Q5: What is the added advantage of doing an electroencephalography (EEG) in people with convulsive epilepsy in non- specialist settings in low and middle income countries?
The Epidemiological Alerts are released in order to provide information about the occurrence of international public health events which have implications or could have implications for the countries and territories of the Americas; as well as recom...mendations issued by the Pan American Health Organization.
The Epidemiological Updates are released as new information becomes available regarding events previously shared through Epidemiological Alerts.
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BMC Health Services Research 14(1):42 · January 2014
The objective of this international comparative study is to describe and compare the mental health policies in seven countries of Eastern Europe that share their common communist history: Bul...garia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.
The burden of totalitarian history still influences many areas of social and economic life, which also has to be taken into account in mental health policy. We may observe that after twenty years of health reforms and reforms of health reforms, the transition of the mental health systems still continues. In spite of many reform efforts in the past, a balance of community and hospital mental health services has not been achieved in this part of the world yet.
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The report focuses on several key areas where health outcomes are falling short, and provides insight into ways in which countries can improve the situation for their children and adolescents. Areas in focus include mental health, overweight/obesity... and adolescent risk-taking behaviour.
The report shows, for example, that:
- mental health remains a neglected subject – only one quarter of countries are collecting data on the number of children treated by a mental health professional;
- half of countries do not regulate the marketing of food to children, despite the fact that childhood obesity rates are high across the Region and physical activity rates are low;
- almost half of countries have no policy that affects the availability of unhealthy foods at school;
- 2 in 5 girls and 1 in 3 boys who are having sex do not protect themselves; and
one third of countries do not offer legal access to contraception without parental consent for those under 18 years of age.
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Mental disorders are one of the top public health challenges in the WHO European Region, affecting about 25% of the population every year. In all countries, mental health problems are much more prevalent among the people who are most deprived. The W...HO European Region therefore faces diverse challenges affecting both the mental well-being of the population and the provision and quality of care for people with mental health problems.
The European Mental Health Action Plan focuses on seven interlinked objectives and proposes effective action to strengthen mental health and well-being. Investing in mental health is essential for the sustainability of health and socioeconomic policies in the European Region. The Action Plan corresponds to the four priority areas of the European policy framework for health and wellbeing, Health 2020, and will contribute directly to its implementation.
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Info from and between Mental Health Workers, NGO's, Institutes, Service Users and others who are interested in improving Mental Health in Low and Middle Income Countries
The report depicts the reality of forced displacement as a developing world crisis with implications for sustainable growth: 95 percent of the displaced live in developing countries and over half are in displacement for more than four years. To help... the displaced, the report suggests ways to rebuild their lives with dignity through development support, focusing on their vulnerabilities such as loss of assets and lack of legal rights and opportunities. It also examines how to help host communities that need to manage the sudden arrival of large numbers of displaced people, under pressure to expand services, create jobs and address long-standing development issues.
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Tanzania is prone to refugee influxes, often of long duration. Despite facing its own economic challenges, for decades Tanzania has welcomed thousands of refugees fleeing conflicts in neighboring countries of Great Lakes Region. The ...ribute-to-highlight medbox">counties geographic proximity to the strifetorn Congo Basin is responsible in part for the ease access of displaced populations. As well Tanzania was an early signatory in the region to international agreements on the rights and welfare of refugee and asylum seekers As of December, 2018, Tanzania host some 284,300 camp-based refugees, 77% of who are children and woman, in Nduta, Nyarugusu and Mtendeli Refugee Camps in Kigoma region in Northwest Tanzania. About 74% are from Burundi, and the remaining 26% are primarily from Democratic republic of Congo.
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Q 12: In children and adolescents with anxiety disorders, what is the effectiveness and safety, considering system issues in low- and middle-income countries, of using pharmacological interventions in non-specialist settings?
This document presents an integrated strategy for mental health system development that will lead to enhanced service delivery, improved outcomes, and improved human rights for people with mental disorders.
By using the practical guidance provided in this document, ...light medbox">countries can ensure that their mental health systems are not haphazard, but rather, the products of careful consideration and planning.
