The main purpose of the meeting was to review tsetse control tools, activities and their contribution to the elimination of gHAT and the monitoring thereof. Seven endemic countries provided reports on recent and ongoing vector control interventions at the national level (Angola, Cameroon, Côte d’...Ivoire, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea and Uganda). Country reports focused on the in situations implementing and supporting vector control activities, the tools and the approaches in use, the coverage of the activities in space and time and their impacts on tsetse populations. Future perspectives for vector control in the respective countries were also discussed, including opportunities and challenges to sustainability.
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The skin of a patient is the first and most visible structure of the body that any health-care worker encounters during the course of an examination. To the patient, it is also highly visible, and any disease that affects it is noticeable and will have an impact on personal and social well-being. Th...e skin is therefore an important entry point for both diagnosis and management. Many diseases of humans are associated with changes to the skin, ranging from symptoms such as itching to changes in colour, feel and appearance.
This training guide explains how to identify the signs and symptoms of neglected tropical diseases of the skin through their visible characteristics. It also contains information on how to diagnose and manage common skin problems that front-line health workers may encounter.
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The document "Global Report on Diabetes" by the World Health Organization (WHO) provides an in-depth analysis of diabetes as a global health challenge. It covers the rising prevalence of the disease, the associated risk factors, and the increasing burden on healthcare systems, particularly in low- a...nd middle-income countries. The report discusses strategies for preventing Type 2 diabetes, managing diabetes effectively, and reducing complications through integrated healthcare approaches. It emphasizes the need for global action, national policies, and collaboration across sectors to address diabetes and improve health outcomes worldwide.
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The article focuses on "The State of the World’s Children 2023" report published by UNICEF. It highlights the critical role of vaccines in saving lives and the challenges in global immunization efforts, especially for marginalized and underserved children. The report emphasizes the impact of COVID...-19 on routine immunization, leaving millions of children unprotected from preventable diseases. It calls for urgent measures to restore and improve vaccination coverage, ensure equity in vaccine access, strengthen primary healthcare systems, and build trust in vaccines. The report also advocates for innovations and sustainable funding to achieve immunization for every child.
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The document provides detailed clinical guidelines for the therapy of Type 1 Diabetes as developed by the German Diabetes Association (DDG). It focuses on individualized insulin therapy, structured patient training, and monitoring of blood glucose levels. The guidelines emphasize preventing complica...tions like ketoacidosis and hypoglycemia while improving patients' quality of life through education and tailored medical care. Recommendations include the use of both basal and bolus insulin, continuous glucose monitoring, and integrating psychosocial support into treatment plans. The document serves as a comprehensive resource for healthcare professionals managing Type 1 Diabetes.
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The document emphasizes integrating environmental considerations into nutrition programs. It introduces a screening tool piloted across ten projects to identify environmental risks and opportunities, fostering sustainable practices in food systems. The tool promotes collaboration, co-learning, and a...ctionable steps to align nutrition goals with environmental sustainability, ensuring long-term benefits for health and ecosystems.
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Time has seen management for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) advance drastically, most recently in the development of the disease-modifying triple combination therapy ivacaftor/tezacaftor/elexacaftor. There is currently limited evidence regarding both the global epidemiology of CF and access to this transforma...tive therapy - and therefore where needs are not being met. Therefore, this study aims to define gaps in access to CF treatment. The results show that a significant CF patient burden exists in countries where disease-modifying drugs are unavailable, and final figures are likely underestimates. This analysis shows the potential to improve rates of diagnosis and treatment for CF, so a higher percentage of patients receive the most effective triple combination treatment.
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Since the Alma Ata Declaration in 1978, community health volunteers (CHVs) have been at the forefront, providing health services, especially to underserved communities, in low-income countries. However, consolidation of CHVs position within formal health systems has proved to be complex and continue...s to challenge countries, as they devise strategies to strengthen primary healthcare. Malawi’s community health strategy, launched in 2017, is a novel attempt to harmonise the multiple health
service structures at the community level and strengthen service delivery through a team-based approach. The core community health team (CHT) consists of health surveillance assistants (HSAs), clinicians, environmental health officers and CHVs. This paper reviews Malawi’s strategy, with particular focus on the interface between HSAs, volunteers in community-based programmes and
the community health team. Our analysis identified key challenges that may impede the strategy’s implementation:
(1) inadequate training, imbalance of skill sets within CHTs and unclear job descriptions for CHVs; (2) proposed community-level interventions require expansion of pre-existing roles for most CHT members; and (3) district authorities may face challenges meeting financial obligations and filling community-level positions. For effective implementation, attention and further deliberation is needed on the appropriate forms of CHV support, CHT composition with possibilities of co-opting trained CHVs
from existing volunteer programmes into CHTs, review of CHT competencies and workload, strengthening coordination and communication across all community actors, and financing mechanisms. Policy support through the development of an addendum to the strategy, outlining opportunities for task-shifting between CHT members, CHVs’ expected duties and interactions with paid CHT personnel is recommended.
