The IFRC Psychosocial Centre has published a guidance note providing an overview of the psychosocial consequences of virus outbreaks, with a focus on mpox, and outlines key considerations for MHPSS programming.
The current mpox outbreaks present numerous challenges for responding National Societi...es. A key issue is addressing stigma as individuals infected, or suspected of having mpox may experience social ostracization, discrimination, and even violence. In many African communities, where cultural and social norms are vital to community health, considering the cultural and psychosocial implications of virus outbreaks is integral for effective disease management. In addition, Red Cross Red Crescent staff and volunteers may be personally exposed and working in complex environments with rumours and misinformation generating fear and anxiety. This guidance addresses the key mental health and psychosocial support implications of the ongoing mpox crisis.
Guleed Dualeh, MHPSS Advisor
This guidance note is intended for Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies and IFRC departments who may be responding to mpox in their country, or region. It includes guidance on:
Common reactions and behaviours in epidemics
Caring for staff and volunteers in health emergencies
Integration of MHPSS considerations for into health responses
Links to existing relevant materials
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The Health and Climate Change Country Profiles, developed in collaboration with national governments, are part of WHO’s monitoring of health sector response to climate change. The profiles summari...ze evidence of the climate hazards and health risks facing countries. They track national progress in addressing the health threats from climate change and highlight opportunities for gaining health benefits from climate mitigation action. The profiles provide an overview of key areas for taking action and provide links to available resources.
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The COVID-19 Table-Top Exercise (TTX) is a simulation package which uses a progressive scenario together with series of scripted specific injects to enable participants to consider the potential impact of an outbreak in terms of existing plans, procedures and capacities. The aim of the TTX is to st...rengthen national levels of readiness against the virus through a series of facilitated group discussions.
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Introduction The novel Coronavirus (nCoV) epidemic in 2019 -2020 has recently emerged. The route of transmission is not totally known, although it is known that it can spread from person to person, and local health care systems may be ill-equipped t...o handle a large-scale outbreak. Furthermore, misconceptions and misinformation about the disease often spreads rapidly in such epidemics.
In previous epidemics mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) has been identified as a key priority. MHPSS ensures the well-being of the affected populations, and counter-acts the threats to public health and safety that fear, stigmatization and misconception pose. Access to information, knowledge about the disease and how it spreads, make it easier for the affected to feel supported and calm, and to comply with instructions. Furthermore, psychosocial support to staff and volunteers help the operation as work conditions are extremely stressful.
This briefing note provides background knowledge on the MHPSS aspects related to nCoV and suggests MHPSS activities that can be implemented. The messages can be helpful for those in contact with patients or relatives and feel the strain of working and living during the epidemic. The briefing is aimed both at those working in any capacity with those affected by nCoV and for the MHPSS responders who implement MHPSS activities and interventions for everyone affected.
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Annex to Considerations in adjusting public health and social measures in the context of COVID-19
In response to COVID-19, countries around the globe have implemented several public health and social measures (PHSM), including large scale measures such as movement restrictions, closure of schools and businesses, geographical area quarantine, and... international travel restrictions.
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Hesperian Health Guides is a nonprofit health information and health education source that supports individuals and communities in their struggles ...to realize the right to health. We develop easy to read materials that are produced in many languages. All are available through our bookstore and the new Hesperian Digital Commons.
Hesperian Health Guides publishes 20 titles, spanning women’s health, children, disabilities, dentistry, health education, HIV, and environmental health. From this page, you can buy, download, or read health materials in English. View Resources by Language to explore materials in Spanish and other languages.
Hesperian works in the formats that people need and want. Our health information is available as books, booklets, e-books, online content, and apps. When we discover a need for online content to be made available in a physical format, we produce printed books or booklets in the languages that people need. Likewise, our physical books are made available in electronic formats so anyone with an internet connection can use Hesperian’s health information.
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Why does WHO consider air pollution a public health emergency? If you live in highly polluted areas does COVID-19 affect you differently? WHO’s Dr Maria Neira explains in Science in 5.
Around the world, millions of refugees and migrants in vulnerable situations, such as low-skilled migrant workers, face poorer health outcomes than their host communities, especially where living and working conditions are sub-standard, according to... the first WHO World report on the health of refugees and migrants. This has dire consequences for the probability that the world will not achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for these populations.
