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HEARTS. Technical package for cardiovascular disease management in primary health care. Team-based care

World Health Organization WHO, et al. (2018) C_WHO

Many low-resource settings have a shortage of physicians and health workers. (1) In order to provide patient-centred continuous care more effectively, primary care systems can include team-based care strategies in their clinic workflows and protocols. Team-based care uses multidisciplinary teams (wh... more

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Africa’s Health Financing in a New Era

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) (2025) CC

Africa’s health sector is facing an unprecedented financing crisis, driven by a sharp decline of 70% in Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 2021 to 2025 and deep-rooted structural vulnerabilities. This collapse is placing immense pressure on Africa’s already fragile health systems as ODA ...is seen as the backbone of critical health programs: pandemic preparedness, maternal and child health services, disease control programs are all at risk, threatening Sustainable Development Goal 3 and Universal Health Coverage. Compounding this is Africa’s spiraling debt, with countries expected to service USD 81 billion by 2025—surpassing anticipated external financing inflows—further eroding fiscal space for health investments. Level of domestic resources is low. TThe Abuja Declaration of 2001, a pivotal commitment made by African Union (AU) member states, aimed to reverse this trend by pledging to allocate at least 15% of national budgets to the health sector. However, more than two decades later, only three countries—Rwanda, Botswana, and Cabo Verde—have consistently met or exceeded this target (WHO, 2023). In contrast, over 30 AU member states remain well below the 10% benchmark, with some allocating as little as 5–7% of their national budgets to health. In addition, only 16 (29%) of African countries currently have updated versions of National Health Development Plan (NHDP) supported by a National Health Financing Plan (NHFP). These two documents play a critical role in driving internal resource mobilisation. At the same time, public health emergencies are surging, rising 41%—from 152 in 2022 to 213 in 2024—exposing severe under-resourcing of health infrastructure and workforce. Recurring outbreaks (Mpox, Ebola, cholera, measles, Marburg…) alongside effects of climate change and humanitarian crises in Eastern DRC, the Sahel, and Sudan, are overwhelming systems stretched by chronic underfunding. The situation is worsened by Africa’s heavy dependency with over 90% of vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics being externally sourced—leaving countries vulnerable to global supply chain shocks. Health worker shortages persist, with only 2.3 professionals per 1,000 people (below the WHO’s recommended 4.45), and fewer than 30% of systems are digitized, undermining disease surveillance and early warning. Without decisive action, Africa CDC projects the continent could reverse two decades of health progress, face 2 to 4 million additional preventable deaths annually, and a heightened risk of a pandemic emerging from within. Furthermore, 39 million more Africans could be pushed into poverty by 2030 due to intertwined health and economic shocks. This is not just a sectoral crisis—it is an existential threat to Africa’s political, social, and economic resilience, and global stability. In response, African leaders, under Africa CDC’s stewardship, are advancing a comprehensive three-pillar strategy centered on domestic resource mobilization, innovative financing, and blended finance. more

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Covid-19 pandemic impact on maternal and child health services access in Nampula, Mozambique: a mixed methods research

das Neves Martins Pires P.H. , Macaringue C. , Abdirazak A. et al. BMC Health Services (2021) CC

