This document summarizes current WHO guidance for public health surveillance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in humans caused by infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
New elements include:
upda...te of contact definitions, in line with latest contact tracing guidance
update of detection strategies in line with updated version of WHO SARS-CoV-2 testing guidance
reinfection evidence standardization and surveillance: molecular, genomic and immunological evidence of reinfection
inclusion of clinical case definition of Post COVID-19 condition as defined by WHO
definition of breakthrough infection
more
Adapting community-led approaches . Three out of 10 people in urban areas do not use improved sanitation facilities, and one out of 10 people are forced to practise open defecation. Still higher proportions do not have access to safely managed sanitation facilities, where ...ighlight medbox">the fecal sludge
is contained and either left in situ or safely emptied, transported, and delivered to a treatment plant.
more
Self-care interventions are evidence-based, quality drugs, devices, diagnostics and/or digital products which can be provided fully or partially outside of formal health services and can be used with or without the direct supervision of health care ...personnel.
Where HPV tests are available as part of the national programme, HPV self-sampling offers an additional option to improve cervical cancer screening coverage.
Self-sampling can help reach a global target of 70% coverage of screening by 2030. Women may feel more comfortable taking their own samples, rather than going to see a health worker for cervical cancer screening.
more
Women and children, especially pregnant girls and women, infants and young children and postpartum women, are populations that are extremely vulnerable in emergencies. Breastfeeding provides children with hydration, comfort, connection, high quality nutrition and protection against disease, shieldin...g them from the worst of emergency conditions. This ability has been described as empowering and healing by some breastfeeding women.
more
For most people in displacement contexts, there are simply not enough vaccines available in the places where they are hosted: 85% of refugees are hosted in lower- and middle-income countries, while in the<.../span> first six months of this year 85% of vaccines went to wealthy countries; lower- and middle income countries have still received only a fraction of the vaccine doses they require.3 Shortages in these countries can also pose particular risks to vaccination campaigns aimed at displaced populations, as they can result in them being deprioritized.
more
Claims for refugee status related to situations of armed conflict and violence under Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention and/or 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees and ...ribute-to-highlight medbox">the regional refugee definitions
UNHCR issues these Guidelines on International Protection pursuant to its mandate, as contained in, inter alia, the Statute of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, namely paragraph 8(a), in conjunction with Article 35 of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, Article II of its 1967 Protocol, Article VIII(1) of the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, and Commitment II(e) of the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees.
These Guidelines clarify paragraph 164 of the UNHCR Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status under the 1951 Convention and otherwise complement the Handbook. They are to be read in conjunction with UNHCR’s other Guidelines on International Protection.
more
Responding to a poliovirus event and outbreak, Part 1: General (SOPs) describes the general principles and steps to facilitate timely and effective responses to poliovirus events and outbreaks, and incorporate lessons learned from recent previous ou...tbreak response efforts. This document summarizes roles and responsibilities of national governments and Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners.
Effective 01 November 2017 until 30 April 2018
more
Early childhood matters.
This document looks at specific issues regarding the development of young children, in particular from a psychosocial perspective. It is published twice per year by the Be...rnard van Leer Foundation. The views expressed in Early Childhood Matters are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Bernard van Leer Foundation.
more
A WHO guide to inform & harmonize national & international pandemic preparedness and response
The main updates from the 2013 interim guidance are:
Alignment with other relevant United Nations... policies for crisis and emergency management, and
Inclusion of the significant development in recent years of the strategies for pandemic vaccine response during the start of a pandemic.
