Working Document Nov. 2020
The COVAX Supply and Logistics workstream lead by UNICEF, Gavi and WHO have released a working copy of the COVID-19 Vaccination, Country Readiness & Delivery: Supply and Logistics Guidance. Countries might find this Guide useful when developing and strengthening their sup...ply chain strategies to receive, store, distribute and manage the COVID-19 vaccines and their ancillary products, in line with their national deployment and vaccination plan (NDVP). The document also provides links to the different tools and resources to aid countries in performing assessment, planning and capacity-building activities.
more
Interium guidance, 25 June 2021Timely and accurate diagnostic testing is an essential tool in preventing and controlling the spread of COVID-19. This document describes recommendations for national testing strategies and the use of PCR and rapid antigen tests in different transmission scenarios of t...he COVID-19 outbreak, including how testing might be rationalized in low resource settings. All testing should be followed by a strong public health response including isolating those who test positive and providing them care, contact tracing and quarantine of contacts.
more
La détection directe des protéines virales du SRAS-CoV-2 (antigènes) dans les écouvillons nasaux et autres sécrétions respiratoires à l'aide de tests immunologiques à flux latéral (également appelés tests de diagnostic rapide, TDR) offre une méthode plus rapide et moins coûteuse pour te...ster le SRAS-CoV-2 que la méthode de référence, les tests d'amplification des acides nucléiques (TAAN). Ces lignes directrices provisoires offrent des recommandations sur les utilisations prioritaires des tests de diagnostic rapide à détection d'antigène (TDR-Ag) dans des populations et des contextes spécifiques, notamment (i) pour la détection primaire des cas chez les personnes symptomatiques suspectées d'être infectées et les personnes asymptomatiques à haut risque de COVID-19, (ii) pour la recherche des contacts, (iii) pendant les enquêtes sur les épidémies et (iv) pour surveiller les tendances de l'incidence de la maladie dans les communautés. Les TDR-AG répondant aux exigences minimales de performance peuvent être utilisés en dehors des milieux cliniques et des laboratoires, y compris dans les communautés, par des opérateurs formés conformément aux instructions. Le guide fournit en outre des recommandations sur la mise en œuvre, la sélection des produits et le stockage
more
Clinical management standard operating procedures.
Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a life-threatening multisystem illness associated with fever and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms that frequently leads to hypovolaemia, metabolic acidosis, hypoglycaemia, and multi-organ failure. The prolonged 2013–201...6 EVD outbreak in West Africa allowed for an evolution of care such that by outbreak end many patients received individualized and optimized supportive care (oSoC), including volume resuscitation, symptom control, laboratory and bedside monitoring of glucose, electrolyte levels and organ dysfunction, as well as rapid detection and treatment of co-infections, potentially contributing to the downward trend in the case fatality rate (CFR).
This guidance should serve as a foundation for oSoC that should be followed to ensure both the best possible chance for survival and allow for reliable comparison of investigational therapeutic interventions as part of a randomized controlled trial. This guideline provides recommendations for the management of adults and children.
more
Operational Guidelines for the national and district health workers & planners.
These new approaches include use of selective chemotherapy, Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs), Zinc for treatment of cholera in children and complementary use of OCV
WHO Guideline. Since 2010, countries in the meningitis belt have started to introduce a new serogroup A meningococcal conjugate vaccine conferring individual protection and herd immunity. Following the successful roll-out of this vaccine, epidemics due to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A (NmA) are... disappearing, but other serogroups (e.g. NmW, NmX and NmC) still cause epidemics, albeit at a lower frequency and of a smaller size. Due to these changes, WHO organized the review of the evidence to provide recommendations for epidemic control, related to operational thresholds for investigation and response to outbreaks, the use of rapid diagnostic tests, antibiotic regimens in epidemics, and prophylaxis for household contacts of cases
more
The goals of Ebola virus disease (EVD) surveillance during Phase 3 of the Ebola response are to promptly detect new, suspected EVD cases and deaths so as to trigger appropriate response, including rapid diagnosis, case isolation and management, contact tracing, safe burials, and the identification o...f transmission chains
more
This document has been developed for the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean to establish a regional plan of action to support the countries of the Region to rapidly accelerate the scaling up of their capacities for the prevention and early detection of, and ... rapid response to, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as required under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). The regional plan is aligned with the WHO global 2019 novel coronavirus strategic preparedness and response plan, but tailored to the regional context.
more
Special Focus on COVID-19
The report provides updated estimates for drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools including progress from 2015 to 2019. It highlights the rapid improvement needed to ensure students have access to handwashing facilities with soap and water during the COVID-19 pan...demic, and to meet associated SDG targets by 2030.
more
Interim Version 24, February 2020
This checklist has been prepared with the aim of supporting hospital managers and emergency planners in achieving the above by defining and initiating actions needed to ensure a rapid response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The checklist is structured on eleven key co...mponents; under each component, there is a list of questions regarding the status of implementation of the recommended action specific to that component. Hospitals at risk of increased health service demand should be prepared to initiate the implementation of each action promptly. The section on “Recommended reading” lists selected tools, guidelines and strategies relevant to each component, as well as other supporting documentation.