The Covid-19 pandemic has so far infected more than 30 million people in the world, having major impact on global health with collateral damage. In Mozambique, a public state of emergency was declared at the end of March 2020. This has limited people's movements and reduced public services, leading ...to a decrease in the number of people accessing health care facilities. An implementation research project, The Alert Community for a Prepared Hospital, has been promoting access to maternal and child health care, in Natikiri, Nampula, for the last four years. Nampula has the second highest incidence of Covid-19. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of Covid-19 pandemic Government restrictions on access to maternal and child healthcare services. We compared health centres in Nampula city with healthcare centres in our research catchment area. We wanted to see if our previous research interventions have led to a more resilient response from the community. METHODS: Mixed-methods research, descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective, using a review of patient visit documentation. We compared maternal and child health care unit statistical indicators from March-May 2019 to the same time-period in 2020. We tested for significant changes in access to maternal and child health services, using KrushKall Wallis, One-way Anova and mean and standard deviation tests. We compared interviews with health professionals, traditional birth attendants and patients in the two areas. We gathered data from a comparable city health centre and the main city referral hospital. The Marrere health centre and Marrere General Hospital were the two Alert Community for a Prepared Hospital intervention sites. RESULTS: Comparing 2019 quantitative maternal health services access indicators with those from 2020, showed decreases in most important indicators: family planning visits and elective C-sections dropped 28%; first antenatal visit occurring in the first trimester dropped 26%; hospital deliveries dropped a statistically significant 4% (p = 0.046), while home deliveries rose 74%; children vaccinated down 20%. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated the negative collateral effects of Covid-19 pandemic Government restrictions, on access to maternal and child healthcare services, and highlighted the need to improve the health information system in Mozambique. more

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Combating false information on vaccines: A guide for health workers

Pan American Health Organization PAHO; World Health Organization WHO (2025) C_WHO

The document "Combating False Information on Vaccines: A Guide for Health Workers" is designed to help health workers address vaccine misinformation. It begins by defining misinformation and explaining why it spreads rapidly, often due to its emotional appeal and simplistic explanations. The guide i... more

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IASC Guidance: Operational considerations for Multisectoral Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Programmes during the COVID-19 Pandemic
recommended

Inter-Agency Standing Comittee IASC; et al. (2020) C2

In March 2020 the IASC Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support uniting 57 humanitarian organizations as member issued the Interim Briefing Note Addressing Mental Health and Psychosocial Aspects of COVID-19 Outbreak. This document has proven to be very useful in the response and has... more

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WHO Guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being

World Health Organization WHO (2021) C_WHO

Self-care interventions are among the most promising and exciting new approaches to improve health and well-being, both from a health systems perspective and for people who use these interventions. The World Health Organization (WHO) uses the following working definition of self-care: Self-care i... more

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Where, Why And For How Much: Diversity In Career Preferences Of Future Health Workers In Rwanda

Lievens, T., Serneels, P. & Butera, D. Human Resources for Health (2008) C2

Health Systems for Outcomes Publication | The government of Rwanda has identified human resources for health as one of its policy priorities. This study aims to contribute to building a better understanding of health worker choice and behaviour, and to improve evidence based polcies.

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WHO-AIMS Report on mental health system in Ghana

World Health Organization WHO WHO (2011) C_WHO

The World Health Organization Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems (WHO-AIMS) was used to collect information on the mental health system in Ghana for the year 2011. The goal of collecting this information is to improve the mental health system and to provide a baseline for monitoring the... more

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Integration of mental health and HIV interventions

World Health Organization WHO, UNICEF (2022) C_WHO

This joint publication by UNAIDS and WHO emphasizes the importance of integrating HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care and mental health services for people living with HIV. It provides a compilation of tools, best practices, recommendations and guidelines that facilitate the integration of i... more

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Implementation manual to prevent and control the spread of carbapenem-resistant organisms at the national and health care facility level
recommended

World Health Organization WHO (2020) C_WHO

This manual presents a compelling case for action on carbapenem-resistant organisms (CROs) and describes the linkages between the prevention and control of CROs and the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). It describes how the eight recommendations contained within the World Health ... more

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Moving as One. Integrating the Health and Climate Agendas for Planetary Health in a Post-Pandemic World

IASS Potsdam (2020) C2

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, health is receiving unprecedented public and political attention. Yet the fact that climate change also presents us with a health crisis deserves further recognition. From more deaths due to heat stress to increased transmission of infectious diseases, ... more

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UNHCR’s mental health and psychosocial support

