Community health nurses have the potential to make significant contributions to meet the health care needs of various population groups in a variety of community settings. In order to assess the ext...ent to which CHNs are achieving this potential, WHO conducted a study between 2010 and 2014 that examined the status of community health nursing in 22 countries, 13 of which were experiencing a critical shortage of health care workers. The study revealed that the countries surveyed had the basic and operational framework for optimizing CHN in their health systems as evidenced by the availability of PHC structures to guide interventions. However, challenges were identified related to the education, practice and management of CHNs in these countries. The major challenges identified were: Limited availability of career opportunities; poor worker retention; low recognition for CHNs; inadequate and unsupportive working conditions and environments; absence of educational standards; varying educational entry-level requirements for CHN programmes; and a lack of consensus on the scope of practice for CHNs.
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Drawing light from the pandemic: A new strategy for health and sustainable development (2021)
Available in English, French, German and Russian
This version of the glossary is substantially changed from the original. Some terms have been omitted, many have been modified in light of practical experiences and the evolution in concepts, and new terms have been added. The list of terms is not intended to be either exhaustive or exclusive, and d...raws upon the wide range of disciplines in which health promotion has its roots. Wherever possible, definitions are sourced or derived from existing, publicly accessible WHO documents. Specific sources are referenced, and where possible a web link is also provided to facilitate access to source documents. Hyperlinks were correct at the time of publication but are subject 2 Health Promotion Glossary of Terms 2021 to inevitable change. In some examples the definitions have been adapted to reflect the application of a term to the current health promotion context. Where relevant, this focus is acknowledged in individual definitions.
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This Global Competency Standards sets the benchmark for the health workforce in providing equality of care to refugees and migrants. Refugee and migrant populations are highly diverse, with significant variation in life experiences, ...ribute-to-highlight medbox">health needs and access to health care. The standards described outline expected behaviours of health workers in delivering quality care to refugees and migrants and can be used to inform the outcomes of education programmes aligned with standards for care. The Competency Standards is designed to provide a foundation to support the development of competency-based curricula tailored to the local context and for health workers to achieve a minimum level of competence. The importance of person-centred, culturally responsive care is emphasized in the nine competency standards, which recognize the need for health workers to be trained, supported and empowered within strong health systems
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Climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessment
In 2013 the World Health Organization (WHO) published the report Protecting health...pan> from climate change:
vulnerability and adaptation assessment. The aim was to provide basic and flexible guidance on conducting national or subnational assessments of current and future vulnerability (the susceptibility of a population or region to harm) to the health risks of climate change, and of policies and programmes that could increase resilience, taking into account the multiple determinants of climate-sensitive health outcomes.
That guidance has been a very useful tool, applied to more than 50 countries and settings, and has helped countries to prepare their health contributions to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change national adaptation plans.
Since the launch of the guidance, WHO, technical partners such as Health Canada, and countries have learned much in terms of its applicability in different countries, at national and local levels.
At the same time, knowledge on climate change and health has increased.
WHO, the Pan American Health Organization and Health Canada have produced this updated version, which aims to better support countries in their assessments by proposing a simpler tool that incorporates all lessons learned.
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The overview of findings from five Latin American countries
The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health
in the United States: A Scientific Assessment
Climate change is a significant threat to the health of the American people. This scientific assessment ...examines how climate change is already affecting human health and the changes that may occur in the future.
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This training guide applies a participatory approach, reflecting the considerable evidence that adults learn best by practicing and reflecting on their experiences. It thus emphasizes exercises to improve skills in counseling that support clients to adopt optimal nutrition practices. Women’s nutri...tion and infant feeding in the context of HIV are also addressed. Guidelines to link the prevention of malnutrition with treatment via the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition are also included. It can also be conducted with nutrition managers to equip them to provide supportive supervision to health and community workers.
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Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) experience a high disease burden for epilepsy, a chronic neurological condition.The authors evaluate the cost-effectiveness of community health workers (CHWs) to improve adherence to medication for epilepsy i...n South Africa. They found that utilizing CHWs to improve medication adherence was cost-effective.
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This report presents the key findings of the end-of-project assessment of households and
community health volunteers, conducted in 2017 in the Kamukunji and Embakasi sub-counties
of Nairobi, Kenya, for a Community ...ht medbox">Health Volunteers’ Decision Support System (CHV DSS)
intervention project. The report was prepared by the African Population and Health Research
Center (APHRC). The end-line survey was implemented by APHRC. Implementation of the CHV
DSS project is a joint collaboration among several partners, including APHRC, the City County
of Nairobi, sub-county health management teams (Kamukunji and Embakasi), and community
health volunteers. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the donor organization, the County Innovation Challenge Fund
for Kenya.
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Nurses play a key role in the provision of primary health care (PHC) and the coordination and organization of medical care overall. Nurses are often the first point of contact with the health ...system and have an important role to play in leaving no one behind.
Large-scale reform of PHC in Ukraine started in 2018, and evolving and expanding practices have led to new challenges for both medical facilities and staff. It has become critically important to initiate new practices in the organization of the nursing profession, to adapt and increase their competencies, invest in skills development and create more nursing posts.
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The 2021 WHO health and climate change global survey report provides a valuable snapshot of the overall progress governments have made in addressing the health risks of climate change. The findings ...on key health and climate change indicators aim to empower policy makers to: make informed decisions on the implementation of policies and plans; identify evidence gaps; and better understand the barriers to achieving adaptation and resilience priorities in the health sector while maximizing the health benefits of sector-wide climate mitigation efforts.
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Compared with other health areas, the mental health impacts of climate change have received less research attention. The literature on climate change and mental ...edbox">health is growing rapidly but is characterised 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.
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Economics plays a vital role in health policy-making and investments to reduce air pollution; in helping to understand the costs of health care; and in determining nations’ wealth and ability to i...nvest in health and well-being..
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In 2015, 26% of the deaths of 5.9 million children who died before reaching their fifth birthday could have been prevented
through addressing environmental risks – a shocking missed opportunity. The prenatal and early childhood period represents
a window of particular vulnerability, where enviro...nmental hazards can lead to premature birth and other complications,
and increase lifelong disease risk including for respiratory disorders, cardiovascular disease and cancers. The environment
thus represents a major factor in children’s health, as well as a major opportunity for improvement, with effects seen in every
region of the world.
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