BACKGROUND: Growing political attention to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) offers a rare opportunity for achieving meaningful action. Many governments have developed national AMR action plans, but most have not yet implemented policy interventions to reduce antimicrobial overuse. A systematic evidenc...e map can support governments in making evidence-informed decisions about implementing programs to reduce AMR, by identifying, describing, and assessing the full range of evaluated government policy options to reduce antimicrobial use in humans.
METHODS AND FINDINGS: Seven databases were searched from inception to January 28, 2019, (MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PAIS Index, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and PubMed). We identified studies that (1) clearly described a government policy intervention aimed at reducing human antimicrobial use, and (2) applied a quantitative design to measure the impact. We found 69 unique evaluations of government policy interventions carried out across 4 of the 6 WHO regions. These evaluations included randomized controlled trials (n = 4), non-randomized controlled trials (n = 3), controlled before-and-after designs (n = 7), interrupted time series designs (n = 25), uncontrolled before-and-after designs (n = 18), descriptive designs (n = 10), and cohort designs (n = 2). From these we identified 17 unique policy options for governments to reduce the human use of antimicrobials. Many studies evaluated public awareness campaigns (n = 17) and antimicrobial guidelines (n = 13); however, others offered different policy options such as professional regulation, restricted reimbursement, pay for performance, and prescription requirements. Identifying these policies can inform the development of future policies and evaluations in different contexts and health systems. Limitations of our study include the possible omission of unpublished initiatives, and that policies not evaluated with respect to antimicrobial use have not been captured in this review.
CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge this is the first study to provide policy makers with synthesized evidence on specific government policy interventions addressing AMR. In the future, governments should ensure that AMR policy interventions are evaluated using rigorous study designs and that study results are published.
more
Since December 2010, Malaria Consortium has been implementing an innovative approach to community management of severe acute malnutrition, together with an existing integrated community case management (ICCM) programme in South Sudan. This learning paper considers Malaria Consortiums experience of t...his combined approach in a highly complex context and shows whether the management of severe acute malnutrition is an effective, acceptable and feasible component of ICCM programming
more
Climate change and variability is affecting maize (Zea mays L.) production in eastern Ethiopia but how farmers perceive the challenge and respond to it is not well documented. A study was conducted to analyze smallholder maize farmers’ perception of climate change/variability and identify their ad...aptation approaches and barriers for adaptation in the eastern highlands of
Ethiopia.
more
2nd revised edition. Accessed Apri. 17, 2019
Prevention strategies based on scientific evidence working with families, schools, and communities can ensure that children and youth, especially the most marginalized and poor, grow and stay healthy and safe into adulthood and old age. For every dollar ...spent on prevention, at least ten can be saved in future health, social and crime costs.
more
The Global Appeal provides updated information for government, private donors, partners and other readers interested in UNHCR's priorities and budgeted activities for 2021 to protect and improve the lives of tens of millions of people of concern (refugees, internally displaced people, stateless pers...ons and others)
more
Since the release of the first volume in May 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to rage around the world. By mid-March, 2021, countries around the globe had reported over 123 million cases—a nearly five-fold increase since this report’s previous volume—and over 2.7 million deaths attrib...uted to the disease. And while new case loads are currently on the rise again, the global health community has already administered almost 400 million doses of vaccines, at last offering some signs of hope and progress.
Economic impacts threaten to undo decades of recent progress in poverty reduction, child nutrition and gender equality, and exacerbate efforts to support refugees, migrants, and other vulnerable communities. National and local governments—together with international and private-sector partners—must deploy vaccines as efficiently, safely and equitably as possible while still monitoring for new outbreaks and continuing policies to protect those who do not yet have immunity.
More than ever, the world needs reliable and trustworthy data and statistics to inform these important decisions. The United Nations and all member organizations of the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (CCSA) collect and make available a wealth of information for assessing the multifaceted impacts of the pandemic. This report updates some of the global and regional trends presented in Volume I and offers a snapshot of how COVID-19 continues to affect the world today across multiple domains.
more
A Technical Brief for Breakthrough ACTION Field Teams
Religion and Development 01/2019. Discussion Paper Series of the Research Programme on Religious Communities and Sustainable Development
Q4: Can convulsive epilepsy be diagnosed at first level care by a non-specialist health care provider in low and middle income country settings?
These guidelines provide guidance on how to detect an outbreak of the disease, conduct pertinent epidemiological investigations, and prevent or mitigate the spread of the disease throughout the Region. We encourage everyone working to apply these guidelines to take into account all the knowledge ava...ilable and their own country’s capability to cope with the introduction of CHIKV. Steps should be taken now to put in place the necessary measures that will decrease the impact that this new arbovirus could have in our Region.
more
Economic Issues, Policies and Option for Action
Original Research
Rev Panam Salud Publica 43, 2019 | www.paho.org/journal | https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2019.31
Snakebite envenoming is a serious public health problem in Central America, where approximately 5,500 cases occur every year. Panama has the highest incidence and El Salvador the lowest. The majority, and most severe, cases are inflicted by the pit viper Bothrops asper (family Viperidae), locally kn...own as ‘terciopelo’, ‘barba amarilla’ or ‘equis’. About 1% of the bites are caused by coral snakes of the genus Micrurus (family Elapidae). Despite significant and successful efforts in Central America regarding snakebite envenomings in the areas of research, antivenom manufacture and quality control, training of health professionals in the diagnosis and clinical management of bites, and prevention of snakebites, much remains to be done in order to further reduce the impact of this medical condition. This essay presents seven challenges for improving the confrontation of snakebite envenoming in Central America. Overcoming these challenges demands a coordinated partnership of highly diverse stakeholders though inter-sectorial and inter-programmatic interventions.
more
More than 40% of the world population is 24 years old or younger, the vast majority of whom live in low- and lower middle–income countries. Globally, a quarter of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for mental disorders and substance abuse is borne by this age group and about 75% of mental diso...rders diagnosed in adulthood have their onset before the age of
24 years . Most children and young people in developing countries, however, do not have access to mental health care.
more
Int J Health Geogr. 2002; 1: 5.
Published online 2002 Dec 20. doi: 10.1186/1476-072X-1-5
PMCID: PMC149400
PMID: 12537588
Rabies is a devastating and societally important zoonotic disease, which is transmitted principally to humans through the bite of infected dogs. This acute, progressive viral encephalitis has the highest case fatality of any infectious disease and kills tens of thousands of people annually, with chi...ldren and impoverished communities being affected disproportionately.
more
Caribbean Sub-regional Training Workshop. Introducing the new guidelines: Preparedness and Response for Chikungunya Virus Introduction in the Americas in the context of Dengue
DHS Further Analysis Reports No. 89 - The 2010 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey shows that 3 percent of Rwandan adults age 15-49 have been infected with HIV. The prevalence was much higher in urban areas, among women, and among adults who had multiple lifetime sexual partners and used a condom a...t last sexual intercourse. The
level of and differences in HIV prevalence in Rwanda in 2010 are very similar to those observed in 2005. Using data from the two recent Rwanda Demographic and Health Surveys, implemented in 2005 and
2010, this study examined changes in key HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and sexual behavior indicators. Significant changes in selected indicators during 2005 and 2010 were determined by Student ttest with p-values less than 0.05.
more