The NLM Malaria Screener is a mobile app developed by the U.S. National Library of Medicine to support the diagnosis of malaria through automated analysis of blood smear images. It uses smartphone microscopy and machine learning to detect malaria parasites in thin blood smears, helping health worker...s and lab technicians—especially in low-resource settings—screen for Plasmodium falciparum infections. The app is intended for research and educational purposes and aims to enhance diagnostic accuracy where access to expert microscopists is limited. It provides results quickly and can assist in training or field screening, but it is not approved for clinical use.
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The webinar presented a new, comprehensive scoping review, published in Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, which summarises over a decade of research exploring how climate shifts may affect disease dynamics. The review emphasises the need for expanded research to bet...ter understand future health impacts and develop targeted response strategies.
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BioDrugs. 2023 Sep 20;37(6):737–756. doi: 10.1007/s40259-023-00623-4
There are many malaria vaccine candidates in development, with more than a dozen of these in clinical development. RTS,S/AS01 (also known as Mosquirix) is the most advanced malaria vaccine and was shown to have modest efficacy ...against clinical malaria in phase III trials in 5- to 17-month-old infants. Following pilot implementation trials, the World Health Organisation has recommended it for use in Africa in young children who are most at risk of infection with P. falciparum, the deadliest of the human malaria parasites.
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This malaria comic provides an engaging and educational overview of the disease, covering topics such as transmission, symptoms, prevention and treatment. It uses illustrations and storytelling to simplify complex scientific information and raise awareness, promoting malaria control efforts and maki...ng the topic accessible to a broad audience, including students, health workers, and the general public.
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Malaria No More is a non-profit organisation dedicated to eradicating malaria, a preventable and treatable disease, in our lifetime. Through innovative partnerships, advocacy and data-driven solutions, Malaria No More works globally to ensure access to prevention tools, diagnostics and treatment, pa...rticularly in vulnerable regions. Malaria No More focuses on high-impact campaigns, technological innovation and policy engagement, collaborating with governments, health organisations and private sector partners to accelerate progress towards malaria eradication and save lives.
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The Malaria Atlas Project (MAP) is a global research initiative that provides high-resolution, evidence-based spatial data on malaria transmission, risk and impact. MAP combines field data, satellite imagery, and advanced geostatistical modelling to deliver open-access maps, datasets, and analytical... tools that support malaria control and elimination strategies worldwide. MAP empowers researchers, policymakers, and public health practitioners by providing them with accurate, up-to-date geographic insights to inform resource allocation and intervention planning.
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Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are chronic medical conditions that are not spread from person to person. Unlike infectious diseases, which are caused by bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens, NCDs are typically long-lasting and result from a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental, and... behavioral factors. NCDs are the leading cause of death worldwide and responsible for over 70% of global deaths each year. Over 80% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (WHO). Noncommunicable diseases pose a serious threat to global health because they are widespread, costly, largely preventable, and responsible for the majority of deaths worldwide. Reducing their impact requires coordinated efforts in prevention, early detection, and healthcare system strengthening, particularly in lower-income countries. The Toolbox on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) can play a vital role in strengthening Global Healthcare systems by providing centralized, reliable, and up-to-date health information and resources like clinical guidlelines, education material as well as tools for prevention and health promotion.
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The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has significantly altered the epidemiology of other infectious diseases, making investigations into its co-infection with malaria particularly relevant in endemic regions. This review examines the epidemiological, incubation and clinical features of the two diseases, high...lighting the diagnostic challenges and strategies for accurate detection. Emerging immunological and genetic evidence indicates that prior exposure to malaria may reduce the severity of outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection through mechanisms involving ACE2 downregulation, TLR signalling, T-cell activation and upregulation of coinhibitory receptors. Additionally, potential control measures are discussed, including vaccine development, the repurposing of antimalarial drugs, the exploration of natural products, innovations in bioinsecticides, and the strengthening of electronic disease surveillance. These insights provide valuable guidance for clinical management and public health policy, while emphasising the need for continued research into the complex interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and malaria.
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These guidelines have been developed in simple, user-friendly language and they explain the procedures for patients’ access to and the safe management of Schedule I and II drugs that are necessary for the treatment and relief of moderate to severe pain. They provide both procedures for acquisition... and information on records or documents that are necessary to ensure that these medicines are made available and accessible to patients across the entire health care delivery system (i.e. from tertiary institutions to primary level) and ensuring prevention of illicit non-medical use.
