n recent decades, a significant improvement in people’s general health conditions has occurred, leading to an increase in life expectancy at birth in most countries in the Region of the Americas. This progress has been the result of both health technology advances – antibiotics, vaccines, and ot...her treatments – and improvements in the conditions in which people live, including increased access to improved drinking water and sanitation, and health services. Nevertheless, progress has slowed in recent years, and achievements have varied among countries and territories, as well as within them. In the journey toward universal health, it is essential to have the ability to monitor and assess progress in terms of the ultimate goal of health systems: improving the health and well-being of populations. To this end, this edition of Health in the Americas analyzes the standardized rate of potentially avoidable premature mortality as an indicator of health system performance, considering both its preventable component through public and intersectoral health interventions, as well as the treatable component, related to the effectiveness of health services, that is, the quality of health care. The analysis of potentially avoidable premature mortality provides a metric for comparing and tracking performance over time.
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Ebola infections among health care providers can have devastating effects on individuals, on health care systems and on the communities they serve. This module discusses WHO and CDC infection prevention and control measures that health care facilities should follow to prepare for and to contain an i...nfectious disease outbreak. The module covers infection prevention and control (IPC) in a community and health care setting and looks at IPC in general patient care and in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola. The module also reviews environment cleaning and the management of linen and waste. Finally the module reviews non-patient care activities, such as IPC in burial procedures, and offers a comprehensive final quiz to help users confirm their understanding of the material.
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The new WHO Guidelines on Sanitation and Health summarize the evidence on the effectiveness of a range of sanitation interventions and provide a comprehensive framework for health-protecting sanitation, covering policy and governance measures, implementation of sanitation technologies, systems and b...ehavioural interventions, risk-based management, and monitoring approaches. Critically, the guidelines articulate the role of the health sector in maximizing the health impact of sanitation interventions.
The guidelines also identify gaps in the evidence-base to guide future research efforts to improve the effectiveness of sanitation interventions.
(French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic in production)
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Introduction The novel Coronavirus (nCoV) epidemic in 2019 -2020 has recently emerged. The route of transmission is not totally known, although it is known that it can spread from person to person, and local health care systems may be ill-equipped to handle a large-scale outbreak. Furthermore, misco...nceptions and misinformation about the disease often spreads rapidly in such epidemics.
In previous epidemics mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) has been identified as a key priority. MHPSS ensures the well-being of the affected populations, and counter-acts the threats to public health and safety that fear, stigmatization and misconception pose. Access to information, knowledge about the disease and how it spreads, make it easier for the affected to feel supported and calm, and to comply with instructions. Furthermore, psychosocial support to staff and volunteers help the operation as work conditions are extremely stressful.
This briefing note provides background knowledge on the MHPSS aspects related to nCoV and suggests MHPSS activities that can be implemented. The messages can be helpful for those in contact with patients or relatives and feel the strain of working and living during the epidemic. The briefing is aimed both at those working in any capacity with those affected by nCoV and for the MHPSS responders who implement MHPSS activities and interventions for everyone affected.
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Effective response to an outbreak of COVID-19 requires detection in the very earliest stages of the outbreak when the number of cases is small, and the geographical extent of spread is limited. In order to achieve this, a sensitive surveillance system capable of detecting small scale, unusual events... is necessary.
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Background: The amount of resources, particularly prepaid resources, available for health can affect access to health care and health outcomes. Although health spending tends to increase with economic development, tremendous variation exists among health financing systems. Estimates of future spendi...ng can be beneficial for policy makers and planners, and can identify financing gaps. In this study, we estimate future gross domestic product (GDP), all-sector government spending, and health spending disaggregated by source, and we compare expected future spending to potential future spending. Methods: We extracted GDP, government spending in 184 countries from 1980–2015, and health spend data from 1995–2014. We used a series of ensemble models to estimate future GDP, all-sector government spending, development assistance for health, and government, out-of-pocket, and prepaid private health spending through 2040. We used frontier analyses to identify patterns exhibited by the countries that dedicate the most funding to health, and used these frontiers to estimate potential health spending for each low-income or middle-income country. All estimates are inflation and purchasing power adjusted.
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Evidenced-based multidisciplinary collaborative strategies are required to improve global mental health and avert possible catastrophic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic through the effects of economic recessions and social disruptions on already fragile populations with little or no social protectio...n. A concerted global partnership is needed to stabilise the struggling health-care systems of many low-income and middle-income countries
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Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is less common than type 2 diabetes mellitus but is increasing in frequency in South Africa. It tends to affect younger individuals, and upon diagnosis, exogenous insulin is essential for survival. In South Africa, the health care system is divided into private and pu...blic health care systems. The private system is well resourced, whereas the public sector, which treats more than 80% of the population, has minimal resources. There are currently no studies in South Africa, and Africa at large, that have evaluated the immediate and long-term costs of managing people living with T1DM in the public sector.
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This is a case-ascertained prospective investigation of all identified health care contacts working in a health care facility in which a laboratory confirmed 2019-nCoV infected patient (see 2.2 Study population) receives care. Note that this study can be done in health care facilities at all 3 level...s of a health system – not just in hospitals. It is intended to provide epidemiological and serologic information which will inform the identification of risk factors 2019-nCoV infection among health care workers.