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The Malawian government recently introduced cost-covering consultation fees for self-referral patients in tertiary public hospitals. Previously, patients received medicines free of charge in government-owned health facilities, but must pay elsewhere. Before the government implements a payment policy... in other areas of health care, it is important to investigate the prices, affordability and availability of essential medicines in Malawi.
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Ce rapport inclut des analyses tirées des consultations régionales informelles menées dans la Région africaine, dans les Caraïbes et en Amérique du Nord, dans la Région européenne, dans la Région de la Méditerranée orientale, en Amérique latine ainsi que dans la Région de l’Asie du Su...d-Est, auxquelles s’ajoutent trois rencontres organisées dans la Région du Pacifique occidental. Il analyse les similitudes globales, les nuances régionales et les priorités mises en avant dans les six Régions de l’OMS pour la participation significative des personnes avec une expérience vécue.
Il s’agit du deuxième rapport d’une collection de l’OMS intitulée De l’intention à l’action, qui doit servir à constituer une série de ressources pour renforcer la base de données probantes sur l’impact de la participation significative, qui est pour le moment limitée, et à combler le manque d’approches normalisées pour mettre en oeuvre la participation significative. À cette fin, la collection De l’intention à l’action a été pensée comme plateforme pour que les personnes avec une expérience vécue ainsi que les organisations et institutions à la pointe sur ces questions puissent échanger sur les solutions, les difficultés et les pratiques prometteuses relatives à cet objectif transversal. Elle vise également à fournir des récits et des modèles puissants, ainsi que des données probantes dans la perspective de la quatrième réunion publique de haut niveau des Nations Unies sur les MNT, qui devrait se tenir en 2025, et en vue d’atteindre les objectifs de développement durable (ODD) à l’horizon 2030.
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This report includes analysis from informal regional consultations in the African Region, the Caribbean and North America, Latin America, South-East Asia Region, European Region, Eastern Mediterranean Region, alongside three forums in the Western Pacific Region. It analyses the overarching similarit...ies, regional nuances and priorities raised across the six WHO regions for the meaningful engagement of individuals with lived experience.
It is the second publication in the WHO Intention to action series, which aims to enhance the limited evidence base on the impact of meaningful engagement and address the lack of standardized approaches on how to operationalise meaningful engagement. The Intention to action series aims to do this by providing a platform from which individuals with lived experience, and organizational and institutional champions, can share solutions, challenges and promising practices related to this cross-cutting agenda. The Intention to action series also aims to provide powerful narratives, inspiration and evidence towards the Fourth United Nations High Level Meeting on NCDs in 2025 and achieving the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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El presente informe incluye análisis de consultas informales en cinco de las regiones de la OMS: la Región de África, la Región de las Américas (donde se realizaron consultas separadas para el Caribe y América del Norte, y para América Latina), la Región de Asia Sudoriental, la Región de Eu...ropa y la Región del Mediterráneo Oriental, junto con tres foros en la Región del Pacífico Occidental. Se analizan las similitudes generales, los matices regionales y las prioridades planteadas en las seis regiones de la OMS para la participación significativa de las personas con experiencias vividas.
El presente informe es la segunda publicación de la serie «De la intención a la acción», un conjunto de recursos destinados a mejorar la limitada base de evidencia sobre el impacto de la participación significativa y abordar la falta de enfoques normalizados sobre cómo hacer operativa esta participación. La serie «De la intención a la acción» pretende llevar esto a cabo proporcionando una plataforma desde la que las personas con experiencias vividas, y los defensores de organizaciones e instituciones, puedan compartir soluciones, retos y prácticas prometedoras relacionadas con esta agenda transversal. La serie «De la intención a la acción» también tiene como objetivo proporcionar poderosas historias, inspiración y evidencia para la 4.ª Reunión de Alto Nivel de las Naciones Unidas sobre las ENT que se celebrará en 2025 y la consecución de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) de las Naciones Unidas para 2030.
