Interim Guidcance March 2020
People affected by humanitarian crises, particularly those displaced and/or living in camps and camp-like settings, are often faced with specific challenges and vulnerabilities that must be taken into consideration when planning for readiness and response operations for... the COVID-19 outbreak. They are frequently neglected, stigmatized, and may face difficulties in accessing health services that are otherwise available to the general population. In the context of this Interim Guidance, the people in humanitarian situations affected by this guidance may include internally displaced persons (IDPs), host communities, asylum seekers, refugees and returnees, and migrants when in similar situations. While further adaptations might be needed for some population groups, including those living in slums this interim guidance is issued to assist field staff to immediately respond to urgent needs.
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NAMI HelpLine
Contents
I’m having a lot of anxiety because of the coronavirus. Please help.
I’m quarantined or working from home – lonely and isolated even further – what can I do?
I don’t have health insurance or a regular doctor – how can I get care?
What if I’m quarantin...ed and can’t get my medication? Will there be a shortage?
My business is suffering as a result of the Coronavirus. What assistance programs are available to help?
Are people who have a mental illness at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19?
Is there a vaccine or cure for COVID-19?
I lost a loved one to Coronavirus. Where can I find support?
I’m a smoker. Am I more likely to catch COVID-19? What should I do?
How does homelessness increase risk of contracting COVID-19?
My loved one is incarcerated, are they at increased risk for exposure to COVID-19?
I’m the aging parent of an adult child living with a serious mental illness. I want to be sure they are taken care of.
Are there any online support resources for people with substance use disorders?
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Infectious diseases like COVID-19 can disrupt the environments in which children grow and develop. Disruptions to families, friendships, daily routines and the wider community can have negative consequences for children’s well-being, development and protection. In addition, measures used to preven...t and control the spread of COVID-19 can expose children to protection risks. Home-based, facility-based and zonal-based quarantine and isolation measures can all negatively impact children and their families.
The aim of this brief is to support child protection practitioners to better respond to the child protection risks during a COVID-19 pandemic. Part 1 presents the potential child protection risks COVID-19 can pose to children. Part 2 presents programmatic options in line with the 2019 Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS) and the Guidance Note: Protection of Children During Infectious Disease Outbreaks.
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At this time, information about COVID-19 is rapidly evolving as new details are confirmed and new questions emerge. In the
event of an outbreak in your community, as a parent/caregiver, your first concern is about how to protect and take care of
your children and family. Knowing important informat...ion about the outbreak and learning how to be prepared can reduce your
stress and help calm likely anxieties. This resource will help you think about how an infectious disease outbreak might affect
your family—both physically and emotionally—and what you can do to help your family cope.
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A Students' Toolkit.
How does the digital transformation of health care change the daily routine of a healthcare professional? Which knowledge and skills will healthcare professionals need? Are universities in Europe preparing their students well enough to work within a digitised health system?
Th...is toolkit prepared by the European Medical Students’ Association (EMSA) provides an insightful context, an introduction to the topic of digital health and a framework to encourage future healthcare professionals to start activities and discussions at their university.
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Scientific brief
8 April 2020
Many countries are taking strict measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 with lockdowns, curfews, and closure of public spaces and services. As a result of stress and uncertainty caused by these strict measures, women and girls are at even greater risk of violence at a time when their access to s...ervices is further reduced. With many people’s livelihoods and incomes significantly affected, together with movement restrictions, basic hygiene and menstruation items are unlikely to be prioritised.
10 April, 2020
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School health programmes have been demonstrated to be the most cost-effective way to influence health behaviours in young people. The purpose of this two-part handbook is to support schools as they seek to implement interventions aimed at reducing the main modifiable risk behaviours f...or noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) . The background provided in this Introduction handbook and the approaches and advice outlined in the Practical application handbook focuses on providing young people with the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and life skills necessary for making informed decisions, and creating a healthy school environment that can reduce the risk of NCDs
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Reusing a legacy interactive audio instruction (IAI) program to provide education in a humanitarian crisis is a quick solution and a smart use of previous investments (“Learning in the Time of Ebola”). This article highlights and advises on the issues that relate to adapting and updating previou...sly developed IAI programs, including how to orient current audiences to listen and learn in new ways.
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This guidance document addresses how physical distancing (referred to in previous guidance documents as ‘social distancing’) can help slow down transmission.
Ce document d'orientation explique comment la distance physique (désignée dans les documents d'orientation précédents sous le nom de «distance sociale») peut aider à ralentir la transmission.
his revision to the Disaster Management Team’s (DMT) multi-sector response plan for COVID-19 is meant to align the multi-sector plan with the Department of Health’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Plan issued on 24 April 2020. Additionally, at the time of this version, the Department of Education an...d Department for Community Development and Religion have also issued their own national COVID-19 response and recovery plans.
The Government’s plan maintains a health sector focus and plans for a ‘worst case’ scenario, articulating the process of progressing into containment and subsequently mitigation of community transmission and on to recovery. It presents an opportunity to improve the core capacities of the whole of government, to see where both health and non-health sectors fit in and respond in the immediate and medium terms, and to adapt to the ‘new normal’ that this coronavirus has inevitably presented
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The following is a breakdown of key considerations to guide planning and resource allocation for COVID-19 preparedness and response to support UNHCR regional and country operations in Public Health, WASH, Shelter and Settlements programmes. While some of the activities are more relevant in camps or ...settlements it is important to assess the availability of all services outlined. These are based on the Strategic preparedness and Response Plan for COVID 19 and UNHCR guidance for operations and, where relevant, operation or site level outbreak preparedness and response plans.
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Prescriptions and Actionables for a Healthy and Green Recovery.
The practical steps outlined in this report aim at creating a healthier, fairer and greener world while investing to maintain and resuscitate the economy hit by the effects of COVID-19.
Policy makers, national and local decision-make...rs and a wide array of other actors wishing to contribute to a healthy recovery can now take decisive steps by shaping the way we live, work and consume. Effects on environmental degradation and pollution and climate change will be wide ranging. WHO and partner organizations have since long been developing substantive guidance and provide support for building healthier environments for healthier populations.
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This guidance note is meant to assist humanitarian actors, youth-led organizations, and young people themselves across sectors, working at local, country, regional, and global levels in their response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. It begins diagnostically, exploring the impacts of coronavirus d...isease (COVID-19) on young people. It then proposes a series of actions that practitioners and young people can take to ensure that COVID-19 preparedness, response plans and actions, are youth-inclusive and youth-focused – with and for young people. Recommendations are structured around the five key actions of the Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action: services, participation, capacity, resources, and data. Where available, the recommended actions are accompanied by resources and concrete examples, which can inform approaches and support implementation
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Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak
As the Coronavirus pandemic heightens, ESCAP is sourcing guidelines, recommendations and information in various languages to help exchange knowledge on dealing with mental health in children and adolescent during this time.
Documents in multiple languages are available
This open access book not only describes the challenges of climate disruption, but also presents solutions. The challenges described include air pollution, climate change, extreme weather, and related health impacts that range from heat stress, vector-borne diseases, food and water insecurity and ch...ronic diseases to malnutrition and mental well-being.
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