The coronavirus outbreak that began in 2019 (COVID-19) threatens to reverse years of hard-won gains in preventing and treating HIV. Fragile health systems are further stressed as health workers navigate an increased client load and demands at work while also being concerned for their own health and ...that of their families. Health facilities have been redesigned to care for patients with COVID-19, posing challenges to other services. Governments and civil society organizations have redirected scarce resources and shifted programming priorities to respond to the pandemic. Several countries have reported intermittent declines in HIV testing and diagnosis, antenatal care visits, collection of antiretroviral medicines (ARVs) by people living with HIV, and attendance at clinic appointments. Community-based education and support programmes have had to rapidly adapt to restrictions on movement and public gatherings. Children, adolescents, and women have experienced multiple deprivations due to the adverse impact of the pandemic.
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A guide to preventing and addressing social stigma.
Social stigma in the context of health is the negative association between a person or group of people who share certain characteristics and a specific disease. In an outbreak, this may mean people are labelled, stereotyped, discriminated against,... treated separately, and/or experience loss of status because of a perceived link with a disease.
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In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, this guidance provides information on infection and prevention control (IPC) for older people, their friends and families, carers, and healthcare providers. Anyone who manages, works, volunteers or provides care at any type of facilities where older people recei...ve care at (long-term care facilities, non-acute care facilities, and home care services), should practice strict IPC to prevent and control COVID-19 outbreaks. It has been observed in different countries that older people have higher case-fatality rate compared to other age groups. Therefore, it is especially important to implement and follow IPC measures at facilities, homes, and other venues that older people frequent.
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The document provides comprehensive guidelines on cholera outbreak management, including prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. It emphasizes rapid response measures, the importance of rehydration therapy (oral and intravenous), and public health interventions such as water sanitation, hygiene promot...ion, and disease surveillance to control the spread of cholera in affected communities. It is designed as a resource for healthcare providers and public health officials.
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The document provides comprehensive guidelines on cholera outbreak management, including prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. It emphasizes rapid response measures, the importance of rehydration therapy (oral and intravenous), and public health interventions such as water sanitation, hygiene promot...ion, and disease surveillance to control the spread of cholera in affected communities. It is designed as a resource for healthcare providers and public health officials.
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A guide to preventing and addressing social stigma.
Social stigma in the context of health is the negative association between a person or group of people who share certain characteristics and a specific disease. In an outbreak, this may mean people are labelled, stereotyped, discriminated against,... treated separately, and/or experience loss of status because of a perceived link with a disease.
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The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office's webpage on cholera information resources provides a comprehensive collection of materials to support understanding and management of cholera outbreaks. It includes posters for public education, recent publications such as Global Defence Against the Inf...ectious Disease Threat (with a chapter on cholera), Cholera Outbreak: Assessing the Outbreak Response and Improving Preparedness, and First Steps for Managing an Outbreak of Acute Diarrhoea. Additionally, it features policy documents like the WHO statement on international travel and trade during cholera outbreaks and the World Health Assembly resolution WHA 64.15 on cholera control and prevention. The page also links to the Global Task Force on Cholera Control and provides cholera country profiles, offering valuable insights into global and regional efforts to combat cholera.
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The coronavirus outbreak that began in late 2019 (COVID-19) has evolved rapidly and globally. On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and a pandemic on 11 March 2020 indicating global spread of a new... disease.
Addressing COVID-19 requires critical preparedness and a prepared response, particularly within places of detention (prisons). Prison staff play a crucial role in contributing to the effort of preventing the spread of the disease, promoting safer prison environments, and responding to outbreaks in a timely and effective manner.
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In response to the COVID-19 outbreak this risk communication package for healthcare facilities provides healthcare workers (HCWs) and healthcare facility management with the information, procedures, and tools required to safely and effectively work. The package contains a series of simplified messag...es and reminders based on WHO's more in-depth technical guidance on infection prevention and control in healthcare facilities in the context of COVID-19
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The document outlines comprehensive guidelines for managing cholera outbreaks in South Africa, focusing on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and public health measures. It emphasizes the importance of rehydration therapy, sanitation, clean water access, and community involvement to control the sprea...d of the disease. It also provides protocols for handling outbreaks, including case identification, laboratory confirmation, and multi-sectoral coordination to reduce morbidity and mortality rates.
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The UNHCR Cholera Response Plan (October 2022 – March 2023) outlines efforts to combat the cholera outbreak in Lebanon, which was declared in October 2022. The plan, led by the Ministry of Public Health with support from UNHCR, WHO, UNICEF, and NGOs, focuses on prevention, response, and surveillan...ce. Key actions include oral cholera vaccination campaigns, rapid diagnostics, strengthening healthcare facilities, and improving hygiene and sanitation in high-risk refugee settlements and collective shelters. The response also emphasizes risk communication and community engagement to raise awareness and ensure early detection. The plan targets 120,000 individuals and requires $8.5 million in funding to provide life-saving support and containment measures.
