Policy brief.
Globally, one in five people with HIV are unaware of their status, despite considerable scale up of HIV testing, treatment and prevention services. Many of those unreached by HIV testing services (HTS) are from key populations, partners of people with HIV and, in Eastern and southern ...Africa, men and young people. Improving the availability, accessibility, friendliness and quality of services is important to address these testing gaps.
At the same time, tools and interventions that increase the demand for HTS are needed to reach people who are uninformed about HTS options and advances in treatment and prevention, people who are not motivated to seek HTS and those who are hesitant to test because of fear of an HIV diagnosis or other reasons.
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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... the needs of the many patients presenting in primary care who may benefit from reducing their alcohol consumption. This manual provides information to plan training and support for primary care practitioners to confidently deliver SBI for alcohol problems to their patients. The manual outlines the background and evidence base for SBI, and gives practical advice on establishing an implementation programme as well as detailed educational materials to develop the knowledge and skills of participants in organized training sessions.
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Key Considerations
This brief focuses on cross-border movement in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) and its implications for development of risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) strategies aimed at preventing transmission of COVID-19 in the ESA region. Given the extensive risk of cross...-border transmission of the virus and the imminent reopening of borders, such strategies are essential to containment efforts
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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.
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Since March, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted operations and required a different approach to communication with communities.
UNHCR communication channels have been rapidly enhanced and enlarged to ensure the continued provision of vital health and protection information.
Medical care for people caught up in armed conflict and other insecure environments saves lives and alleviates suffering. It is one of the most immediate and high priority needs of an affected population and is often the first type of response activated and/or requested by authorities and affected c...ommunities. Medical teams working in armed conflict and other insecure environments
frequently face serious threats to their security and safety, challenges to patient access, and at times limited acceptance by affected communities in which they work and parties to the conflict. Such difficulties are likely to increase (6) and
thereby creating a critical need to establish contact and trust with all sides in conflicts and in other insecure environments to ensure operational continuity. This trust can best be achieved when all sides perceive the medical teams to be neutral, impartial, and independent, and specifically not aiding (or being perceived to aid) any one party to achieve a military, political or economic
advantage. For medical teams that are deploying increasingly closer to the frontlines, the implications of and consequences for both staff and patients of teams not being fully prepared, and/or not fully comprehending the context in which they work, can be severe. Medical response can easily be hindered or compromised by intentional or unintentional acts and the behaviour and
conduct of the teams themselves
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This field guide is a practical tool for improving and maintaining drinking-water safety. It is designed to be used by YOU as a rural community member who shares responsibility for operation and management of the drinking-water supply in your community. It can also be used by YOU as a staff member o...f the local health or water supply office, local government authority, nongovernmental organization (NGO) or other community-based organization that supports drinking-water safety in rural communities. Ensuring the safety of the community water supply is a daily job, and community members and other stakeholders have to work jointly to achieve this goal.
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WHO’s Ambition and Action in Nutrition 2016-2025 is anchored in the six global targets for improving maternal, infant and young child nutrition and the global diet-related NCD targets.
In support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly SDG2 and SDG3, and in concert w...ith the 2016-2025 UN Decade of Action on Nutrition, WHO’s Ambition and Action in Nutrition 2016-2025 aims for “A world free from all forms of malnutrition where all people achieve health and well-being”. It defines the unique value of WHO for advancing nutrition: the provision of leadership, guidance and monitoring and proposes a theory of change. Finally, following a set of guiding principles, it proposes priority actions for WHO, the delivery model and a clear allocation of roles across the Organization.
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This topic last updated: Apr 28, 2020.
The content on the UpToDate website is not intended nor recommended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your own physician or other qualified health care professional regarding any medical questions or condi...tions.
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Through public-private partnerships, the government of Rwanda can make more efficient use of public resources by targeting and meeting the needs of specific populations and thus help ensure family planning services and products will be available to all Rwandans in the long term. This report aims to ...inform stakeholders working to strengthen family planning through multisectoral partnerships about Rwanda’s family market.
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This Strategic Operating Framework (SOF) has been developed to guide WASH Sector partners in responding to humanitarian needs in Sudan in conjunction with the existing and forthcoming humanitarian response plans (2022 and 2023). This SOF is drafted in consultation with the Strategic Advisory Group (...SAG) at the national level and will be revised as the humanitarian situation evolves in line with changes made to the WASH Cluster response plan and other guidance received by the SAG and the Technical Working Groups. However, by adhering to the cluster (Sector) approach, the partners agree to:
Assist the authorities in responding to the WASH needs of the population affected.
Promote a common understanding of the WASH sector needs and interventions in the response context among the WASH partners.
Ensure a well-coordinated response and consequently increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of individual agency responses; and
Align towards common humanitarian principles and operational objectives.