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For education to be competency-based and effective, appropriate training methodologies have to be used to support the learner to have the appropriate knowledge and to translate this knowledge into skills and competencies. Such education and training should lead to a change in attitudes, beliefs a...nd values, thus making the palliative care graduate able to do their job very effectively. To that end, APCA has developed this new resource, which is a guide to effective teaching methodologies in palliative care, targeting educators and trainers across Africa. This guide has been developed to enable educators and trainers to acquire knowledge and skills for using effective, practical, participatory and experiential teaching methods, and to use these in extending learning to all health care providers in Africa. The methods presented in this guide are based on existing practical and documented evidence of effective palliative care education.
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The African Palliative Care Association is pleased to publish the first edition of Palliative Care Standards for Africa. The development of these standards was achieved through wide consultation with service beneficiaries and providers, and they have been developed to suit different levels of ... service delivery, from primary to tertiary. These standards are underpinned by the World Health Organization’s definition of palliative care, and recognise that scaling up palliative care requires a public health approach with four pillars: policy, education, drug availability and implementation. In addition, the increasing need to establish specific indicators of quality and effectiveness for palliative care has been a big driving force behind these comprehensive standards. It is APCA’s wish that they will provide a framework for the development of evaluation
and performance indicators that can facilitate programme improvement and development. The standards are designed to allow the development or improvement of palliative care across the different services levels, within the organisational capacity of various service providers. They describe a relationship between primary, intermediary and tertiary level service providers, with expectations for all providers articulated through detailed criteria for each standard. It is therefore expected that these standards will influence the planning and delivery of palliative care services at all levels of health care service delivery.
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The second ECDC/EFSA/EMA joint report on the integrated analysis of antimicrobial consumption (AMC) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria from humans and food-producing animals addressed data obtained by the Agencies’ EU-wide surveillance networks for 2013–2015. AMC in both sectors, exp...ressed in mg/kg of estimated biomass, were compared at country and European level. Substantial variations between countries were observed in both sectors. Estimated data on AMC for pigs and poultry were used for the first time. Univariate and multivariate analyses were applied to study associations between AMC and AMR. In 2014, the average AMC was higher in animals (152 mg/kg) than in humans (124 mg/kg), but the opposite applied to the median AMC (67 and 118 mg/kg, respectively). In 18 of 28 countries, AMC was lower in animals than in humans. Univariate analysis showed statistically-significant (p < 0.05) associations between AMC and AMR for fluoroquinolones and Escherichia coli in both sectors, for 3rd- and 4th-generation cephalosporins and E. coli in humans, and tetracyclines and polymyxins and E. coli in animals. In humans, there was a statistically-significant association between AMC and AMR for carbapenems and polymyxins in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Consumption of macrolides in animals was significantly associated with macrolide resistance in Campylobacter coli in animals and humans. Multivariate analyses provided a unique approach to assess the contributions of AMC in humans and animals and AMR in bacteria from animals to AMR in bacteria from humans. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that 3rd- and 4th-generation cephalosporin and fluoroquinolone resistance in E. coli from humans was associated with corresponding AMC in humans, whereas resistance to fluoroquinolones in Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. from humans was related to consumption of fluoroquinolones in animals. These results suggest that from a ‘One-health’ perspective, there is potential in both sectors to further develop prudent use of antimicrobials and thereby reduce AMR.
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One of the principles underpinning the delivery of all essential services and coordination of those services is the “survivor-centered approach”, which places the human rights, needs, and wishes of women and girl survivors at the centre of service delivery.
A key challenge faced by many entit...ies working to end violence against women is ensuring that survivors’ voices and inputs are incorporated into policies, practices, and procedures on response. Survivors have diverse needs and face different risks. Not all women and girls experience violence in the same way. An effective intervention takes into account the realities of their unique circumstances, addresses individual needs, and reduces the risk for further harm and suffering.
UN Women, together with Global Rights for Women, have developed “Safe consultations with survivors of violence against women and girls”, which is designed to provide practical steps, safety measures, and actions that government agencies, civil society and survivor organizations, and United Nations’ entities can take to incorporate survivors' voices into systemic reform efforts, through safe and meaningful consultations.
This guidance is intended to help policymakers develop survivor-centered programming on ending violence against women and girls that meets the needs of diverse groups of women and girls, including those who are at higher risk of experiencing violence and discrimination. It is applicable to programming across the health, justice and policing, and social services sectors, as well as coordination of these sectors, and will help improve the standard and delivery of essential services for women and girls who have experienced violence.
