This regional report on the situation of tuberculosis (TB) in the Americas contains information from 2019, provided by the countries of the Region through the World Health Organization TB data collection system. These data have been consolidated ...an class="attribute-to-highlight medbox">and analyzed at the regional level. In addition to presenting the epidemiological and programmatic situation of TB in the Americas, the report aims to raise awareness and to motivate and encourage all stakeholders in the prevention and control of this disease, to accelerate efforts towards TB elimination in the Region, and to achieve the targets of the End TB Strategy. The report records the Region's achievements, but also the gaps in the work being carried out in diagnosis, treatment, comorbidities, vulnerable populations, risk factors, and funding, among other issues. Based on the information presented, specific recommendations are provided for further progress.
more
Overuse and misuse of antibiotics in animals and humans is contributing to the rising threat of antibiotic resistance. Some types of bacteria that cause serious infections in humans hav...e already developed resistance to most or all of the available treatments, and there are very few promising options in the research pipeline
more
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) represent a range of physical, mental, and behavioral disabilities caused by alcohol use during pregnancy, or prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). FASDs are considered to be one of the leading preventable causes o...f developmental disability. Despite its high prevalence, FASD is often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed, making interventions more challenging or delayed.
his publication was initially developed for use in Spanish-speaking countries of the Americas and is intended to serve as a training workbook for providers of various disciplines to learn about the fundamentals of diagnosing FASD and to apply them to several case scenarios. It also discusses ethical implications of diagnosing FASD to the mother and child. Target audiences include physicians, psychologists, allied health professionals, social workers, and other providers that may encounter individuals affected by FASD. It is ideally used as a supplement for in-person training by experts in the fields of dysmorphology, epidemiology, and neuropsychology.
more
Understanding and building resilience to early life trauma in Belarus and Ukraine
In 2018 and early 2019, the WHO Regional Office for Europe’s c...ultural contexts of health and well-being project worked alongside the University of Exeter’s WHO Collaborating Centre on Culture and Health, the Minsk Regional Centre for Psychiatry and Addiction, and the Institute of Mental Health of the Ukrainian Catholic University to engage researchers, practitioners, health-care workers and other relevant stakeholders in a series of workshops on the cultural contexts of early life trauma in Belarus and Ukraine.
more
The global pandemic has highlighted fragility in international supply chains and the dependency of many African countries on imported personal protective equipment (PPE). Market pressures have also ...increased prices for imported supplies and put additional pressure on areas with limited resources for procurement. There is an urgent operational need to develop the domestic capacity to supply PPE from within the African continent. There is huge variation in Member
States industrial manufacturing capacity and the regulatory and testing capacity of government agencies at present. Growing number of companies, including micro- and small-medium enterprises, have responded by repurposing, albeit temporarily, to manufacture an assortment of PPEs. This workshop aims to bring together government representatives, industry, and subject matter experts on material testing and standards to promote the development of domestic production of safe and effective PPE made in Africa.
more
The 12th Meeting of the Regional Certification Commission (RCC) for the Polio Endgame in the Region of the Americas was conducted virtually due to the pandemic of COVID-19. The meeting was composed of 5 steps:
Step 1: An introductory meeting between RCC members ... medbox">and Secretariat
Step 2: Assessment of the annual and containment reports by the reviewers
Step 3: Observations and recommendations review
Step 4: A meeting between RCC Chair and the Secretariat to review the draft report and general recommendations of the meeting
Step 5: RCC meeting to review and approve the recommendations to each country and the final report and recommendations of the meeting
more
This document provides interim guidance to countries on testing considerations and strategies for suspect cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology in children. It is primarily intended for clinical, programmatic, laboratory ...attribute-to-highlight medbox">and diagnostic stakeholders across Member States and national public health authorities involved in the identification and investigation of cases of severe acute hepatitis in children.
This document is part of a package of guidance for this event, which includes suggested minimum reporting variables and a clinical Case Report Form support Member States with case investigation and reporting.
more
This activity book has been designed, written and illustrated to bring children and young people closer to the world of plant protection; the science that deals with plant ...highlight medbox">health. Although addressed to an age group between eight and twelve years, this book can also be useful for older kids and educators. It can be considered as first, simple plant protection manual, designed on the occasion of the International Year of Plant Health 2020.
more
Summary of new viruses this week: Afghanistan –five wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) positive environmental samples. Pakistan –one WPV1 positive environmental sample. Papua New Guinea – three cas...es of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1). DRC- one case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2). Nigeria – two cases of cVDPV2. Somalia- two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples. See country sections below for more details.
