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Tuberculosis action plan for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region 2023-2030

World Health Organization WHO (2023) C_WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report 2021 estimated that, in 2020, tuberculosis (TB) was the second most common infectious disease killer after coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the 13th leading cause of death (1). Twenty-five per cent (25%) of the world’s population has... more

Tuberculosis action plan for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region 2023-2030

World Health Organization WHO (2023) C_WHO

2020 Heart Failure Society of South Africa perspective on the 2016 European Society of Cardiology Chronic Heart Failure Guidelines

Hitzeroth, J.; Mpe, M.; Klug, E. et al. The South African Medical Journal (2020) CC

Heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a condition frequently encountered by healthcare professionals and, in order to achieve the best outcomes for patients, needs to be managed optimally. This guideline document is based on the European Society of Cardiology Guidelines for the t... more

Global child and adolescent mental health: The orphan of development assistance for health

Lu C., Li Z.; Patel V. PLOS Medecine (2018) CC

More than 40% of the world population is 24 years old or younger, the vast majority of whom live in low- and lower middle–income countries. Globally, a quarter of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for mental disorders and substance abuse is borne by this age group and about 75% of mental diso... more

How to Improve Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension in Africa, and How to Reduce Its Consequences: A Call to Action From the World Hypertension League

Parati, G.; Lackland, G.T.; Campbell, N.R.C. et al. Hypertension Volume 79, Issue 9, September 2022; Pages 1949-1961 (2022) CC

Hypertension is the leading preventable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and disability globally. In low- and middle-income countries hypertension has a major social impact, increasing the disease burden and costs for national health systems. The present call to action aims to stimulate all A... more

On Your Way to Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

Center for Disease Control and Prevention CDC (2022) CC2

If you’re interested in preventing type 2 diabetes, this guide can help you get started. Congratulations on taking the first step! By reading this, you’re already on your way. Prediabetes puts you on the road to possibly getting type 2 diabetes. Find out now, in less than 1 minute, if you may ha... more

Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Guidelines for assessment and management of cardiovascular risk

World Health Organization WHO (2007) C_WHO

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of disability and premature death throughout the world, and contributes substantially to the escalating costs of health care. The underlying pathology is atherosclerosis, which develops over many years and is usually advanced by the time symptoms occur, genera... more

Diabetes in pregnancy

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2016) CC2

The document "Diabetes in Pregnancy" by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) outlines quality standards for managing diabetes in women during pregnancy, with a focus on five key areas. First, it emphasizes the importance of preconception planning for women of childbearing age wit... more

Asthma in South African adolescents: a time trend and risk factor analysis over two decades

Baard, C.B.; Franckling-Smith, Z.; Munro, J. et al. ERJ Open Research (2021) CC

The article "Asthma in South African adolescents: a time trend and risk factor analysis over two decades" investigates the prevalence and risk factors for asthma in Cape Town adolescents from 2002 to 2017. The study finds that while the overall prevalence of asthma remained similar, the severity of ... more

Barriers and determinants of asthma control in children and adolescents in Africa: a systematic review

Mphahlele, R.E.; Kitchin, O.; Masekela, R. BMJ Open (2021) CC

The article "Barriers and determinants of asthma control in children and adolescents in Africa: a systematic review" analyzes factors contributing to poor asthma control in African youth. Based on studies conducted between 2014 and 2019 in Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa, the review identifies key... more

Epidemiology and Challenges of Managing COPD in sub-Saharan Africa

Magitta, N.F.; Sciences, A. Acta Scientific Medical Sciences (2018) CC2

There is paucity of data on the burden and specific drivers operative in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the African setting and populations. Lack of awareness and inadequate knowledge on the aetio-pathogenesis of the disease together with inadequate capacity for ... more

Distribution of COPD-related symptoms in the Middle East and North Africa: Results of the BREATHE study

Tageldin, M.A.; Nafti, S.; Khan, J.A.; et al. Respiratory Medicine (2012) CC2

The article presents findings from the BREATHE study, which assessed the distribution of COPD-related symptoms in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The study involved a large cross-sectional survey in 11 countries, collecting data on respiratory symptoms, smoking habits, and potential ... more

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Brazilian primary care: diagnostic competence and case-ﬁnding

Hamers, R.; Bontemps, S.; van den Akker, M.; et al. Primary Care Respiratory Journal (2006) CC2