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Many features of the environment have been found to exert an important influence on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, progression, and severity. Changes in the environment due to migration to different geographic locations, modifications in lifestyle choices, and shifts in social policies and cultu...ral practices alter CVD risk, even in the absence of genetic changes. Nevertheless, the cumulative impact of the environment on CVD risk has been difficult to assess
and the mechanisms by which some environment factors influence CVD remain obscure. Human environments are complex; and their natural, social and personal domains are highly variable due to diversity in human ecosystems, evolutionary histories, social structures, and individual choices. Accumulating evidence supports the notion that ecological features such as the diurnal cycles of
light and day, sunlight exposure, seasons, and geographic characteristics of the natural environment such altitude, latitude and greenspaces are important determinants of cardiovascular health and CVD risk. In highly developed societies, the influence of the natural environment is moderated by the physical characteristics of the social environments such as the built environment
and pollution, as well as by socioeconomic status and social networks. These attributes of the
social environment shape lifestyle choices that significantly modify CVD risk. An understanding
of how different domains of the environment, individually and collectively, affect CVD risk could
lead to a better appraisal of CVD, and aid in the development of new preventive and therapeutic
strategies to limit the increasingly high global burden of heart disease and stroke.
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Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the second common cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) accounting for about 35% of all deaths, after a composite of communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases. Despite prior perception of low NCDs mortality rates, current evidence suggests t...hat SSA is now at the dawn of the epidemiological transition with contemporary double burden of disease from NCDs and communicable diseases. In SSA, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the most frequent causes of NCDs deaths, responsible for approximately 13% of all deaths and 37% of all NCDs deaths. Although ischemic heart disease (IHD) has been identified as the leading cause of CVDs mortality in SSA followed by stroke and hypertensive heart disease from statistical models, real field data suggest IHD rates are still relatively low. The neglected endemic CVDs of SSA such as endomyocardial fibrosis and rheumatic heart disease as well as congenital heart diseases remain unconquered. While the underlying aetiology of heart failure among adults in high-income countries (HIC) is IHD, in SSA the leading causes are hypertensive heart disease, cardiomyopathy, rheumatic heart disease, and congenital heart diseases. Of concern is the tendency of CVDs to occur at younger ages in SSA populations, approximately two decades earlier compared to HIC. Obstacles hampering primary and secondary prevention of CVDs in SSA include insufficient health care systems and infrastructure, scarcity of cardiac professionals, skewed budget allocation and disproportionate prioritization away from NCDs, high cost of cardiac treatments and interventions coupled with rarity of health insurance systems. This review gives an overview of the descriptive epidemiology of CVDs in SSA, while contrasting with the HIC and highlighting impediments to their management and making recommendations.
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Background: Despite several cycles of Mass Drug Administration (MDA), however, the prevalence of Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) remains high in Bangladesh. A clear understanding of local knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to the acceptance and utilization of MDA is critical for ...effective implementation of this intervention.
Methods: This research, a cross-sectional descriptive study that utilized quantitative methods, was conducted between February and June 2017. A total of 380 questionnaire surveys were distributed to school-aged children (SAC), the parents of SAC, and school teachers.
Results: Out of 160 SACs, 81.9% knew of STH and 75.6% knew of MDA. SAC showed a high awareness of STH and recognized the importance of preventive measures and MDA. In terms of the parents of SAC and school teachers, close to half of the respondents were knowledgeable about STH and MDA. While nearly all of the participants held positive attitudes toward MDA, the respondents pointed out that school-based MDA presents severe limitations, as non-school-going children are neglected by this effort. A total of 68.3% of all school teachers and 56.8% of all parents of SAC found MDA efforts to be effective.
Conclusion: STH infections still remain a significant public health burden in Bangladesh. Reforming the MDA policy is necessary to achieve the target of STH elimination.
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El objetivo fue determinar cuáles son las percepciones de distintos actores del sistema de salud
colombiano sobre los problemas del sistema que están detrás de la crisis. Se realizó un estudio
cualitativo a partir de entrevistas semiestructuradas y en profundidad con cuarenta agentes del
sect...or salud, en Bogotá, Cali, Ibagué, Espinal y Calima-Darién. Los resultados mostraron que la
corrupción, el incumplimiento de normas y los conflictos entre los intereses de diversos actores
del sistema debilitan la legitimidad de este último, atomizan la cooperación y cohesión de los
actores y fortalecen el interés particular.
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Le CoPEH-Canada a généré une série de ressources d'enseignement pendant plus d'une décennie. Ces ressources ont commencé avec la production du Manuel d'enseignement CoPEH-Canada (2012), dédié à Bruce Hunter. Nos ressources de formation se sont élargies pour inclure en plus des modules, des... vidéos, et des enregistrements des Webalogues.
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