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Action global health advocacy partnership

M. Slutsker ACTION global health advocacy partnership; ACTION partner oranizations (2016) C2

From policy to practice: how the TB-HIV response is working “The HIV community must place much more focus on TB co-infection than it has done to date. TB takes the lives of over 1000 people living with HIV every day, a number which is absolutely unacceptable. This report highlights that TB d... more

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Good governance for prison health in 21st century

World Health Organization (Europe); UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) (2013) C_WHO

A policy brief on the organization of prison health

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Child and adolescent mental health policies and plans

Dr M.Funk; M. Belfer; N. Drew; et al. World Health Organization (2005) C_WHO

Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package Languages: Arabic, English, French, Chinese, Russian

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OCHA Policy Brief on Gendered Drivers, Risks and Impacts of Food Insecurity in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2023) CC

It is widely understood that the food insecurity crisis in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa is one of the world’s fastest growing and most neglected crises. It lacks sufficient global focus, resources and urgency. As in so many crises, women and girls are disproportionately affected and shoulder t...he consequences of protracted neglect, with unconscionable impacts on their safety, life chances and agency. Gaining a holistic view of the gendered drivers, risks and impacts of food insecurity in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa is difficult. This is due to a lack of data and prioritization, and the large geographical and socioeconomic terrain covered by both regions. However, what we do know about this crisis is more than enough to urgently address the needs of women and girls. An OCHA discussion paper on this topic (which will be published imminently, and from which this policy brief is drawn) found that there is: A strong risk of profound regression in gender equality gains made to date in the countries of concern, including on education, sexual and reproductive health, and the economic independence of women and girls (with knock-on effects on broader humanitarian and development outcomes). An increasing challenge to reverse what must be recognized as a protracted and growing gender-based violence (GBV) emergency in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa. The food insecurity crisis in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa is protracted, multidimensional and highly gendered, with spiralling impacts on gender equality and food security outcomes. It is driven by interwoven and overlapping factors, including climate change, political instability, conflict, socioeconomic conditions, migration and displacement and, more recently, COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine. Interlinked with these factors are gendered structural drivers of food insecurity, including deeply entrenched gender inequalities and harmful social norms. Gendered risks and impacts of food insecurity include alarming limitations on access to education, sexual and reproductive health rights, women’s agency and participation, and dramatic increases in different existing forms of GBV and the emergence of new ones. Recognition of such gendered dimensions of food insecurity and of the need for a multisectoral approach in the response is key to addressing the crisis, along-side sustained commitment and adequate allocation of resources. This policy brief draws out key findings from the OCHA discussion paper on this topic, which includes a desk review of studies, assessments and reports, and interviews with local women’s organizations on the front lines of the food insecurity crisis in communities across both regions. Below are the most pressing gendered drivers, risks and impacts of food insecurity (not in order of priority), as well as key gaps in the current humanitarian response to food insecurity, and recommendations to take forward. more

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Health in the green economy: Health Care Facilities

World Health Organization WHO (2021) C_WHO

WHO's Health in the Green Economy sector briefings examine the health impacts of climate change mitigation strategies considered by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in their Fourth Assessment Report.

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Human Resources for Health South Africa

Ministry of Health, Republic of South Africa (2011) C2

HRH Strategy for the Health Sector: 2012/13 – 2016/17

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Promoting Health - Guide to national implementationof the Shanghai Declaration

World Health Organization WHO (2018) C_WHO

Guide to national implementation of the Shanghai Declaration describes policy orientations and approaches that can unlock the transformative potential of health promotion for sustainable development. This guide was developed to support country level implementation of the commitments and recommendati... more

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A Framework for Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision - Effective HIV Prevention and a gateway t improved adolesecent boys' & Men's health in Eastern and Southern Africa by 2021

World Health Organization (WHO); UNAIDS World Health Organization (WHO); UNAIDS (2016) C_WHO

Policy Brief VMMC 2021

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Strengthening and adjusting public health measures throughout the COVID-19 transition phases

World Health Organization (Europe) (2020) C_WHO

24 April 2020 Policy considerations for the WHO European Region This document provides key considerations for Member States to help them to decide on the modulation of large-scale restrictive public health measures (i.e. movement restrictions and large-scale physical distancing), while at the... more

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What are the challenges facing Myanmar in progressing towards Universal Health Coverage?

