Many low-resource settings have a shortage of physicians and health workers. (1) In order to provide patient-centred continuous care more effectively, primary care systems can include team-based care strategies in their clinic workflows and protocols. Team-based care uses multidisciplinary teams (wh...ich may involve new staff, or the shifting of tasks among existing staff). Teams can include patients themselves, primary care physicians, and other allied health professionals, such as nurses, pharmacists, counsellors, social workers, nutritionists, community health workers, or others. Teams reduce the burden on physicians by utilizing the skills of trained health workers. Strong evidence shows that team-based care is effective in improving hypertension control among patients in a cost-effective way. (2) Some amount of task shifting/team-based care is already taking place in many settings; this module provides further guidance on how to maximize this approach for greater impact.
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Background
Low- and middle-income countries now experience the highest prevalence and mortality rates of cardiovascular disease.
Main text
While improving the availability and delivery of proven, effective therapies will no doubt mitigate this burden, we posit that studies evaluating cardiovasc...ular disease risk factors, management strategies and service delivery, in diverse settings and diverse populations, are equally critical to improving outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. Focusing on examples drawn from four cardiovascular diseases — coronary artery disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease — we argue that ethnicity, culture and context matter in determining the risk factors for disease as well as the comparative effectiveness of medications and other interventions, particularly diet and lifestyle interventions.
Conclusion
We believe that a host of cohort studies and randomized control trials currently being conducted or planned in low- and middle-income countries, focusing on previously understudied race/ethnic groups, have the potential to increase knowledge about the cause(s) and management of cardiovascular diseases across the world.
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Developed under the USAID-supported HRH2030 Capacity Building for Malaria (CBM) initiative, this guide offers a comprehensive framework for advising National Malaria Control Programmes (NMCPs) through the use of long-term technical advisors (LTTAs). It sets out key practices for implementing partner...s and advisors, covering advisor selection, onboarding, contextual analysis and capacity-building strategies at individual and organisational levels. It emphasises collaborative work planning, continuous performance monitoring, stakeholder engagement and the use of assessment tools such as the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and the Organisational Development Assessment (ODA). The guide is designed to strengthen the leadership and operational effectiveness of NMCPs, promoting sustainable improvements in malaria control through structured mentorship, knowledge transfer and strategic partnerships.
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The Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Strategy for the Prevention of the Re-establishment of Malaria Transmission in Timor-Leste forms part of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for 2021–2025. The strategy aims to support Timor-Leste's efforts to sustain malaria elimination by promot...ing responsive and preventive behaviours through targeted communication and community engagement. Created in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the WHO, the Global Fund and other stakeholders, the SBCC strategy implements recommendations from the 2020 external review of the National Malaria Programme. Building on previous BCC initiatives (2015–2020), it emphasises surveillance, diagnosis, treatment and vector control, particularly focusing on vulnerable populations. The SBCC strategy provides partners and implementers with a dynamic guide to designing context-specific communication interventions that support malaria elimination and prevent the re-establishment of transmission.
Accessed on 18/06/2025.
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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the Americas and raised blood pressure accounts for over 50% of CVD. In the Americas over a quarter of adult women and four in ten adult men have hypertension and the diagnosis, treatment and control are suboptimal. In 2021, the World Hea...lth Organization (WHO) released an updated guideline for the pharmacological treatment of hypertension in adults. This policy paper highlights the facilitating role of the WHO Global HEARTS initiative and the HEARTS in the Americas initiative to catalyze the implementation of this guideline, provides specific policy advice for implementation, and emphasizes that an overarching strategic approach for hypertension control is needed. The authors urge health advocates and policymakers to prioritize the prevention and control of hypertension to improve the health and wellbeing of their populations and to reduce CVD health disparities within and between populations of the Americas.
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The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region's Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) Data and Statistics page offers comprehensive information on NCD surveillance, including mortality rates, morbidity, and risk factor exposures. It emphasizes the importance of monitoring NCD trends to inform prevention and control... strategies, aligning with global targets such as reducing premature NCD deaths by one-third by 2030. The page also highlights the WHO STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance, providing standardized methods for data collection and analysis.
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The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region's Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) Data and Statistics page offers comprehensive information on NCD surveillance, including mortality rates, morbidity, and risk factor exposures. It emphasizes the importance of monitoring NCD trends to inform prevention and control... strategies, aligning with global targets such as reducing premature NCD deaths by one-third by 2030. The page also highlights the WHO STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance, providing standardized methods for data collection and analysis.
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The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region's Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) Data and Statistics page offers comprehensive information on NCD surveillance, including mortality rates, morbidity, and risk factor exposures. It emphasizes the importance of monitoring NCD trends to inform prevention and control... strategies, aligning with global targets such as reducing premature NCD deaths by one-third by 2030. The page also highlights the WHO STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance, providing standardized methods for data collection and analysis.
