New data indicates declining confidence in childhood vaccines of up to 44 percentage points in some countries during the COVID-19 pandemic
New UNICEF report shows 67 million children missed out on one or more vaccinations over three years due to service disruption caused by strained health system...s and diversion of scarce resources, conflict and fragility, and decreased confidence.
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During the year 2022, COVID-19 continued to be a significant challenge in Eritrea as in many other countries across the world. As COVID-19 devastated communities around the world, WHO worked with the MoH to strengthen the National and Sub-National health systems in order to meet community needs and ...mitigate the devastation during the pandemic and beyond.
One of the major achievements in the year 2022 was the beginning of the journey towards validation of
the elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. This is the culmination of years
of commitment and determination by the political leadership, national and international partnerships to
reduce the associated indices to levels that qualify for elimination.
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A national overview with a case study from Tanahun district. The overall aims of this study are (1) to assess the extent to which social protection systems in Nepal address the needs of people with disabilities; and (2) to identify and document elements of good practice, as well as challenges, in th...e design and delivery of social protection for people with disabilities. As most social protection programmes in Nepal are targeted to various groups considered to be a high risk of poverty or marginalisation (e.g. orphans, widows), the research mainly focuses on disability-specific schemes, as they are relevant to a higher proportion of people with disabilities.
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This manual is designed primarily to assist managers of national malaria programmes and national reference laboratory responsible for quality assurance of malaria microscopy control. The information is also applicable to non-governmental organizations and funding agencies investing in quality manage...ment systems for malaria microscopy.
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This rapid review report has identified the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) options used in emergency settings, with decentralised wastewater treatment systems (DEWATS) and mobile wastewater treatment units performing most effectively and with minimal costs. Examples are taken from refugee camps a...nd internally displaced people (IDP) settlements due to the Iraq war, the Israeli-Palestine conflict, and the civil wars in Syria and Sudan. WWTP options used in Finland, Haiti, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Sudan and Turkey are discussed. Lessons learned from China and suggestions for the Rohingya crisis are also included.
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Donor funding for HIV programs has increased rapidly over the past decade, raising questions about whether other health services in recipient-country health systems are being crowded out or strengthened. This article--an investigation of the impacts of increased HIV donor funding on non-HIV health s...ervices in sub-Saharan Africa during 2003-10--provides evidence of both effects.
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Preliminary data from Member States indicate that the number of cholera cases reported in 2023 as of 15 December has surpassed that of 2022, with over 667 000 cases and 4000 deaths. These figures must be interpreted with caution given the varying surveillance systems and capacity across countries, w...hich means that 2023 data are not directly comparable to reports from previous years.
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Emergencies, in spite of their tragic nature and adverse effects on mental health, are unparalleled opportunities to build better mental health systems for all people in need. This WHO publication shows how this was done in 10 diverse emergency-affected areas
A manual intended for medical and other personnel responsible for humanitarian activities in armed conflicts. It covers the following topics: setting up a health-care system that meets the essential needs of war victims, particularly of displaced persons; public health tools most frequently used for... evaluation, establishment of priorities, analysis of possible activities and their follow-up; protecting war victims and aspects of humanitarian law related to health; and lastly, ethical problems
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Education is UNESCO’s top priority because
it is a basic human right and the foundation
on which to build peace and drive sustainable
development. UNESCO is the United Nations’
specialized agency for education and the
Education Sector provides global and
regional leadership in education, s...trengthens
national education systems and responds
to contemporary global challenges through
education with a special focus on gender
equality and Africa.
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orientaciones provisionales, 8 de noviembre de 2020
This interim guidance is most useful for countries interested in monitoring relative circulations of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses. The document provides practical information to maintain surveillance of influenza and monitor SARS-CoV-2 using e...xisting surveillance systems. It contains updated considerations for addressing disruptions in the influenza sentinel surveillance and extending to include COVID-19 wherever possible. Updated algorithms for testing of both influenza and SARS-CoV-2 for surveillance are also included. This document is an update of Operational considerations for COVID-19 surveillance using GISRS and GISRS for the upcoming influenza seasons during the COVID-19 pandemic
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Mental health is critically important to everyone, everywhere. All over the world, mental health needs are high but responses are insufficient and inadequate. The World mental health report: transforming mental health for all is designed to inspire and inform better mental health for everyone everyw...here. Drawing on the latest evidence available, showcasing examples of good practice from around the world, and voicing people’s lived experience, it highlights why and where change is most needed and how it can best be achieved. It calls on all stakeholders to work together to deepen the value and commitment given to mental health, reshape the environments that influence mental health, and strengthen the systems that care for mental health.
