In one of his final essays, statesman and former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan said, ‘Snakebite is the most important tropical disease you’ve never heard of’. Mr. Annan firmly be...lieved that victims of snakebite envenoming should be recognised and afforded greater efforts at improved prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. During the last years of his life, he advocated strongly for the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the global community to give greater priority to this disease of poverty and its victims.
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Event-based surveillance (EBS) is defined as the organized collection, monitoring, assessment and interpretation of mainly unstructured ad hoc information regarding health events or risks, which may... represent an acute risk to health. Both indicator-based and event-based surveillance components serve the early warning and response (EWAR) function of the public health surveillance system. The Framework for Event-based Surveillance offers guidance to public health practitioners seeking to implement EBS at each administrative level in their countries.
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In 2011, ICTC developed a Trachoma Action Plan (TAP) planning guide to support national health officials in endemic countries. This resource was developed to complement the 2020 INSight roadmap by h...elping countries create specific national plans detailing how they will reach elimination targets in their own particular contexts.
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A practical tool to help health workers in the clinical and operational management of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis with special focus on the introduction, implementation and management ...ss="attribute-to-highlight medbox">of the nine-month treatment regimen.
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The training focuses on building the capacity of health care workers at the primary and secondary level to address and manage TB in children.
How has the DRC Ebola outbreak impacted Sexual and Reproductive Health in North-Kivu?
Recommendations (more specifics found in the assessment):
1. Sexual and reproductive health needs and services... are to be embedded in the EVD response from the outset.
2. Reduce delays at every stage of the patient journey, particularly for women experiencing obstetric complications, including complications from abortion.
3. Support individuals and communities to mitigate SRH risks posed during and after EVD epidemic:
4. Formulate SRH guidelines for the EVD context involving experts in all relevant fields.
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Using Epidemiology to Support Primary Health Care. Updated version of the WHO handbook published in the early 1990's entitled: Manual of Epidemiolo...gy for District Health Management or those with an interest in applied epidemiology in primary health care and district health systems
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Healthy Settings, a key component of Malawi’s Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP) 2011–2016, is the World ...edbox">Health Organization’s (WHO) holistic community-led approach to achieving health improvement by addressing social determinants of health, an approach which is central to the current WHO framework on integrated people-centred health services. Healthy Settings projects by their construct have many different components which vary from one group and community to another depending on their priorities: from housing, hospital improvements and waste management to “softer” interventions like leadership skills training and health promotion. It can be challenging to find relevant indicators to monitor and assess the impact of such a complex holistic project, this paper explores if social capital data can provide useful impact assessment indicators at the start of such a project.
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Asthma is a serious global health problem affecting all age groups. Its prevalence is increasing in many countries, espacially among children. Although some countries have seen a decline in hospitalizations and deaths from asthma, asthma still impos...es an unacceptable burden on health care systems, and on society through loss of productivity in the workplace and, espacially for pediatric asthma, disruption to the family.
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The aim of this publication is to provide practical guidance for the first responders who will respond during the first few hours to a radiological emergency and for the national officials who would... support this early response. This publication provides guidance in the form of action guides, instructions and data that can be easily applied by a State to build a basic capability to respond to a radiological emergency.
Also available in Arabic, French, Russian and Spanish: https://www-pub.iaea.org/books/IAEABooks/7606/Manual-for-First-Responders-to-a-Radiological-Emergency
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The importance of robust mortality surveillance systems cannot be overstated in an era marked by increasing global health challenges where health t...hreats loom large and population dynamics continue to evolve. Accurate and timely mortality data is essential for identifying trends and detecting emerging health threats, evaluating the impact of interventions, and guiding evidence-based policy decisions.
This framework outlines a holistic approach to strengthening routine mortality surveillance systems, considering the unique contextual factors and challenges faced by African countries. It emphasizes the importance of establishing efficient data collection mechanisms, enhancing data quality and completeness, and promoting data sharing and collaboration among stakeholders.
Moreover, the framework recognizes the pivotal role of technology in the integration of data from fragmented mortality data sources. It highlights the potential of innovative data capture methods, advanced analytics, and real-time reporting systems to enhance mortality data’s accuracy, efficiency, and timeliness.
The continental framework for mortality surveillance aligns with Africa CDC’s mission and strategic goal by serving as a fundamental component in strengthening public health systems, enhancing disease surveillance capacities and capabilities, informing evidence-based policies and interventions, and promoting collaboration and coordination among African countries to address health challenges and improve health outcomes on the continent.