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Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2018, 3, 72;
The study identified some key determinants of untimely and incomplete childhood vaccinations in the context of Bangladesh. The findings will contribute to the improvement of age-specific vaccination and support policy makers in taking the necessary control ...strategies with respect to delayed and early vaccination in Bangladesh.
https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed3030072
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Buruli ulcer is a disease caused by the environmental pathogen Mycobacterium ulcerans that affects skin and soft tissue. It was first described in Australia in 1948 and has been reported in several sub-Saharan African countries since the late 19th century. The disease mainly affects children in rura...l areas and causes lesions and ulcers that can lead to disability if not treated. Recent research has identified a toxin produced by M. ulcerans that may be responsible for the disease's pathogenesis. Efforts are ongoing to understand transmission and develop effective control strategies, including through training of medical professionals and increased detection and treatment of cases.
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For decades, pollution and its harmful effects on people’s health, the environment, and the planet have been neglected both by Governments and the international development agenda. Yet, pollution is the largest environmental cause of disease and death in the world today, responsible for an estimat...ed 9 million premature deaths.
The Lancet Commission on pollution and health addresses the full health and economic costs of air, water, and soil pollution. Through analyses of existing and emerging data, the Commission reveals pollution’s severe and underreported contribution to the Global Burden of Disease. It uncovers the economic costs of pollution to low-income and middle-income countries. The Commission will inform key decision makers around the world about the burden that pollution places on health and economic development, and about available cost-effective pollution control solutions and strategies.
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The Malaria Atlas Project (MAP) is a global research initiative that provides high-resolution, evidence-based spatial data on malaria transmission, risk and impact. MAP combines field data, satellite imagery, and advanced geostatistical modelling to deliver open-access maps, datasets, and analytical... tools that support malaria control and elimination strategies worldwide. MAP empowers researchers, policymakers, and public health practitioners by providing them with accurate, up-to-date geographic insights to inform resource allocation and intervention planning.
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Website last accessed on 07.06.2023
Stopleishmania.org is an initiative of the VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre (UCM), the National Centre of Microbiology (ISCIII), the Animal Protection Centre (Madrid City Council) and the Directorate of Public Health (Regional Government of Madrid). This proj...ect launches the possibility of collaboration with other research centres, feeding the site with updated information on this disease.
Leishmaniosis prevention and control should include novel communication strategies that must be easily accesible and would include new advances in the knowledge of the disease. Recently, other animals different than dogs have been described as competent reservoirs of Leishmania, playing an important epidemiological role in recent outbreaks in Europe and Asia. At the moment, most of the information available is fundamentally devoted to humans and dogs, and there is no a global approach to the disease, taking into account all possible reservoirs.
The contents are available in Spanish and English, and come from the knowledge and experience in the disease of the above mentioned organisms, including research and information outreach.
The result is a website mainly focused on dissemination of the fundamental aspects for the control and prevention of the disease, taking into account that leishmaniosis due to its zoonotic condition, requires a multidisciplinary vision in accordance with the "One Health" principles. The web is complemented by a collaborative tool where the registered research groups can present themselves and disseminate their research results, therefore providing updated information on the scientific advances in the disease control.
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The road map 2030 was developed by WHO through an extensive global consultation, with indicators set for measuring progress against targets and milestones. This compendium of indicators provides a comprehensive and standardized listing of recommended indicators, including the 70 core indicators pres...ented in the M&E framework. These indicators will also support reporting on strategies described in other road map companion documents to guide action against neglected tropical diseases include the sustainability framework, the global strategy on water, sanitation and hygiene, the One Health approach and the strategic framework for integrated control and elimination of skin-related neglected tropical diseases.
The purpose of this compendium is to guide monitoring and evaluation of programmes and thereby to improve their quality and effectiveness in alignment with the road map goals. It provides a standardized listing of the most widely used indicators relevant to countries, with uniformity in defining indicators to allow comparisons over time and among different programmes. Detailed metadata are provided for each of these indicators to facilitate validity, internal consistency, standardized measurement, estimation methods and comparability of data across countries.
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Each year, ≈795 000 individuals in the United States experience a stroke, of which 87% (690 000) are ischemic and 185 000 are recurrent.1 Approximately 240 000 individuals experience a transient ischemic attack (TIA) each year.2 The risk of recurrent stroke or TIA is high but can be mitiga...ted with appropriate secondary stroke prevention. In fact, cohort studies have shown a reduction in recurrent stroke and TIA rates in recent years as secondary stroke prevention strategies have improved.3,4 A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of secondary stroke prevention therapies published from 1960 to 2009 showed a reduction in annual stroke recurrence from 8.7% in the 1960s to 5.0% in the 2000s, with the reduction driven largely by improved blood pressure (BP) control and use of antiplatelet therapy.5 The changes may have been influenced by changes in diagnostic criteria and differing sensitivities of diagnostic tests over the years.
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The document titled "Cómo combatir el cólera" (How to Combat Cholera) provides comprehensive guidelines on the clinical presentation and management of cholera, particularly in the context of the 2010 Haiti outbreak.
