Further analysis of the Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys, 2001-2011
More than 20 million people in North-East Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen and Somalia are facing famine or a credible risk of famine over the coming six
months. Some 1.4 million children are currently at imminent risk of death from malnutrition. To avert a major humanitarian catastrophe the United Nat...ions and its partners must massively scale up efforts now. To do this, humanitarian operations in the four countries require more than US$5.6 billion in 2017, of which at least US$4.4 billion are required urgently.
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A “catastrophic” combination of drought and communities’ declining resilience has left an estimated 2.3 million people facing severe acute food insecurity – up from an estimate of 1.7 million people a month ago.
Communities across southern Africa have been affected by drought since late 2...018.
This year, large parts of southern and western Zambia received their lowest seasonal rainfall totals since at least 1981, the base year from which normal rainfall is benchmarked. At the same time, northern and eastern parts of the country were affected by flash floods and waterlogging, resulting in poor harvests.
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The 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) aimed to assist 10.5 million people with direct assistance and 11.2 million people with improved access to basic services. In an effort to meet humanitarian needs, humanitarian partners provided various types of humanitarian life-saving and life-sustaining... assistance and services to a monthly average of 5.5 million people during 2018. Of the 5.5 million people reached on average on a monthly basis, 2.1 million were people living in areas of high severity of need, as measured through the inter-sector severity scale.
In 2018, these efforts were funded by international support to Syria with $2.19 billion raised (65 per cent of HRP requirements) by the end of the year – more than any previous year. Thanks to this generous support, humanitarian organisations in Syria continued to deliver a massive humanitarian response to people in need with multiple humanitarian crises unfolding across the country.
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Diarrhea is one of the world’s leading causes of child illness and death, and rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhea. Yet it can be prevented and treated. There is a vaccine. And while hundreds of thousands of children in India will gain access to rotavirus vaccines -part of a natio...nal introduction marking Asia’s largest so far -millions of children globally still lack access. This new report from the Rota Council summarizes the latest evidence on rotavirus disease and vaccines and identifies 21 recommendations for stakeholders to scale up coverage and prevent hundreds of thousands of child deaths annually.
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Services, Identified needs and recommendations following the April and May 2015 Earthquakes in Nepal
Annex I to: To stay and deliver, good practice for humanitarians in complex security environments
The principal findings of the report include that despite overall improvements in aid agencies’ security risk management, national aid workers perceive continued inequities in security suppor...t compared with their international counterparts. National aid workers, while less subject to major attacks per capita than international aid workers, nevertheless form the majority of victims, and their specific security needs require more attention.
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The Government of Myanmar has taken initial steps to implement some of the
recommendations, particularly those made by the Advisory Commission. The overarching
objectives of the recommendations, however, remain largely unaddressed, with no
significant progress observed on human rights concerns ra...ised in previous reports
submitted to the Human Rights Council. The High Commissioner recommends that the
Government of Myanmar take action to ensure compliance with its international human
rights obligations.
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This study aims to analyze national and international stakeholders and their initiatives in Early Warning Systems in Myanmar, to identify priority gaps that need to be addressed by all stakeholders. It is presented as a first step towards supporting GoUM in information-gathering under the Myanmar Ac...tion Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction (MAPDRR), in particular under Components (2) Risk Assessment, (3) Multi-hazard Early Warning System and (4) Preparedness at all levels, and especially in implementing Sub-Component (3.4) Enhanced Flood Monitoring and Forecasting Capacities at Township Levels.
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A practical toolkit for young people who are passionate about advancing HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights through national advocacy in the post-2015 agenda.
The toolkit aims to provide researchers with guidance for improving the quality of studies that use administrative data to better ascertain child maltreatment incidence, response and service delivery. However, these are complex studies to conduct, and the toolkit is not meant to be comprehensive. Re...searchers using the toolkit should be prepared to follow up on the recommended resources contained within and to consult with other professionals, such as statisticians, to further improve the research design and execution
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Robust clinical research capacity in low- and middle-income countries is key to stemming the spread of epidemics, according to a new report from the International Vaccines Task Force (IVTF). The report lays out how to develop the political support, financing and coordination required to build this c...apacity as a crucial component of global epidemic preparedness. The IVTF was convened by the World Bank Group (WBG) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in October 2017.
