The frequency of infectious disease epidemics is increasing, and the role of the health sector in the management of epidemics is crucial in terms of response. In the context of infectious disease epidemics, the use of climate-informed early warning systems (EWS) has the potential to increase the eff...ectiveness of disease control by intervening before or at the beginning of the epidemic curve, instead of during the downward slope.
Currently, the initiation of interventions is heavily reliant on routine disease surveillance systems – data that often arrive too late for preventative response. However, forecasting of disease outbreaks using surveillance and weather information shows promising potential – there also remains further scope to examine seasonal climate forecasts. By combining these elements in new EWS based on computational models, it will be possible to improve both the timeliness and impact of disease control. The World Health Organization (WHO) is strengthening existing surveillance systems for infectious diseases to enable the development of more robust and timely EWS, which has resulted in the rapid development and innovation of EWS for disease outbreaks.
more
The era of effective antibiotics is coming to a close. In just a few generations, many “miracle medicines”have been beaten into ineffectiveness by the bacteria they were intended to eradicate. Bacteria quickly adapt to the presence of antibacterial agents in order ...to survive. The misuse of antibiotics,which is an international problem, only exacerbates the steady evolution of resistance. In August 2010, the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases posed the question "Is this the end of antibiotics?" documentingthe rapid spread of multidrug-resistant bacteriaand predicting that 10 years remain in the useful life of many agents.
more
HIV-1 drug resistance (HIVDR) genotyping is an essential component of the WHO global HIVDR surveillance strategy. Plasma “gold standard” specimen type for HIVDR genotyping, but its use may not be feasible in rural, remote areas in low- and middle-income countries, since preparing and storing it ...require personnel and laboratory infrastructure that are often lacking. An alternative specimen type is dried blood spots (DBS), which can be made without special laboratory processing. DBS are more easily transported than plasma because they can be shipped at ambient temperature as non-hazardous materials using regular mail or courier services.
3rd edition
more
This brief update on tuberculosis (TB) in the African region covers the state of TB in the WHO African region, strategic priorities and targets and the impact of COVID-19 on essential services. This is followed by key figures for the region, the role of WHO in country support and, recognizing the im...portance of diagnosis and drug susceptibility testing, a focus onstrengthening laboratory networks and the regional laboratory and diagnostic objectives. A brief update of the state of the science and how this is funded across the African region is provided, before closing with challenges and opportunities,strategic directions and a brief discussion of funding concerns. Discussions around the drivers of the disease, and issues of the poverty, inequality and stigma that continue to plague those living with TB are fully recognized, but are outside the scope of this report.
more
Overview: Risk communication and community engagement are essential for any disease outbreak response. This is particularly critical during outbreaks of Ebola which may create fear in the public and frontline responders alike due to severe presentation of symptoms, misunderstanding of the causes of ...illness and high fatality rates. This document outlines some of the key considerations for risk communication and community engagement response to Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ebola outbreaks have been associated with misinformation and false rumours. In the context of RCCE, rumours refer to unsubstantiated information, claims or beliefs about what is causing the disease or how it can be treated/cured. If not proactively addressed in culturally appropriate ways, misinformation and rumours can lead to the further rapid spread of the disease and unnecessary deaths, severe disease, suffering, and societal and economic loss.
The publication includes a 'Rumour Tracking Tool' (Annex II).
more
When situations occur in which unwanted events are rightly or wrongly connected with vaccination, they may erode confidence in vaccines and the authorities delivering them. This document presents the scientific evidence behind WHO’s recommendations on building and restoring confidence in vaccines ...and vaccination, both in ongoing work and during crises. The evidence draws on a vast reserve of laboratory research and fieldwork within psychology and communication. It examines how people make decisions about vaccination; why some people are hesitant about vaccination; and the factors that drive a crisis, covering how building trust, listening to and understanding people, building relations, communicating risk and shaping messages to the audiences may mitigate crises. This document provides a knowledge base for stakeholders who develop communication strategies or facilitate workshops on communication and trust-building activities in relation to vaccines and immunization, such as immunization programme units, ministries of health, public relations and health promotion units, vaccine safety communication trainers and immunization advisory bodies.