Meyer, S. UNHCR (2013) C2

A broad range of UNHCR’s key priorities overlap with MHPSS issues – for example, child protection and sexual and gender-based violence [SGBV] prevention and response. Despite all these existent synergies, UNHCR’s current policies and guidelines do not sufficiently link with MHPSS principles.... more

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Guidance Note on Youth Integration into the Women Friendly Health Spaces (WFHS)

United Nations Population Fund UNFPA (2023) CC

UNFPA has been implementing programming for women and girls through Women Friendly Health Spaces (WFHSs), which provide access to critical services, information and support. The WFHS is providing: psychosocial counseling services; awareness raising sessions on PSS in the community; and life skills &... more

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Preparing for and responding to global health emergencies

Cochrane Convenes (2022) C1

Learnings from the COVID-19 evidence response and recommendations for the future. Reflections and recommendations from the evidence synthesis community.

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Checklist to support schools re-opening and preparation for COVID-19 resurgences or similar public health crises
recommended

World Health Organization WHO (2020) C_WHO

The checklist is aligned with, and builds upon, existing COVID-19-related WHO guidelines and is structured around protective measures related to: 1) hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette; 2) physical distancing; 3) use of masks in schools; 4) environmental cleaning and ventilation; and 5) respectin... more

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Continuity of essential health services: Facility assessment tool
recommended

World Health Organization WHO (2021) C_WHO

Interim guidance. 12 May 2021. The Continuity of essential health services: Facility Assessment Tool can be used by countries to rapidly assess the capacity of health facilities to maintain the provision of essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. It can help to alert the authorities ... more

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Quantification of Health Commodities - A Guide to Forecasting and Supply Planning for Procurement

USAID USAID | DELIVER PROJECT, Task Order 4 (2014) C1

The USAID | DELIVER PROJECT, Task Order 4, developed this guide for quantifying health commodities; it will assist technical advisors, program managers, warehouse managers, procurement officers, and service providers in (1) estimating the total commodity needs and costs for successful implementation... more

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Integrated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illness, Part 1 Blended Learning Module for the Health Extension Programme

HEAT, UNICEF, Open University, AMREF, WHO Ministry of Health, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (2011) C1

These Blended Learning Modules cover the full range of health promotion, disease prevention, basic management and essential treatment protocols to improve and protect the health of rural communities in Ethiopia. A strong focus is on enabling Ethiopia to meet the Millennium Development Goals to reduc... more

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A case study of the role of an Essential Health Benefit in the delivery of integrated health services in Zambia

Luwabelwa, M.; Banda, P; Palale M.; Chama-Chiliba, C. Regional Network for Equity in Health in east and southern Africa (EQUINET) (2017) C1

Regional Network for Equity in Health in east and southern Africa (EQUINET): Disussion Paper 111
The health services delivery system in Zambia is pyramid in structure, with primary healthcare (PHC) services at community level, at the base, followed by first and second level hospitals at distric... more

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Operational Guidance Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Programming for Refugee Operations

UN High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR (2013) C1

This operational guidance on MHPSS provides a practical orientation and tools for UNHCR country operations. It covers specific points of good practice to consider when developing MHPSS programming and offers advice on priority issues and practical difficulties, while also providing some background i... more

IASC Guidance: Operational considerations for Multisectoral Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Programmes during the COVID-19 Pandemic recommended

Implementation manual to prevent and control the spread of carbapenem-resistant organisms at the national and health care facility level recommended

Checklist to support schools re-opening and preparation for COVID-19 resurgences or similar public health crises recommended

Continuity of essential health services: Facility assessment tool recommended

IASC Guidance: Operational considerations for Multisectoral Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Programmes during the COVID-19 Pandemic
recommended

Implementation manual to prevent and control the spread of carbapenem-resistant organisms at the national and health care facility level
recommended

Checklist to support schools re-opening and preparation for COVID-19 resurgences or similar public health crises
recommended

Continuity of essential health services: Facility assessment tool
recommended