The WHO country office for Ghana, began the year 2019 with a 4-day staff retreat at the Busua Beach Resort in the Western Region from 04 to 08 March 2019. The theme for the retreat was ‘Impacting the Health ...ox">and Lives of the people of Ghana through the Triple Billion Goal”. The staff outlined priorities and strategies to strengthen WHO’s contribution to the national health agenda during the year. Working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health/Ghana Health Service and other allied health institutions and stakeholders, the WHO country office, provided support aimed at achieving its
mission which is attaining the highest level of health by the people in the country though its six operational areas which are (i) Communicable Diseases (ii) Non-Communicable Diseases, (iii) Promoting Health through the Life Course (iv), Health Systems, (v) Preparedness, Surveillance and Response (vi) Corporate services and enabling functions.
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The goal of this contingency plan for El Nino related epidemics is to contribute to the reduction in mortality and morbidity associated with El Nino epidemic threats by ensuring that appropriate sys...tems to support health emergency preparedness, timely response and post disaster recovery and mitigation are in place at the national, district, health facility and community levels in Rwanda.
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Primary Care: The Community Health System
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat that requires urgent
collaborative action within and among countries. As a result of the worldwide reports ...ox">of the increasing rates of AMR to hospital and community-acquired infections and in the agricultural sector, the Global Action Plan on AMR was adopted in 2015. T
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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat that requires urgent collaborative action within and among countries. AMR makes standard treatments ineffective and facilitates the spread ...ss="attribute-to-highlight medbox">of antimicrobial resistant infections rendering communities vulnerable. The Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries & Blue Economy (MALF) recognized antimicrobial resistance as a priority following findings from status reports and studies from Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Stakeholders.
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The objective of this book is to provide health workers with easily accessible information on important aspects of the medicines commonly used at p...rimary care level in Zimbabwe. Medicines are a crucial part of the management of most of our patients, yet many medicines are potentially dangerous if not used correctly (by either prescriber or patient). It is important to have up-to-date information not only on the indications for, and the dose of a particular medicine, but also the contra-indications and reasons for special care, possible side effects and interactions with other medicine or medicines. The patient must also have information on how to use the preparation, what side effects may occur, and when to return for help.
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The availability of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in ...ighlight medbox">health care facilities, especially in maternity and primary-care settings where they are often absent, supports core aspects of quality, equity and dignity for all people. This document describes an approach for conducting a national situational analysis of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) as a basis for improving quality of care. This document describes the process from the initial preparatory stages, including triggers for action, through data collection and analysis to the dissemination of results. Each element of the approach is described and possible limitations and mechanisms to mitigate these are explored.
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This paper explores access to water, sanitation, and health in pastoral communities in northern Tanzania. It argues that the concept ...ttribute-to-highlight medbox">of gender, used on its own, is not enough to understand the complexities of sanitation, hygiene, water, and health. It explores pastoralists’ views and perspectives on what is ‘clean’, ‘safe’, and ‘healthy’, and their need to access water and create sanitary arrangements that work for them, given the absence of state provision of modern water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure. Although Tanzania is committed to enhancing its citizens’ access to WASH services, pastoral sanitation and hygiene tend to be overlooked and little attention is paid to complex ways in which access to ‘clean’ water and ‘adequate sanitation’ is structured in these communities. This paper offers an intersectional analysis of water and sanitation needs, showing how structural discrimination in the form of a lack of appropriate infrastructure, a range of sociocultural norms and values, and individual stratifiers interact to influence the sanitation and health needs of pastoralist men, women, boys, and girls.
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Peru celebrates 200 years of independence in 2021. Over this period of independent life, and despite the turbulent socio-political scenarios, from ...internal armed conflict to economic crisis to political instability over the last 40 years, Peru has experienced major changes on its epidemiological and population health profile. Major advancements in maternal and child health as well as in communicable diseases have been achieved in recent decades, and today
Peru faces an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases including mental health conditions. In terms of the configuration of the public health system, Peru has also strived to secure country-wide optimal health care, struggling in particular to improve primary health care and intercultural services.
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Fully functioning water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and health care waste management services ar...e a critical aspect of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, and ensuring patient safety and quality of care. Such services are also essential for creating an environment that supports the dignity and human rights of all care seekers, especially mothers, newborns, children and care providers.
WASH and waste services are also critical for preventing and effectively responding to disease outbreaks. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed gaps in these basic services (Box 1). These gaps threaten the safety of patients and caregivers, and have environmental consequences, especially as a result of large increases in plastic health care waste. In short, WASH is a critical foundation for improving quality across the health system (1).
Many facilities lack plans and budgets for WASH, which has impacts on IPC. This lack of services, and of systems to improve them, compromises the ability to provide safe and quality care, and places health care providers and those seeking care at substantial risk of infection and loss of dignity. Unhygienic health care facilities without drinking water or functional toilets are also a disincentive to seeking care and undermine staff morale – these factors can have a critical impact on controlling infectious disease outbreaks.
Climate change and its impacts on WASH and health services, gender-specific needs, and equity in service provision and management all require rigorous attention, adaptable tools and regular monitoring.
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To understand the patterns of Rwanda’s achievements in health development, it is important to explore how Rwanda addresses the Social Determinants of...pan> Health (SDH) particularly those related to routine conditions in which people are born, live and work. It is in this particular context that a case study on Rwanda’s Performance in Addressing Social Determinants of Health was conducted by the Rwanda Ministry of Health, with technical and financial support from the World Health Organization (WHO). The overall goal of the exercise was to document Rwanda's recent initiatives that contribute to the advancements of the Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health.
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