more
The Committee discussed the implications for preparedness for smallpox-like events reflected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee noted how quickly diagnostics and vaccines could be developed and deployed when resources and political will were abundant. This rapidity was also due to the f...act that the genetic sequence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had been shared worldwide. It was noted that in one country SARS-CoV-2 had been reconstructed in a laboratory from the viral genome sequence before the first case of COVID-19 had been reported, highlighting the benefits of synthetic biology technologies for accelerated development of diagnostics as well as the oft-described potential risks. Lessons learned about clinical care during the COVID-19 pandemic were also discussed.
more
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is a premalignant lesion that may exist at any one of three stages: CIN1, CIN2, or CIN3. If left untreated, CIN2 or CIN3 (collectively referred to as CIN2+) can progress to cervical cancer. Instead of screening and diagnosis by the standard sequence of cytolo...gy, colposcopy, biopsy, and histological confirmation of CIN, an alternative method is to use a ‘screen-and-treat’ approach in which the treatment decision is based on a screening test and treatment is provided soon or, ideally, immediately after a positive screening test. This guideline provides recommendations for strategies for a screen-and-treat programme
more
9 June 2021
Since its launch, GLASS has expanded in scope and coverage and as of May 2021, 109 countries and territories worldwide have enrolled in GLASS. A key new component in GLASS is the inclusion of antimicrobial consumption (AMC) surveillance at the national level highlighted in this fourth G...LASS report.
The fourth GLASS report summarizes the 2019 data reported to WHO in 2020. It includes data on AMC surveillance from 15 countries and AMR data on 3 106 602 laboratory-confirmed infections reported by 24 803 surveillance sites in 70 countries, compared to the 507 923 infections and 729 surveillance sites reporting to the first data call in 2017.
The report also describes developments over the past years of GLASS and other AMR surveillance programmes led by WHO, including resistance to anti-human immunodeficiency virus and anti-tuberculosis medicines, antimalarial drug efficacy.
more
The waves of yellow fever transmission in the Region of the Americas in 2016–2018 involved the largest number of human and epizootic cases to be reported in several decades. Yellow fever is a serious viral hemorrhagic disease that poses a challenge for health professionals. It requires early recog...nition of signs and symptoms, which are often nonspecific, and it can mimic other acute febrile syndromes. Early detection of suspected or confirmed cases, monitoring of vital signs, life support measures, and treatment of acute kidney failure continue to be the recommended strategies for case management. This report is the result of discussions among experienced specialists in the Americas on the clinical management of yellow fever patients, especially during outbreaks and epidemics, in the context of current medical and scientific evidence and taking into account the technical guidelines already available in the countries of the Region. It includes flowcharts for initially addressing patients with clinical suspicion of yellow fever and proposes a minimum package of laboratory tests that may be useful in contexts where resources are limited. In addition, it considers aspects of health system organization for dealing with yellow fever outbreaks and epidemics.
more
La fiche d'information sur le choléra de l'Organisation mondiale de la santé fournit des informations essentielles sur le choléra, une infection diarrhéique aiguë causée par l'ingestion d'aliments ou d'eau contaminés par la bactérie Vibrio cholerae. La maladie reste une menace mondiale pour ...la santé publique, en particulier dans les zones où l'accès à l'eau potable et à l'assainissement adéquat est insuffisant. Bien que de nombreuses personnes infectées présentent des symptômes légers ou inexistants, les cas graves peuvent entraîner une déshydratation rapide et la mort en l'absence de traitement. La prévention repose sur l'accès à une eau propre, un assainissement adéquat et de bonnes pratiques d'hygiène. Le traitement efficace consiste principalement en l'administration rapide de solutions de réhydratation orale. La fiche d'information met également en avant l'importance de la surveillance, de la préparation et des stratégies de réponse pour contrôler les épidémies.