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The revised package of BFHI materials includes five sections: 1. Background and Implementation, 2. Strengthening and Sustaining the BFHI: A course for decision-makers, 3. Breastfeeding Promotion and Support in a Baby-friendly Hospital: a 20-hour course for maternity staff, 4. Hospital Self-Appraisal... and Monitoring, and 5. External Assessment and Reassessment. Sections 1 to 4 are widely available while section 5 is for limited distribution.
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This strategy, produced by IFRC, UNICEF and WHO, provides an overview of RCCE coordination approach and priorities across the different phases of the COVID-19 preparedness and response
Child marriage is a widespread practice across Turkana, a nomadic pastoralist region in Kenya. This report explores the issue through the voices of those girls affected by it.
You are currently intervening or wishing to intervene in a dense urban context to
respond to issues of food security and improve livelihood conditions? This handbook
is for you!
Following the evaluation of all of its sack-gardening projects, SOLIDARITÉS
INTERNATIONAL (SI) wished to formalise... its experience through this technical
handbook.
NGOs, including SI, are increasingly led to intervene in contexts of high density (whether
in camps or in slums): this handbook is thus set within this dynamic.
It provides the keys for assessing the relevance of a sack-gardening project, as well as
the tools for its implementation. Nonetheless, all methodologies and tools proposed
in this handbook shall be further contextualised in case of a replication of this project.
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This comprehensive book has established itself as the most useful text for the medical practitioner in poor-resource settings who is obliged to manage surgical cases. It is particularly adapted for those whose surgical experience is basic or minimal. Importantly, it has extensive advice about pitfal...ls to avoid, and what to do if things go wrong. It is written in simple style, particularly for those whose mother tongue is not English. It is not a text which discusses the latest up-to-date technology, but it is not out-of-date being a synthesis of the best advice from a myriad of surgeons practicing for many years in low- and middle-income countries.
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Biodiversity and healthy natural ecosystems, including protected areas in and around cities, provide ecosystem benefits and services that support human health, including reducing flood risk, filtering air pollutants, and providing a reliable supply of clean drinking water. These services help to red...uce the incidence of infectious diseases and respiratory disorders, and assist with adaptation to climate change. Access to nature offers many other direct health benefits, including opportunities for physical activity, reduction of developmental disorders and improved mental health.
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Countries, partners, and donors are committed to
the global elimination of blinding trachoma by 2020.
Achieving this public health milestone requires more
than funding; it requires health personnel with the
right mix of skills, and well supported and managed
health systems. Mass drug administra...tion (MDA)
with Zithromax®, the Pfizer, Inc. donated antibiotic,
is a key component of the SAFE strategy, endorsed
by the World Health Organization. There is growing
recognition that improving all aspects of MDA, from
planning to training, recording to reporting, and
receipt of drug to distribution (the supply chain), will
be necessary if MDA programmes are going to reduce
the community burden of Chlamydia trachomatis, and
eliminate trachoma as a cause of blindness by 2020.
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Fully functioning water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and health care waste management services are a critical aspect of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, and ensuring patient safety and quality of care. Such services are also essential for creating an environment that supports the dig...nity and human rights of all care seekers, especially mothers, newborns, children and care providers.
WASH and waste services are also critical for preventing and effectively responding to disease outbreaks. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed gaps in these basic services (Box 1). These gaps threaten the safety of patients and caregivers, and have environmental consequences, especially as a result of large increases in plastic health care waste. In short, WASH is a critical foundation for improving quality across the health system (1).
Many facilities lack plans and budgets for WASH, which has impacts on IPC. This lack of services, and of systems to improve them, compromises the ability to provide safe and quality care, and places health care providers and those seeking care at substantial risk of infection and loss of dignity. Unhygienic health care facilities without drinking water or functional toilets are also a disincentive to seeking care and undermine staff morale – these factors can have a critical impact on controlling infectious disease outbreaks.
Climate change and its impacts on WASH and health services, gender-specific needs, and equity in service provision and management all require rigorous attention, adaptable tools and regular monitoring.
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