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Epidemics and pandemics of infectious diseases are occurring more often, and spreading faster and further than ever, in many different regions of the world. The background factors of this threat are biological, environmental and lifestyle changes, among others. A potentially fatal combination of new...ly-discovered diseases, and the re-emergence of many long-established ones, demands urgent responses in all countries. Planning and preparation for epidemic prevention and control are essential. The purpose of the Managing epidemics handbook is to provide expert guidance on those responses. Building on the first edition, the second edition provides concise and basic up-to-date knowledge with which public health officials can respond effectively and rapidly at the very start of an outbreak. Part I of the handbook provides insights on epidemics of the 21st century and offers context on the upsurge of recent epidemics. Part II has been updated and offers 10 key facts about 19 deadly diseases including tips on the interventions required to respond. Part III presents various Tool boxes that summarize guidance on several important topics. The handbook focuses on practical and indispensable things to know about infectious diseases that are most important for national, political and operational decision-makers; it also links readers to more exhaustive WHO guidan
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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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Epidemics and pandemics of infectious diseases are occurring more often, and spreading faster and further than ever, in many different regions of the world. The background factors of this threat are biological, environmental and lifestyle changes, among others. A potentially fatal combination of new...ly-discovered diseases, and the re-emergence of many long-established ones, demands urgent responses in all countries. Planning and preparation for epidemic prevention and control are essential. The purpose of the Managing epidemics handbook is to provide expert guidance on those responses. Building on the first edition, the second edition provides concise and basic up-to-date knowledge with which public health officials can respond effectively and rapidly at the very start of an outbreak. Part I of the handbook provides insights on epidemics of the 21st century and offers context on the upsurge of recent epidemics. Part II has been updated and offers 10 key facts about 19 deadly diseases including tips on the interventions required to respond. Part III presents various Tool boxes that summarize guidance on several important topics. The handbook focuses on practical and indispensable things to know about infectious diseases that are most important for national, political and operational decision-makers; it also links readers to more exhaustive WHO guidan
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The document is a UNICEF cholera toolkit designed to support prevention, preparedness, and response to cholera outbreaks. It provides guidance on water sanitation, hygiene, and health education, along with practical tools and resources for managing outbreaks. It is intended for use by UNICEF teams, ...governments, and partners to integrate cholera prevention into development programs and emergency response strategies.
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Practical guide for doctors, nurses,laboratory technicians, medical auxiliaries,water and sanitation specialists and logisticians.
The document is a comprehensive guide for managing cholera epidemics, providing detailed protocols for prevention, outbreak investigation, treatment, and control mea...sures. It covers essential aspects like rehydration therapy, water sanitation, hygiene promotion, and setting up treatment centers. Designed for medical and non-medical staff, it aims to support effective epidemic response and reduce cholera-related morbidity and mortality.
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This field workbook supports the implementation of the interagency (FAO, UNICEF, WHO) “Communication for Behavioural Impact (COMBI): A toolkit for behavioural and social communication in outbreak response”. It is a handheld guide and notebook for applying the WHO COMBI methodology in 7-steps, du...ring an outbreak. It is primarily intended for risk communication, developmental communication and health promotion/education personnel working in multidisciplinary teams to investigate and respond to disease outbreaks. It contains essential tools, checklists, and information needed to design effective behavioural and communication interventions in support of outbreak prevention and control objectives - to limit loss of life and minimize disruption to families, communities and societies
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A training manual for identifying, assessing, preventing and controlling the risks of pandemics in the workplace. This training manual has been developed for both medical and non-medical personnel who may be called upon to lead emergency response, (eg epidemic outbreak, etc), ensure effective conta...inment whiles work continues and essential goods and services continue to be supplied.
The manual provides insight into some of the local epidemics experienced in Ghana such as Cholera, Cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) and Influenza(s), the causes, signs and symptoms and preventive measures with a view to increasing knowledge among management, staff and their families as well as immediate communities within which they work.
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The WHO Cholera Vaccine Position Paper (August 2017) highlights the importance of oral cholera vaccines (OCVs) as a key tool in outbreak response and prevention, alongside water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) measures. It recommends OCVs for high-risk populations, endemic areas, and humanitarian cr...ises, emphasizing their effectiveness in reducing cases and mortality. The paper discusses two types of OCVs (Dukoral®, Shanchol™, Euvichol®) and supports the WHO-managed vaccine stockpile for rapid deployment in cholera-prone regions.
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The Story of Cholera is seen as a great tool to promote basic hygiene practices and has been narrated in Arabic to be shown in these Settlements. It is seen as both a prevention measure against potential cholera outbreak and/or other type of diarrheal diseases. Tested on site it has received a great... welcome from the refugee community and is expected to have a major impact in the hygiene promotion response.
Download flashcards, video and mobile phone version at: http://globalhealthmedia.org/story-of-cholera/videos/registration/
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