The report shows that where people and communities living with and affected by HIV are engaged in decision-making and HIV service delivery, new infections decline and more people living with HIV gain access to treatment. When people have the power to choose, to know, to thrive, to demand and to work... together, lives are saved, injustices are prevented and dignity is restored.
more
The extensive use of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine in recent years has accelerated the emergence and spread of resistant microorganisms. This situation has been worsened by the lack of investment in developing new effective antibiotics. The severity of the consequences is clear to ...see: it is estimated that each year, drug-resistant infections result in at least 25 000 patient deaths and cost the EU EUR 1,5 billion in healthcare costs and through loss of productivity
more
The National Department of Health and Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries have collectively engaged to determine the key interventions that will form the basis for this strategy taking into account the recommendations from the WHO and OIE.
The development and implementation of a Natio...nal Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy Framework that complements international efforts is a major step towards containment of the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance in human and animal health. Global partnerships need to be strengthened because the responsibility for reducing resistance is a shared one. This responsibility is not only limited to the health care sector, but calls for collaborative action in all sectors - human, animal and agriculture.
The National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy Framework will affect South Africa’s response to this looming threat. We already have the tools and expertise to make a difference, now all we need is to work together toward a better future.
more
12 April 2020
This Guidance Note on making COVID-19 response Age & Disability-inclusive provides advice for organizations and sectors to ensure essential responses, communication about the outbreak and adapt to services and support are inclusive and accessible for older persons and persons with d...isabilities.
more
This document provides guidance on the implementation of the shielding approach in camps and camp-like settings for refugees and internally displaced persons. It is intended for the displaced community itself, humanitarian actors and camp coordination / management authorit...ies.
more
This paper is an initial compilation of the promising practices on risk communication and community engagement that have developed in Europe during the COVID pandemic, in complementarity to the UNHCR’s Practical Recommendations and Good Practice to Address Protection Concerns in the Context of the... COVID-19 Pandemic.It seeks to document and share such practices, but also to inspire new initiatives, foster exchange, and further develop a community of practice within the region.
more
This Interim Guidance outlines how key public health and social measures needed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread and the impact of the disease can be adapted for use in low capacity and humanitarian settings. The recommendations outlined here need to be adjusted to the scale of transmission, co...ntext and resources, in order to achieve the objective of managing COVID-19, namely to reduce transmission and facilitate the detection and management of infected and exposed individuals within the population. The Guidance is intended for humanitarian and development actors of all operational levels working with communities ocal authorities involved in COVID-19 preparedness and response operations in these settings, in support of national and local governments and plans. Additional considerations for support to residents of urban informal settlements and slums are available in Annex 1.
more
Recognizing the extent to which the COVID-19 outbreaks affects women and men differently is hugely important. Some preliminary data suggested that more men than women are dying, potentially due to sex-based immunological differences, higher rates of cardiovascular disease for men and lifestyle choic...es, such as smoking. However, the experiences and lessons learned from the Zika and Ebola outbreaks and the HIV pandemic demonstrate that robust gender analysis and informed, gender-integrated response are vital to strengthen the access and acceptability of the humanitarian services needed to meet the distinct needs of women and girls, as well as men and boy and LGBTI people.
more
This document outlines minimum requirements of laboratory testing for COVID-19 and link laboratory testing with surveillance and contact tracing to guide the outbreak response by national health authorities using a reduced number of tests performed. The strategies are organized according to stages o...f transmission: (1) No cases reported or observed (Stage 0); (2) Imported cases (Stage 1); (3) Localized community transmission (Stage 2); (4) Large-scale community transmission (Stage 3). For each stage, the recommended approaches indicate which testing strategy to prioritize when there are severe limitations on laboratory testing. The document is based on the current epidemiology of COVID-19 and available molecular testing methods.
more
This FAQ responds to questions revolving around the topic of protecting refugee women and girls against violence. It begins with a glossary that clarifies key terms and their consequences for female refugees. The glossary will be amended and updated as required on the websites of b...ff and FHK.
more
Contact tracing is a key component of the COVID-19 response, particularly as societies begin to lift non-pharmaceutical interventions. However, it is a time-consuming and resource-intensive effort that depends on a trained and motivated workforce. Emergent digital contact tracing and quarantine (...DCTQ) tools offer the potential to complement and strengthen conventional contact tracing initiatives on an unprecedented scale. Despite their visibility throughout the pandemic
more
Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) are public health measures that aim to prevent and/or control SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the community. As long as there is no effective and safe vaccine to protect those at risk of severe COVID-19, NPI are the most effective public health interventions against... COVID-19. These ECDC guidelines detail available options for NPI in various epidemiologic scenarios, assess the evidence for their effectiveness and address implementation issues, including potential barriers and facilitators.
more
With about 24 million of Yemen’s 30 million people in need of some form of assistance, the United Nations calls Yemen the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Cholera and other disease outbreaks are common, malnutrition is widespread, water is scarce, and the healthcare system is crumbling, with o...nly half of the country’s 5,000 or so health facilities fully operational and with massive medical supply and staff shortages. In August 2020, the UN warned the country was again on the brink of full-scale famine.
more
The report – the first of its kind – shows how the pandemic has driven up food insecurity and increased vulnerability among migrants, families reliant on remittances and communities forced from their homes by conflict, violence and disasters.
The two UN agencies warn the social and economic ...toll of the pandemic could be devastating and call on the world to prevent it by stepping up support in response to immediate and rising humanitarian needs, addressing the socioeconomic impacts of the crisis and ensuring that the most vulnerable are not forgotten.
more
The purpose of this guide is to offer recommendations for improving the implementation of non‑pharmacological public health measures during the COVID-19 response and compliance with these measures by population groups in situations of vulnerability. This requires determining the main barriers to i...mplementing these measures so that we can identify the groups and territories most affected during the different phases of the pandemic. With this objective in mind––and within the framework of an equity, human rights, and diversity approach––, policies, strategies, and interventions to accompany the implementation and flexibilization of the measures are recommended to ensure that no one is left behind.
more
What measures can we take to overcome the corona crisis, limit its consequences or use scarce resources efficiently? Every day we experience uncertainties and contradictions on these questions among scientists, health experts, politicians and in society. We must all strive for a broad consensus to o...vercome the global COVID-19 pandemic. With our publications IM FOKUS we want to stimulate discussion and promote opinion-forming: We write based on our experience of HIV work. We are not interested in COVID-19 to be equated with HIV, but to discuss which experiences from HIV work could be helpful in dealing with COVID-19. We do not intend to replace scientific papers, nor can we present the current state of knowledge comprehensively and conclusively.
more
The publication draws on pre-COVID data to highlight how children with disabilities face greater risks in the midst of this pandemic. It documents what has happened to services for children and adults with disabilities across the world and includes examples of what has been done to address disruptio...ns in services. It also discusses the challenges in generating disability-inclusive data during the pandemic.
more
This paper reviews the effects of vertical responses to COVID-19 on health systems, services, and people’s access to and use of them in LMICs, where historic and ongoing under-investments heighten vulnerability to a multiplicity of health threats. We use the term ‘vertical response’ to describ...e decisions, measures and actions taken solely with the purpose of preventing and containing COVID-19, often without adequate consideration of how this affects the wider health system and pre-existing resource constraints.
more