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Mental health is critically important to everyone, everywhere. All over the world, mental health needs are high but responses are insufficient and inadequate. The World mental health report: transforming mental health for all is designed to inspire and inform better mental health for everyone everyw...here. Drawing on the latest evidence available, showcasing examples of good practice from around the world, and voicing people’s lived experience, it highlights why and where change is most needed and how it can best be achieved. It calls on all stakeholders to work together to deepen the value and commitment given to mental health, reshape the environments that influence mental health, and strengthen the systems that care for mental health.
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Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for 81% of all deaths in the region of the Americas, of which 34% befall prematurely in people between 30- 69 years old. The burden of theses diseases and their common risk factors jeopardize the health systems to provide adequate management, as well a...s to implement customized policies and interventions. The PAHO/WHO STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance (STEPS) is a simple, sequential, standardized method for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data on key NCD risk factors in countries in adults from 18 to 69 years old. This survey covers key modifiable risk factors: tobacco use, alcohol use, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diet, as well as key biological risk factors: overweight and obesity, raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose, and abnormal blood lipids. STEPS is a household survey that gathers information on the risk factors through a face-to-face interview (step 1), simple physical measurements (step 2), and collection of urine and blood samples for biochemical analysis (step 3). Every step has a core set of questions, measurements, and expanded sets depending on the countries' needs and interests. It also has optional modules. Implementing STEPS allows the comparability of data within and between countries due to its standardized data collection. It also helps health services plan public health priorities and monitors and evaluates population-wide interventions. It is designed to help countries build and strengthen their capacity to conduct surveillance. STEPS captures 11 of the 25 indicators outlined in the NCD Global Monitoring Framework relating to 7 of the nine global targets.
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AACAP OFFICIAL ACTION | This Practice Parameter identifies best approaches to the assessment and management of children and adolescents across all phases of a disaster. Delivered within a disaster system of care, many interventions are appropriate for implementation in the weeks and months after a d...isaster. These include psychological first aid, family outreach, psychoeducation, social support, screening, and anxiety reduction techniques. The clinician should assess and monitor risk and protective factors across all phases of a disaster. Schools are a natural site for conducting assessments and delivering services to children. Multimodal approaches using social support, psychoeducation, and cognitive behavioral techniques have the strongest evidence base. Psychopharmacologic interventions are not generally used but may be necessary as an adjunct to other interventions for children with severe reactions or coexisting psychiatric conditions
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The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic exacerbated pre-existing inequalities in the treatment and care of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). This report examines the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to NCD medicines, and the policies and strategies implemented by countries and health sys...tems to anticipate and mitigate stresses across NCD medicine supply chains. The full range of upstream and downstream impacts are investigated, including: manufacturing; procurement, importation and last mile delivery; patient-level effects through affordability and availability; and the effects on NCD medicine availability by category of disease. The report culminates in recommended actions and interventions for key stakeholders in the NCD pharmaceutical supply chain, including governments, regulatory authorities, manufacturers and the private sector; as well as directions for future research for improving access and supply chain access resilience.
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Primary care - Putting people first: This chapter describes how primary care brings promotion and prevention, cure and care together in a safe, effective and socially productive way at the interface between the population and the health system.
For over 23 years, CDC has collaborated in Malawi with local and international partners to strengthen health systems. The office works to prevent, detect and respond to diseases. Efforts include building healthcare workforce capacity, strengthening laboratory systems, and increasing the capacity of ...surveillance and health information systems. CDC also implements high-impact HIV and tuberculosis programs through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and supports malaria control activities under the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative.
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Developmental disabilities are common. Yet, children with developmental disabilities have been neglected in health systems planning and policy provisions for health and continue to experience stigmatization, institutionalization, barriers to access health care and inequalities in health and educatio...n outcomes.
Using findings from research and practice and guided by the tenets of international human rights conventions, this WHO-UNICEF Global Report on children with developmental disabilities provides principles and approaches to intentionally include the needs and aspirations of children and young people with developmental disabilities in policy, programming and public health monitoring. It makes the case for greater accountability and proposes 10 priority actions to accelerate changes towards inclusive environments and responsive multisectoral care systems for children with developmental disabilities.
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The intention of this document is to clarify and outline the steps to effective cholera surveillance. It discusses when,
where and why surveillance for cholera is needed and how to establish a useful and cost-effective surveillance
system for cholera. To make comments, corrections and additions,... please contact the authors at stopchol@jhsph.
edu or jhsph.stopchol@jhu.edu.
Check also: DOVE Project www.stopcholera.org
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