To enhance health co-benefits across urban policies which tackle air pollution and climate change, WHO, in cooperation with various international, national, and local partners, implemented the Urban Health Initiative (UHI) pilot project in Accra, Ghana. The Initiative prompted the health sector to u...se its influential position to demonstrate to decision-makers and the public the full range of health, environmental and economic benefits that can be achieved from implementing local emission reduction and energy access policies and strategies. Policy tracking, although not always considered, is a fundamental component of this procedure. It assesses the planning, implementation and progress of a policy to refine or adjust policies with the final objective of increasing the likelihood of the policy being successful. This report is an outcome of the last component of the UHI model process, Policy tracking and monitoring outcomes. The report proposes a framework for tracking urban health policies, with a special focus on the impacts of air quality and energy access on human health and well-being in African countries, giving some examples from the pilot project in Accra. The report also provides resources to survey air quality in cities and other tools to assess public health and the environmental impacts of urban policies and monitor or track their effects.
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This report presents a framework to link science, policy and practice for a comprehensive assessment of climate mitigation and adaptation investments and their impact on human health.The framework proposes to use weather and climate data to forecast health impacts over time, as well as biophysical a...nd economic models to quantify the outcomes of investments in climate change adaptation and mitigation for relevant sectoral indicators and health co-benefits. It provides guidance on the economic valuation of health co-benefits of climate action, for inclusion in sector-specific cost–benefit analysis (CBA), including the spatial allocation of such costs and benefits.
The framework developed and presented in this study is comprehensive, and provides various entry points for different audiences, including decision-makers in the public and private sectors, researchers and scientists, working in the health sector as well as in other thematic areas and related sectors affected by climate action.
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UNFPA has been implementing programming for women and girls through Women Friendly Health Spaces (WFHSs), which provide access to critical services, information and support. The WFHS is providing: psychosocial counseling services; awareness raising sessions on PSS in the community; and life skills &... vocational training opportunities. The WFHS also facilitates referral to other services including Psychosocial Counseling Centers (PSCCs).
The aim of this guidance note is to provide an overview of approaches on how to successfully integrate adolescent and youth (A&Y) programming into the WFHSs. UNFPA activities for women’s and girl’s protection in health facilities aim to protect women and girls including child marriage. Given that vulnerable women and girls in Afghanistan continue to access health facilities, particularly for reproductive health and maternal health services, it is crucial to provide support for survivors in the same location to improve access to essential psychosocial and protection support for women and girls. To support the integration of A&Y in the WFHS programming each WFHS will be supported by two full time Youth Educators. A female Youth Educator who will be working within the WFHS and a male Youth Educator who will be working in the community. The role of the Youth educators is to increase A&Y awareness and knowledge on living healthy lifestyles and ensuring a referral system to services in existing facilities.
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The 2020 Financing for Sustainable Development Report, the fifth report of the Inter-agency Task Force on Financing for Development, provides a comprehensive assessment of the state of sustainable finance. Prepared by more than 60 agencies of the United Nations system and partner international organ...izations, the report brings together a wide range of expertise and perspectives. It puts forward a set of policy recommendations to mobilize financing flows, and align them with economic, social and environmental priorities. These recommendations should assist Member States and all other stakeholders as they work toward fully implementing the Addis Agenda and achieve the SDGs.
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Las olas de transmisión de la fiebre amarilla ocurridas en la Región de las Américas entre el 2016 y el 2018 causaron el mayor número de casos humanos y epizoóticos registrados en varios decenios. La fiebre amarilla es una enfermedad hemorrágica viral grave que representa un desafío para el p...rofesional de salud: exige el reconocimiento temprano de signos y síntomas muchas veces inespecíficos, que pueden parecerse a otros síndromes febriles agudos. La detección temprana de los casos sospechosos o confirmados, el monitoreo de los signos vitales y las medidas de soporte vital, y el tratamiento de la insuficiencia hepática aguda siguen siendo las estrategias recomendadas para el manejo de los casos. El presente informe es el resultado de las deliberaciones sobre la experiencia de expertos de la Región en cuanto al manejo clínico de pacientes con fiebre amarilla, especialmente en brotes y epidemias, mediante la contextualización de esa experiencia en el conjunto actual de la evidencia médico-científica y la consideración de las directrices técnicas ya disponibles en los países de la Región. Presenta flujogramas para la evaluación inicial del paciente con sospecha clínica de fiebre amarilla y sugiere un conjunto mínimo de pruebas de laboratorio que puede ser útil cuando hay pocos recursos; además, detalla aspectos de la organización de los sistemas de salud para enfrentar brotes y epidemias de fiebre amarilla.