Phone Myint; Than Tun Sein; Cassels, Andrew World Health Organization (WHO) (2015) C_WHO

Policy Note #1: Myanmar Health Systems in Transition Policy Notes Series
The Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar is committed to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030. In practice, this means that over the next 15 years the aim is to progressively ensure that all peop... more

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Newborn Health Implementation Framework - STANDARDS FOR NEWBORN HEALTH CARE SERVICES

Ministry of Health, Republic of Uganda (2010) C2

This document is to guide policy makers, managers, districts, health workers, communities, NGOs and all other stakeholders on how to implement newborn health services.

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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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Antibiotic resistance: using a cultural contexts of health approach to address a global health challenge

Ledingham, K. World Health Organization Europe (2020) C_WHO

This policy brief has been developed in response to the contemporary challenge of antibiotic resistance (‎ABR)‎. ABR poses a formidable threat to global health and sustainable development. It is now increasingly recognized that the systematic neglect of cultural factors is one of the biggest obs... more

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Our Right to Health, Our Right to Clean Air - Improving air quality to address NCDs

NCD Alliance; Forum of International Respiratory Societies (2019) CC

This policy brief explores the impact of air pollution on health and address the air quality issue in the response to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). It also provides key actions that policy makers, NGOs and health professionals can take to ensure that every one can breathe clean air.

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Addressing Inequalities in Global Health: UNU IIGH Strategic Plan 2024–2028

United Nations University UNU (2024) C1

The 2019-2023 Strategy for UNU-IIGH, developed in 2018, built on UNU-IIGH’s strategic advantage and position vis-à-vis the UN and global health ecosystem. The Strategy set a goal to advance evidencebased policy on key issues related to sustainable development and health and shifted the Instit... more

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Action plan (2022–2030) to effectively implement the global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol as a public health priority

World Health Organization WHO (2023) C_WHO

Alcohol consumption is deeply embedded in the social landscape of many societies. Several major factors have an impact on levels and patterns of alcohol consumption in populations – such as historical trends in alcohol consumption, the availability of alcohol, culture, economic status and trends i... more

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How can health equity be improved in Myanmar?

Phone Myint; Than Tun Sein; Cassels, Andrew World Health Organization (WHO) (2015) C_WHO

Policy Note #2: Myanmar Health Systems in Transition Policy Notes Series
Myanmar is a country in which people’s access to health services is determined more by where they live than their need for care – a situation that is fundamentally inequitable. The challenge is to reduce levels of ineq... more

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Managing climate risks for people’s health and well-being

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation; Myanmar Climate Change Alliance (MCCA) (2017) C1

Policy Guidance Brief 2
• The potential health risks from climate change include: increase of waterborne and vector-borne diseases, heat-related illnesses, injuries and deaths, food insecurity and increased malnutrition. The poor, women, children and the elderly, as well as communities living... more

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Using Performance Incentives to Improve Health Outcomes

Gertler, P. & Vermeersch, C. The World Bank (2012) C2

Policy Research Working Paper 6100 | Impact Evaluation Series No. 60 | This study examines the effect of performance incentives for health care providers to provide more and higher quality care in Rwanda on child health outcomes. The authors find that the incentives had a large and significant effec... more

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Attraction and Retention of Rural Primary Health-care Workers in the Asia Pacific Region

Liu Xiaoyun; Zhu, Anna; Tang, Shenglan World Health Organization, Regional Office for South-East Asia (2018) C_WHO

The Asia Pacific Observatory on Health Systems and Policies is a collaborative partnership which supports and promotes evidence-based health policy making in the Asia Pacific Region. Based in WHO’s Regional Office for South-East Asia, it brings together governments, international agencies, foundat... more