more
8 February 2021
This document highlights 10 well established Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) principles that have proven their power. Together they put communities at the heart of the roll out of new vaccines, treatments and tests and promote trust, the critical ingredient for al...l community action. Informed, engaged and empowered communities are the bedrock for the arrival of new vaccines, treatments and tests that will be introduced to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and save lives. With communities fully engaged and actively participating through the full cycle of planning, delivery and assessment for biomedical tools, demand for these tools can be increased, leading to widespread and effective uptake and use
more
Interim guidance, 6 October 2021
Direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins (antigens) in nasal swabs and other respiratory secretions using lateral flow immunoassays (also known as rapid diagnostic tests, RDTs) offers a faster and less expensive method to test for SARS-CoV-2 than the reference ...method, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs). This interim guidance offers recommendations on the priority uses of antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) in specific populations and settings, including (i) for primary case detection in symptomatic individuals suspected to be infected and asymptomatic individuals at high risk of COVID-19, (ii) for contact tracing, (iii) during outbreak investigations and (iv) to monitor trends of disease incidence in communities. Ag-RDTs meeting minimum performance requirements can be used outside of clinical and laboratory settings, including in communities, by trained operators in accordance with instructions. The guidance additionally provides recommendations on implementation, product selection and storage.
more
Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common noncommunicable diseases worldwide. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region there has been a rapid increase in the incidence of diabetes mellitus and it is now the fourth leading cause of death. The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus, the emergence of ...diabetes complications as a cause of early morbidity and mortality, and the enormous and mounting burden on health care systems make diabetes a priority health concern. These guidelines provide up-to-date, reliable and balanced information for the prevention and care of diabetes mellitus in the Region. The information is evidence-based and clearly stated to facilitate the use of the guidelines in daily practice. They are intended to benefit physicians at primary, secondary and tertiary level, general practitioners, internists and family medicine specialists, clinical dieticians and nurses as well as policy-makers at ministries of health. They provide the information necessary for decision-making by health care providers and patients themselves about disease management in the most commonly encountered situations.
more
The report discusses the epidemiological and social aspects of ageing, health and functional changes experienced with ageing, the impact of physical activity, assessment of the nutritional status of older persons, and nutritional guidelines for healthy ageing.
The revised guidelines contain recommendations for specific administrative, environmental controls and respiratory protection, following the assessment made by an external group of experts convened as members of the Guideline Development Group. Moreover, these guidelines focus on interventions speci...fic to preventing transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bridging with the core components of infection prevention and control programmes at the national and acute health care facility level
more
The Facilitator Training Manual on Workplace Pandemic Preparedness is a guide developed by GIZ and the Ministry of Health to help organizations prepare for and respond to pandemics while ensuring business continuity. It provides structured guidance on training, risk assessment, prevention, and respo...nse strategies for both medical and non-medical personnel.
Key topics include pandemic preparedness and response, covering diseases like Influenza, Cholera, Yellow Fever, and Meningitis, as well as personal hygiene, risk communication, and business continuity planning. The manual emphasizes participatory learning, practical training, and leadership in crisis management, aiming to enhance institutional resilience and ensure workplaces remain safe and operational during health crises.
more
This document provides a decision-making framework for implementation of mass treatment interventions, active case-finding campaigns and population-based surveys for neglected tropical diseases in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. A two-step approach is proposed: a risk–benefit assessment, to ...decide if the planned activity should proceed; and an examination of a list of precautionary measures that should be applied with the aim of decreasing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 associated with the activity, and strengthening the capacity of the health system to manage any residual risk. This guidance note is intended to health authorities, NTD programme managers and their supporting partners.
more
The WHO Guide on Cholera Control in Complex Emergencies provides key steps for preparedness, prevention, and response to cholera and other diarrheal diseases in crisis situations. It highlights the importance of early warning systems, rapid response, and coordination among health agencies. The guide... outlines measures for case management, water sanitation, hygiene promotion, and outbreak containment, particularly in refugee camps and disaster-affected areas. It emphasizes community involvement, surveillance, and proper health infrastructure to reduce mortality and control disease spread in vulnerable populations.
more
The document “Malaria Elimination Programme Review, India 2022”, published by the WHO Country Office for India, provides an in-depth assessment of India’s progress toward malaria elimination. It evaluates the structure, implementation, and effectiveness of national and subnational malaria prog...rams, focusing on surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, vector control, and community engagement. The review identifies strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement, offering evidence-based recommendations to accelerate India's efforts to eliminate malaria by 2030.
more
Ebola disease and Marburg disease outbreaks continue to occur in Africa, with increased frequency. In addition to resulting in high mortality and morbidity, the outbreaks generate fear and mistrust about the response activities within the communities affected.
Infection prevention and control (IP...C) is a key pillar in the outbreak response; adherence to IPC practices can prevent and control transmission of infections to health and care workers, patients and their family members.
During the 2014-2016 West African Ebola disease outbreak, there was an urgent need for rapid IPC guidance to help support ministries of health, health-care providers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In response, WHO produced several documents related to the outbreak based on expert opinion, including IPC-specific documents and documents on clinical management that also referenced key IPC principles and practices. Since that time, many practices in the field have become institutionalized.
more