the aid library

LIST OPTIONS

Filter

3144

Lao People’s Democratic Republic-WHO Country Cooperation Strategy 2024–2028

World Health Organization WHO (2023) C_WHO

This country cooperation strategy (CCS) outlines how the World Health Organization (WHO) will work with the Lao People’s Democratic Republic over the next five years (2024–2028), supporting the implementation of the five-year health sector development plans and the Health Sector Reform Strategy ...2021–2030 to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic experienced substantial economic growth in the 30 years prior to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, contributing to reduced poverty and significant progress toward the SDGs. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought this development to a halt. It was anticipated that the COVID-19 recovery and the tremendous population growth in recent years would provide opportunities for a shift toward more sustainable and inclusive development in the years ahead. In 2023, however, the contrary was the case. Rural residents, including many ethnic minorities, continued to face marginalization because of limited access to education, health care and economic opportunities. Despite the challenges of COVID-19 and other disease outbreaks, the country has made significant improvements in health. Nonetheless, progress has been uneven and not everyone has benefited from these achievements. In the mountainous region, many people lack access to quality health care because of the unequal distribution of well-trained health-care workers. Preventable deaths due to poor-quality health care for children and newborns, infants and mothers remain a concern, as do communicable diseases such as sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis. The increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases and the health impact of worsening climate change further heighten the need for strengthened and resilient health systems, which are at risk due to an underfunded health sector and weak economy. This CCS aims to address remaining and future challenges as well as health needs while creating an impact that is sustainable. It identifies three strategic priorities and nine deliverables (Table 1) to support the attainment of the national vision of Health for all by all, as articulated in the 9th Health Sector Development Plan 2021–2025. It contributes to the country’s goals to achieve universal health coverage, graduate from least developed country status by 2026 and attain SDGs by 2030. more

Measuring violence against women with disability: Data availability, methodological issues, and recommendations for good practice

UN Women (2024) CC

Developed as part of the UN Women–WHO Global Joint Programme on Violence Against Women Data, this briefing note focuses on the measurement of violence against women with disability and is one in a series of methodological briefing notes for strengthening the measurement and data collection of viol... more

Diabetes and Ramadan: Practical guidelines 2021

Hassanein M., Afandi B. et al. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice (2016) CC2

The document "Diabetes and Ramadan: Practical Guidelines 2021," published by Elsevier, provides updated guidance for managing diabetes during Ramadan fasting. Developed by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the Diabetes and Ramadan (DAR) International Alliance, the guidelines address ke... more

Countdown to 2023: WHO report on global trans-fat elimination 2022 WHO

World Health Organization (WHO) World Health Organization (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

This fourth annual report monitors global progress towards the 2023 target for global elimination of industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFA), highlighting achievements during the past year (October 2021 – September 2022). Countries are responding to the World Health Organization (WHO) call t... more

Standards for improving the quality of care for small and sick newborns in health facilities

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2019) C_WHO

The standards for the care of small and sick newborns in health facilities define, standardize and mainstream inpatient care of small and sick newborns, building on essential newborn care and ensuring consistency with the WHO quality of care framework. The standards will guide countries in caring fo... more

External Link

Global Burden of Human Mycetoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Van de Sande, W. PLoS Neglected Tropical diseases (2013) CC

Mycetoma is a chronic infectious disease of the subcutaneous tissue with a high morbidity. This disease has been reported from countries between 30°N and 15°S since 1840 but the exact burden of disease is not known. It is currently unknown what the incidence, prevalence and the number of reported ... more

Download (950)

View PDF (2689)

Fever Diagnostic Technology Landscape
recommended

UNITAID World Health Organisation (WHO) (2018) C_WHO

1st edition. Unitaid’s report describes a slate of new devices that can more efficiently identify dangerously ill children so that they can be treated immediately. These tools make it easier to recognize danger signs, and support integrated approaches to reducing childhood deaths from the three ... more

Download (227)

View PDF (939)

How can financial risk protection be expanded in Myanmar?

Phone Myint; Than Tun Sein; Cassels, Andrew World Health Organization (WHO) (2015) C_WHO

Policy Note #4: Myanmar Health Systems in Transition Policy Notes Series
Protecting people from financial hardship when they fall ill is one of the two key elements of universal health coverage (UHC). In practice, this means that the majority of health care costs have to be met from government ... more

Ongoing Living Update of Potential COVID-19 Therapeutics: Summary of Rapid Systematic Reviews. Rapid Review

Pan American Health Organisation PAHO (2020) C_WHO

As of 31 October 2020 This is the tenth edition of this summary of rapid systematic reviews, which includes the results of a rapid systematic review of currently available literature. More than 200 therapeutic options or their combinations are being investigated in more than 1,700 clinical trials. I... more

Download (112)

View PDF (131)

Dietary salt intake survey in the Republic of Moldova, 2016

World Health OrganizationEurope (2018) C_WHO

High salt consumption is an important determinant of high blood pressure and reducing it would improve health outcomes by lowering cardiovascular disease and therefore death rates. Reducing salt intake has been identified as one of the most effective public health measures and is one of the leading ... more

Download (148)

View PDF (182)

Total fat intake for the prevention of unhealthy weight gain in adults and children: WHO guideline

World Health Organization WHO (2023) C_WHO

This guideline provides updated, evidence-informed guidance on the percentage of total fat in the diet to reduce the risk of unhealthy weight gain. This guideline is intended for a wide audience involved in the development, design and implementation of policies and programmes in nutrition and pub... more

