The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed this report to monitor progress and identify areas for action in the implementation of sodium reduction policies and other measures within Member States and across WHO regions and World Bank income groups. For the first time, a Sodium Country Score f...rom 1 (the lowest level) to 4 (the highest level) is allocated to each Member State based on the level of implementation of sodium reduction policies and other measures. The Sodium Country Score is used to estimate the impact of policy progress on population dietary sodium intake and cardiovascular disease.
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The article examines the nutritional and lifestyle-related risk factors contributing to the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). It highlights the transition in the disease burden from communic...able diseases to NCDs over the past 30 years. Key risk factors include obesity, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and high fasting plasma glucose. The article underscores the importance of promoting healthy dietary habits, physical activity, and policy interventions to curb NCDs in the region. It also discusses the economic and public health implications of these diseases and proposes strategies to mitigate their prevalence.
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The article "Cardiovascular Diseases" on Our World in Data provides an in-depth analysis of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), the leading cause of death globally. It examines CVD trends, such as the decline in mortality rates in high-income countries due to improved healthcare and lifestyle changes, wh...ile low- and middle-income countries experience rising CVD burdens. The article highlights major risk factors, including high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, and poor diet. It emphasizes the importance of preventive measures and access to treatment to reduce global disparities in CVD outcomes. The data-driven approach uses visualizations to illustrate the global impact and distribution of CVD.
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The paper presents interview data from Malawian government representatives, trade unionists, employers and people with disabilities from the country's largest cities Lilongwe and Blantyre. Findings relate to the gap between the discourse of employers and government officials and that of workers with... disabilities. Firstly, we find a policy-based assumption of a formalised workforce that is not representative of the predominantly informal disabled workforce. Secondly, the disruptive, intermittent and often reactive nature of non-governmental organisation (NGO) interventions can limit long-term inclusivity agendas and undermine the work of disabled activists in Malawi. Lastly, we present findings on the stigmatised nature of disability in these urban centres. We find that stigma is economic: Urban workers with disabilities are discriminated against locally by employers, landlords and banks on assumptions they will not produce or earn enough to meet productivity demands, rent or repayment costs.
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With development, people around the world have become wealthier and live longer. At the same time, development can lead to growing inequalities within and between nations. This paper analyses inequalities related to disability and how they vary across countries by development level. Using internatio...nally comparable data on disability inequalities in 40 countries, we assess disability inequalities through the use of regression analyses with a variety of development measures. Results support the hypothesis only partially: disability inequalities related to education, employment, and multidimensional poverty are found to be significantly larger in countries at higher levels of development. However, this is not the case for rates of access to water, sanitation, clean fuel, electricity, housing, and assets. These results, overall, hold when using different development and
outcome indicators, and when focusing on specific subgroups of the population. The potential implications of these findings are discussed. Further research is needed to understand, for education and employment, the factors and processes that contribute to larger disability inequalities in countries at higher levels of development and what strategies might be pursued to reduce them.
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The article "Non-communicable diseases, injuries, and mental ill-health in Africa: the role of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention" examines the role of the Africa CDC in addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), injuries, and mental health across the continent. It highlights ho...w Africa CDC, originally focused on communicable disease response, has expanded its mandate to include NCDs and mental health, driven by the high mortality and morbidity associated with these conditions.
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The One Health (OH) High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) of the Quadripartite Organizations defined OH as an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems.”
It recognizes the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plan...ts, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent [1]. The Tripartite which comprised the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) later became the Quadripartite organizations when the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) joined the OH alliance in 2022. There are Global and Regional Quadripartite Secretariats consisting of officials of headquarters and regional offices, respectively.
Over the years, the Tripartite/Quadripartite organizations and other partner agencies have developed several OH assessment and operational tools to support Member States in assessing their core capacities to achieve compliance with the requirements of international standards such as the International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR), WOAH’s Terrestrial and Aquatic Animal Health Codes, World Trade Organization’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (WTO-SPS), FAO/WHO Codex standards, etc. Technical areas that the existing tools currently support include progress monitoring, coordination and collaboration mechanisms, and capacity building for prevention, detection, preparedness, and response to health threats emerging at human-animal-environment interface. More OH B operational tools are in the pipeline.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic revealed systemic weaknesses in health-care systems
worldwide. The breadth of challenges left health workers overwhelmed and overstretched, reducing their professional efficacy and causing long-term issues with retention, recruitment and education of... future cohorts
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This publication aims to provide an overview of the state of developmental monitoring in selected countries across the Europe and Central Asia region (ECAR), to document the existing evidencebased approaches and models for developmental monitoring and to identify the key considerations necessary to ...guide discussions around introducing and enhancing developmental monitoring as a part
of primary health care.
