The outbreak of the coronavirus is leading to increased challenges in clinical management and uncertainty among the general population. To support the advice and treatment of patients, we have updated our Knowledge Library to include an informative Learning Card about COVID-19.
This update contai...ns essential details, as well as references to reputable sources and the newest treatment recommendations from the institutes and authorities who are evaluating these developments on a daily basis. The Learning Card has been written, curated and extensively checked by our qualified team of international physicians.
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WHO has published the first-ever guidance on the clinical management of diphtheria. The only previously available guidance was an operational protocol. The new guidance followed the rigorous process for developing guidance at WHO.
It addresses the use of Diphtheria Antitoxin (DAT) in the treatmen...t of diphtheria. There is a worldwide shortage of DAT and evidence based recommendations on the use of DAT were requested by many Member States.
The guidance also includes new recommendations on antibiotics. In patients with suspected or confirmed diphtheria, WHO recommends using macrolide antibiotics (azithromycin, erythromycin) rather than penicillin antibiotics.
This clinical practice guideline has been rapidly developed recognizing the global increase in diphtheria outbreaks. Outbreaks of diphtheria in Nigeria, Guinea and neighbouring countries in 2023 have highlighted the urgent need for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of diphtheria. Given the sporadic nature of outbreaks, many clinicians in the affected regions have never managed acute diphtheria and its related complications. Diphtheria remains a neglected disease and vaccination is the top priority. At the same time, for patients with diphtheria, access to antibiotics, DAT and supportive care can be lifesaving.
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This Rapid Gender Analysis provides preliminary information and observations on the different needs, capacities and coping strategies of Venezuelan migrant and refugee women, men, boys, and girls in Colombia. It seeks to understand how gender roles and relations have changed as a result of the crisi...s and share recommendations for how the humanitarian community can more effectively consider these changing dynamics to better meet the different needs of women, men, boys and girls of different ages, abilities and other contextually relevant forms of diversity. The refugee and migrant crisis in Colombia is characterized by gendered dynamics and has taken a significant toll on the health and welfare on all those affected, but particularly on women and girls. Refugee and migrant women and girls face profound vulnerabilities as they leave Venezuela and either cross Colombia or stay in various locations across the country; this is even more the case for those at increased risk, such as indigenous populations, adolescent girls, etc.
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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a threat to global health and development and it contributes to millions of deaths worldwide each year. Inappropriate use and overuse of antibiotics are driving an increase in AMR and have a detrimental impact on the effectiveness of these critical medicines. Throug...h the Global Action Plan on AMR, WHO is working to improve the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and reduce inappropriate antibiotic consumption.
There is a recognized need for high-quality resources to improve antibiotic prescribing globally. To address this need, a pragmatic approach was taken by WHO to develop actionable guidance for empiric antibiotic use.
The WHO AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve) antibiotic book provides concise, evidence-based guidance on the choice of antibiotic, dose, route of administration, and duration of treatment for more than 30 of the most common clinical infections in children and adults in both primary health care and hospital settings. The information included in the book supports the recommendations for antibiotics listed on the WHO Model Lists of Essential Medicines and Essential Medicines Children and the WHO AWaRe classification of antibiotics.
The WHO AWaRe antibiotic book is accompanied by summary infographics for each infection for both adults and children that provide a quick-reference guide for health care workers at the point of care.
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Fistula Services Facilitative Supervision and Medical Monitoring for Training Sites and Training Follow- up
This checklist facilitates the supervision and monitoring of training activities. Forms include: Facility Information; Training Follow Up for Fistula Surgery and Peri-operative Care; Training... Follow Up for Fistula Counselors; Additional Supervision/Monitoring for a Fistula Training Site; and Summary Notes and Recommendations from the Supervision and Monitoring Visit
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This document includes the results of a rapid systematic review of current available literature. The information included in this review reflects the evidence as of the date posted in the document. In recognition of the fact that there are numerous ongoing clinical studies, PAHO will periodically up...date this review and corresponding recommendations as new evidence becomes available.
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The document provides detailed clinical guidelines for the therapy of Type 1 Diabetes as developed by the German Diabetes Association (DDG). It focuses on individualized insulin therapy, structured patient training, and monitoring of blood glucose levels. The guidelines emphasize preventing complica...tions like ketoacidosis and hypoglycemia while improving patients' quality of life through education and tailored medical care. Recommendations include the use of both basal and bolus insulin, continuous glucose monitoring, and integrating psychosocial support into treatment plans. The document serves as a comprehensive resource for healthcare professionals managing Type 1 Diabetes.
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2nd edition.
T The Compendium has been developed as a clear and concise instrument to facilitate the understanding and planning of delivery of high-quality care for everybody affected by TB. It incorporates all recent policy guidance from WHO; follows the care pathway of persons with signs or sympt...oms of TB in seeking diagnosis, treatment and care; and includes key algorithms and cross-cutting elements that are essential to a patient-centered approach in the cascade of TB care.
The Compendium is structured into 33 WHO standards and consolidates all current WHO TB policy recommendations into a single resource, with electronic links to the individual, comprehensive WHO policy guidelines
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This field action guide focuses on the first psychosocial assessment to be conducted just after a calamity strikes or just after a major event in an ongoing armed conflict. While it is necessary to update that initial assessment as the emergency situation evolves through the different phases of reco...very (briefly outlined in the “phase chart”), this mini book is meant to guide the formation of a team to assess the psychosocial as well as physical needs of children, their families and the communities and then the recommendations the team makes for ensuing support.
