The goal of this addendum is to help management and staff
minimize the risk of TB transmission at facilities in resource limited settings in which a.) HIV-infected persons receive diagnosis, care, treatment,
and/or support, and b.) there is a high prevalence of HIV infection, both known
and... undiagnosed, in settings such as prisons, jails, other
detention centers, and drug rehabilitation centers.
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In 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic continued to overlay other pre-existing and emerging crisis risks, driving need and complicating response. Following the rapid rise in demand for humanitarian assistance in 2020, needs remained at historically high levels in 2021. Growth in the volume of total internat...ional humanitarian assistance has stalled, with only slightly more provided in 2021 than in 2018.with the global economy under significant strain and donor governments facing increasing domestic costs, global aid is projected to decline further and faster.
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The Ministry of Health is working with WHO, Gavi, MSF, UNICEF and other partners to ring vaccinate high-risk populations in Ebola-affected health zones in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As vaccine supplies arrive in Geneva ahead of deployment to Kinshasa, WHO’s Dr Peter Salama explains what... ring vaccination means.
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While the full extent of Cyclone Ida’s impact is still being assessed, early reports indicate significant damage to infrastructure and livelihoods, with an estimated 3,000km2 of land submerged. Preliminary government reports as of 24 March indicate that more than 58,600 houses have been damaged, i...ncluding 36,747 totally destroyed, 19,733 partially destroyed and 2,184 flooded. More than 500,000 hectares of crops have been damaged, which is expected to significantly increase food insecurity given that the flooding has coincided with the annual harvest season. More than 3,100 schools have been damaged, along with at least 45 health centres.
Nearly 110,000 people remained displaced in more than 130 accommodation centres – mostly schools and other public buildings – in Sofala (90), Manica (26), Zambezia (10) and Tete (4), where humanitarian needs are acute and both the risk of communicable disease outbreaks and protection risks – particularly for women and girls – are high
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People with underlying noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and cancer have a high risk for developing severe and even fatal COVID-19. It is important for them to strictly follow basic protective measures and make sure th...eir chronic diseases are well managed. However, pandemics cripple health systems and compromise provision routine medical care. This technical note gives general guidance to people living with NCDs, their caregivers and family members, the public, health programme managers and health-care workers on how to reduce risks of a COVID-19 infection and maintain care for people living with NCDs during the outbreak.
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Just about everyone has experienced the joy that a healthy newborn child brings to parents, families and communities. But the arrival of a newborn who is small or sick often results in immediate worry and sadness. When the infant is at high risk of death or disability, these concerns can be a tremen...dous additional burden.
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An estimated 99% of children worldwide – or more than 2.3 billion children – live in one of the 186 countries that have implemented some form of restrictions due to COVID-191. Although children are not at a high risk of direct harm from the virus, they are disproportionately affected by its hid...den impacts.
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1PEP GUIDELINES | 2019 EDITION. The prevalence of both HIV and Hepatitis B is high in South Africa therefore there is a significant risk of acquiring these infections following exposure to infected material. Studies suggest that post- exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with highly active antiretroviral trea...tment (HAART) is highly effective in preventing HIV infection if taken correctly for the full recommended duration of 28 days, and that prophylaxis with Hepatitis B immunoglobulin and vaccination may prevent Hepatitis B infection if given soon after exposure. This update of the Western Cape guidelines for management of potentially infectious exposures is based on current evidence and guidelines issued by the WHO, NDoH and the SA HIV Clinicians Society. The key aim is to promote successful completion of the recommended ART regimen in the 28 day period of therapy, as well as prevent infection with Hepatitis B
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Posters & Infographics on different topics, i.e: vaccination, people with high risk of severe Covid-19, for families, work, school, hand hygiene, care at home, public transport
What do we know about the Delta variant so far? How can we assess our risk? What strategies should we apply to protect ourselves whether we are in a low vaccination or high vaccination setting? WHO’s Dr Maria Van Kerkhove explains in Science in 5.
The strategy recommends that AU Member States should enhance, where feasible, existing COVID-19 surveillance to include:
Community-based surveillance to detect symptomatic cases early for treatment and to avert viral transmission;
Sentinel surveillance in high-risk populations to detect ...and track both presymptomatic and asymptomatic cases; and
Wastewater surveillance to monitor early environmental signs of virus transmission and identify communities where targeted interventions can be implemented to decrease transmission.
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This guide is intended to promote a global health sector response to FGM for the provision of high-quality prevention and care services to women and girls at risk of FGM or living with the consequences of FGM. It also aims to support the systematic development of pre-service and in-service FGM conte...nt for midwifery and nursing education curricula which are relevant to context and need. This document could also be used for training materials of other cadres of health-care providers.