The article investigates the diagnostic capabilities and prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in primary care settings in northern Brazil. It highlights that COPD is often underdiagnosed and undertreated in resource-limited reg... more

Early Warning Signs of COPD

American Lung Association American Lung Association (2023) CC2

The document titled "Early Warning Signs of COPD" from the American Lung Association outlines what COPD is, its risk factors, and the importance of recognizing early symptoms such as persistent cough, breathlessness, and frequent chest infections. It emphasizes the need for early consultation with a... more

Ensuring quality health care by reducing HIV-related stigma and discrimination

World Health Organization WHO (2024) C_WHO

Providing quality, stigma-free services is essential to equitable health care for all and achieving global HIV goals and broader Sustainable Development Goals related to health. Every person has the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Countries have a legal obliga... more

The increasing burden of asthma in South African children: A call to action

Masekela, R.; Gray, C.L.; Green, R.J. et al. The South African Medical Journal (2018) CC

BACKGROUND. Asthma is a heterogeneous condition characterised by chronic inflammation and variable expiratory airflow limitation, as well as airway reversibility. The burden of asthma in children is increasing in low- and middle-income countries and remains under-recognised and poorly managed. OBJE... more

Prevalence, severity and risk factors for asthma in school-going adolescents in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Mphahlele, R.; Lesosky, M.; Masekela, R. BMJ Open Respiratory Research (2023) CC

Background Asthma remains highly prevalent, with more severe symptoms in low-income to middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with high-income countries. Identifying risk factors for severe asthma symptoms can assist with improving outcomes. We aimed to determine the prevalence, severity and ris... more

The ‘jigsaw puzzle’ approach to building a diagnostic picture of asthma in primary care over time

Ryan, D.; Kocks, J.; Correia de Sousa, J. et al. International Primary Care Respiratory Group (2023) CC

Since there is no single objective diagnostic test for asthma this study suggests an approach of collecting and assembling pieces of clinical information to create a diagnostic picture, like making ... more

UNICEF’s HIV Programming in the Context of COVID-19: Building back better for children, adolescents and women

Unicef (2021) CC2

The coronavirus outbreak that began in 2019 (COVID-19) threatens to reverse years of hard-won gains in preventing and treating HIV. Fragile health systems are further stressed as health workers navigate an increased client load and demands at work while also being concerned for their own health and ... more

Mpox Testing Strategy - November 2024

Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2024) CC

Mpox is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by the mpox virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus closely related to the variola virus that causes smallpox. Mpox was first discovered in 1958 when outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research. The first human case was recorde...d in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during a period of intensified effort to eliminate smallpox and since then the infection has been reported in a number of African countries. Mpox can spread in humans through close contact, usually skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact, with an infected person or animal, as well as with materials contaminated with the virus such as clothing, beddings and towels, and respiratory droplets in prolonged face to face contact. People remain infectious from the onset of symptoms until all the lesions have scabbed and healed. The virus may spread from infected animals through handling infected meat or through bites or scratches. Diagnosis is confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of material from a lesion for the virus’s DNA. Two separate clades of the mpox virus are currently circulating in Africa: Clade I, which includes subclades Ia and Ib, and Clade II, comprising subclades IIa and IIb. Clade Ia and Clade Ib have been associated with ongoing human-to-human transmission and are presently responsible for outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while Clade Ib is also contributing to outbreaks in Burundi and other countries. In 2022‒2023 mpox caused a global outbreak in over 110 countries, most of which had no previous history of the disease, primarily driven by human-to-human transmission of clade II through sexual contact. In just over a year, over 90,000 cases and 150 deaths were reported to the WHO. For the second time since 2022, mpox has been declared a global health emergency as the virus spreads rapidly across the African continent. On 13 Aug 2024, Africa CDC declared the ongoing mpox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), marking the first such declaration by the agency since its inception in 2017.7 This declaration empowered the Africa CDC to lead and coordinate responses to the mpox outbreak across affected African countries. On August 14, 2024, the WHO declared the resurgence of mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) emphasizing the need for coordinated international response. As of August 2024, Mpox has expanded beyond its traditional endemic regions, with new cases reported in countries including Sweden, Thailand, the Philippines, and Pakistan. Sweden has confirmed its first case of Clade 1 variant, which has been rapidly spreading in Africa, particularly in DRC. The emergence of this new variant raises concerns about its potential for higher lethality and transmission rates outside Africa. more