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Addressing comorbidities and risk factors for tuberculosis (TB) is a crucial component of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s End TB Strategy. This WHO operational handbook on tuberculosis. Module 6: tuberculosis and comorbidities aims to support countries in scaling up people-centred care, ...based on the latest WHO recommendations on TB and key comorbidities, and drawing upon additional evidence, best practices and inputs from various experts and stakeholders obtained during WHO processes. It is intended for use by people working in ministries of health, particularly TB programmes and the relevant departments or programmes responsible for comorbidities and health-related risk factors for TB such as HIV, diabetes, undernutrition, substance use, and tobacco use, as well as programmes addressing mental health and lung health.
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This pan-African report describes and analyses the cultural, social, physical and other societal barriers preventing children with disabilities in Africa from realising their full human potential. It also describes the opportunities, initiatives and good practices that exist, that indicate the progr...ess, albeit insufficient, that has been made towards realising the rights for children with disabilities in Africa. Recommendations and priorities for action are presented which promote inclusive and accessible laws, policies, and programmes for children with disabilities throughout Africa
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15 January 2021
This Aide Memoire is for policy makers, immunization programme managers, infection prevention and control (IPC) focal points at national, sub-national, and facility level, as well as for health workers involved in COVID-19 vaccination delivery. This document summarizes the key IPC p...rinciples to consider and the precautions to take for safely delivering COVID-19 vaccines. The principles and recommendations provided in this document derive from World Health Organization (WHO) IPC and immunization standards and other guidance in the context of COVID-19. WHO will update these recommendations as new information becomes available. All technical guidance for COVID-19 is available online.
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The COTS Cholera Outbreak Training and Shigellosis Program Pocket Card provides essential guidelines for health promotion workers to prevent and manage cholera and shigellosis outbreaks. It emphasizes proper sanitation, hygiene practices, safe water handling, and food safety as the primary methods f...or disease control. Key recommendations include handwashing, disinfecting water with chlorine, using latrines, and ensuring safe food preparation. The document also outlines hospital policies, waste disposal procedures, and safety measures for healthcare workers dealing with diarrheal diseases. Additionally, it provides dehydration assessment guidelines, treatment protocols using Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) and IV fluids, and appropriate antibiotic treatments for both cholera and shigellosis. The goal is to equip healthcare workers with quick-reference tools to effectively contain outbreaks and prevent further transmission.
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The primary goal of the guideline is to improve the quality of care and the outcome in people with type 2 diabetes in low-resource settings. It recommends a set of basic interventions to integrate management of diabetes into primary health care. It will serve as basis for development of simple algor...ithms for use by health care staff in primary care in low-resource settings, to reduce the risk of acute and chronic complications of diabetes. The guideline was developed by a group of external and WHO experts, following the WHO process of guideline development. GRADE methodology was used to assess the quality of evidence and decide the strength of the recommendations.
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The health and socioeconomic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the countries of Latin America hard and laid bare the profound inequities about which numerous international, regional and national reports have sounded warnings in recent decades. In this context, the historical politica...l and economic exclusion and marginalization of the more than 800 indigenous peoples in the region has been accentuated as a result of insufficient State responses to the crisis, which have not adequately considered the collective rights of these peoples and have had little cultural relevance.
This document provides an overview of the situation of indigenous peoples in the region in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. It analyses both the State’s and indigenous peoples’ own responses to the crisis, as well as offering a set of recommendations to rectify the neglect of these peoples in the management of the pandemic, centring on their collective rights.
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Evidence- and rights-based national policies, guidelines and legislation play a key role in improving sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (SRMNCAH), framing the enabling environment for equitable provision and accessibility of quality services. The SRMNCAH policy sur...vey monitors the existence of national SRMNCAH laws, policies, strategies and guidelines and the extent to which they are aligned with WHO recommendations on SRMNCAH. This publication reports on the findings from the 2023 WHO SRMNCAH policy survey.
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These guidelines are intended to help diverse actors, including donors and program implementers, develop and fund the programs to help landmine victims heal, recover and resume their roles as productive and contributing members of their societies. Intended to address the care and rehabilitation of t...hose victims who have suffered physical injury from landmines, many of the recommendations apply as well to support for other persons with disabilities
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The document “Malaria Elimination Programme Review, India 2022”, published by the WHO Country Office for India, provides an in-depth assessment of India’s progress toward malaria elimination. It evaluates the structure, implementation, and effectiveness of national and subnational malaria prog...rams, focusing on surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, vector control, and community engagement. The review identifies strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement, offering evidence-based recommendations to accelerate India's efforts to eliminate malaria by 2030.
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The role of evidence in the journey towards universal health coverage is paramount. Financial risk protection monitoring, the major focus of this report, informs where the WHO African Region stands in reducing the financial hardship people face due to health expenses. This report details the status ...of financial risk protection and related trends, the drivers of out-of-pocket (OOP) payments and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on financial risk protection. As such, it provides evidence coutries can draw on to develop health financing systems and reforms that mitigate financial barriers to accessing health services. Through analysis of country data, cross-country learning and drawing on the published literature, this report proposes recommendations that countries may adapt to their contexts.
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The Consensus Statement on c-IPTp is a publication by the RBM Partnership to End Malaria. It focuses on community-based intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (c-IPTp), aiming to enhance malaria prevention among pregnant women through community-level interventions. The statement offers po...licies, recommendations, and joint statements to guide the implementation of c-IPTp strategies. The document is available for download in English, French, and Portuguese.
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