It emphasizes the importance of rapid rehydration as a lifesaving measure, deta...iling protocols for both oral rehydration solutions (ORS) and intravenous (IV) fluids. The document outlines appropriate antibiotic treatments based on patient categories, underscores the necessity of proper sanitation, and offers strategies for effective outbreak control. Additionally, it provides guidance on recognizing severe dehydration and the need for immediate medical intervention to reduce mortality associated with cholera.
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The menu was developed using the WHO-CHOICE methodology to prepare and update, as appropriate, WHO estimates of the cost-effectiveness of a range of mental health interventions, in line with the development of Appendix 3 to the global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable dis...eases 2013–2020.
WHO-CHOICE is a programme that helps countries to identify priorities based on health impact and cost-effectiveness. It can be applied to a wide range of strategies relevant to policies affecting health outcomes. All options are compared to a common comparator, a null scenario in which the impacts of currently implemented interventions are removed, thereby enabling comparison of interventions across geographical areas and aspects of health.
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The NDMS&IP focuses on mainstreaming disability to promote equitable access to services in the six thematic areas of health, education, livelihoods, empowerment, and social inclusion and cross-cutting issues.
The first part of the NDMS&IP outlines incongruences between national and sectoral policie...s and pieces of legislation on one hand, and practice on the other and identifies key priority areas/themes of the strategy,
medium-term outcomes and strategies for each identified priority area/ theme. This process is largely informed by key findings and recommendations from a study on the Situation of Persons with Disabilities
in Malawi (CBMM/NAD, 2011). The study provides background descriptive information on existing national and sectoral policy and legal framework, level of access by children, adult women and males with disabilities to services in the areas of education, health, livelihoods and other social services as well as of participation by persons with disabilities through self-representation in development activities at various levels. A review of relevant documents at the international level further describes the disability situation in Malawi in the global context.
The second part of the NDMS&IP consists of the operational matrix, (Annex 1), a monitoring and evaluation framework (Annex 2) and budget estimates (Annex 3). This part outlines specific actions by various actors both in the public, private and civil society sectors to prioritise disability in their routine policy, programming, resource mobilisation and allocation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting routines. The action plan lays out priority sectors and concrete actions by setting out implementation schedules, defining targets, assigning responsibility to key duty bearers and rights holders for coordination, decision-making, monitoring and reporting, mobilisation and allocation and control of resources.
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This global guidance provided the framework for over 100 countries to develop their NDVPs. This updated (second) version supersedes the previous version published in 16 November 2020. New information has been added on the following areas:
the COVID-19 Partners Platform;
the use of COVID...-19 simulation exercises to test deployment strategies;
the indemnity agreement and no-fault compensation programme for vaccines secured through the COVAX Facility in the Advance Market Commitment (AMC) eligible economies;
the availability and use of the WHO-UNICEF COVID-19 Vaccine Introduction and deployment Costing (CVIC) tool;
the COVAX Facility’s humanitarian buffer that enables allocation of vaccine to cover high-risk populations in humanitarian settings;
recommendations for vaccination of pregnant and lactating women;
supplementary information on infection prevention and control (IPC) measures to be used to deliver COVID-19 vaccines safely;
the WHO licensed COVID-19 vaccines product-specific information;
use of geospatial data and digital micro plans for equitable access and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines;
lessons learned from the development of NDVPs and early experiences in COVID-19 vaccine deployment in countries; and
updated additional resources at the end of each chapter.
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Introduction: Considering the global prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a vaccine is being developed to control the disease as a complementary solution to hygiene measures—and better, in social terms, than social distancing. Given that a vaccine will eventually be produced, informa...tion will be needed to support a potential campaign to promote vaccination.
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the variables affecting the likelihood of refusal and indecision toward a vaccine against COVID-19 and to determine the acceptance of the vaccine for different scenarios of effectiveness and side effects.
Materials and Methods: A multinomial logistic regression method based on the Health Belief Model was used to estimate the current methodology, using data obtained by an online anonymous survey of 370 respondents in Chile.
Results: The results indicate that 49% of respondents were willing to be vaccinated, with 28% undecided or 77% of individuals who would potentially be willing to be inoculated. The main variables that explained the probability of rejection or indecision were associated with the severity of COVID-19, such as, the side effects and effectiveness of the vaccine; perceived benefits, including immunity, decreased fear of contagion, and the protection of oneself and the environment; action signals, such as, responses from ones' family and the government, available information, and specialists' recommendations; and susceptibility, including the contagion rate per 1,000 inhabitants and relatives with COVID-19, among others. Our analysis of hypothetical vaccine scenarios revealed that individuals preferred less risky vaccines in terms of fewer side effects, rather than effectiveness. Additionally, the variables that explained the indecision toward or rejection of a potential COVID-19 vaccine could be used in designing public health policies.
Conclusions: We discovered that it is necessary to formulate specific, differentiated vaccination-promotion strategies for the anti-vaccine and undecided groups based on the factors that explain the probability of individuals refusing or expressing hesitation toward vaccination.
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