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Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) – chief among them, cardiovascular diseases (heart disease and stroke), cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases – along with mental health, cause nearly three quarters of deaths in the world. Their drivers are social, environmental, commercial and geneti...c, and their presence is global. Every year 17 million people under the age of 70 die of NCDs, and 86% of them live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
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An estimated 1.3 billion people globally experience significant disability. This figure has grown over the last decade and will continue to rise due to demographic and epidemiological changes. In 2022, the World Health Organization launched the Global report on health equity for persons with disabil...ities. This report demonstrated that many persons with disabilities are still being left behind. Experiencing persistent health inequities, persons with disabilities die earlier, they have poorer health and functioning, and they are more affected by health emergencies than the general population. These differences are largely associated with unjust factors both inside and beyond the health sector and are avoidable. The Global Report called upon Member States to take actions to make health sector more inclusive for persons with disabilities through the primary health care approach. This will be essential for countries to make health coverage truly universal and to progress towards other health-related targets in the sustainable development goals.
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Evidence- and rights-based national policies, guidelines and legislation play a key role in improving sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (SRMNCAH), framing the enabling environment for equitable provision and accessibility of quality services. The SRMNCAH policy sur...vey monitors the existence of national SRMNCAH laws, policies, strategies and guidelines and the extent to which they are aligned with WHO recommendations on SRMNCAH. This publication reports on the findings from the 2023 WHO SRMNCAH policy survey.
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Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) – chief among them, cardiovascular diseases (heart disease and stroke), cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases – along with mental health, cause nearly three quarters of deaths in the world. Their drivers are social, environmental, commercial and geneti...c, and their presence is global. Every year 17 million people under the age of 70 die of NCDs, and 86% of them live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
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This is an update (third edition) of the BACPR Standards & Core Components and represents current evidence-based best practice and a pragmatic overview of the structure and function of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Programmes (CPRPs) in the UK. The previously described seven standards... have now been reduced to six but without sacrificing any of the key elements and with a greater emphasis placed on measurable clinical outcomes, audit and certification. Similarly, the second edition provided an overview of seven core components felt to be essential for the delivery of quality prevention and rehabilitation, and this too has been reduced to six. The interplay between cardio-protective therapies and medical risk factors is almost impossible to disentangle for the vast majority of patients and even if specific drug therapies are deployed exclusively for risk factor modulation, the indirect effect will also be cardio-protective. Thus, these have been combined into a single core component – medical risk management.
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In 2015, the United Nations set important targets to reduce premature
cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths by 33% by 2030. Africa disproportionately
bears the brunt of CVD burden and has one of the highest risks of dying
from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide. There is currently
an epide...miological transition on the continent, where NCDs is projected
to outpace communicable diseases within the current decade. Unchecked
increases in CVD risk factors have contributed to the growing burden of three
major CVDs—hypertension, cardiomyopathies, and atherosclerotic diseasesleading to devastating rates of stroke and heart failure. The highest age
standardized disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to hypertensive heart
disease (HHD) were recorded in Africa. The contributory causes of heart failure
are changing—whilst HHD and cardiomyopathies still dominate, ischemic
heart disease is rapidly becoming a significant contributor, whilst rheumatic
heart disease (RHD) has shown a gradual decline. In a continent where health
systems are traditionally geared toward addressing communicable diseases,
several gaps exist to adequately meet the growing demand imposed by CVDs.
Among these, high-quality research to inform interventions, underfunded
health systems with high out-of-pocket costs, limited accessibility and
affordability of essential medicines, CVD preventive services, and skill
shortages. Overall, the African continent progress toward a third reduction
in premature mortality come 2030 is lagging behind. More can be done in
the arena of effective policy implementation for risk factor reduction and
CVD prevention, increasing health financing and focusing on strengthening
primary health care services for prevention and treatment of CVDs, whilst
ensuring availability and affordability of quality medicines. Further, investing
in systematic country data collection and research outputs will improve the accuracy of the burden of disease data and inform policy adoption on
interventions. This review summarizes the current CVD burden, important
gaps in cardiovascular medicine in Africa, and further highlights priority
areas where efforts could be intensified in the next decade with potential
to improve the current rate of progress toward achieving a 33% reduction
in CVD mortality.
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Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar, or glucose), or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Diabetes is an important public health problem, one of four priority noncom...municable diseases (NCDs) targeted for action by world leaders. Both the number of cases and the prevalence of diabetes have been steadily increasing over the past few decades.
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Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar, or glucose), or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Diabetes is an important public health problem, one of four priority noncom...municable diseases (NCDs) targeted for action by world leaders. Both the number of cases and the prevalence of diabetes have been steadily increasing over the past few decades
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