The Transformation Agenda (TA) ushered in an ambitious reform process intended to transform the World Health Organization (WHO) into an organization that is proactive, results-driven, accountable and which meets stakeholder expectations, towards transforming and improving public health services in t...he African Region. It aimed to achieve a WHO that is pro-results, which optimally and creatively targets technical work as well as make operations more responsive, with greater effectiveness in both communications and partnerships. The Africa Region has been the epicentre of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic and it’s one of the leading causes of disease and death on the continent. The WHO, with partners, has worked tirelessly for many years to control the threat and reduce the negative impact of the disease. Since the early 2000s, significant progress has been made in the global fight against the scourge of HIV. However, the WCA subregion was falling concerningly behind ESA on several key indicators of progress. In 2016, the WHO joined UNAIDS, UNICEF and other partners in a call for a strong and urgent response to support WCA countries to develop catch-up plans to triple and fast-track ART coverage, to enable the region to catch up with ESA by the end of 2020. Implementation of a widespread test-and-treat strategy, coupled with the scale-up of differentiated service delivery (DSD) and mobilization of requisite funding, accelerated WCA’s progress towards this goal. The HIV treatment catch-up and fast-track plan has achieved its target of seeing the West and Central African region (WCA) catch up with the Eastern and Southern African region’s (ESA) antiretroviral coverage rate of 78% in 2021, albeit later than the 2020 target time frame. A 33% improvement was achieved in WCA, against 21% in ESA, between 2015–2020. WCA achieved a significant 42% increase, compared to ESA’s 23%, between 2015 and 2021, to see WCA draw level with ESA at 78%. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) alone, progress of up to 47% was observed between 2015 and 2020, for example. In addition, 1.6 million more People Living with HIV (PLHIV) were enrolled on antiretroviral treatment (ART) between 2015 and 2020.
more
Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne tropical/subtropical disease caused by an intracellular parasite transmitted to humans by sand fly bite. It is endemic in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Mediterranean region. Worldwide reports include 1.5–2 million new cases each year, more than 300 million at ...risk of acquiring the disease, and 70,000 deaths per year. Clinical features depend on the Leishmania species and immune response of the host, varying from localized cutaneous disease to visceral form with potentially fatal outcome; however, the common presentation is either cutaneous, mucocutaneous, or visceral leishmaniasis. Many therapeutic agents are being used in Leishmania treatment, but the only effective treatment is achieved with current pentavalent antimonials. WHO considers Leishmaniasis as one of the “Neglected Tropical Diseases” that continues to be prevalent despite international, national, and local efforts towards its control and elimination over the last decade. This chapter reviews the global perspective of Leishmaniasis with increasing recognition of emerging “Atypical forms” and new surge of disease across the world mainly due to increasing conflicts in endemic areas leading to forced migration among other causes. All these challenges related to environment, disease, and vector pose major implications on WHO’s leishmaniasis control and elimination plan.
more
While much progress has been achieved over the past year, the Region of the Americas has stubbornly remained the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. PAHO is launching its 2021 COVID-19 Response Strategy and Donor Appeal to continue supporting Latin... American and Caribbean countries and territories in their fight against COVID-19. This document outlines PAHO’s regional strategy for the year 2021 to sustain and scale-up the response to COVID‑19 pandemic in the Americas, suppress the community transmission of the virus and mitigate the longer-term health impact of the pandemic.
US$ 239 million is needed to support critical response efforts in the Americas between 1 January and 31 December 2021
more
El Plan de Respuesta Humanitaria con Panorama de Necesidades Humanitarias Venezuela 2020 tiene por objeto proporcionar asistencia humanitaria a 4,5 millones de venezolanos y venezolanas vulnerables. Para ello, hace un llamado de $762,5 millones de d...ólares. El Plan se basa en la labor humanitaria que se llevó a cabo en 2019 mediante tres objetivos estratégicos: prestar asistencia de emergencia para salvar vidas; asegurar los medios de vida mediante un mejor acceso a los servicios básicos; y garantizar la protección de los más vulnerables.
more
Climate change threatens to undermine the past 50 years of gains in public health. In response, theNational Health Service (NHS) in England has been working since 2008 to quantify and reduce its carbon footprint.
This Article presents the latest up...date to its greenhouse gas accounting, identifying interventions for mitigation efforts and describing an approach applicable to other health systems across the world.
more
The guide is designed to help disaster managers in national Governments gain basic knowledge of how to use international tools and services. It aims to support the growing disaster response and disaster re...sponse preparedness capabilities that exist at national level across Asia and the Pacific.
The guide is for national disaster management organizations (NDMOs) and line ministries involved in disaster response and disaster response preparedness. It is also a reference document for representatives of intergovernmental organizations, civilsociety actors and disaster-affected people.
The guide concentrates on key tools and services that can be helpful to disaster managers during the response and response preparedness phases of the disaster programme cycle.
more
En el Plan estratégico de preparación y respuesta frente a la COVID-19, del 2021, la Organización Panamericana de la Salud invita a las autoridades nacionales a actualizar los planes nacionales p...ara la COVID-19 a fin de incorporar las enseñanzas extraídas a lo largo del 2020, de prever los retos que habrá en el 2021 y de prepararse para ellos, incluida la preparación de todos los sistemas de salud para introducir de manera segura y equitativa nuevas herramientas para combatir la COVID-19, como las vacunas. En esta Orientación para la planificación operativa, que acompaña al plan estratégico de preparación y respuesta para el 2021, se proponen medidas prácticas de alto nivel en cada uno de los diez pilares de la preparación y la respuesta, que los países pueden adaptar según corresponda y ejecutar a escala nacional y subnacional para alcanzar los objetivos estratégicos del plan.
more
The 2nd edition is publised in 2017.