnosis-related groups system and surveys of nurse...s and patients, we provide information to policy makers on feasibility, net costs, and estimated improved outcomes associated with increasing nursing resources in public hospitals.
more
This guidance document provides basic principles for a spokesperson of any health authority on how to respond to vocal vaccine deniers. The suggestions are based on psychological research on persuasion, on research in public health, communication studies and on WHO risk communication guidelines.
Investment in all the drivers and facilitators of hand hygiene action in health care to ensure that it occurs at the point of care and other critical moments requires a multidisciplinary, multifaceted approach. WHO describes such an approach as a “multimodal improvement strategy” (MMIS) which is... at the core of its implementation models for hand hygiene and infection prevention and control (IPC) programmes. The focus of this document is on the resource considerations for investing in hand hygiene improvement in health care (primary, secondary and tertiary) using the MMIS approach.
more
July 2021. This publication brings together important clinical and programmatic updates produced by WHO since 2016 and provides comprehensive, evidence-informed recommendations and good practice statements within a public health, rights-based and person-centred approach.
These guidelines bring in... the most recent guidance on HIV testing strategies - the entry point for HIV prevention and treatment - and include comprehensive guidance on infant diagnosis. Key recommendations are presented on rapid antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and the use of dolutegravir. Updated recommendations are included on the timing of ART for people with TB, and the use of point-of-care technologies for treatment monitoring.
more
The menu was developed using the WHO-CHOICE methodology to prepare and update, as appropriate, WHO estimates of the cost-effectiveness of a range of mental health interventions, in line with the development of Appendix 3 to the global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable dis...eases 2013–2020.
WHO-CHOICE is a programme that helps countries to identify priorities based on health impact and cost-effectiveness. It can be applied to a wide range of strategies relevant to policies affecting health outcomes. All options are compared to a common comparator, a null scenario in which the impacts of currently implemented interventions are removed, thereby enabling comparison of interventions across geographical areas and aspects of health.
more
This toolkit was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP) to provide healthcare organizations, including those in resource-constrained settings, with the information and resources to implement the HMP and improve hyper...tension control among their patients. CDC DHDSP developed an online toolkit that consists of interactive e-learning modules that are designed to guide learners through the key features of the ten HMP components and prepare them for implementation at their health system. The online e-learning modules are accompanied by a PDF toolkit document that can be used as an additional resource for users.
The purposes of this toolkit and the associated online e-learning modules are to provide healthcare organizations:
An overview of the HMP, its ten core components, and suggestions for implementing the HMP in clinical settings.
Guidance to staff, administrators, and other healthcare professionals on how to implement and adapt the HMP for their unique clinical setting.
The online e-learning modules you can find here:
https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/pubs/toolkits/hmp-toolkit/index.htm
accessed 29.07.2021
more
2021 UNAIDS Global AIDS Update. UNAIDS report shows that people living with HIV face a double jeopardy, HIV and COVID-19, while key populations and children continue to be left behind in access to HIV services
orientations provisoires, 25 juin 2021. Des tests de diagnostic rapides et précis sont un outil essentiel pour prévenir et contrôler la propagation du COVID-19. Ce document décrit les recommandations relatives aux stratégies nationales de dépistage et à l'utilisation de la PCR et des tests an...tigéniques rapides dans différents scénarios de transmission de l'épidémie de COVID-19, y compris la manière dont les tests pourraient être rationalisés dans les milieux à faibles ressources. Tous les tests doivent être suivis d'une réponse de santé publique forte, comprenant l'isolement des personnes dont le test est positif et la fourniture de soins, la recherche des contacts et la mise en quarantaine des contacts.
more
Published OnlineJuly 14, 2021https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(21)00164-9. New Lancet research offers the first comprehensive analysis of the growing footprint of noncommunicable and injury-related neurological disorders to India’s overall disease burden.
Takeaways from 1990 to 2019 In terms ...of total disability adjusted life years:
• The share of noncommunicable neurological disorders doubled from 4% to 8.2%.
• Injury-related neurological disorders increased from 0.2% to 1.1%
• The contribution of communicable neurological disorders decreased from 4.1% to 1.1%
• Stroke, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and headache disorders were among the largest contributors to DALYs.
more
Has the world worked together to tackle the coronavirus? July 2021. This research paper assesses how the global community has responded to calls for greater solidarity in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, and presents the insights of key stakeholders and experts in global health governance, health sec...urity, and pandemic preparedness and response. The authors examine the state of solidarity at global, regional and national levels, and present case studies on COVAX and on the EU’s turbulent journey through solidarity.
more