This paper outlines the background to and design of the Health Financing Progress Matrix (HFPM), WHO’s standardized qualitative approach to assessing country health financing systems. Primarily qualitative in nature, the HFPM assesses a country’s health financing institutions, processes, policie...s and their implementation, benchmarked against good practice in the context of universal health coverage (UHC). The paper also details processes which ensure that country assessments are credible. While health financing is only one of the core functions of a health system, it significantly influences both the extent to which the population accesses health services, and the extent to which they face financial hardship in the process. Through a forward-looking assessment process the HFPM contributes to building resilience within health systems, which also contributes directly to improved emergency preparedness and response.
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Despite some improvements, current levels of air pollution still pose a considerable risk to the environment and to human health in the WHO European Region. One issue of concern is that monitoring of particulate matter is very limited in the countries of eastern Europe, the Caucasus and central Asia.... This paper summarizes the evidence about the health effects of air pollution from particulate matter and presents the policy implications, the aim being to stimulate policy-makers to develop more effective strategies to reduce air pollution and its health effects in those countries.
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The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has shown that public financial management (PFM) should be an integral part of the response. Effectiveness in financing the health response depends not only on the level of funding but also on the way public funds are allocated and spent, this is determined by the PFM r...ules, and how money flows to health service providers. So far, early assessments have shown that PFM systems ranged from being a fundamental enabler to acting as a roadblock in the COVID-19 health response. While service delivery mechanisms have been extensively documented throughout the pandemic, the underlying PFM mechanisms of the response also merit attention. To highlight the importance of PFM in health emergency contexts, this rapid review analyses various country PFM experiences and identifies early lessons emerging from the financing of the health response to COVID-19. The assessment is done by stages of the budget cycle: budget allocation, budget execution, and budget oversight. Identifying lessons from the varying PFM modalities used to finance the response to COVID-19 is fundamental both for health policy-makers and for finance authorities to prepare for future health emergencies.
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Cyclone in Mozambique and Zimbabwe
Ebola virus disease in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Humanitarian crisis in Mali
Humanitarian crisis in Central African Republic.
Policy brief. HIV testing services (HTS) and anti-retroviral therapy (ART) have been scaled up substantially. It is estimated that, globally, nearly 80% of people with HIV now know their status. With the offer of immediate ART initiation and improved treatment options, access to and uptake of treatm...ent have increased, too. Now, most people with HIV who know their status are obtaining treatment and care.
In response to these changes in the global HIV epidemic, WHO is encouraging countries to use three consecutive reactive tests for an HIV-positive diagnosis as their treatment-adjusted prevalence and national HTS positivity fall below 5% .
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Clean and sustainable household energy and appliances, for cooking, heating and lighting can improve health, increase productivity, reduce poverty and protect the environment while addressing air pollution.
Module 1q
PrEP users
July 2017
Module 11: PrEP users. This module provides information for people who are interested in taking PrEP to reduce their risk of acquiring HIV and people who are already taking PrEP – to support them in their choice and use of PrEP. This module gives ideas for cou...ntries and organizations implementing PrEP to help them develop their own tools.
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Economics plays a vital role in health policy-making and investments to reduce air pollution; in helping to understand the costs of health care; and in determining nations’ wealth and ability to invest in health and well-being..
Weekly Epidemiological Record. This report summarizes application of the SAFE strategy against trachoma during 2023. It includes estimates of the global population at risk of trachoma blindness based on district-by-district data submitted to WHO by national programmes. Summarizing the epidemiologica...l situation in this way is inherently complex because, for any district, up to 3 serial estimates of prevalence may be valid at different times during a calendar year.
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Primary health care is about caring for people, rather than simply treating specific diseases or conditions. Good primary health care is made up of three parts: empowered people and communities who can take care of and advocate for their health; ensuring multisectoral policy and action to systematic...ally address social, economic, environmental and commercial determinants of health; and primary care and essential public health functions as the core of integrated health services. Primary health care can meet the majority of a person’s health needs throughout their life. With a strong foundation of primary health care, together we can achieve #HealthForAll
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26 March 2021
If you have already had COVID-19 do you still need both doses of the vaccine? Do these vaccines protect you against infection? Do they protect us against variants? WHO’s Dr Katherine O’Brien answers these questions in Science in 5 this week.
Human Resources for Health Observer Series No. 16
If you have the choice of more than one vaccine and are wondering which one to take and how to assess the risk of side effects, this episode of Science in 5 with WHO’s Dr Katherine O’Brien is for you.