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This document presents the World Health Organization Operational framework for building climate resilient and low carbon health systems*. ***The framework's goal is to increase the climate resilience of health systems to protect and improve the health of communities in an unstable and changing clima...te, while optimizing the use of resources and implementing strategies to reduce GHG emissions. It aims to contribute to the design of transformative health systems that can provide safe and quality care in a changing climate.
Implementation of the framework's ten components would help health organizations, authorities, and programmes to be better able to anticipate, prevent, prepare for, and manage climate-related health risks and therefore decrease the burden of associated climate-sensitive health outcomes. Implementing low carbon health practices would contribute to climate change mitigation while also improving health outcomes. Achieving these aims is an important contribution to universal health coverage (UHC), global health security, and specific targets within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The document is a useful resource for decision-makers in health systems, including public health agencies, and other specialized institutions, and for decision-makers in health-determining sectors.
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The World Heart Federation (WHF) is a leading global advocate for stronger legislation and policies regarding cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its risk factors, including raised cholesterol. The present Cholesterol Advocacy Toolkit 2022 provides WHF member organizations with information as well as p...ractical tools to
support cholesterol advocacy at the local and regional levels.
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The World Heart Federation (WHF) Roadmap series covers a large range of cardiovascular conditions. These Roadmaps identify potential roadblocks and their solutions to improve the prevention, detection and management of cardiovascular diseases and provide a generic global framework available for loca...l adaptation. A first Roadmap on raised blood pressure was published in 2015. Since then, advances in hypertension have included the publication of new clinical guidelines (AHA/ACC; ESC; ESH/ISH); the launch of the WHO Global HEARTS Initiative in 2016 and the associated Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) initiative in 2017; the inclusion of single-pill combinations on the WHO Essential
Medicines’ list as well as various advances in technology, in particular telemedicine and mobile health. Given the substantial benefit accrued from effective interventions in the management of hypertension and their potential for scalability in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), the WHF has now revisited and updated the ‘Roadmap for raised BP’ as ‘Roadmap for hypertension’
by incorporating new developments in science and policy. Even though cost-effective lifestyle and medical interventions to prevent and manage hypertension exist, uptake is still low, particularly in resource-poor areas. This Roadmap examined the roadblocks pertaining to both the demand side (demographic and socio-economic factors, knowledge and beliefs, social relations, norms, and
traditions) and the supply side (health systems resources and processes) along the patient pathway to propose a range of possible solutions to overcoming them. Those include the development of population-wide prevention and control programmes; the implementation of opportunistic screening and of out-of-office blood pressure measurements; the strengthening of primary care and a greater focus on task sharing and team-based care; the delivery of people-centred care and stronger patient and carer education; and the facilitation of adherence to treatment. All of the above are dependent upon the availability and effective distribution of good quality, evidencebased, inexpensive BP-lowering agents.
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A major problem facing the world is how to build peace following the ravages of increasingly protracted armed conflict. Armed conflicts leave behind shattered, divided societies that are at risk of repeating cycles of violence, and therefore need concerted peacebuilding efforts. Conflicts also take ...a heavy toll on people’s mental health and psychosocial well-being. One in five people who live in a war zone will likely develop a mental disorder, and many others suffer from painful everyday stresses associated with multiple losses, family separation, gender-based violence (GBV), disability, climate change and ongoing insecurity, among other issues.
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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.
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The World Food Programme (WFP) has taken important steps to progress disability inclusion across its programming and operations. In late 2022, WFP commissioned the Nossal Institute, University of Melbourne in partnership with the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia to identify ...pathways for increasing disability inclusion in WFP’s emergency preparedness and response (EPR) programming.
The study explored WFP’s programming in Indonesia and the Philippines, including WFP’s advisory, technical assistance and service provision roles to government and partners and informed the development of this guide (see appendix 2). As general guidance on disability inclusion is increasingly available, the purpose of this guide is to contextualize disability inclusion in WFP’s emergency preparedness and response programming. The guide builds on core reference materials, such as the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, 2019. While of wider relevance, this guide is directed at WFP’s EPR programming in Asia and the Pacific.