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In 2007, WHO warned that infectious diseases are emerging and re-emerging at a rate that has not been seen before. The potential for infectious diseases to spread rapidly results in high morbidity and mortality, causing a potential global public health treat of major concern.
Several factors are ...contributing to the (re)emergence of infectious diseases such as population growth, living in close contact with animals, frequent travelling, poverty, destructive ecological changes due to economic development and land use and climate change result in global warming.
Especially Africa is at a threat for (re)emerging infectious diseases due to the huge population growth (expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050) with rapid urbanisation. Additionally, people across and beyond the continent are excessively mobile which is combined with a weak health system. Moreover, the risk of (re)emerging infectious disease is further heightened by three newly adopted continental initiatives: African Continental Free Trade Area, Free Movement of Persons and African Passport and Single African Air Transport Market.
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As the war in Ukraine pushes food, fuel and fertilizer prices toward record levels putting food security in many of the world’s poorest countries at risk, the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) today launched a Crisis Response Initiative to ensure that small-scale farmer...s in high-risk countries can produce food over the next few months to feed their families and communities while reducing the threat to future harvests.
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The goal of the global outbreak response for monkeypox is to stop human-to-human transmission of monkeypox, with a priority focus on communities at high risk of exposure which may differ according to context, and to effectively use strong public health measures to prevent onward spread of the diseas...e. Judicious use of vaccines can support this response. This interim guidance, developed with the advice and support of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) Working Group on smallpox and monkeypox vaccines, provides the first WHO recommendations on vaccines and immunization for monkeypox. Key points follow.
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the current surge in cases follows unprecedented flooding that began in mid-June 2022. With the current flood crisis affecting the national health system capacity and the growing humanitarian situation, there is a high risk of serious health impacts from dengue fever and other concurrent disease out...breaks. High population movement between Pakistan and bordering countries (in particular, Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran) means that the international transmission of dengue fever cannot be ruled out.
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The presence of areas not currently under the control of the Government of Ukraine and security risks arising from active ground conflict and shelling continue to drive high access constraints for oblasts in the south and east of Ukraine.
This report aims to provide a comprehensive comparison of ac...cess challenges across different oblasts in Ukraine to inform humanitarian responders and support decision-making.
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Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) affect 1.45 billion people worldwide, and high intensity infections are associated with anemia, undernutrition and impaired cognition, particularly among children. Mathematical models suggest it may be possible to interrupt the transmission of STH in a community by e...xpanding mass drug administration (MDA) from targeted high-risk groups (primarily school-aged children and women of child-bearing age) to all community members with high coverage. The DeWorm3 Project will test the feasibility of this approach to interrupting the transmission of STH using a series of cluster randomized trials in Benin, India and Malawi. Each study area (population 80,000) will be divided into 40 clusters and randomized to community-wide or standard-of-care targeted MDA for three years. Two years following the final round of MDA, prevalence of STH will be compared between arms and transmission interruption assessed in each cluster. The DeWorm3 trials will provide stakeholders with information regarding the potential to switch from STH control to a more ambitious and sustainable strategy.
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Background
Chronic congestive heart failure is a common condition that, if untreated, markedly impairs the quality of life and is associated with a high risk of recurrent hospitalization and death.
Methods
This review is based on articles retrieved by a selective search in PubMed, as well as on r...elevant guidelines.
Results
Evidence-based treatment options are available only for congestive heart failure with a low ejection fraction. Pharmacotherapy is based on neurohumoral inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and the adrenergic system. The prognosis of patients with this condition has been further improved recently through the introduction of combined angiotensin receptor antagonists and neprilysin inhibitors. Modern implantable devices are a further component of treatment. Implantable defibrillators and special pacemakers for cardiac resynchronization are well established; the utility of alternative devices (baroreflex modulation or cardiac contractility modulation) needs to be investigated in further studies. It was recently shown that the catheter-based treatment of secondary mitral regurgitation with a MitraClip improves the outcome of selected patients.
Conclusion
The treatment of chronic systolic heart failure as recommended in the relevant guidelines, with drugs and implanted devices if indicated, can significantly improve the clinical outcome.
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The situation in the Gaza Strip is dire, with syndromic surveillance revealing high rates of infectious diseases. The risk of further spread may be exacerbated by several factors, including overcrowding, inadequate water and sanitation, disruption of routine healthcare services, and a dysfunctional ...health system due to the ongoing conflict.
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