The chapter Fostering Health Systems’ Monitoring to Better Serve Older Populations is part of the publication series entitled Decade of Healthy Aging: S
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ituation and Challenges. The publications are designed to favor the prioritization of effective actions at the local level as well as the monitoring of data and public health policies, and providing evidence-based information. Along with the objective of presenting the available updated knowledge about the situation of health and aging at the beginning of the Decade of Healthy Aging in the Americas, this publication gives information about health systems’ monitoring to better serve the needs of older adults and emphasizes the need for societies and health systems to better adapt to an aging population. It introduces the 360-tool as a guide to adapt health systems through monitoring tracers/indicators and highlighting the data and information that is readily available, disaggregated by age. This information can aid in decision-making and resource allocation to support older adults’ needs. Concerning the 360-tool development, a consensus has been reached on seven tracer indicators with high relevance to informing policy, and case studies in selected countries have assessed the feasibility of this approach. The list of indicators and the process related to the development of the tool are presented in this publication. The Decade of Healthy Aging 2021-2030 is a period to guide action towards the transformation of societies by fostering the inclusion of older people in every decision. This publication intends to contribute to this strategy and highlight the upcoming challenges and opportunities on healthy aging.
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The backsliding of immunization coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with delayed catch-up efforts has resulted in a large and growing immunity gap. There is an urgent need to close this gap, and enable millions
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of missed children to be vaccinated. The Essential Immunization Recovery Plan sets out a path to getting immunization back on track, framed by three key approaches – Catch-Up, Restore and Strengthen. This document serves as the joint strategic description of this coordinated effort by WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, along with the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) Partnership, to support countries to plan and implement intensified efforts to bolster immunization programmes in 2023 and beyond.
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Ahead of World Malaria Day, the WHO Global Malaria Programme published a new operational strategy outlining its priorities and key activities up to 2030 to help change the trajectory of malaria tren
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ds, with a view to achieving the global malaria targets. The strategy outlines 4 strategic objectives where WHO will focus its efforts, including developing norms and standards, introducing new tools and innovation, promoting strategic information for impact, and providing technical leadership of the global malaria response.
In recent years, progress towards critical targets of the WHO Global technical strategy for malaria 2016-2030 has stalled, particularly in countries that carry a high burden of the disease. In 2022 there were an estimated 608 000 malaria-related deaths and 249 million new malaria cases globally, with young children in Africa bearing the brunt of the disease.
Millions of people continue to miss out on the services they need to prevent, detect, and treat malaria. Additionally, progress in global malaria control has been hampered by resource constraints, humanitarian crises, climate change and biological threats such as drug and insecticide resistance.
“A shift in the global malaria response is urgently needed across the entire malaria ecosystem to prevent avoidable deaths and achieve the targets of the WHO global malaria strategy,” notes Dr Daniel Ngamije, Director of the Global Malaria Programme. “This shift should seek to address the root causes of the disease and be centred around accessibility, efficiency, sustainability, equity and integration.”
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The mission of the Women’s Health Council is to inform and influence the development of health policy to ensure the maximum health and social gain for women in Ireland.
Its membership is represe
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ntative of a wide range of expertise and interest in women’s health.
The Women’s Health Council has five functions detailed in its Statutory Instruments:
1. Advising the Minister for Health and Children on all aspects of women’s health.
2. Assisting the development of national and regional policies
and strategies designed to increase health gain and social gain for women.
3. Developing expertise on women’s health within the health services.
4. Liaising with other relevant international bodies which have similar functions as the Council.
5. Advising other Government Ministers at their request.
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Consensus -based guidelines for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of tuberculosis in children and adolescents
The war in Gaza has resulted in thousands of amputations, including early estimates of over 1000 children, all
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of whom have immediate and life-long needs. Surgical amputations performed under extremely difficult conditions are likely to be sub-optimal, meaning many of those amputated will require further surgery. People with amputations also require early and ongoing rehabilitation and access to a long-term prosthetics service. In Gaza, at present, none of this is possible due to damage or destruction of services, premises, displacement and scattering of rehabilitation professionals around Gaza strip and abroad and insecurity.
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In the event of an accident or medical emergency, First Aid saves lives. Keeping the patient alive and safe until the arrival of expert professional help is a vital part
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of the chain of care which leads to recovery. The principle of First Aid must be simple skills, clearly taught and capable of being performed in a stressful situation by those with no medical training. This manual is intended to offer a basic level of First Aid for members of the general public.
The contents of this manual are offered as a first edition of European First Aid Guidelines for general use. As such they are compatible with current practise, with other specialist guidelines (for example regarding the management of burns) and with the evidence base where one exists. These guidelines will be updated on a regular basis by the JOIN Clinical Working Group.
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This assessment is the first of its kind to be conducted in the south-eastern region of Myanmar. It is an important contribution to ensuring the full inclusion
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of women and children in Myanmar’s political, social, and cultural systems, with a specific focus on the issue of gender-based violence (GBV) and its impact on these groups in south-eastern Myanmar. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is grateful for the participation of women, men, boys and girls from Mon, Kayin and Kayah States for sharing their views and experiences during the study.
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Much remains unknown about displaced communities in out-of-camp areas as identification constraints hinder knowledge on the overall situation and preeminent needs
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of an area. When compared to regularly monitored in-camp populations, less is known about the health, sanitation, livelihoods, food security, nutritional status, protection situation, and school attainment of out-of-camp populations.