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The QualityRights training and guidance modules have been developed to enhance knowledge, skills and understanding among key stakeholders on how to promote the rights of persons with psychosocial, intellectual or cognitive disabilities and improve the quality of services and supports being provided ...in mental health and related areas, in line with international human rights standards, and in particular the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the recovery approach.
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The purpose of this document is to contribute to improved recognition of Buruli
ulcer (Mycobacterium ulcerans infection) and encourage greater efforts in detecting
cases at an early stage of infection.Today, patients can be cured with antibiotics if
diagnosed early, thus avoiding unnecessary suff...ering and disability.We hope that
all users of this document will help to achieve these objectives.
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Website last accessed on 18.03.2023
WHO often receives requests from Member States and implementing partners to provide training in capacity‐building in endemic areas in order to better equip health personnel to diagnose, treat and control the... disease.
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The accounting framework for health care financing is a key component of A System of Health Accounts 2011, published by OECD, Eurostat and WHO in October 2011.1 The framework makes ...ibute-to-highlight medbox">health accounts more adaptable to rapidly evolving health financing systems, further enhances crosscountry comparability of health expenditures and financing data, and ultimately improves the information base for the analytical use of national health accounts (NHAs). It is hoped that SHA 2011 – including its financing framework – will make health accounts a more useful assessment and monitoring tool for health systems and health expenditure in the economy as a whole.
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This paper outlines the background to and design of the Health Financing Progress Matrix (HFPM), WHO’s standardized qualitative approach to assessing country health financing systems. Primarily qu...alitative in nature, the HFPM assesses a country’s health financing institutions, processes, policies and their implementation, benchmarked against good practice in the context of universal health coverage (UHC). The paper also details processes which ensure that country assessments are credible. While health financing is only one of the core functions of a health system, it significantly influences both the extent to which the population accesses health services, and the extent to which they face financial hardship in the process. Through a forward-looking assessment process the HFPM contributes to building resilience within health systems, which also contributes directly to improved emergency preparedness and response.
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Background:Tracking aid fl ows helps to hold donors accountable and to compare the allocation of resources in relation to health need. With the use of data reported by donors in 2015, we provided estimates of offi cial development assistance and gr...ants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (collectively termed ODA+) to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health for 2013 and complete trends in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health support for the period 2003–13. Methods: We coded and analysed fi nancial disbursements to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health to all recipient countries from all donors reporting to the creditor reporting system database for the year 2013. We also revisited disbursement records for the years 2003–08 and coded disbursements relating to reproductive and sexual health activities resulting in the Countdown dataset for 2003–13. We matched this dataset to the 2015 creditor reporting system dataset and coded any unmatched creditor reporting system records. We analysed trends in ODA+ to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health for the period 2003–13, trends in donor contributions, disbursements to recipient countries, and targeting to need.
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Overview on the assessed contributions for all World Health Organization Member States As at 31 December 2021.
World Health Organization (WHO) - Assessed contributions payable by Member States and Associate Members 2022-2023
Background: To track donor assistance to maternal, newborn, and child health-related activities is necessary to assess progress towards Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 and to foster donor accountability. Our aim was to analyse aid flows to mate...rnal, newborn, and child health for 2005 and 2006 and trends between 2003 and 2006.
Methods: We analysed and coded the complete aid activities database for 2005 and 2006 with methods that we developed previously to track official development assistance. For the 68 Countdown priority countries, we report two indicators for use in monitoring donor disbursements: official development assistance to child health per child and official development assistance to maternal and neonatal health per livebirth.
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Background: Achievement of high coverage of effective interventions and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5A requires adequate financing. Many of the 68 priority countries in the Countdown to 2015 Initiative are dependent on official development assistance (ODA). We analysed aid flows for ma...ternal, newborn, and child health for 2007 and 2008 and updated previous estimates for 2003–06.
Methods: We manually coded and analysed the complete aid activities database of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for 2007 and 2008 with methods that we previously developed to track ODA. By use of newly available data for donor disbursement and population estimates, we revised data for 2003–06. We analysed the degree to which donors target their ODA to recipients with the greatest maternal and child health needs and examined trends over the 6 years.
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