Partners to conform to the broad operational framework outlined in this document. Agencies that breach these guidelines will be expected to provide clear justification to the WASH Sector and other WASH Sector partners through the SAG
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This brief advocacy document highlights the burden, risks and prevention of injuries and violence, which took the lives of 4.4 million people in 2019 and constitute 8% of all deaths. Among the injury-related causes of death include road traffic crashes, drowning, falls, burns, poisoning and violence... against oneself or others. For people age 5-29 years, three of the top five causes of death are injury-related, including road traffic injuries, homicide, and suicide. Injuries and violence are not evenly distributed across or within countries – some people are more vulnerable than others depending on the conditions in which they are born, grow, work, live and age; in general, being young, male and of low socioeconomic status all increase the risk of injury. This document, aimed at public health professionals; injury prevention researchers, practitioners and advocates; and donors, draws attention to specific strategies based on sound scientific evidence that are effective and cost-effective at preventing injuries and violence; it is critical that these strategies are more widely implemented.
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This global guidance provided the framework for over 100 countries to develop their NDVPs. This updated (second) version supersedes the previous version published in 16 November 2020. New information has been added on the following areas:
the COVID-19 Partners Platform;
the use of COVID...-19 simulation exercises to test deployment strategies;
the indemnity agreement and no-fault compensation programme for vaccines secured through the COVAX Facility in the Advance Market Commitment (AMC) eligible economies;
the availability and use of the WHO-UNICEF COVID-19 Vaccine Introduction and deployment Costing (CVIC) tool;
the COVAX Facility’s humanitarian buffer that enables allocation of vaccine to cover high-risk populations in humanitarian settings;
recommendations for vaccination of pregnant and lactating women;
supplementary information on infection prevention and control (IPC) measures to be used to deliver COVID-19 vaccines safely;
the WHO licensed COVID-19 vaccines product-specific information;
use of geospatial data and digital micro plans for equitable access and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines;
lessons learned from the development of NDVPs and early experiences in COVID-19 vaccine deployment in countries; and
updated additional resources at the end of each chapter.
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"The Emergency Response Guidelines for Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride (Guidelines) were prepared
by the American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) Hydrogen Fluoride Panel (Panel). This document is
intended to provide general information to persons addressing an emergency response in the course
of handling... and transporting anhydrous hydrogen fluoride (AHF)."
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People living with HIV depend on life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART) and access to ART must be maintained during periods of travel restrictions and lockdowns resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Information note on HIV and COVID-19 addresses common concerns people living with HIV have rega...rding the risks of COVID-19 and how to minimize them. For HIV programme managers and health facilities providing HIV services, it identifies key points related to ensuring uninterrupted provision of ART, while protecting clients and staff from the risk of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
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Interim Guidance
This document is to help Member States build on actions taken during the COVID-19 pandemic to improve national medium- to long-term preparedness for future threats. It maps COVID-19 preparedness and response actions to the building of sustainable International Health Regulations (2...005) core capacities; locates relevant supporting WHO resources that are not specific to the pandemic; and advocates for the conscious and effective allocation of COVID-19 funds to also meet countries’ longer-term need
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This document aims to encourage countries to develop and implement policies to maintain and strengthen IPC programmes and measures in health care facilities in the context of the current ongoing transmission of the SARS-CoV-2, with recognition that epidemiological trends may vary and the risk of tra...nsmission of other pathogens.
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The document presents an assessment developed by both institutions as a contribution to the prioritization of education in national response plans to the health emergency and future recovery strategies. "Countries have deployed various response and recovery plans in which education needs to be incor...porated as a central element," the report says, "not only to ensure an education response, but to achieve an equitable, inclusive and sustainable recovery”.
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The World Health Organization provides regional and national strategies and operational plans that aim to support countries in work to achieve measles control and elimination. These are guided by high level frameworks including the Immunization Agenda 2030 and the Measles and Rubella Strategic Frame...work 2021–2030. These frameworks promote improvements in routine immunization programmes to reach all children, reduce immunity gaps and prevent outbreaks within the context of universal health care.
This interim guidance on Targeted and selective strategies in measles and rubella vaccination campaigns adds to the suite of guidance documents. It provides expanded description of methods to determine age groups for inclusion in preventive and outbreak response measles and rubella vaccination campaigns; and operational considerations that are specific to targeted and selective strategies in measles and rubella vaccination campaigns. This guidance also updates definitions for tailored, targeted and selective campaigns.The World Health Organization provides regional and national strategies and operational plans that aim to support countries in work to achieve measles control and elimination. These are guided by high level frameworks including the Immunization Agenda 2030 and the Measles and Rubella Strategic Framework 2021–2030. These frameworks promote improvements in routine immunization programmes to reach all children, reduce immunity gaps and prevent outbreaks within the context of universal health care.
This interim guidance on Targeted and selective strategies in measles and rubella vaccination campaigns adds to the suite of guidance documents. It provides expanded description of methods to determine age groups for inclusion in preventive and outbreak response measles and rubella vaccination campaigns; and operational considerations that are specific to targeted and selective strategies in measles and rubella vaccination campaigns. This guidance also updates definitions for tailored, targeted and selective campaigns.
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Health in All Policies: A Guide for State and Local Governments was created by the Public Health Institute, the California Department of Public Health, and the American Public Health Association in response to growing interest in using collaborative approaches to improve population health by embedd...ing health considerations into decision-making processes across a broad array of sectors. The Guide draws heavily on the experiences of the California Health in All Policies Task Force and incorporates information from the published and gray literature and interviews with people across the country.
The guide was developed through funding from the American Public Health Association and The California Endowment.
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