8 March 2022
A very large number of people from Ukraine are fleeing the country and entering the European Union (EU) countries bordering Ukraine (Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia) and the EU-neig...hbourhood country of the Republic of Moldova. Those fleeing Ukraine - mainly women and children - are currently dispersing into communities, but as more people congregate at border crossings it is likely that they will also need to be housed in reception centres.
more
This document offers public health guidance for the prevention and control of COVID-19 in reception centres, ...dbox">and other temporary accommodation facilities, in the context of the mass influx of Ukrainian people into the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and the Republic of Moldova.
more
Key Priorities 27 June 2022
This guideline for the prevention and control of chikungunya fever
(CF) is intended for use by all peripheral health workers in the Region ...lass="attribute-to-highlight medbox">and
is based on the strategy outlined above. This document will focus mainly
on preventing, predicting and detecting outbreaks, and after detection,
investigating and containing them.
more
Human rabies remains a significant public health problem in Africa with outbreaks reported in most countries. In Nigeria–the most populous country in Africa–rabies causes a significant public health burden partly due to perennial obstacles to implementing a national ...hlight medbox">prevention and control program.
more
Rabies is a fatal viral zoonosis and serious public health problem.1 All mammals are believed to be susceptible to the disease, and for the purposes of this document, use of the term animal refers t...o mammals. The disease is an acute, progressive encephalitis caused by viruses in the genus Lyssavirus.
2 Rabies virus is the most important lyssavirus globally. In the
United States, multiple rabies virus variants are maintained in wild mammalian reservoir populations such as raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats. Although the United States has been declared free from transmission of canine rabies virus variants, there is always a risk of reintroduction of these variants.The rabies virus is usually transmitted from animal to animal through bites. The incubation period is
highly variable. In domestic animals, it is generally 3 to 12 weeks, but can range from several days to months, exceeding 6 months.8 Rabies is communicable during the period of salivary shedding of rabies virus. Experimental and historic evidence documents that dogs, cats, and ferrets shed the virus for a few days prior to the onset of clinical signs and during illness. Clinical signs of rabies are variable and include inappetance, dysphagia, cranial nerve deficits, abnormal behavior, ataxia, paralysis, altered vocalization, and seizures. Progression to death is rapid. There are currently no known effective rabies antiviral drugs.
more
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are of increasing concern for society and national governments, as well as globally due to their high mortality rate. The main risk factors of NCDs can be classified into the categories of self-management, genetic fa...ctors, environmental factors, factors of medical conditions, and socio-demographic factors.
more
Diabetes is a major public health problem in the Americas and worldwide, demanding special attention and integrated response. It is estimated that more than 62 million adults are living with diabete...s in the Americas. The projections show that diabetes prevalence will continue to increase to at least 2025. Its steady rise has been mainly due to the high prevalence of risk factors, especially overweight/obesity and physical inactivity.
more
The article "Time to Align: Development Cooperation for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases" argues for greater international c...ooperation and investment in addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially in low- and middle-income countries. Traditionally, global health funding has focused on infectious diseases, but the growing burden of NCDs—such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes—necessitates new approaches to development assistance.
more
The Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013-2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO) outlines a compr...ehensive strategy to address the global rise in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes.
more
The document, "Progress on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases," reports on global efforts to reduce the impact of NCDs, such a...s heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, following the commitments made at high-level United Nations meetings. It highlights the inadequate progress in meeting the targets set under the Sustainable Development Goal 3.4 to reduce premature NCD mortality by one-third by 2030. Key challenges include insufficient funding, limited implementation of effective interventions, and political and economic barriers, especially in low-income countries. The report calls for strengthened international cooperation, policy reform, and innovative approaches to meet global health targets.
more
The document, "Progress on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases," reports on global efforts to reduce the impact of NCDs, such a...s heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, following the commitments made at high-level United Nations meetings. It highlights the inadequate progress in meeting the targets set under the Sustainable Development Goal 3.4 to reduce premature NCD mortality by one-third by 2030. Key challenges include insufficient funding, limited implementation of effective interventions, and political and economic barriers, especially in low-income countries. The report calls for strengthened international cooperation, policy reform, and innovative approaches to meet global health targets.
more
The document, "Progress on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases," reports on global efforts to reduce the impact of NCDs, such a...s heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, following the commitments made at high-level United Nations meetings. It highlights the inadequate progress in meeting the targets set under the Sustainable Development Goal 3.4 to reduce premature NCD mortality by one-third by 2030. Key challenges include insufficient funding, limited implementation of effective interventions, and political and economic barriers, especially in low-income countries. The report calls for strengthened international cooperation, policy reform, and innovative approaches to meet global health targets.
more
The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed the "Implementation Roadmap 2023–2030" to advance the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Contro...l of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) 2013–2030. This roadmap addresses the recommendations from the mid-term evaluation of the original action plan. It outlines strategic directions and priority actions to assist countries in accelerating their responses to NCDs, aiming to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.4, which focuses on reducing premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030.
more
This document highlights landmarks and key milestones in the development and implementation of the global agenda for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) over the last two decades. It summarizes where th...e world was in 2000, where it is in 2022, and where the world wants to be in terms of NCD prevention and control by 2030. It recalls the commitments made by heads of state and governments, and outlines the technical guidance provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) in support of national efforts to achieve the internationally agreed NCD targets for 2025 and 2030.
more
The article outlines the prioritized research agenda for the prevention and control of chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) as part of the World Hea...lth Organization's (WHO) action plan on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) from 2008 to 2013. It highlights the significant global impact of CRDs, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other related conditions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The document stresses the need for effective prevention strategies and better surveillance, as well as enhanced healthcare infrastructure and resources in LMICs. It calls for research into CRD risk factors, effective interventions, and integrated care approaches that align with broader NCD prevention programs. The article emphasizes the importance of public health initiatives and cross-sector collaborations to reduce the disease burden and improve patient outcomes.
more
Ebola virus (EBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV) are associated with severe, potentially fatal, systemic diseases. During the development of the Infection Prevention ...edbox">and Control Guideline for Ebola Disease and Marburg Disease, the Guideline Development Group (GDG) identified multiple research gaps in key areas and practices that lacked strong evidence to help in the formulation of recommendations. Because of the lack of strong evidence, there exists an array of research questions related to infection prevention and control (IPC) in the context of Ebola Disease (EBOD) and Marburg Disease (MARD). Identifying those that are priorities would help policy-makers target efforts and funding to support the most relevant studies. The objective of this research prioritization exercise was to identify the short- to medium-term (over the next two years) priority research questions for IPC in health care settings based on the gaps identified during the EBOD/MARD IPC guideline development process.
more
This article summarises the process involved in developing the updated guideline and includes an infographic to highlight key IPC recommendations from the guideline, following the patient care pathway from the community to a healthcare facility to d...ischarge.
more
The substantial burden of death and disability that results from interpersonal violence, road traffic injuries, unintentional injuries, occupational health risks, air pollution, climate change, and ...inadequate water and sanitation falls disproportionally on low- and middle-income countries. Injury Prevention and Environmental Health addresses the risk factors and presents updated data on the burden, as well as economic analyses of platforms and packages for delivering cost-effective and feasible interventions in these settings. The volume's contributors demonstrate that implementation of a range of prevention strategies-presented in an essential package of interventions and policies-could achieve a convergence in death and disability rates that would avert more than 7.5 million deaths a year.
more