Recently, a renewed interest in large-scale community health worker (CHW) programs has been seen globally. This renewal provides an opportune moment to take stock of issues and challenges such progr...ams face and what can be done to make them as effective as possible. With this in mind, this manual is intended to be used a practical guide for policymakers and program
managers wishing to develop or strengthen a CHW program, drawing lessons from other countries that have implemented CHW programs at-scale. Throughout, we discuss major policy and programmatic issues that decision-makers and planners need to consider when designing, implementing, scaling up or strengthening a national-level CHW program. We offer an overview
of specific challenges CHW programs face, country lessons, tools, and other resources that may be helpful, while incorporating relevant programmatic examples as much as possible.
more
The standards define 10 key competencies for health and care workers to support self-care in their clinical practice as well as the specific, measu...rable behaviours that demonstrate those competencies, focusing on people-centredness; decision-making; effective communication; collaboration; evidence-informed practice, and personal conduct.
more
Transforming health: Acclerating the attainment of health goals
A booklet on how CHWs were addressing eye health across Africa based on desk research and a survey in 23 countries
Mental health problem is one of the growing major public health issues in the Asia Pacific region. It contributes to the high number of Disability ...Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), morbidity and mortality in the region. It is expected that leading mental health problems will occur in the low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) and majority of the countries which comes under this category are in the Asia Pacific region. In addition, mental health problem hamper the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly MDG 1, MDG 4 and MDG 5. The most common mental health problems in the region are depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, suicidal behaviour and substance abuse disorder. Several modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors were identified for the cause of these major mental health issues. Interventions, programmes and policies need to be designed in order to curb mental health problems at all levels.
more
The guideline uses state-of-the-art evidence to identify effective policy options to strengthen community health worker (CHW) programme performance through their proper integration in ...ttribute-to-highlight medbox">health systems and communities.
Successful delivery of services through CHWs requires evidence-based models for education, deployment and management of these health workers. The guideline is intended as a tool for national policy makers and planners and their international partners to use in the design, implementation, performance and evaluation of effective community health worker programmes. It contains pragmatic recommendations on selection, training and certification; management and supervision: and integration into health systems and community engagement.
more
Mental health issues are usually given very low priority in health service policies. Although this is changing, African countries are still confron...ted with so many problems caused by communicable diseases and malnutrition that they have not woken up to the impact of mental disorders. Every country must formulate a mental health policy based on its own social and cultural realities. Such policies must take into account the scope of mental health problems, provide proven and affordable interventions, safeguard patients’ rights, and ensure equity.
more
Recognizing the importance of the critical role of community health in disaster management, the Amref health Africa has
developed this operational... guide to provide policy direction on COVID-19 response at community level. This guide has
been developed in collaboration with all the implementing countries in supporting prevention and control of COVID-19.
With a strong community COVID-19 response system at community level, we can all contribute to prevention and control
of COVID-19, and thereby improve health and livelihoods for all people
more
Self-care interventions are among the most promising and exciting new approaches to improve health and well-being, both from a health systems persp...ective and for people who use these interventions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) uses the following working definition of self-care: Self-care is the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker. The scope of self-care as described in this definition includes health promotion; disease prevention and control; self-medication; providing care to dependent persons; seeking hospital/specialist/primary care if necessary; and rehabilitation, including palliative care. It includes a range of self-care modes and approaches. While this is a broad definition that includes many activities, it is important for health policy to recognize the importance of self-care, especially where it intersects with health systems and health professionals.
more
This guide provides practical, step-by-step guidance on how to organize, implement, and monitor community-based care for DR TB. It is equally useful for program planning or supervision. The target a...udience for this guide is TB Program Managers, governments, policy makers, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), donors and TB advocates.
This guide does not replace other guidelines and documents that contain important medical information, such as Guidelines for the Programmatic Management of Drug-resistant TB (WHO, 2008 and 2011 updates), and Management of MDR-TB: A Field Guide (WHO, 2009).
more
This provisional Facilitator's Kit provides a complete framework for a 3-day training on Community Preparedness for Reproductive Health and Gender. The goal is to build ...ghlight medbox">community capacity to prepare and respond to risks and inequities faced by women and girls during emergencies.
more
"This is the final report of the six-year collaboration between the WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse and the Gulbenkian Global Mental...span> Health Platform, an initiative of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation aimed at reducing the global burden of mental health through the development and application of evidence and good practices to global mental health."
more
These standards for the quality of paediatric care in health facilities form part of normative
guidance for improving the quality of maternal, newborn, child and adolescent ...o-highlight medbox">health care.
In view of the importance of the continuum of both the life-course and service delivery (1),
these standards build on the Standards for improving the quality of maternal and newborn
care in health facilities (2), during labour, childbirth and the early postnatal period.
more
Infant Psychiatry
Chapter B.2