HIV testing programmes need to ensure that all clients who test for HIV are provided with correct diagnoses. The accuracy of HIV testing is critical to prevent misdiagnosis, as the consequences of giving an incorrect test result can be serious for c
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lients, HIV testing services, HIV programmes and public health.
With the evolution of global HIV epidemiology, HIV testing approaches must also evolve to maintain accuracy and efficiency in population-level diagnosis. Reports suggest that misdiagnosis of HIV status may occur when suboptimal testing algorithms and out-of-date testing strategies are used. As a result of changing epidemiology and declining HIV positivity in testing, WHO recommends all countries use a standard three-test strategy to ensure a PPV of at least 99%, minimizing false-positive misdiagnosis. The WHO-recommended HIV testing strategy, along with quality assurance measures such as retesting to verify a positive diagnosis prior to initiation of HIV treatment, is cost-effective as it prevents misdiagnosis and unnecessary initiation of costly lifelong treatment.
This implementation guide provides practical advice on switching to a three-test strategy and instituting other measures that can help national HIV programmes deliver high-quality, accurate HIV testing services and ensure that misdiagnosis is minimized.
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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a major public health problem all over the world. Infections caused by resistant microbes fail to respond to treatment, resulting in prolonged illness and greater risk of death. This document focuses on
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the mechanism to develop a practically applicable hospital antibiotic policy and standard treatment guidelines (STG). In addition, the document contains information on various effective strategies for implementation of STG. It also discusses various activities and information required for the development of the antibiogram, antibiotic policy and standard treatment guidelines, such as surveillance programmes, the cause and controlling strategies for AMR and HAI; performance measures of antibiogram, antibiotic policy and standard treatment guidelines. A model hospital STG for community-acquired pneumonia in adults is included.
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Treat 3 Million by 2005
WHO/HIV/2005.02
African Region
WHO CIA list categorizes all antimicrobials used in human medicine into 3 groups based on their importance to human medicine. The current scope is limited to antibacterial drugs of which most are also used in
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veterinary medicine. The list assists in managing antimicrobial resistance, ensuring that all, especially critically important antimicrobials, are used prudently both in human and veterinary medicine
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WHO today published the new edition of its Model Lists of Essential Medicines and Essential Medicines for Children, which include new treatments for various cancers, insulin analogues and new oral medicines for diabetes, new medicines to assist people who want to stop smoking, and new antimicrobials
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to treat serious bacterial and fungal infections.
The listings aim to address global health priorities, identifying the medicines that provide the greatest benefits, and which should be available and affordable for all. However, high prices for both new, patented medicines and older medicines, like insulin, continue to keep some essential medicines out of reach for many patients.
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TB heroes
Hello, my name is Nurse X
My job is to promote integrated HIV and TB prevention, care, treatment and support. This ensures that we, and my team of health care service providers treat everyone who is living with HIV and TB to have
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all the antiretroviral therapy (ART) and HIV care services are provided with TB diagnosis and treatment at one facility. Services that we provide include * Infection control education * TB screening and diagnosis * HIV testing * Treatment for those who require it * Adherence support
Accessed November 2017
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An essential resource that helps a community understand, treat, and prevent many health problems that affect women. Topics include reproductive health, violence, mental health, HIV, and more.
Q9: What is/are the effective and safe interventions to treat somatoform disorders in children and adolescents in non- specialist health settings?
Antimicrobial agents like antibiotics are essential to treat some human and animal diseases. Microbes, such as bacteria, can develop resistance to antimicrobials meaning that a drug such as an antibiotic is no longer effective in treating the infect
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ion. The development of resistance is caused by the incorrect use of these drugs, for example, using antibiotics (which help to treat bacteria) for viral infections like flu, or as a growth promoter in agriculture.
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The new, all oral, 20-month MDR-TB regimens range from US $1,600* (using bedaquiline and linezolid for 6 months and levofloxacin as the fluoroquinolone) to US $2,100* (using linezolid for 12 months and moxifloxacin as the fluoroquinolone.
