In 2022, Namibia had an estimated population of 2.6 million people, where 51 per cent per cent are females and 52.5 per cent of households in urban areas, with fast-growing urban informal settlements which lack access to basic services. Namibia has a young population; 42 per cent are children (0-17 ... years), 13 per cent are under-five, per cent and 19 per cent are aged 15 to 24 years. With the right investment on children and youth, this represents an opportunity for a demographic dividend.
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Only 10 per cent of households have electricity. Less than one half (46 per cent) of the households use basic sanitation facilities. Three in every four of the household population had basic drinking water services. More than one third of under-5 Malawian children (boys 39 per cent than girls 32 per... cent) suffer from stunting with related health issues that can include cognitive impairment.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) projects a global shortfall of 18 million health workers by 2030, mostly in low- and lower-middle-income countries. Contributing to the global deficit are chronic under-investment in education and training of health workers; workforce migration; an aging health wo...rkforce; rapid increases in chronic diseases; and inability to track existing human resources using health information systems. Health care worker shortages are compounded by the increased portability and virulence of infections. Rapid population growth, climate change, deforestation, international travel, migration, poverty, and social inequality have dramatically increased the risk of pandemics and highlighted the need for skilled health workforce to effectively respond to emerging health threats. This is evident now more than ever as COVID-19 exacerbates health inequity and barriers to access, and further strains the already fragile health systems in many countries.
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Adapted from: Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicine List PHC. The syndromic approach to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) diagnosis
and management is to treat the signs or symptoms (syndrome) of a group of
diseases rather than treating a specific disease. This allows for the tr...eatment
of one or more conditions that often occur at the same time and has been
accepted as the management of choice.
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Tuberculosis (TB) is among the top ten most common causes of death globally and as a single infectious disease it top among infectious diseases. Furthermore, it is noted as the top causes of death among people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Despite recent decreases in the numb...er of notified cases, Namibia still has a high TB burden and is included among the top 30 high-burden TB countries by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In the 2018 Global TB Report, the estimated incidence rate of TB in Namibia was 423/100,000. The same report estimated that 60 people per 100,000 populations died of TB in Namibia, which is a concern, for a disease that is curable and preventable.
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Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2022, 7, 152. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed7080152
This Implementation Kit (I-Kit), developed by the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3), which is funded by USAID and based at the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, offers structured guidance for improving social and behavioural change communication (SBCC) strategies relat...ed to malaria in pregnancy (MiP). Designed for programme managers and stakeholders, the toolkit addresses critical communication gaps in MiP programming, particularly among service providers. It provides tools to help users integrate MiP into situation analyses, segment audiences, define behavioural objectives and draft strategic communication plans.
MiP poses a significant public health challenge, contributing to maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa. Although effective interventions exist, such as the use of insecticide-treated nets, intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) and timely diagnosis and treatment, their implementation remains inconsistent. The I-Kit supports more effective SBCC planning and implementation, with the aim of increasing the uptake and impact of these interventions and ultimately reducing malaria-related deaths and illness among pregnant women and newborns.
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This Implementation Kit (I-Kit), developed by the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3), helps national and local stakeholders to design country-specific social and behavioural change communication (SBCC) campaigns that address the threat posed by substandard, spurious, falsified and fal...sely labelled (SSFFC) malaria medicines. These poor-quality medicines endanger lives by failing to treat malaria effectively, undermine health systems, and contribute to drug resistance.
The I-Kit provides practical guidance and resources in six sections, including global examples, campaign design elements, media engagement strategies and tools for knowledge sharing. It is intended for health promotion officers, drug regulators, communication specialists and global health partners. Drawing heavily on experiences in Nigeria, the I-Kit promotes evidence-based, context-sensitive SBCC interventions to safeguard communities against SSFFC malaria medicines and enhance treatment outcomes.
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This document by Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) highlights the significant burden of malaria on children worldwide, emphasizing the need for effective prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies. It reviews current challenges and progress in combating pediatric malaria, advocating for conti...nued research and investment to reduce malaria-related morbidity and mortality in children, especially in high-burden regions.
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Meeting report, Kampala, Uganda,
7–8 November 2023
International Journal of Advances in Medicine. Vol. 7 No. 7 (2020): July 2020 . This study explores the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with concurrent malaria and HIV infection, a combination that is relatively understudied in India.
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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Malaria in children presents significant clinical challenges, with variations in presentation based on the malaria parasite involved and the child's underlying health conditions. The World Health Organization reports high incidence rates, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, and emphasizes the import...ance of effective treatment strategies. First-line treatment often involves Artemether-Lumefantrine (ALu), while severe malaria requires careful management and the use of intravenous Quinine. Management protocols emphasize early diagnosis and the monitoring of severe complications to reduce mortality.
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4th edition, Reference Manual
Tropical Medicine and Health (2023) 51:29
This document highlights the latest WHO recommendations designed to optimize health outcomes, streamline delivery and address persistent barriers to prevention and care. It especially focuses on people often left behind in service delivery, including adolescents and young people, key populations and... people with advanced HIV disease. The guidance emphasizes integration, simplification, choice and equity.
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The World Health Organization recently redefined leprosy elimination as a phased process, with the first milestone being the
interruption of transmission, achieved when no new child cases (defined as younger than 15 years) are reported for five consecutive years.
In Pakistan, the well-functioning ...leprosy programme, with effective case management, context-specific active case-finding strategies and
a robust data management system, has contributed to a decrease in new cases. Between 2001 and 2023, new adult cases dropped by 75%
(from 878 cases to 220 cases annually) and child cases by 83% (from 93 to 16). To support the country’s goal of no new child cases by 2030
and ultimately eliminate the disease, the nongovernmental organizations Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre and Aid to Leprosy Patients, with
support from the German Leprosy and Tuberculosis Relief Association, have developed a zero leprosy roadmap. As part of this roadmap,
the leprosy elimination strategy emphasizes improving active case-finding and providing post-exposure prophylaxis for contacts of leprosy
cases, who are at the highest risk
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The MEDBOX Annual Report provides an overview of the most important projects of the past year
L’étude a pour objectif général de faire une analyse de la santé communautaire au Burkina Faso et spécifiquement de : 1) décrire la nature et le processus de développement des SBC; 2) déterminer les forces et les faiblesses des documents d’orientation des SBC; 3) documenter les bonnes pr...atiques en santé communautaire, et 4) formuler des recommandations pour améliorer l’offre des SBC.
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