Policy brief.
HIV self-testing (HIVST) is a convenient and confidential option for HIV testing. In 2016 WHO recommended HIVST as a safe, accurate and effective way to reach people who may not test otherwise, including people from key populations, men and young people. Lay users can perform HIVST r...eliably and accurately and achieve performance comparable to that of trained health-care workers.
Globally, many countries have developed HIVST policies, and implementation is growing rapidly. This policy brief highlights new guidance to optimize HIVST implementation, including effective service delivery models, linkage to care and support tools.
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Review Article
Granich et al. Int J Virol AIDS 2018, 5:043 DOI: 10.23937/2469-567X/1510043 Volume 5 | Issue 1
Guidance
Indicators for monitoring the 2016 Political Declaration on Ending AIDS
UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
In 2020, UNRWA will continue to support Palestine refugees affected by the protracted crisis through providing relief assistance and ensuring access to essential education and health services. Drawing on its existing structures, supply chains and capacities, the Agency will continue to adapt its int...erventions to respond to ongoing and evolving needs in an effective and agile manner. In Syria, it is expected that the spontaneous return of Palestine refugees from within and outside the country will continue in areas that experience relative calm and where basic infrastructure is rehabilitated, as observed in Sbeineh and Khan Eshieh camps in recent years. In 2020, UNRWA will increase its efforts to rehabilitate its facilities and restore its services in areas of spontaneous return, including in Dera’a, where small scale returns have been observed in 2019.
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Compendium of Case Studies
SHOPS and HIA finalized a scope of work with USAID Senegal in April 2015, and a team of five private sector experts conducted the onsite assessments between May and June 2015. The Private Sector Assessment (PSA) team worked closely with Senegalese key stakeholders throughout the process. The PSA tea...m interviewed more than120 individuals from approximately 78 organizations, including the government of Senegal (GOS), donors, USAID implementing partners, private sector umbrella organizations, private insurance companies, faith-based organizations (FBOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), private health care facilities, and private pharmacies.
Through stakeholder interviews and review of government reports and online resources, the assessment team noted the following findings by theme.
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Recent increases in family planning (FP) use have been reported among women of reproductive age in union (WRAU) in Senegal. However, trends have not been monitored among harder-to-reach groups (including adolescents, unmarried and rural poor women), key to understanding whether FP progress is equita...ble. We combined data from six Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in Senegal between 1992/93 and 2014. We examined FP trends over time among WRAU and subgroups, and trends in knowledge of FP and intention to use among women with unmet need for FP. Our results show that percent demand satisfied is lower among rural poor women and adolescents than WRAU, although higher among unmarried women. Marked recent increases have been observed in all subgroups, however fewer than 50% of women in need of FP use modern contraception in Senegal. Knowledge of FP has risen steadily among women with unmet need; however, intention to use FP has remained stable at around 40% since 2005 for all groups except unmarried women (75% of whom intend to use). Significant progress in meeting the need for FP has been achieved in Senegal, but more needs to be done particularly to improve acceptability of FP, and to strategically target interventions toward adolescents and rural poor women.
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As part of the new strategy preparation, USAID/Senegal requested assistance with a gender assessment. This study was conducted from March 20 to April 11, 2010. It was supported jointly by the Women in Development Indefinite Quantity Contract (WID IQC) Task Order 1 ShortTerm Technical Assistance and ...Training (STTA&T) and the USAID/Senegal mission. In addition to conducting a literature review, the team made site visits in the cities and towns of Dakar, Thiès, Kaolack, and Tambacounda and villages near each of them. These offered examples of key gender issues in Senegal, including gender disparities in access to education, unequal allocation of land and other productive resources, and gender-based violence (such as domestic violence, female genital cutting [FGC], and rape), as well as examples of USAID/Senegal‟s programming to address these problems.
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USAID Senegal and Health in Africa (HIA) initiative of the World Bank Group engaged the Strengthening Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS) project to conduct an assessment of the private health sector in Senegal. The assessment’s primary focus is family planning, and its secondary fo...cus is maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH), HIV and AIDS, malaria, and nutrition.
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22nd edition
The purpose of the SAHR has always been to analyse and assess progress and challenges in key areas of the health system, and to propose recommendations for improvement. We are pleased to continue this tradition in the 2019 edition, which presents a unique collection of perspectives on ...the key challenges in implementing universal health coverage (UHC) in South Africa, as analysed by experts in various fields.
Each of the 20 chapters deals with aspects of the UHC journey, dedicated towards an equitable and inclusive national health system that leaves no-one behind. While some authors describe the fundamental changes and practical considerations required to reconfigure the country's health system, others have reflected on specific programmatic areas and have made recommendations from a National Health Insurance (NHI)/UHC lens.