more
L'OMS établit des normes et des lignes directrices pour la surveillance des maladies afin d'aider les pays à détecter rapidement les flambées, à évaluer l'impact des interventions et à formuler des politiques de santé publique efficaces. Ces normes varient en fonction du type de maladie, mai...s incluent généralement la définition des cas, la collecte de données, la formation du personnel, le renforcement des capacités des systèmes d'information sanitaire, l'utilisation de plateformes comme DHIS2, et la communication des résultats aux décideurs pour une action rapide
more
Le document fournit des directives essentielles pour prévenir et gérer les maladies diarrhéiques aiguës, en particulier dans les situations d'urgence complexes comme les conflits, les catastrophes naturelles ou les crises sanitaires. Il met en avant l'importance de l'accès à l'eau potable, de ...l'assainissement, de l'hygiène personnelle et de la prise en charge rapide des malades grâce à des solutions de réhydratation orale (SRO). Le texte insiste également sur la nécessité de la coordination entre les acteurs locaux et internationaux pour une réponse efficace et durable.
more
Le Plan Stratégique National de Lutte contre le Paludisme 2023–2026 du Togo définit les grandes orientations pour réduire de 65 % l’incidence et la mortalité liées au paludisme d’ici 2026, en comparaison avec les niveaux de 2022. Élaboré par le Programme National de Lutte contre le Pa...ludisme (PNLP), il s’inscrit pleinement dans les objectifs mondiaux fixés par l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé pour parvenir à l’élimination du paludisme d’ici 2030. Ce plan repose sur quatre axes stratégiques : la prévention à travers l’utilisation des moustiquaires imprégnées, la chimio-prévention et la lutte antivectorielle ; la prise en charge efficace des cas grâce au diagnostic rapide et au traitement par ACT ; le renforcement du système de santé et la gestion du programme ; ainsi que la surveillance, le suivi et l’évaluation des interventions. Une attention particulière est accordée à la digitalisation des outils, à l’amélioration de la qualité des données, à l’implication des communautés locales et à la réduction des inégalités régionales dans l’accès aux services. Intégrant les partenaires techniques et financiers, le secteur privé et les acteurs communautaires, ce document constitue une véritable feuille de route nationale pour coordonner et intensifier la lutte contre le paludisme sur la période 2023–2026.
more
Le Plan Stratégique National de Lutte contre le Paludisme de la RDC vise à renforcer la communication pour le changement social et comportemental (CSC/CCC) dans la lutte contre le paludisme. Il a pour objectif d’améliorer les connaissances, attitudes et pratiques des populations pour encourager... l’adoption de comportements préventifs et curatifs.
Ce document propose une stratégie de communication structurée, basée sur une analyse contextuelle des comportements, croyances et obstacles sociaux. Il cible en priorité les femmes enceintes, les enfants de moins de cinq ans, les agents communautaires, les leaders religieux, les enseignants, et les médias. Les messages sont adaptés aux réalités locales et diffusés par des canaux variés : radios communautaires, théâtre, affiches, séances éducatives, et implication des leaders d'opinion.
Le plan insiste sur l’importance de la mobilisation sociale, de l’approche participative et du dialogue communautaire pour renforcer l’adhésion aux pratiques comme l’utilisation des moustiquaires imprégnées, le recours au test de diagnostic rapide, l’observance des traitements, et la fréquentation des centres de santé. Il prévoit aussi des mécanismes de suivi-évaluation et de renforcement des capacités des acteurs.
En résumé, ce document constitue un cadre opérationnel pour rendre la communication plus efficace, inclusive et durable dans la lutte contre le paludisme en RDC.
more
30 April 2020
| COVID-19: Essential health services
This manual describes some of the strategic, managerial, financial, technical and scientific aspects to be considered in establishing a national EQA programme for clinical laboratories and other testing services at all health care levels