A Systematic Review, Country Case Studies, and Recommendations for Integration into National Health Systems
Alliance Report
Participation of community health workers (CHWs) in the provision of pr...imary health care has been experienced all over the world for several decades, and there is an amount of evidence showing that they can add significantly to the efforts of improving the health of the population, particularly in those settings with the highest shortage of motivated and capable health professionals.
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Technical Update
Areas of Africa endemic for Buruli ulcer (BU), caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, also have a high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with adult prevalence rates betw...een 1% and 5% (Maps). However, there is limited information on the prevalence of BU–HIV coinfection. Preliminary
evidence suggests that HIV infection may increase the risk of BU disease (1–3). In the Médecins Sans Frontières project in Akonolinga, Cameroon, HIV prevalence was approximately 3–6 times higher among BU patients than the regional estimated HIV prevalence (2). Similarly in Benin and Ghana, BU
patients were 8 times and 3 times respectively more likely to have HIV infection than those without BU (1, 3). Further study is needed to clarify this association and enhance knowledge about the prevalence ofBU–HIV coinfection in endemic areas.
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The Lay Counselor Cadre in Botswana
The essential medicines are those that meet the priority needs of the healthcare of the population. While reviewing the 5th edition of the essenti...al Medicines, special attention focused on the health sector policy. Indeed, medicines play an important role in protecting, maintaining and restoring the peoples’ health and credibility of health facilities. Their availability is a fundamental aspect of primary health care as defined in different declarations including Alma-Ata of 1978.
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