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In 2018 the Astana Declaration reaffirmed a global commitment to PHC as a cornerstone of sustainable health systems for accelerated progress on universal health coverage (UHC) (1). The vision for PHC in the 21st century is for a wholeof-government and whole-of-society approach to health that combine...s: 1) multisectoral policy and action; 2) empowered people and communities; and 3) primary care and essential public health functions as the core of integrated health service. Signatories, including Nigeria, were urged to implement the vision and commitments of the Declaration according to their national contexts. This case study examines Nigeria’s response to COVID-19 from a PHC perspective between March 2020 and mid-2021.
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The Noncommunicable Diseases Country Profiles 2018 by the World Health Organization (WHO) provides an in-depth look at the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes across WHO Member States. It includes data on NCD m...ortality, risk factors like tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol consumption, as well as country-specific responses and health system capacities to manage and prevent NCDs.
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Animicrobial resistance (AMR) was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the
top 10 health threats facing humanity. The effects of AMR are far-reaching as it cuts across sectors and affects food safety,
nutrition security, livelihoods, environment and, consequently, attainment o...f several sustainable development goals (SDGs)
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This report presents the work provided by the WHO South Sudan Office in 2023, covering the work of the country
and field offices. It summarizes the major achievements under four categories of the country’s priorities: Universal HealthCoverage, EmergencyPreparedness andResponse, Enhancing health a...nd well-being, and a more effective and efficient WHO that better supports the country
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The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region's Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) Data and Statistics page offers comprehensive information on NCD surveillance, including mortality rates, morbidity, and risk factor exposures. It emphasizes the importance of monitoring NCD trends to inform prevention and control... strategies, aligning with global targets such as reducing premature NCD deaths by one-third by 2030. The page also highlights the WHO STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance, providing standardized methods for data collection and analysis.
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The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region's Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) Data and Statistics page offers comprehensive information on NCD surveillance, including mortality rates, morbidity, and risk factor exposures. It emphasizes the importance of monitoring NCD trends to inform prevention and control... strategies, aligning with global targets such as reducing premature NCD deaths by one-third by 2030. The page also highlights the WHO STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance, providing standardized methods for data collection and analysis.
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The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region's Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) Data and Statistics page offers comprehensive information on NCD surveillance, including mortality rates, morbidity, and risk factor exposures. It emphasizes the importance of monitoring NCD trends to inform prevention and control... strategies, aligning with global targets such as reducing premature NCD deaths by one-third by 2030. The page also highlights the WHO STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance, providing standardized methods for data collection and analysis.
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The primary goal of the guideline is to improve the quality of care and the outcome in people with type 2 diabetes in low-resource settings. It recommends a set of basic interventions to integrate management of diabetes into primary health care. It will serve as basis for development of simple algor...ithms for use by health care staff in primary care in low-resource settings, to reduce the risk of acute and chronic complications of diabetes. The guideline was developed by a group of external and WHO experts, following the WHO process of guideline development. GRADE methodology was used to assess the quality of evidence and decide the strength of the recommendations.
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The primary goal of the guideline is to improve the quality of care and the outcome in people with type 2 diabetes in low-resource settings. It recommends a set of basic interventions to integrate management of diabetes into primary health care. It will serve as basis for development of simple algor...ithms for use by health care staff in primary care in low-resource settings, to reduce the risk of acute and chronic complications of diabetes. The guideline was developed by a group of external and WHO experts, following the WHO process of guideline development. GRADE methodology was used to assess the quality of evidence and decide the strength of the recommendations.
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The document, titled "Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases: Guidelines for Primary Health Care in Low-Resource Settings," provides the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendations for managing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic res...piratory illnesses in low-resource healthcare settings. It outlines cost-effective interventions for early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention within primary healthcare, focusing on accessible methods for diabetes management, blood pressure control, dietary and lifestyle guidance, and essential medication use. The guidelines aim to support healthcare professionals in delivering effective NCD care where resources are limited, ultimately improving health outcomes and reducing NCD complications.
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The document, titled "Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases: Guidelines for Primary Health Care in Low-Resource Settings," provides the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendations for managing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic res...piratory illnesses in low-resource healthcare settings. It outlines cost-effective interventions for early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention within primary healthcare, focusing on accessible methods for diabetes management, blood pressure control, dietary and lifestyle guidance, and essential medication use. The guidelines aim to support healthcare professionals in delivering effective NCD care where resources are limited, ultimately improving health outcomes and reducing NCD complications.
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