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30th World AIDS Day Report
STAR Initiative, Unitaid and World Health Organization December 2018
Maldives has made significant strides in the area of infectious disease prevention and control. This is exemplified by elimination of malaria from Maldives in 2015 and successes in TB control. In addition, Maldives is a front runner in infectious disease prevention through successful water, sanitati...on, hygiene and vaccination campaigns and coverage. However, given the limited evidence that exists with respect to the occurrence of resistant organisms in the nation, it is hard to estimate the exact antimicrobial resistance (AMR) scenario. Also, it becomes difficult to compare the current situation with other countries in the region. Moreover, limited evidence exists on the trends of use of antimicrobial agents (AMA) in Maldives. Although, recent prescription audits have indicated overuse of antibiotics, especially for common conditions such as flu, cough and fever.
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As the number of transboundary pest and animal and foodborne disease outbreaks rises, so does the number of people who are chronically hungry due to these and other factors. The correlation can be explained by the link between our health and that of the planet. We rely on land and sea for the produc...tion of safe and quality foods for our daily nourishment. Pests and disease epidemics negatively impact the quality, quantity and safety of our food sources, and cripple economic growth and efficiencies in production. Furthermore, the epidemic and endemic levels of the pathogens and disease vectors can be difficult to control. This is why FAO stresses and promotes the special efforts required for cost-effective preventive measures rather than the more expensive control, disinfestation, treatment and disposal measures. When preventive measures are late or difficult, preparedness and contingency plans must be in place to enable rapid response. Early warning systems, based on close monitoring, surveillance, and timely reporting are fundamental to warn and empower communities to safeguard their livelihoods and assets by enhancing disease and pest prevention measures and for government services to take immediate measures to protect communities and national economies.
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Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) is an essential component of your health emergency preparedness and response action plan. This tool is designed to support risk communication, community engagement staff and responders working with national health authorities, and other partners to ...develop, implement and monitor an effective action plan for communicating effectively with the public, engaging with communities, local partners and other stakeholders to help prepare and protect individuals, families and the public’s health during early response to COVID-19.
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Antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents are invaluable life savers, particularly in resource-limited countries where infectious diseases are abundant. Both uncomplicated and severe infections are potentially curable as long as the aetiological agents are susceptible to the ...antimicrobial drugs. The rapid rate with which antimicrobial agents are becoming ineffective due to resistance acquired as a result of unchecked overuse and misuse threatens to undo the benefit of controlling infections. The evidence for resistant microorganisms, many times to more than a single antimicrobial agent, has been observed globally. In Tanzania, there is evidence in the form of few scattered studies conducted in different parts of the country in a multitude of settings including health care facilities, the community, domesticated animals and wild animals
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The primary focus of the plan continues to be prevention, preparedness and treatment of the the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Central to the plan are the following overall objectives:
To prevent further transmission of COVID-19 in the oPt;
To provide adequate care for patients aff...ected by COVID-19 and to support their families and close contacts; and
To mitigate the worst effects of the pandemic.
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This situation analysis has gathered information about the current state of AMR, contributing factors and antimicrobial use in Zimbabwe from the human, animal, agricultural and environmental sectors. Data has been gathered from different sectors such as the general public, academia, the Ministry of ...Health and Child Care, the Ministry of Agriculture Mechanization and Irrigation Development and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate. It shows that AMR is a real concern in Zimbabwe and a threat to the health outcomes of humans, to the economic productivity of the livestock industry and a risk to the environment.
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Pakistan Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership (GARP) was formed in the wake of international and national efforts for AMR curtailment. A group of experts from microbiology, infectious diseases and veterinary medicine formed a core group at the organizational meet...ing of GARP in Kathmandu, Nepal in July 2016. In the meeting, this core group was expanded to include other members from different sectors with the selection of the Chair and co-chairs. These were asked to serve on a voluntary basis, in their own individual capacities, with no personal gains, or gains to the institutions to which they are affiliated. The first phase of GARP took place from 2009 to 2011 and involved four countries: India, Kenya, South Africa and Vietnam. Phase one culminated in the 1st Global Forum on Bacterial Infections, held in October 2011 in New Delhi, India. In 2012, phase two of GARP was initiated with the addition of working groups in Mozambique, Tanzania, Nepal and Uganda. Phase three has added Bangladesh, Lao PDR, Nigeria, Pakistan and Zimbabwe to the network to date.
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Myanmar, as a country going through rapid socio-political transition and institutional development also suffers with a high burden of infectious disease. An ongoing challenge has been to effectively reach its 51 million population, most of whom battle tuberculosis, acute respiratory infections, diar...rhoea and malaria including amongst under-five children.
Limited research data on the occurrence of resistant organisms in the nation have, makes it hard to estimate the exact antimicrobial resistance (AMR) scenario. Limited peer reviewed evidence indicates significant divergence from the average resistance trends in APAC region. Nevertheless, several key steps by Government of Myanmar have been instrumental in paving the way for the country to join other nations in the South East Asia Region to speed up its plan on addressing the AMR crisis. Combating antimicrobial resistance would, however, require highest political commitment, multi-sectoral coordination, sustained investment and technical assistance.
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