Background: Community health worker (CHW) programmes are a valuable component of primary care in resource-poor settings. The evidence supporting their effectiveness generally shows improvements in disease-specific outcomes relative to the absence of... a CHW programme. In this study, we evaluated expanding an existing HIV and tuberculosis (TB) disease-specific CHW programme into a polyvalent, household-based model that subsequently included non-communicable diseases (NCDs), malnutrition and TB screening, as well as family planning and antenatal care (ANC).
Methods: We conducted a stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial in Neno District, Malawi. Six clusters of approximately 20 000 residents were formed from the catchment areas of 11 healthcare facilities. The intervention roll-out was staggered every 3 months over 18 months, with CHWs receiving a 5-day foundational training for their new tasks and assigned 20–40 households for monthly (or more frequent) visits.
Findings: The intervention resulted in a decrease of approximately 20% in the rate of patients defaulting from chronic NCD care each month (−0.8 percentage points (pp) (95% credible interval: −2.5 to 0.5)) while maintaining the already low default rates for HIV patients (0.0 pp, 95% CI: −0.6 to 0.5). First trimester ANC attendance increased by approximately 30% (6.5pp (−0.3, 15.8)) and paediatric malnutrition case finding declined by 10% (−0.6 per 1000 (95% CI −2.5 to 0.8)). There were no changes in TB programme outcomes, potentially due to data challenges.
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The active participation and engagement of health and care workers (HCWs) in health emergency preparedness, readiness and response is crucial to support risk communication, community engagement and infodemic management (RCCE-IM) interventions during emergencies. HCWs hold unique position...s in society – repeatedly being identified among the main influencers of people’s behaviours: they are one of the most trusted sources of health information and advice in communities and role models for the acceptance and uptake of protective measures during health emergencies. On the frontline, HCWs have valuable insights and knowledge that can be harnessed to support health emergencies across the entire emergency cycle. Between October and December 2023, the WHO Regional Office for Europe interviewed key informants on strategies and experiences to meaningfully engage HCWs during emergencies
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Информационный бюллетень, учет потребностей подростков. Подростки имеют особые потребности в области медицинских услуг, включая доступ к профилактической помощи..., лечению и уходу в связи со СПИДом, туберкулезом и малярией. Однако часто эти потребности не учитываются или не удовлетворяются в рамках национальных стратегий. Глобальный фонд предоставляет рекомендации в отношении того, как обеспечить охват населения, предоставляет информацию о том, какие виды услуг наиболее целесообразны и акцентирует внимание на возможностях привлечения подростков к разработке и оказанию услуг.
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Как и руководство 2006 года, настоящий документ предназначен для специалистов,
занимающихся разработкой государственных программ по борьбе с туберкулезом, педиатр...ов и других работников здравоохранения в странах с низким и средним уровнем дохода. Эти рекомендации не подходят для стран с высоким уровнем дохода, где распространенность ТБ невысока. Особенно важно проводить это различие при выборе методов диагностики и обследовании контактных лиц.
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In where under-five mortality is high and vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem, two high-dose supplements of vitamin A per year, spaced four to six months apart, can strengthen children’s immune systems and improve their chances of survival.
During much of early childhood – from... 6 months to 5years of age – two high doses of vitamin A every year can prevent blindness and hearing loss, boost children’s immunity against diseases like measles and diarrhoea and provide critical protection against death. Like all forms of malnutrition, vitamin A deficiency is a marker of inequality. In countries where diets are lacking in vitamin A and infections and deaths are prevalent, supplementation programmes give vulnerable children a better chance to survive, develop and thrive.
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You can also register into a free online course
https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/view.php?id=13
In South Africa, young women and girls are exposed to extremely high levels of gender-based violence (GBV) and HIV infection. Given the links between the two epidemics, it is important that HIV prevention programmes also address violence against wom...en and children. The Global Fund’s Young Women and Girls (YWG) programme is a multi-pronged HIV prevention programme targeting young women and girls and was implemented in 10 districts in South Africa from April 2016 to March 2019. This briefing paper reports on the lessons learnt from a process evaluation of the child protection component of the programme
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This manual serves as a toolkit of useful PM&E techniques for improving the performance and impact of community-based interventions, such as those involving the most vulnerable children, home-based care and gender-based violence. The manual includes a five-step PM&E ...ht medbox">programme path and six community group tools.
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Reach the Unreached - FIND, TREAT, CURE TB, SAVE LIVES
This note sets out actions to be undertaken throughout the humanitarian programme cycle (HPC) to fulfill commitments on Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) and to ensure that protection is central to humanitarian response. It sets out the f...undamental link between accountability systems and protection in humanitarian action, and then describes, for each stage of the HPC, the accountability mechanisms that should be established and actions required at country-level.
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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 cou...rse 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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It is a pressing question for donors and NGOs alike: is funding development and humanitarian work in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS) the equivalent of pouring money into a bottomless pit, if achievements are only going to be undone by further cycles of violence? There is, of course, a st...rong humanitarian imperative to meet the needs of those caught up in violence. However, if the long-term aim of humanitarian and development efforts is the reduction of poverty, it begs the question: what contribution can these programmes make to building peace and stability – and thus increase their own effectiveness and sustainability?
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This guidance aims to support national clusters to implement their commitments on AAP and core people-related issues both before the beginning of a response (preparedness) and thereafter, throughout the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC)
at the national and acute health care facility level
Best practices” are exemplary public health practices that have achieved results, and which need to be scaled up so as to benefit more people. The expansion and institutionalization of successfully tested best practices requires strategic planning. There are several creative and constructive actio...ns by people and organizations in the health sector to improve the health outcomes of people.
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