Download (46)

View PDF (57)

Infrastructure, policy and regulatory interventions to increase physical activity to prevent cardiovascular diseases and diabetes: a systematic review

Durão, S.; Burns, J.; Schmidt, B. et al. BMC Public Health (2023) CC

Background Noncommunicable diseases are major contributors to morbidity and mortality worldwide. Modifying the risk factors for these conditions, such as physical inactivity, is thus essential. Addressing the context or circumstances in which physical activity occurs may promote physical activity a...t a population level. We assessed the effects of infrastructure, policy or regulatory interventions for increasing physical activity. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase and clinicaltrials.gov to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs), controlled before-after (CBAs) studies, and interrupted time series (ITS) studies assessing population-level infrastructure or policy and regulatory interventions to increase physical activity. We were interested in the effects of these interventions on physical activity, body weight and related measures, blood pressure, and CVD and type 2 diabetes morbidity and mortality, and on other secondary outcomes. Screening and data extraction was done in duplicate, with risk of bias was using an adapted Cochrane risk of bias tool. Due to high levels of heterogeneity, we synthesised the evidence based on effect direction. Results We included 33 studies, mostly conducted in high-income countries. Of these, 13 assessed infrastructure changes to green or other spaces to promote physical activity and 18 infrastructure changes to promote active transport. The effects of identified interventions on physical activity, body weight and blood pressure varied across studies (very low certainty evidence); thus, we remain very uncertain about the effects of these interventions. Two studies assessed the effects of policy and regulatory interventions; one provided free access to physical activity facilities and showed that it may have beneficial effects on physical activity (low certainty evidence). The other provided free bus travel for youth, with intervention effects varying across studies (very low certainty evidence). Conclusions Evidence from 33 studies assessing infrastructure, policy and regulatory interventions for increasing physical activity showed varying results. The certainty of the evidence was mostly very low, due to study designs included and inconsistent findings between studies. Despite this drawback, the evidence indicates that providing access to physical activity facilities may be beneficial; however this finding is based on only one study. Implementation of these interventions requires full consideration of contextual factors, especially in low resource settings. more

Global technical consultation report on proposed terminology for pathogens that transmit through the air

World Health Organization WHO (2024) C_WHO

Terminology used to describe the transmission of pathogens through the air varies across scientific disciplines, organizations and the general public. While this has been the case for decades, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the terms ‘airborne’, ‘airborne transmission’ a... more

Ambient air pollution and non-communicable respiratory illness in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of the literature

Glenn, B. E.; Espira, L. M.; Larson, M. C.; Larson, P. S. BMC (2022) CC2

Aerosol pollutants are known to raise the risk of development of non-communicable respiratory diseases (NCRDs) such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and allergic rhinitis. Sub-Saharan Africa’s rapid pace of urbanization, economic expansion, and population growt... more

Guideline for Preventive Chemotherapy for the Control of Taenia solium Taeniasis

Pan American Health Organisation PAHO (2021) C_WHO

The larval stage of the parasite Taenia solium can encyst in the central nervous system causing neurocysticercosis, which is the main cause of acquired epilepsy in the countries in which the parasite is endemic. Endemic areas are those with the presence (or likely presence) of the full life cycle of... more

Download (207)

View PDF (285)

HEARTS. Technical package for cardiovascular disease management in primary health care. Systems of Monitoring

World Health Organization WHO, et al. (2018) C_WHO

Monitoring is a crucial element in any successful programme. It is important to know if health care facilities – and ultimately countries – are meeting the agreed goals and objectives for preventing and managing cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Monitoring is the on-going collection, management ...and use of information to assess whether an activity or programme is proceeding according to plan and/ or achieving defined targets. Not all outcomes of interest can be monitored. Clear outcomes must be identified that relate to the most important changes expected to result from the project and to what is realistic and measurable within the timescale of the project. Once these outcomes have been articulated, indicators can be chosen that best measure whether the desired outcomes are being met. To allow progress to be monitored, this module provides a set of indicators on CVD management. Agreeing on a set of indicators allows countries to compare progress in CVD management and treatment across different districts or subnational jurisdictions, as well as at a facility level, identify where performance can be improved, and track trends in implementation over time. Monitoring these indicators also helps identify problems that may be encountered so that implementation efforts can be redirected. This module starts from the collection of data at facility level, which is then “transferred up” the system: facility-level data are aggregated at subnational level to produce reports that allow tracking of facility and subnational performance over time and allow for comparison among facilities. National-level data are obtained through population-based surveys. Implementing a monitoring system requires action at many levels. At national and subnational levels, staff can determine how best to integrate data elements into existing data collection systems – such as the routine service-delivery data that are collected through facility-level Health Management Information Systems (HMIS). In the facility setting, personnel must be aware of what data are needed. Sample data-collection tools are included, recognizing that countries use different datamanagement systems for HMIS, so the CVD monitoring tools will be adapted to work with the HMIS system being used by the country, such that the indicators can be collected with minimal disruption/work to existing systems and tools more

Prevalence, severity and risk factors for asthma in school-going adolescents in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Mphahlele, R.; Lesosky, M.; Masekela, R. BMJ Open Respiratory Research (2023) CC

Background Asthma remains highly prevalent, with more severe symptoms in low-income to middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with high-income countries. Identifying risk factors for severe asthma symptoms can assist with improving outcomes. We aimed to determine the prevalence, severity and ris... more