The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 118 events in the region. This week’s main articles cover the following events:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Togo
Measles in Chad
Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Équateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Coronavirus is spreading globally. How can individuals, communities and humanitarian actors best respond to the COVID-19 outbreak? How can the Sphere Handbook guide our response?
These guidelines are available in different languages
Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak Response Plan in West Africa. Annex 2
Orientaciones provisionales para los dispensadoresde atención de la salud. En el presente documento se ofrecen orientaciones a los dispensadores de atención de la salud (por ejemplo, médicos y enfermeros) sobre el modo de brindar, principalmente a las mujeres infectadas por el virus ...de Zika durante el embarazo y a sus familiares, una respuesta de apoyo que satisfaga sus necesidades psicosociales y de salud mental.
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Los responsables de la comunicación en diversos sectores deberían utilizar esta orientación provisional como referencia para reforzar las actividades comunicativas sobre el virus de Zika que desarrollan actualmente. El presente documento complementa la comunicación de riesgos sobre esta infecci...n y la orientación para la participación de la comunidad elaborada por la Oficina Regional para las Américas de la OMS.
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This revised Emergency Appeal will support 400,000 of the most vulnerable people in these areas for six months, and will also undertake preparedness and prevention work in Equateur’s four neighbouring Provinces.
Since the first edition of the CDAC snapshot of communication, community engagement and accountability (CCEA) across the Ukraine response was published in May 2022, a conscious effort has been made by international, national and local responders to ramp up CCEA action. Progress has been made in esta...blishing coordination mechanisms and launching activities, particularly around accountability to affected people (AAP). As CCEA work continues to scale up on the ground, a greater focus and more effort are still needed on community-facing information and two-way communication; this should be accorded a higher priority than at present.
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This document provides guidance to host States on the vetting and registration of volunteers and volunteer organisations. It also provides guidance to UN, NGO and other civil society actors on how they can support and complement State efforts through operational activities.
When situations occur in which unwanted events are rightly or wrongly connected with vaccination, they may erode confidence in vaccines and the authorities delivering them. This document presents the scientific evidence behind WHO’s recommendations on building and restoring confidence in vaccines ...and vaccination, both in ongoing work and during crises. The evidence draws on a vast reserve of laboratory research and fieldwork within psychology and communication. It examines how people make decisions about vaccination; why some people are hesitant about vaccination; and the factors that drive a crisis, covering how building trust, listening to and understanding people, building relations, communicating risk and shaping messages to the audiences may mitigate crises. This document provides a knowledge base for stakeholders who develop communication strategies or facilitate workshops on communication and trust-building activities in relation to vaccines and immunization, such as immunization programme units, ministries of health, public relations and health promotion units, vaccine safety communication trainers and immunization advisory bodies.
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A Guidance and Resource Package for Country Offices for Coordination, Planning, Key Messages and Actions
Esta nota de instrução resume as principais considerações em Saúde Mental e Apoio Psicossocial (SMAPS) referen-tes ao novo surto de coronavírus (COVID-19). Este documento foi atualizado pela última vez em 17 de março de 2020.
Em janeiro de 2020, a Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) declarou o surto da doença do novo coronavírus como Emergência de Saúde Pública de Importância Internacional. A OMS afirmou que havia um alto risco de que a doença do coronavírus 2019 (COVID-19) se espalhasse por outros países no m...undo todo. Em março de 2020, a OMS avaliou que a COVID-19 podia ser caracterizada como pandemia. A OMS e autoridades de saúde pública no mundo todo estão agindo para conter o surto da COVID-19. Entretanto, essa crise está gerando estresse na população. Essas considerações de saúde mental foram desenvolvidas pelo Departamento de Saúde Mental e Uso de Substâncias da OMS como uma série de mensagens dirigidas a diferentes grupos para apoiar o bem-estar mental e psicossocial durante o surto de COVID-19.
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This guidance will assist staff, students and caregivers in schools (including day care centres, pre-school, primary and secondary schools), higher educational institutions (including universities, research institutes) and other educational institutions with how to address coronavirus disease 2019 (...COVID-19) during different outbreak phases as defined in the Africa CDC Stepwise Response.
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This document provides guidance to African Union Member States on key mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) considerations in relation to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It contains useful guidance on MHPSS for the community, healthcare workers, caregivers of vulnerable po...pulations and people in quarantine, isolation or treatment centers(1)
(2). This guidance aims to provide practical steps to reduce stress, anxiety, stigma and psychological disorders associated with COVID-19 and improve overall mental health and well being. This guidance can be used for planning purposes by policy makers and Ministries of
health and institutions coordinating emergency response to COVID-19 response by Member States. It can also be disseminated to stakeholders.
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Lessons from the Africa Regional Stigma Training Programme
Supporting community action on AIDS in developing countries