The purpose of this Emergency Response Framework (ERF) is to clarify WHO’s roles and responsibilities in this regard and to provide a common approach for its work in emergencies. Ultimately, the ERF requires WHO to act with urgency and predictability to best serve and be accountable to populations... affected by emergencies.
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9 April 2020
WHO has published the guidance “Clinical management of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) when COVID-19 disease is suspected” This document is intended for clinicians taking care of hospitalized adult and paediatric patients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) whe...n COVID-19 infection is suspected. Optimized supportive care should be provided to ensure the best possible chance for survival of COVID-19 patients as described in the WHO guidance:
1. Management of severe COVID-19 requires oxygen therapy and monitoring. Supplemental oxygen therapy should be given immediately to patients with SARI and respiratory distress, hypoxaemia or shock.
2. Management of critical COVID-19 (acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)) requires advanced oxygen/ventilatory support.
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Climate risks have significant effects on public health including: injury, death, communicable diseases such as vector-borne and water-borne diseases, and non-communicable impacts such as malnutrition, heat stress and health effects of air pollution.
Guidance issued as of 25 March 2020
This guidance is intended for use by health authorities to guide the actions taken by health-care providers for refugees and migrants in relation to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. This document is intended to address the needs and rights of refugees a...nd migrants living in all types of setting.
General recommendations made by WHO in the COVID-19 response (link here) are the superseding guidelines. Unfounded measures regarding testing, health screening and quarantine should not be imposed on refugees and migrants.
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Toolkit regarding Zika Virus
Representative, quality, timely and continuous genetic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 is critical to the COVID-19 outbreak response. This document provides practical guidance to Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) laboratories and other relevant national laboratories to move beyond... virus detection to genomic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive materials obtained from sentinel surveillance of influenza-like illness (ILI), acute respiratory infection (ARI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). It contains considerations on sample selection for sequencing, numbers of viruses to be sequenced, metadata and timeliness for sharing genetic sequence data (GSD) and opportunities for technical support.
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Public Health Factsheet
Accessed: 29.09.2019
Disease outbreak news 30 October 2018
The Guidance Notes seek to help operationalize, simplify and standardize the collection and reporting of data through the application of common language and methods. They provide information on the key issues to take into account in the collection of health data and the types of data that should be ...collated, and potential stakeholders to engage with. They adapt and complement the UNDRR/UNISDR Technical guidance for monitoring and reporting on progress in achieving the global targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which has a multisectoral target audience.
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The Countdown country profile presents in one place the best and latest evidence to enable an assessment of a country’s progress in improving reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH)
The article explores the underlying factors influencing unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles among adolescents in Kilifi County, Kenya. Using a qualitative approach, the study involved interviews and focus group discussions with adolescents, stakeholders, and young adults. Key findings include a... preference for unhealthy, carbohydrate-rich, and sugary foods over traditional and nutritious options, exacerbated by factors like low socioeconomic status, urbanization, and poor farming practices.
Sedentary behavior, such as gambling and extensive technology use, was prevalent, often replacing physical activity. Protective factors like school attendance, community-based services, and parental engagement were identified as mitigating risks. The study highlights the importance of ecological intervention strategies targeting intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community factors to address unhealthy behaviors and promote better health outcomes in adolescents.
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The immediate objective of the country visit to Cameroon was to ensure that the country is as operationally ready as possible to effectively and safely detect, investigate and report potential Ebola virus disease cases and to mount an effective response that will prevent a larger outbreak. After te...chnical working group meetings, field visits, a “table-top” exercise and a hospital-based simulation exercises were undertaken.
Key strengths and weaknesses were identified, and the following areas for improvement were proposed to the Ministry of Health: coordination, surveillance, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, rapid response teams, case management, social mobilization, laboratory, points of entry, budget, logistics.
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The WHO health advisory provides guidance to countries on adapting all existing preparedness and response plans and procedures for natural hazards such as cyclones, tropical storms, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and potential outbreaks of other diseases to their existing COVID-19 strategic prepared...ness and response plans. It advises countries to sustain all established public health and social measures to prevent and control COVID-19 while simultaneously preparing for responding to and effectively manage other disaster risks and events. It highlights WHO’s call for local, national, regional and global solidarity to support countries and communities with high levels of vulnerability to natural hazards during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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