Vaccines (shots) are one of the tools we have to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccines work with your body’s natural defenses so your body will be ready to fight the virus.
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https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/print-resources.html?Sort=Date%3A%3Adesc
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Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a condition that causes gradual organ damage. Without treatment, it can be fatal.
This article explains where the T. cruzi parasite is most common and how it can spread. It also outlines the symptoms of Chagas disease and the treatment options avail...able.
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This document outlines PAHO’s regional priorities for the year 2023 to sustain and scale up health emergency and humanitarian assistance in the Americas, with a focus on five priority countries currently facing a prolonged humanitarian crisis and recovering from recent acute emergencies: Colombia,... El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of). These goals align with and build on the World Health Organization’s Global Health Emergency Appeal for 2023, its principles, priorities, and strategies.
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27 May 2021
This is a document to support the use of pulse oximeter for assessment of suspected and confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the community.
It is a well-known fact that Covid-19 can present as “happy hypoxia” with minimum symptoms of severe respiratory distress despite significant low ox...ygen levels in the blood. The use of pulse oximeter for clinical assessment significantly augments decision making, save lives and provide high quality care. It allows for early detection of patients with hypoxia requiring either close monitoring in the community or timely referral for hospital care.
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Accessed: 22.04.2020
The outbreak and spread of the COVID-19 virus confronts Prison Services daily with new challenges.
Prison Services are dealing with closed environments and this makes it especially difficult to provide for the right care for both, prisoners and staff working in prisons.
Pri...son Services are eager to hear from their colleagues in other European countries, how they are dealing with this situation, what approaches and measures they took to keep the situation as much as possible under control.
On this page we would like to gather and share all regulations/protocols/approaches European Prison Services or related organisations have drafted or taken in order to deal with the Covid-19 virus.
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The most frequent health problems of newly arrived refugees and migrants include accidental injuries, hypothermia, burns, gastrointestinal illnesses, cardiovascular events, pregnancy- and delivery-related complications, diabetes and hypertension. Female refugees and migrants frequently face specific... challenges, particularly in maternal, newborn and child health, sexual and reproductive health, and violence. The exposure of refugees and migrants to the risks associated with population movements – psychosocial disorders, reproductive health problems, higher newborn mortality, drug abuse, nutrition disorders, alcoholism and exposure to violence – increase their vulnerability to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)
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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), sub-Saharan Africa has only 3% of the world’s health workers to cater for 11% of the world population, bearing over 25% of the global disease burden (WHO, 2014). With a steady increase in reported cases on the African Continent, the current COVID-1...9 pandemic threatens to overwhelm our already taxed health infrastructure. It is, therefore, imperative to take serious and urgent measures towards disease management and monitoring especially as the need for self-quarantine and contact surveillance rises.
In view of the infrastructural and resource gaps, technology should be considered for remote management of healthcare deliver to patients during this period. As it is abundantly clear, even countries with more advanced healthcare infrastructure and resources have struggled to treat COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients during this pandemic.
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В контексте КОВИД-19 в связи с нарушением работы школ, традиционных
медицинских услуг и общинных центров необходимо изыскать новые пути
предоставления молодежи и ...подросткам информации и поддержки в области
сексуального и репродуктивного здоровья и прав.
Молодежь может быть важным ресурсом для снижения рисков и информирования
населения в период нынешнего кризиса.
Adolescents and Young People & Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
also available in : english, spanish
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This publication provides recommendations for the management of critically ill adult patients with COVID-19 being treated in intensive care units (ICUs) in the Americas. These clinical practice guidelines provide evidence-informed recommendations for identifying markers and mortality risk factors in... critically ill patients, as well as infection control, sample collection, supportive care (respiratory and hemodynamic), pharmacological treatment, early rehabilitation, diagnostic imaging use, prevention of complications, and discharge requirements. The recommendations are for all health care staff caring for patients in emergency departments and ICUs. These guidelines are also intended for use by decisionmakers and government entities involved in the management of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs in the Region of the Americas.
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Diabetes is a major public health problem in the Americas and worldwide, demanding special attention and integrated response. It is estimated that more than 62 million adults are living with diabetes in the Americas. The projections show that diabetes prevalence will continue to increase to at least... 2025. Its steady rise has been mainly due to the high prevalence of risk factors, especially overweight/obesity and physical inactivity. Diabetes also is one of the leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide and across our Region.
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Фонд ООН в области народонаселения (ЮНФПА) стремится достичь трех изменяющих мир
результатов к 2030 году - крайнему сроку достижения Целей в Области Устойчивого
Раз...вития. Эти цели таковы: положить конец неудовлетворенной потребности в планировании
семьи, искоренить гендерное насилие, включая такие вредные практики, как калечащие
операции на женских половых органах и детские браки, а также устранить все случаи
предотвратимой материнской смертности. Этот анализ показывает, как пандемия COVID-19
может серьезно подорвать прогресс в достижении этих целей.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Family Planning and Ending Gender-based Violence, Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage
also available in: english, arabic, spanish
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COVID-19 Vaccine Introduction Readiness Assessment Tool (VIRAT2), developed by WHO-PAHO, UNICEF, World Bank, Gavi, and other partners is a tool to help prepare countries for the introduction a COVID-19 vaccine.
It provides a roadmap for introduction and a structured framework for countries to self-...monitor their readiness progress against key milestones. It includes an excel template for Ministries of Health to complete with support from partners and PAHO Country Offices.
