Namibia recorded its first COVID-19 case on 14 March 2020, with cumulative cases reaching 15,773 and 118 deaths by 10 December 2020. Namibia has done relatively well to contain the outbreak.
However, positivity rates have shown a consistent increase above 5 percent in quarter 4 of 2020, necessitati...ng renewed attention to surveillance and outbreak control in 2021.
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Russian Federation
Accessed: 24.09.2019
Significant progress has been made in the eradication of three priority diseases in the African Region, as a result of extensive collaboration between the Regional Office, WHO country offices and countries. For example, in August 2020, the region was certified free of wild poliovirus. In the area of... neglected tropical diseases, Guinea worm disease is on the verge of eradication, and 12 member states are within reach of being certified as having eradicated yaws by the end of this year.
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A guide for Regional Workshop and Hospital Technicians
How 2016 became the worst year for Syria's children
Over the past decade, countries in the African region experienced slow progress in mobilizing resources for health while facing continued challenges. In their revised estimates published in 2017, Stenberg et al., developed two costs scenarios, termed progress and ambitious, aimed at strengthening co...mprehensive health service delivery to achieve SDG 3 and universal health coverage in low-income and middle-income countries (Stenberg et al., 2017). Out of the 47 countries in the WHO African region only eight, on average, met the recommended threshold of spending a minimum of US$ 249 per capita on health during the period from 2012 to 2020. In 2020, this achievement was observed in only five countries while the remaining countries spent less than US$ 249 per capita, with health expenditures ranging from US$ 16.4 to US$ 236.6, highlighting significant disparities across the region.
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Zambia is facing a severe economic crisis marked by high inflation, increasing poverty and a heavy debt burden that is straining both its fiscal stability and progress in health outcomes. By 2020, the country's external debt reached United States dollars (USD) 12.7 billion, representing 108% of the ...country's gross domestic product (GDP). In 2020, Zambia sought assistance through the G20 Common Framework and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Credit Facility (ECF), securing a USD 1.7 billion loan over 5 years. IMF loans, however, come with austerity measures that prioritise fiscal discipline but could potentially exacerbate social inequalities. These measures, which include increasing consumer taxes on goods and services (value added taxes - VATs), electricity tariffs and fuel prices, disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, raising concerns about their long-term effects on essential services, especially accessible and good quality healthcare services.
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Conditioned domestic financing policy, referring to the domestic financing of health projects, programs, and national responses conditioned by global health funding agencies and recipient country governments, is one mechanism to promote sustainability and country ownership. We aim to understand how ...the concept is defined and operationalized by agencies and how such policies relate to overall health spending patterns.
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There has never been a more critical moment to invest in WHO, and strengthen the unique role it plays in global health. Now is the time to sustainably finance WHO and invest in a healthy return for all.
The National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination in India (2023-2027) focuses on achieving malaria elimination by 2030, in alignment with the Global Technical Strategy. The document outlines the strategies, targets, and goals for malaria elimination, aiming for zero indigenous malaria cases by 20...27. It emphasizes district-based planning, robust surveillance systems, and enhancing case management and vector control. The plan stresses the importance of universal access to treatment, prevention, and data-driven decision-making. Furthermore, it encourages innovation and research in malaria elimination efforts, fostering multisectoral coordination and community engagement.
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The Strategic Malaria Communication Guide for Central America is intended to facilitate the shift from malaria control to elimination by strengthening communication and advocacy initiatives throughout the region. Based on interviews and a review of literature, the guide offers National Malaria Progr...ammes (NMPs) recommendations on messaging, target audiences, communication channels and advocacy strategies. The guide's primary goals are to raise awareness of malaria elimination, encourage long-term commitment from decision-makers and mobilise sustainable resources. The guide outlines two strategic objectives: (1) creating a shared understanding of the long-term requirements for malaria elimination, including funding, surveillance and multi-sectoral engagement, and (2) expanding support among public, private and cross-sectoral stakeholders. With malaria cases having already reduced by 88% since 2000, the guide emphasises the importance of maintaining focus and investment in order to fully eliminate the disease and prevent its re-establishment in Central America.
Accessed on 10/06/2025.
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WHO recommends artemisinin-based combination therapies for treating uncomplicated malaria, alongside studies to monitor treatment effectiveness. Given the threat of antimalarial resistance, including partial resistance in several African countries, molecular tools are vital for tracking resistance. ...In 2015, WHO launched the External Quality Assessment scheme for nucleic acid amplification testing to ensure reliable lab results. Coordinated by WHO and operated by the United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Service for Parasitology, the scheme provides quality-controlled specimens and reports to help improve testing accuracy. Experts recently discussed expanding the scheme to include antimalarial resistance markers.
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El propósito de esta guía es brindar orientaciones clínicas actualizadas en TB/VIH con énfasis en aspectos de diagnóstico, incluidas nuevas técnicas, así como de tratamiento vigente, sin perder de vista un enfoque de salud pública. Al recopilar y consolidar en una sola guía las últimas rec...omendaciones de la Organización Mundial de la Salud en el tema, se busca elaborar un documento de referencia y consulta frecuente, que unifique y estandarice el manejo de la coinfección TB/VIH de manera integral en establecimientos de salud con base en el principio de “dos enfermedades, un solo paciente”. También busca sustentar la actualización de normas y guías nacionales sobre la coinfeccion y complementar el trabajo coordinado que debe existir entre los programas de prevencion y control de TB y VIH a todo nivel en el marco las doce actividades de colaboración TB/VIH recomendadas internacionalmente.
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The purpose of this guide is to provide updated clinical guidance on TB/HIV, with an emphasis on diagnostic aspects—including new techniques—as well as current treatment, while maintaining a public health approach. By compiling and consolidating the latest World Health Organization recommendatio...ns on the subject into a single guide, the aim is to create a reference and consultation document that is frequently used, and that unifies and standardizes the comprehensive management of TB/HIV co-infection in healthcare facilities based on the principle of “two diseases, one patient.” It also seeks to support the updating of national standards and guidelines on co-infection and to complement the coordinated work that must exist between TB and HIV prevention and control programs at all levels, within the framework of the twelve internationally recommended TB/HIV collaborative activities.
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Le Infezioni in Medicina, n. 1, 3-10, 2019
A historic funding crisis is threatening to unravel decades of progress unless countries can make radical shifts to HIV programming and funding. The report highlights the impact that the sudden, large-scale funding cuts from international donors are having on countries most affected by HIV. Yet it a...lso showcases some inspiring examples of resilience, with countries and communities stepping up in the face of adversity to protect the gains made and drive the HIV response forward.
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A historic funding crisis is threatening to unravel decades of progress unless countries can make radical shifts to HIV programming and funding. The report highlights the impact that the sudden, large-scale funding cuts from international donors are having on countries most affected by HIV. Yet it a...lso showcases some inspiring examples of resilience, with countries and communities stepping up in the face of adversity to protect the gains made and drive the HIV response forward.
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