The successful implementation of this framework requires collective commitment and concerted efforts from governments, health institutions, and the international community. We hope this document will serve as a catalyst for transformative change, enabling countries to build resilient mortality surveillance systems that protect public health, save lives, and contribute to evidence-based decision-making.
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NSP Review
Engaging with South Africa’s National Strategic Plan for HIV, STIs and TB Edition 7 July – August 2013
A publication of the Treatment Action Campaign and SECTION27
GeneXpert: An ...imperfect rollout
TB in South African prisons: Where to now?
Decentralising DR-TB care: How far along are we?
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Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series No. 59
This Quick Guide is based entirely on information contained in TIP 59, published in 2014. No additional research has been conducted to update this topic since publication of TIP 59. | This Quick Gu...ide provides succinct, easily accessible information to behavioral health administrators about developing culturally competent organizations. The guide is based entirely on Improving Cultural Competence, Number 59 in the Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) series. Users of the Quick Guide are invited to consult the primary source, TIP 59, for more information and a complete list of resources for improving cultural competence. To order a copy of TIP 59 or to access it online, see the inside back cover of this guide.
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Annual report on global preparednessfor health emergencies
The next pandemic is not a question of if, but when—and the world is woefully unprepared, according to the first annual report from the ...Global Preparedness Monitoring Board. The WHO and the World Bank convened the independent group after the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Global News reports. Within 36 hours, a contagion like the 1918 flu could sweep the globe and take 50 to 80 million lives while wreaking havoc on the global economy, the report warns. And that’s just one possibility.
What would it take to get prepared? An investment of $1-$2 per person per year could create “acceptable” level of preparedness.
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Pakistan Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership (GARP) was formed in the wake of international and national efforts for AMR curtailment. A group ...ight medbox">of experts from microbiology, infectious diseases and veterinary medicine formed a core group at the organizational meeting of GARP in Kathmandu, Nepal in July 2016. In the meeting, this core group was expanded to include other members from different sectors with the selection of the Chair and co-chairs. These were asked to serve on a voluntary basis, in their own individual capacities, with no personal gains, or gains to the institutions to which they are affiliated. The first phase of GARP took place from 2009 to 2011 and involved four countries: India, Kenya, South Africa and Vietnam. Phase one culminated in the 1st Global Forum on Bacterial Infections, held in October 2011 in New Delhi, India. In 2012, phase two of GARP was initiated with the addition of working groups in Mozambique, Tanzania, Nepal and Uganda. Phase three has added Bangladesh, Lao PDR, Nigeria, Pakistan and Zimbabwe to the network to date.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the inadequacy of investments in public health, the persistence of profound economic and social inequalities and ...the fragility of many key global systems and approaches.
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Applying the evidence of what works from HIV-related stigma and discrimination in six settings to the COVID-19 response
This brief provide evidence-informed guidance to countries on the intersection of...pan> stigma related to HIV and COVID-19 in national responses.
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A toolkit for pharmacists.
Emerging data show that medication errors and adverse events cause significant harm to patients’ health and
well-being. It is estimated that the burden of adverse even...ts due to medicines is now comparable to that of
widespread diseases, such as malaria or tuberculosis.1 The impacts of medication errors also represent a
burden for health systems, with the annual cost associated with medication errors estimated at USD 42 billion
worldwideharm
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A qualitative assessment of knowledge gaps about female genital schistosomiasis among communities living in Schistosoma haematobium endemic districts of Zanzibar and Northwestern Tanzania.
PloS Neg...lected Tropical Diseases September 30, 2021 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009789
Schistosoma haematobium causes urogenital schistosomiasis and is widely distributed in Tanzania. In girls and women, the parasite can cause Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS), a gynecological manifestation of schistosomiasis that is highly neglected and overlooked by public health professionals and policy makers. This study explored community members’ knowledge, attitudes and perceptions (KAP) on and health seeking behavior for FGS.
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Abstract: Chagas disease is caused by infection with the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, and although over 100 years have passed since the discovery of Chagas disease, it still presents an increasing problem for global public ...highlight medbox">health. A plethora of information concerning the chronic phase of human Chagas disease, particularly the severe cardiac form, is available in the literature. However, information concerning events during the acute phase of the disease is scarce. In this review, we will discuss the current status of acute Chagas disease cases globally, the immunological findings related to the acute phase and their possible influence in disease outcome, and reactivation of Chagas disease in immunocompromised individuals, a key point for transplantation and HIV invection management.
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