more
There is a substantial and ever-increasing unmet need for rehabilitation worldwide, which is particularly profound in low- and middle
-income countries. The availability of accessible ...attribute-to-highlight medbox">and affordable rehabilitation is necessary for many people with health conditions to remain as independent as possible, to participate in education, to be economically productive, and fulfil meaningful life roles.
more
This working paper was conceived to offer practical tips and suggestions on how to establish and sustain the multisectoral coordination needed to develop ...and implement National Action Plans on AMR (NAPs). It is intended for anyone with responsibility for addressing AMR at country level. Drawing on both the published literature and the operational experience of four ‘focal countries’ (Ethiopia, Kenya, Philippines and Thailand), it summarizes lessons learned and the latest thinking on multisectoral working to achieve effective AMR action. The experience in focal countries points to a number of tools and tactics that can be used to help establish and enhance sustainable multisectoral collaboration for AMR action. These can be grouped into four categories: political commitment, resources, governance mechanisms, and practical management.
more
21 January 2022
The overall threat posed by Omicron largely depends on four key questions: (i) how transmissible the variant is; (ii) how well vaccines and prior infection protect against infection, transmission, clinical disease ...bute-to-highlight medbox">and death; (iii) how virulent the variant is compared to other variants; and (iv) how populations understand these dynamics, perceive risk and follow control measures, including public health and social measures (PHSM).
more
Patient safety standards are critical for the establishment and assessment of patient safety programmes within hospitals. This third edition of the Patient safety assessment manual provides an updated set of standards ...ight medbox">and assessment criteria that reflect current best practice and WHO guidance. The manual will support the implementation of patient safety assessments and improvement programmes within hospitals as part of the Patient Safety Friendly Hospital Framework to ensure that patient safety is prioritized and facilities and staff implement best practices. The manual is a key tool for use by professional associations regulatory accrediting or oversight bodies and ministries of health to improve patient safety.
more
The burden of diabetes is enormous, positioning it as one of the main challenges facing public health today. Currently, it is estimated that 62 million people are living with diabetes in the Region of the Americas ... medbox">and projections show its prevalence will continue rising over the following years. The Region shows the highest number of years of healthy life lost (through either disability or premature death) due to diabetes worldwide. The high costs associated with its treatment produce a heavy economic burden. Its complications can seriously affect the quality of life of people living with diabetes, their families, and society and overload health systems. This report shows the latest internationally comparable data on diabetes and its main risk factors by year, country, and sex.
more
The main objectives of the SOPs are to: (i) establish standards and timelines for response activities; and (ii) guide national governments and GPEI... partners in key support functions.
This new version of the SOPs presents overall response requirements for dealing with type 1, 2 and 3 poliovirus following monovalent type 2 oral polio vaccine (mOPV2) cessation. Version 2.4 will be valid until release of revised version 3.0 (anticipated May 2018).
more
CBM and the Global Campaign for Education 2014
The toolkit provides practical guidance and tools that can support efforts, including planning and implementation activities, to create dementia-inclusive societies.
The toolkit is divided into t...wo parts. Part I contains background information and a conceptual framework for creating dementia-inclusive societies. Part II includes four practical modules, each featuring a series of practical steps and exercises. The four modules focus on: starting a new dementia-friendly initiative (DFI), integrating dementia into an existing initiative, monitoring and evaluation a DFI, and scaling a DFI. The modules can be used together or separately and offer guidance that can be adapted to suit local needs and settings.
more
Recent systematic reviews and meta-analysis of the impact of chemical-based mollusciciding (King et al., 2015, Sokolow et al., 2016) have concluded that regular mollusciciding is likely to contribute significantly towards elimination of schistosomia...sis in high-risk areas. The WHO roadmap’s new focus on “transmission control, wherever possible” (WHO, 2012a) reinforces the need to promote intermediate-host snail control to prevent schistosomiasis transmission.
This operational manual is intended to facilitate the reintroduction of practices and protocols for use of molluscicides in the field in schistosomiasis control programmes. It is complemented by guidelines on the laboratory and field testing of the efficacy of molluscicides for schistosomiasis control (WHO, 2017 [in preparation]).
more
The WHO/IWA document A practical guide to auditing water safety plans provides guidance on developing and implementing a WSP auditing scheme, covering such topics as the aim and role of audit...ing, auditor training and certification, audit criteria, audit timing and frequency and audit reporting. The guidance document includes examples, tips, tools and case studies from more than a dozen low-, middle-, and high-income countries, and it serves as a practical resource for policy makers, government bodies responsible for drinking-water regulation or surveillance and water suppliers implementing WSPs.
more
Assessing and improving quality and human rights in mental health and social care facilites