The VIRAT dashboard helps countries highlight the critical activities and technical areas that should be initiated, continued, or strengthened. Also, it allows PAHO and partners to identify areas where support may be needed and identify alternative forms to mobilize resources.
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The document titled "Manual for Stratifying Malaria Risk and the Elimination of Foci" by PAHO provides guidance for countries in the Americas on how to systematically assess and classify malaria transmission risk at subnational levels. It outlines a standardized approach to stratification and the id...entification of active transmission foci, helping public health authorities prioritize interventions, allocate resources efficiently, and implement targeted strategies to accelerate progress toward malaria elimination.
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The 2024 World Malaria Report shows that the malaria burden remains overwhelmingly concentrated in Africa. The continent accounted for 94% of global cases and 95% of malaria-related deaths in 2023. Although the number of malaria cases increased globally from 204 million in 2000 to 246 million in 202...3, the number of deaths declined from 805,000 to 569,000. Children under five are still the most affected group, accounting for 76% of malaria deaths in Africa. A few countries, particularly Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, carry the highest burden. Since 2000, Africa has significantly reduced malaria incidence and mortality, averting over 1.7 billion cases and 12 million deaths. Nevertheless, malaria continues to pose a significant health challenge, necessitating ongoing action and investment.
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This plan, approved by the Organization’s 62nd Directing Council, was shaped by extensive consultations with countries and stakeholders, and commits to transformative health outcomes over the next six years, tackling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), mental health, health security, fragmented healt...h systems and services, and the elimination of communicable diseases, amongst others.
“The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that the Region of the Americas is stronger when we work together,” said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO Director. “This Strategic Plan harnesses our collective strength to build resilient health systems, reduce disease burden, and improve health and well-being for all across the Americas.”
The plan builds on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed gaps in health systems while highlighting the power of joint action. It targets measurable impacts in countries, such as reducing maternal mortality, reversing rising suicide rates, and eliminating diseases like leprosy and Chagas.
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In areas of Mexico, Central America, and South America, where the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite is present in triatomine bugs, improved housing and spraying insecticide inside housing to eliminate the bugs has significantly decreased the spread of Chagas disease. Screening of blood donations for Chagas... is another important public health tool to help prevent spreading the disease through blood transfusions. Early detection and treatment of new cases, including mother-to-baby (congenital) cases, will also help reduce the burden of disease.
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Health workers participating in pandemic response are exposed to many different occupational risks to health and safety. These include: COVID-19 infection, illness, and transmission to others; fatigue from working longer hours and heavy workload, insufficient sleep or rest, dehydration, and inadequa...te nutrition; musculoskeletal injury from handling of patients and heavy objects, prolonged work while using personal protective equipment which can cause heat stress, skin and mucosal damage; workplace violence and stigma, and a variety of mental health problems, emotional distress and occupational burn-out.
All health workers require knowledge and skills to protect themselves and others from the occupational risks they encounter, so that they can work safely and effectively. This course consists of five sections in response to these needs: Module 1: Infectious risks to health and safety
Module 2: Physical risks to health and safety
Module 3: Psychosocial risks to health and safety
Module 4: Basic occupational health and safety in health services.
This course is also available in the following languages: македонски - Português_ Spanish
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Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) science conversation
In this video and audio series WHO experts explain the science related to COVID-19. This series is available every week on WHO's YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn channels and on all major podcasts platforms.
Download all epis...ode transcripts in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Hindi, Maithili, Nepali
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After 100 years of chemotherapy with impractical and toxic drugs, an oral cure for human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is available: Fexinidazole. In this case, we review the history of drug discovery for HAT with special emphasis on the discovery, pre-clinical development, and operational challenge...s of the clinical trials of fexinidazole. The screening of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) HAT-library by the Swiss TPH had singled out fexinidazole, originally developed by Hoechst (now Sanofi), as the most promising of a series of over 800 nitroimidazoles and related molecules. In cell culture, fexinidazole has an IC50 of around 1 µM against Trypanosoma brucei and is more than 100-fold less toxic to mammalian cells. In the mouse model, fexinidazole cures both the first, haemolymphatic, and the second, meningoencephalitic stage of the infection, the latter at 100 mg/kg twice daily for 5 days. In patients, the clinical trials managed by DNDi and supported by Swiss TPH mainly conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo demonstrated that oral fexinidazole is safe and effective for use against first- and early second-stage sleeping sickness. Based on the positive opinion issued by the European Medicines Agency in 2018, the WHO has released new interim guidelines for the treatment of HAT including fexinidazole as the new therapy for first-stage and non-severe second-stage sleeping sickness caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (gHAT). This greatly facilitates the diagnosis and treatment algorithm for gHAT, increasing the attainable coverage and paving the way towards the envisaged goal of zero transmission by 2030.
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This leaflet provides support and advice for adults who are recovering from COVID-19. It can be used by individuals after hospitalization from the illness and those in the community who did not need hospitalization. The leaflet can complement care received from health care professionals. This is the... second edition of the leaflet that was originally published mid 2020 that includes updates to sections and new topics, encompassing what we have learnt about the condition and recovery in the last year. The leaflet was written by rehabilitation professionals in consultation with people recovering from COVID-19. Although references are not shown for ease of reading, the advice is evidence-based. There is still much we don’t know about post-COVID-19 recovery, and evidence is fast emerging.
Available in different languages
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