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The Resolution Population and Individual Approaches to the Prevention and Management of Diabetes and Obesity was approved by the 48th Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization, September 29- October 3, 2008, in response to the epidemic of obesity and diabetes currently affecting the ...countries of the Americas. Its main goal is to call on Member States to prioritize the prevention of obesity and diabetes and their common risk factors by establishing and/or strengthening policies and programs, integrating them into public and private health systems and working to ensure adequate allocation of resources to carry out such policies and programs.
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Hypertension is the number one health related risk factor in India, with the largest contribution to burden of disease and mortality. It contributes to an estimated 1.6 million deaths, due to ischemic heart disease and stroke, out of a total of about 10 million deaths annually in India. Fifty seven ...percent of deaths related to stroke and 24% of deaths related to coronary heart disease are related to hypertension. Hypertension is one of the commonest non-communicable diseases in India, with an overall prevalence of 29.8% among the adult population, and a higher prevalence in urban areas (33.8% vs. 27.6%)
according to recent estimates.
Awareness of hypertension in India is low while appropriate treatment and control among those with hypertension is even lower: Hypertension is a chronic, persistent, largely asymptomatic disease. A majority of the patients with hypertension in India are unaware of their condition. This is because of low levels of awareness and the lack of screening for hypertension in adults-either as a systematic programme or as an opportunistic exercise during visits to healthcare providers.
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Obesity and diabetes are affecting the peoples of the Americas at high and increasing rates. National surveys demonstrate that obesity is increasing in prevalence among all age groups; 7% to 12% of children under 5 years old and
one-fi fth of adolescents are obese, while rates of overweight and obe...sity among adults approach 60%. Obesity is the major modifi able risk factor for diabetes.
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A erradicação da varíola humana (mpox em inglês) foi certificada em 1980. A varíola símia (mpox em inglês) é endêmica nos países da África Central e Ocidental desde a sua primeira detecção, em 1958. Trata-se de uma zoonose cujos casos geralmente ocorrem perto de florestas tropicais, ond...e diversos animais são portadores do ortopoxvírus causador da doença. A maioria das infecções em seres humanos pelo vírus da varíola símia em países onde a doença é endêmica é resultado de transmissão primária de animais para humanos. A transmissão de pessoa a pessoa pode ocorrer por meio de contato próximo com secreções respiratórias ou lesões cutâneas de uma pessoa infectada ou com objetos recém-contaminados. A transmissão também pode ocorrer através da placenta da mãe para o feto ou por contato direto durante ou após o parto. Até 21 de maio de 2022, 12 países onde não há varíola símia endêmica, em 2 regiões da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS), haviam notificado 92 casos confirmados da doença. Até 26 de agosto de 2022, 96 países sem endemicidade, de todas as 6 regiões da OMS, haviam notificado 45.198 casos confirmados de varíola símia, incluindo 6 óbitos. No mesmo período, os países onde a doença é endêmica notificaram 350 casos confirmados e 6 óbitos. Na Região das Américas, 29 países e territórios notificaram 23.479 (48%) casos confirmados e 3 óbitos. Diversos estudos observacionais sobre as vacinas de primeira geração demonstraram que a eficácia da vacinação contra a varíola humana na prevenção da varíola símia é de aproximadamente 85%. Atualmente, as vacinas originais (de primeira geração) contra a varíola humana não estão mais disponíveis.
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The Haiti Earthquake and Cholera Emergency appeal (MDRHT018) was implemented by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in collaboration with the Haitian Red Cross Society (HRCS) following the devastating earthquake on 14 August 2021, and the cholera outbreak on 2... October 2022.
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WaterAid is an international NGO that provides assistance for safe water supply,
sanitation and hygiene practice in the poor communities in the world.
The IMCI model handbook provides a detailed explanation of the IMCI case management guidelines. It is organized into seven main parts: overview of the IMCI process; assess and classify the sick child age 2 months up to 5 years; assess and classify the sick young infant age 1 week up to 2 months; ide...ntify treatment; treat the sick child or the sick young infant; communicate and counsel; and give follow-up care.
Teaching institutions are advised to adapt the handbook in two ways:
to ensure that all text, charts and illustrations are consistent with nationally-adapted IMCI clinical guidelines, and
to ensure that its content and format corresponds to the teaching approach used by the institution.
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A Guide for Low Resource Situations