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The training focuses on building the capacity of health care workers at the primary and secondary level to address and manage TB in children.
Submitted to the US Agency for International Development by the
Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) Program.
This manual provides a framework to identify problems and design interventions to improve access to and use of
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medicines for children. It is a resource for both health policy makers and health system managers and presents a structured approach to the steps introduced in the framework in the context of child health.
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This guide is designed to assist UNICEF staff and partners, in establishing and
operating Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) in an emergency. It attempts to provide
readers with the main principles of a CFS and the processes on how to establish
one.
Th
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e overall aim is to improve the standards and capacity of field staff, by providing
the required knowledge to support the design and operations of child friendly
spaces.
It will facilitate an understanding of how to develop a CFS in contexts in which
children’s well-being are threatened or damaged as a result of conflict or natural
disasters. More specifically, this guide attempts to broaden and strengthen the
knowledge, skills and attitudes of protection officers/field staff so that they are able
to respond to the multi-faceted needs of children.
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Guideline
Iron deficiency is one of the most common forms of nutritional deficiencies, particularly among vulnerable groups such as women, children
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and low-income populations. Iron deficiency often precedes anaemia, and anaemia during pregnancy is one of the strongest predictors of anaemia during the postpartum period, beginning just after childbirth throughout the subsequent 6 weeks. The consequences of iron deficiency and anaemia during the postpartum period can be serious and have long-term health implications for the mother and her infant.
This guideline reviews the evidence on the safety and effectiveness of iron supplementation in postpartum women.
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Overview
Learning objectives
• Promote respect and dignity for children and adolescents with mental and behavioural
disorders.
• Know common presentations of
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children and adolescents with mental and behavioural
disorders.
• Know assessment principles of child and adolescents with mental and behavioural
disorders.
• Know management principles of child and adolescents with mental and behavioural
disorders.
• Use effective communication skills in interactions with children and adolescents with
mental and behavioural disorders.
• Perform an assessment for children and adolescents with mental and behavioural
disorders.
• Assess and manage physical conditions of children with mental and behavioural
disorders.
• Provide psychosocial interventions to children and adolescents with mental and
behavioural disorders and their carers.
• Deliver pharmacological interventions as needed and appropriate to children and
adolescents with mental and behavioural disorders.
• Plan and perform follow-up for children and adolescents with mental and behavioural
disorders.
• Refer to specialists and link children and adolescents with mental and behavioural
disorders with outside agencies where available.
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Опыт предыдущих вспышек инфекционных заболеваний указывает на то, что новые риски
для защиты детей могут возникать как в результате прямого воздействия COVID-19, так
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и
в результате мер по предотвращению и контролю его распространения. Кроме того, существующие риски для защиты детей, вероятно, будут усугублены. Некоторые группы людей более уязвимы в этих обстоятельствах, в том числе, как указано в данной Технической записке, дети, лишенные свободы, у которых зачастую возникают риски с вопросами психосоциального, физического и психического здоровья, которые живут в людных или негигиеничных условиях и больше подвержены жестокому обращению, насилию и халатному отношению.
Technical note: COVID-19 and children deprived of their liberty
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Nutrition training of health and agriculture workers can help to reduce child undernutrition. Specifically, trained health extension workers cancontribute through frequent nutrition counselling of c
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aregivers. Evidence from systematic reviews has showed that providing nutrition training targeting health workers can improve feeding frequency, energy intake, and dietary diversity of children aged six months to two years. Scaling up of nutrition training for health and agriculture workers presents a potential entry point to improve nutrition status among childrenFood insecurity and nutrition deficiency are a common phenomenon in Ethiopia.
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Key highlights from January to April 2020 (Syria situation)
Across the MENA region, UNHCR is receiving alarming reports of increasing mental health issues among the forcibly displaced. Mental healt
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h and psychosocial support (MHPSS) activities are being stepped up by UNHCR and partners to address this new dangerous trend.
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A national faecal examination of 27 729 schoolchildren from 395 schools carried out in
2008 indicated that intestinal parasitic worms affected an estimated five million (56.8%)
children in Kenya.
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Existing evidence shows that worm infections lead to reduced literacy
levels due to impaired growth and physical fitness.
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After eight years of armed conflict in the east of the country, the Russian Federation started a military offensive in Ukraine on 24 February 2022. The impact
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of this war has been devastating. It has so far caused 16,200 civilian casualties and destroyed key infrastructure, such as hospitals, schools, homes, and water installations.
Since the beginning of the conflict, nearly 14 million people - a third of all Ukrainians - have been forced to leave their homes, 90% of them women, children, and elderly people. An estimated 6.2 million people are displaced within Ukraine, while more than 7 million sought safety in Poland, Romania and Moldova or passed through to other destinations in Europe. Some have returned to Ukraine. Another 13 million people are estimated to be stranded in or unable to leave affected areas within the country.
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Psychological first aid (PFA) is a method of helping people in distress so they feel calm and supported to cope better with their challenges. It is a way of assisting someone to manage their
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situation and make informed decisions. The basis of psychological first aid is caring about the person in distress and showing empathy. It involves paying attention to reactions, active listening and, if needed, practical assistance, such as problem solving, help to access basic needs or referring to further options for assistance. PFA helps normalize worry and other emotions, PFA also promotes healthy coping and provides feelings of safety, calming, and hope. These guidelines can be used by Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies to set up and run different kind of remote services for the public during the time of a COVID-19 response. It should be noted that the target group for the guidelines are adults.
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