Health care waste can be difficult to treat and dispose of safely. The environmental and health impacts of waste put extra pressure on resources. Therefore, it is important to try and reduce the quantities of waste wherever possible. Ensure waste is
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segregated properly at the point of disposal. It is cheaper and easier to manage general waste through a municipal waste system than infectious or sharps waste which needs treatment before final disposal. Organic general wastes like food and paper can be composted rather than being wasted. Non- hazardous general waste may also be sorted for recycling.
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COVID-19 is rapidly spreading across the globe and all providers must be prepared to recognize, stabilize and treat patients with novel coronavirus infection. Following completion of this short cou
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rse physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals will have a unified, evidenced-based approach to saving the lives of patients with COVID-19, including those who are critically ill.
Learning modules are broken into short videos presented in a richly illustrated and compelling manner. The course is self paced and providers can schedule their learning to fit with their schedules. Topics include symptoms and signs in patients with COVID-19, early stabilization of patients, preventing the need for intubation, and ventilator management. The best evidence and guidelines are summarized while accompanying handouts provide written learning points and links to online resources. Simple infographics are available for providers to utilize within their care facilities to educate and promote optimal care across their entire institution.
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Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), or sleeping sickness, is a painful and protracted disease transmitted through the bite of infected tsetse flies and it is found in rural parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Sleeping sickness has two clinical phases but this review focuses only on treatment of the second
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-stage, which is characterized by neurological changes and almost invariably fatal without treatment. There are only a few drugs currently available for second-stage sleeping sickness, all with considerable adverse events and variable efficacy.
The review includes nine trials with 2577 participants. Each trial reported different comparisons of the drugs currently available to treat second stage HAT (melarsoprol, eflornithine, nifurtimox) so no meta-analysis was possible.
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Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) represent the highest burden of disease globally. Medicines are a critical intervention used to prevent and treat CVD. This review describes access to medication for CVD from a health system perspective and strategies t
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hat have been used to promote access, including providing medicines at lower cost, improving medication supply, ensuring medicine quality, promoting appropriate use, and managing intellectual property issues. Using key evidence in published and gray literature and systematic reviews, we summarize advances in access to cardiovascular medicines using the 5 health system dimensions of access: availability, affordability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of medicines. There are multiple barriers to access of CVD medicines, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Low availability of CVD medicines has been reported in public and private healthcare facilities. When patients lack insurance and pay out of pocket to purchase medicines, medicines can be unaffordable. Accessibility and acceptability are low for medicines used in secondary prevention; increasing use is positively related to country income. Fixed-dose combinations have shown a positive effect on adherence and intermediate outcome measures such as blood pressure and cholesterol. We have a new opportunity to improve access to CVD medicines by using strategies such as efficient procurement of low-cost, quality-assured generic medicines, development of fixed-dose combination medicines, and promotion of adherence through insurance schemes that waive copayment for long-term medications. Monitoring progress at all levels, institutional, regional, national, and international, is vital to identifying gaps in access and implementing adequate policies.
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Risk communication encompasses all the basics of health communication but differs in the need for speed and reliance on trust. At times of crisis, leaders are called on to provide a quick, sensitive and trustworthy response.
It will be updated continuously.
Details of COVID-19 availability in all ten ASEAN countries and another 30 Asian nations.
Due to the developing situation in China and Asia concerning the Coronavirus, we will be operating this article as a running
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live update service to keep businesses involved in ASEAN and Asia updated with the latest relevant regional news.
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Older people, and people of all ages with pre-existing medical conditions (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, or cancer) appear to develop serious illness more often than others. Here's how you can protect yourself.
It is essential that all people, including people living with HIV, are able to access health services and ongoing treatment. If people living with HIV who are on ART stop abruptly because they cannot access new supplies they could rapidly become unw
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ell, drug resistance may build and the chances of onward transmission of the virus would increase.
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Antimicrobial Resistance can effect us all! Take action now
Prevention of disability in Buruli ulcer
Learn how to identify and treat the disease early.
Learn how to prevent disability.