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The Global Movement for Mental Health has brought renewed attention to the neglect of people with mental illness within health policy worldwide. The maltreatment of the mentally ill in many low-income countries is widely reported within psychiatric ...hospitals, informal healing centres, and family homes. International agencies have called for the development of legislation and policy to address these abuses. However such initiatives exemplify a top-down approach to promoting human rights which historically has had limited impact at the level of those living with mental illness and their families.
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Mental health issues are usually given very low priority in health service policies. Although this is changing, African countries are still confronted with so many problems caused by communicable diseases and malnutrition that they have not woken up... to the impact of mental disorders. Every country must formulate a mental health policy based on its own social and cultural realities. Such policies must take into account the scope of mental health problems, provide proven and affordable interventions, safeguard patients’ rights, and ensure equity.
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In the last quarter century, several projects emerged to reform mental health services in Latin American and Caribbean countries. Some did not survive the difficulties that inevitably arise in processes of change, and ended up disappearing before th...e intended changes could be introduced. Others, however, as shown in this publication, were able to overcome difficulties and meet intended objectives, effectively transforming the structure and quality of services. All these projects, including the many that did not survive, were part of one of the richest experiences in the transformation of mental health care worldwide - the experience of mental health reform in Latin America and the Caribbean
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In the course of implementing a recently funded network of hubs for building capacities in mental health service development, training, and research (RedeAmericas), the peer support workers are being introduced into the mental health workforce in three Latin American ...ght medbox">countries for the very first time. They will be part of a team, along with community mental health workers, that provides a modified Critical Time Intervention to individuals with severe psychiatric disorders living in the community. This article reviewed the background of this increasingly widespread development, and discussed its merits, as well as potential obstacles within local contexts.
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Soapbox Collaborative has launched a new training package called TEACH CLEAN, which is a package for those that clean health care facilities in low- and middle-income countries.
The TEACH CLEAN package presents information and materials required to... deliver comprehensive, participatory training on safe environmental cleaning, applying aspects of essential IPC for these tasks. The package is tailored towards use with low-literate cleaning staff but can be applied to wider facility staff.
To request a copy of the TEACH CLEAN Package, or supporting materials, please complete the online form.
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Globally each year, millions of people suffer illness or lose their lives because the vaccines, medicines and diagnostic tests that they need are either unavailable or unaffordable – and this lack of access to medicine is acute in low- and middle-in-
come ...x">countries (LMICs). While the COVID-19 pandemic laid this inequity bare, it also saw the pharmaceutical industry develop and bring new vaccines and treat- ments to market at unprecedented speed. As the world emerges from the worst
of this crisis, pharmaceutical companies are now at an important juncture, where lessons learned from the pandemic can prove pivotal in finding solutions to bridge long-standing gaps in access to medicine in LMICs.
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Reporting on Climate Change and Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific: A Handbook for Journalists.
UNESCO Series on Journalism education.
It explores the essential aspects of climate change, including its injustices to vulnerable communities, especially women and girls and least develope...d countries, and provides examples of best practices and stories of hope unique to the region. It can be used as a resource for journalists to understand the science of climate change, as well as helping journalists to improve their reporting of the environmental, social, economic, political, technological and other angles of the story
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The Movement for Global Mental Health (MGMH) is a virtual network of individuals and organisations that aim to improve services for people living with mental health problems and psychosocial disabilities worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income coun...tries (LMIC) where effective services are often scarce.
Two principles are fundamental to the Movement: scientific evidence and human rights.
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Mental health problems represent the greatest global burden of disease among children and adolescents. There is, however, lack of policy development and implementation for child and adolescent mental health (CAMH), particularly in low- and middle-income co...untries (LMICs) where children and adolescents represent up to 50% of populations. South Africa, an upper-middle income country is often regarded as advanced in health and social policy-making and implementation in comparison to other LMICs. It is, however, not clear whether this is the case for CAMH.
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Suicides take a high toll. Over 800 000 people die by suicide every year and it is the second leading cause of
death in 15-29-year-olds. Most suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries where resources
and services, if they do exist, are of...ten scarce and limited for early identification, treatment and support of
people in need. These striking facts and the lack of implemented timely interventions make suicide a serious
global public health problem that needs to be tackled urgently.
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