Indoor air pollution is caused by burning solid fuel sources – such as firewood, crop waste, and dung – for cooking and heating.
Burning such fuels, particularly in poor households, results in air pollution that leads to respiratory diseases, which can result in premature death. The WHO calls... indoor air pollution "the world's largest single environmental health risk."
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The "GOLD Patient Guide 2019" explains Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), its causes, symptoms, and stages. It provides practical advice for managing COPD, including the importance of quitting smoking, following medical treatment plans, exercising, maintaining a healthy diet, and creating... a supportive living environment. The guide emphasizes early diagnosis, regular medical checkups, and strategies for managing severe COPD to improve quality of life.
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Providing quality, stigma-free services is essential to equitable health care for all and achieving global HIV goals and broader Sustainable Development Goals related to health. Every person has the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Countries have a legal obliga...tion to develop and implement legislation and policies that guarantee universal access to quality health services and address the root causes of health disparities, including poverty, stigma and discrimination.
The health sector is uniquely placed to lead in addressing inequity, assuring safe personcentred care for everyone and improving social determinants of health by overcoming taboos and discriminatory or stigmatizing behaviours associated with HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Improving health care quality and reducing stigma work together to enhance health outcomes for people living with HIV. Together, they make health care services more accessible, trustworthy and supportive. This encourages early diagnosis, consistent treatment and improved mental well-being. Thus, people living with HIV are more likely to engage with and benefit from health care services, leading to improved overall health.
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The document discusses the complexities of managing patients with COPD and multiple comorbidities, highlighting the importance of personalized care and the appropriate use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). It outlines common comorbidities, such as asthma, osteoporosis, and diabetes, and offers guida...nce on optimizing treatment regimens while minimizing risks and polypharmacy in primary care settings.
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The document is a visual guide created by the IPCRG for managing COPD, focusing on self-management, treatment options (such as inhaler use, pulmonary rehabilitation, and medications), and addressing comorbidities. It highlights the importance of personalized care plans, patient education, risk reduc...tion, vaccinations, and the correct use of therapies to improve quality of life and manage COPD effectively.
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WHO has updated the mpox Case reporting form (CRF) and data collection tool, mainly by reducing the number of variables. A detailed list of changes is presented in the file. The content of the Case investigation form (CIF) has not been changed.
This guide provides a systematic, practical approach to support primary care and other healthcare professionals to improve the care of peopel over the age of 18 years with difficult to manage asthma.
Secondhand smoke can infiltrate into other units through hallways and stairwells. Don’t be shy when it comes to your health. Talk to your building manager about making your apartment smokefree.
The Global Breast Cancer Initiative aims to address disparities in access to care to reduce mortality rates globally. Patient navigation is an evidence-based personalized intervention designed to guide patients through often complex cancer care systems to receive timely access, particularly in low-i...ncome and minority populations. It is useful in settings with limited availability, fragmented healthcare systems and socioeconomic barriers that hinder early detection and treatment. It is proven to significantly reduce delays, improve patient adherence to care and enhance survival rates. The model involves helping individuals and their families to tackle barriers such as cultural stigma, misinformation, and psychosocial, among others, that can delay or prevent access to timely care. It can also reduce financial strain, streamline care coordination and improve the overall quality of life by connecting patients with affordable treatment options and support systems to address their needs in the course of treatment.
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Since there is no single objective diagnostic test for asthma this study suggests an approach of collecting and assembling pieces of clinical information to create a diagnostic picture, like making a jigsaw puzzle. These pieces should include demonstration of symptom and airway variability and/or br...onchodilator responsiveness over time, to support a clinical diagnosis.
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The active participation and engagement of health and care workers (HCWs) in health emergency preparedness, readiness and response is crucial to support risk communication, community engagement and infodemic management (RCCE-IM) interventions during emergencies. HCWs hold unique position...s in society – repeatedly being identified among the main influencers of people’s behaviours: they are one of the most trusted sources of health information and advice in communities and role models for the acceptance and uptake of protective measures during health emergencies. On the frontline, HCWs have valuable insights and knowledge that can be harnessed to support health emergencies across the entire emergency cycle. Between October and December 2023, the WHO Regional Office for Europe interviewed key informants on strategies and experiences to meaningfully engage HCWs during emergencies
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All health and care workers require the knowledge and skills to prevent the transmission of Ebola virus or Marburg virus when providing care for patients. This course provides an overview of the mode of transmission of these viruses, the personal protective equipment required by health and care work...ers and measures to take for rapid identification and isolation as well as managing the environment.
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Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is a critical strategy to care for preterm and low birth weight infants in resource-limited settings. Despite evidence of its effectiveness and low cost, coverage has remained low, largely due to sociocultural barriers. We aimed to better understand social norms and commun...ity perceptions of preterm infants and KMC (facility-initiated and community-continued) in Malawi, a country with a high preterm birth rate, to inform a pilot social and behavior change program.
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To identify and to assess factors enhancing or hindering the delivery of breast and cervical cancer screening services in Malawi with regard to accessibility, uptake, acceptability and effectiveness.
Systematic review of published scientific evidence. A search of six bibliographic databases and gre...y literature was executed to identify relevant studies conducted in Malawi in the English language, with no time or study design restrictions. Data extraction was conducted in Excel and evidence synthesis followed a thematic analysis approach to identify and compare emerging themes.
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In Malawi, the national Social Cash Transfer Programme provides unconditional monthly cash payments to the most vulnerable and ultra-poor households.
The Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP)—locally known in Chichewa as Mtukula Pakhomo—is a non-conditional critical safety net for the most vulnerable, ultra-poor Malawians. By providing monthly cash transfers to over 1.3 million people annually, this programme helps ultra-poor families to meet... their basic needs and build resilience, with the ultimate goal of building human capital and moving them out of poverty.
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There has been a rapid expansion of cash-based, social protection programmes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in recent years as Governments increasingly realise the enormous benefits cash transfers offer (World Bank, 2018). In fact, as an investment in human capital and inclusive economic development, ...social protection is arguably one of the most efficient uses of Government resources and “one of the smartest investments that policymakers can support” (Cummins, 2021).
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Regional training package