There are three primary objectives of this investigation among health care workers in a health care setting where a 2019-nCoV infected patient is being cared for:
To better understand the extent of human-to-human transmission among health care workers, by estimating the secondary infection rate1 for health care worker contacts at an individual level.
To characterize the range of clinical presentation of infection and the risk factors for infection among health care workers.
To evaluate effectiveness of infection prevention and control measures among health care workers
To evaluate effectiveness of infection prevention and control programmes at health facility and national level
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Nurses play a key role in the provision of primary health care (PHC) and the coordination and organization of medical care overall. Nurses are often the first point of contact with the health system and have an important role to play in leaving no one behind.
Large-scale reform of PHC in Uk...raine started in 2018, and evolving and expanding practices have led to new challenges for both medical facilities and staff. It has become critically important to initiate new practices in the organization of the nursing profession, to adapt and increase their competencies, invest in skills development and create more nursing posts.
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The total installed capacity so far is 6.5 Mwh and over 20 million women and children now have access to quality health services. Solar for Health focuses on installing solar PV systems in health clinics located in the poorest and most remote regions of world, helping to ensure that no one is left b...ehind.
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A public health emergency operations centre (EOC) is a central location for coordinating operational information and resources for strategic management of pugencies and events. EOCs provide communication and information tools and services blic health emer-
and a management system during a response ...to an emergency or event. This report lays out components and characteristics of an emergency operations plan, providing a suggested structure for plans and procedures. The planning process, and that of coducting a hazard analysis or needs assessment, are also discussed as key steps
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This tool focuses on performance management as an essential element of successful supply chain and logistics systems. It is designed to assist health supply chain workers who have performance management responsibilities.
Nosocomial or health-facility-acquired infections are a serious issue, representing one of the most significant causes of morbidity and mortality in healthcare systems and consuming many scarce resources, especially in developing countries. Although much has been done, particularly in the hospital s...etting, to reduce the risk of these infections, the problem persists and demands innovative and cost-efficient solutions.
Although the care provided in most primary health care facilities is predominantly ambulatory with few or no inpatient beds, infection prevention is still important to minimize or eliminate the risks of facility-acquired infections and assure quality patient care.
Health facilities and hospitals should have written infection control procedures and guidelines in place and should also be monitoring that these procedures are adhered to in both inpatient and ambulatory care settings.
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Objectives of the Study:
To understand the community needs, behaviors and perception for MNH in urban poor settings.
To explore various factors (both demand and supply side) affecting care seeking for MNH.
To assess the preparedness of the urban health system for providing MNH services at variou...s levels of care in terms of infrastructures at various levels of care, HR availability and capacity, logistics, drugs & equipment, referral, recording & reporting, supervision, governance and financial modalities.
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New and updated information.
Adverse health effects of hot weather and heat-waves are largely preventable. Prevention requires a portfolio of actions at different levels:from health system preparedness, coordinated with meteorological early warning systems, to timely public ... and medical advice andimprovements to housing and urban planning. This publication offers detailed information for various target audiences, and on medicaladvice and treatment practices
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As the global community aims to fulfill its commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the achievement of universal health coverage, dozens of countries have committed to the expansion of community health workers (CHWs) as the front line of their healthcare systems [1, 2]. Robust resea...rch demonstrates CHWs improve access to care, reduce maternal, newborn, and child mortality, improve clinical outcomes for chronic diseases, and prevent disease outbreaks [3].
To support the operationalization of quality CHW program design and implementation, USAID, UNICEF, the Community Health Impact Coalition, and Initiatives Inc. have updated and adapted the Community Health Worker Assessment and Improvement Matrix (CHW AIM) Program Functionality Matrix [12]. This tool can be used to identify design and implementation gaps in both small- and national-scale CHW programs, and close gaps in policy and practice.
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Community health workers (CHWs) play a significant role in Primary health Care due to their proximity to households, communities and the health care system. Many studies focus on CHWs and the work they do. However, few have examined their experiences and identity and how that might influence how the...y view and perform their roles. The objectives of the study were to: Describe the role of CHWs in community-based health care in Northern Cape, Identify the perceived barriers and enablers to CHWs role performance, Explore CHWs views regarding the support from the communities and the formal healthcare system in Northern Cape. An exploratory qualitative design using focus groups was adopted. Forty-six (46) CHWs were purposively selected using the critical case sampling approach. Data were collected through three focus group interviews in three regions. Analysis followed the Graneheim & Lundman thematic analysis. Three themes emerged from data: perceived contribution to Primary Health Care, recognition of CHWs role, measures to improve working conditions. Findings showed that CHWs were engaged in various health and social care roles, they believed that they made a significant contribution to PHC, and that the health system persistently relied on their services. The enabler for finding meaning in their work was the positive community response and the good relations they had with the team leaders. The major barrier was the structure of the CHWs programme and the perceived lack of support by the government. The complex issues CHWs address in the community call for a review of their roles and workload as well as the support they receive from the formal healthcare system.
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Within an Australian context, the medium to long-term health impacts of climate change are likely to be wide, varied and amplify many existing disorders and health inequities. How the health system responds to these challenges will be best considered in the context of existing health facilities and ...services. This paper provides a snapshot of the understanding that Australian health planners have of the potential health impacts of climate change.
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The biosphere underlies the whole sustainable development concept, as the layer on
which society and the economy rely. Nature and biodiversity fuel the natural cycles
and life-support systems of the planet, on which humanity ultimately depends.