The guide is available in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish and Russian
more
This is a short technical brief with important steps and resources on how country programs can track and address rumors around COVID-19 (as needed). The guide includes a number of great resources and links while also sharing nuggets from global, col...lective thinking around rumors.
more
Group psychological help for adults impaired by distress in communities exposed to adversity
With this manual, the World Health Organization (WHO) is responding to requests from colleagues around the...n> world for a group version of the manual Problem Management Plus (PM+), which was developed for adults impaired by distress in communities who are exposed to adversity. Aspects of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) have been changed to make them feasible in communities that do not have many specialists. To ensure maximum use, the intervention is developed in such a way that it can help people with depression, anxiety and stress, whether or not exposure to adversity has caused these problems. It can be applied to improve aspects of mental health and psychosocial well-being no matter how severe people’s problems are.
more
In India, in response to the above and guided by our counterparts in the government of India, the UN agencies have developed ...-to-highlight medbox">the Novel Coronavirus Disease Joint Health Response Plan by UN Agencies and Partners, led by WHO-India, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and with the support of other development partners. The UN in India is also preparing a COVID-19 Socio-economic Response and Recovery Plan, in partnership with the government.
more
You are currently intervening or wishing to intervene in a dense urban context to
respond to issues of food security and improve livelihood conditions? This handbook
is for you!
Following the evaluation of all of its sack-gardening projects, SO...LIDARITÉS
INTERNATIONAL (SI) wished to formalise its experience through this technical
handbook.
NGOs, including SI, are increasingly led to intervene in contexts of high density (whether
in camps or in slums): this handbook is thus set within this dynamic.
It provides the keys for assessing the relevance of a sack-gardening project, as well as
the tools for its implementation. Nonetheless, all methodologies and tools proposed
in this handbook shall be further contextualised in case of a replication of this project.
more
Inferences through Machine Learning.Background Report.
What are the major origins and drivers of different types of conflict? Sorting out the main
causes of conflict and war is difficult and ofte...n shaped by ideological believes. Even today,
historians and political scientists have discussions on the primary causes of the First World
War. There are several types of conflict, ranging from international and civil wars to local
conflicts, riots and revolution. And there are many theories that explain these different types
of conflict, which mostly focus on economic conditions and a range of factors that can foster
grievances and greed, creating incentives to initiate or join a conflict
more
As a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the people of Ukraine, especially the most vulnerable, are paying an enormous price. Lives and livelihoods are being lost, with more than ten million p...eople forced from their homes— and their country—in search of safety. The war has unleashed catastrophic damage to the country’s economy and threatens lasting increases in poverty and societal upheaval. The scale of the war and the devastation it has caused have jeopardized Ukraine’s hard-fought development gains, through destruction of production and property, disruption of trade, diminished investment due to amplified uncertainty, and erosion of human capita
more
Refugee children with disabilities experience a reality of exclusion and marginalisation that makes them among the most vulnerable displaced persons in the world. Excluded from participation in soci...al activities and access to school, not only because of their disability, but especially because of social, cultural, and political barriers that prevent them from enjoying the same opportunities as their peers.
Daniela Bruni, a specialist in education in emergency contexts, who has overseen JRS’s related projects for the past two years, has developed a guide on inclusive education.
more
16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence campaign ended on 10 December. A series of events organized by UNHCR and other agencies operating in the Rohingya response increased attention on issues in particular affe...cting women and girls: The Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commisisoner and camp authorities strongly collaborated with the agencies to
demonstate Bangladesh’s commitment to ending gender-based violence for refugees
more
Myanmar continues to present a complex and dynamic operating context where ongoing socio-economic and political challenges, including conflict, displacement, widespread poverty and food insecurity, hinder development efforts. An estimated 24.8 percent of its 54 million population live near or below ...the poverty line. Many struggle with inadequate physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food, with women, girls, persons with disabilities and minorities affected most.
more
Compared with other health areas, the mental health impacts of climate change have received less research attention. The literature on climate change and mental health is growing rapidly but is char...acterised by several limitations and research gaps. In a field where the need for designing evidence-based adaptation strategies is urgent, and research gaps are vast, implementing a broad, all-encompassing research agenda will require some strategic focus.
more
Between 1992 and 2012, disasters caused more than 1.3 million deaths, affected more than 4.4 billion people and led to US$ 2 trillion in economic damages and losses around the world. This Disaster Risk Management Strategy explains how ...ttribute-to-highlight medbox">the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) anticipates disasters and advocates for more upstream consideration of their occurrence. There are sections on community based disaster risk management and ecosystem based disaster resilience, as well as a look to the future
more