The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) as a cost-effective intervention for the prevention of malaria during pregnancy in endemic areas. This study was conducted to investigate: (1) the exten...t of use of both IPTp and ITNs, and (2) conduct multinomial regression to identify factors affecting the optimal usage of IPTp and ITNs among women with a recent pregnancy in Senegal.
more
Apart from implementation of TB infection Prevention and Control measures, treatment of those with active TB of the lungs is key in preventing the spread of the TB bacilli. The Public Health Act CAP 242, section 17 classify TB as notifiable infectious disease and under section 26 as part of preventi...on and control of infectious diseases, those exposed or suffer from the notifiable infectious diseases should be isolated in designated place and detained while taking medication until in the assessment of the Medical officer of health confirm that the person is free from infection or able to be discharged without danger to public health.
more
Integrated community case management (ICCM) – an approach where community-based health workers are trained to identify, treat and refer children under-five with pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria – is increasingly being used across sub-Saharan Africa to supplement the gaps in basic healthcare prov...ision. ICCM programmes have been endorsed by major international organisations and donors, and many African Ministries of Health as a key strategy for reducing child mortality.
This learning paper describes Malaria Consortium’s approach to and experience of engaging local communities in integrated community case management (ICCM) in Uganda, Zambia and Mozambique.
more
Prevention, early diagnosis, and effective treatment are essential for the control and elimination of Neisseria gonorrhoeae as a public health problem. Currently, in Latin America and the Caribbean, treatment for gonorrhea infection is largely empiric and based on clinical diagnosis. In the Americas..., the high burden of new N. gonorrhoeae infections (estimated at 11 million new cases a year), the complexity of the disease epidemiology, and in many countries the limited resources, make it difficult to fully understand the burden of disease and the burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in N. gonorrhoeae.
PAHO has developed this document to facilitate the navigation of available guidance and recommendations for N. gonorrhoeae AMR surveillance by public health and health care professionals, at the national and subnational levels, involved in designing, implementing, and/or strengthening AMR surveillance of N. gonorrhoeae and overall surveillance of sexually transmitted infections.
more
The Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship provides a framework for antibiotic stewardship for outpatient clinicians and facilities that routinely provide antibiotic treatment. This report augments existing guidance for other clinical settings. In 2014 and 2015, respectively, CDC release...d the Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs and the Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes. Antibiotic stewardship is the effort to measure and improve how antibiotics are prescribed by clinicians and used by patients. Improving antibiotic prescribing involves implementing effective strategies to modify prescribing practices to align them with evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and management.
more
The primary focus of the plan continues to be prevention, preparedness and treatment of the the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Central to the plan are the following overall objectives:
To prevent further transmission of COVID-19 in the oPt;
To provide adequate care for patients aff...ected by COVID-19 and to support their families and close contacts; and
To mitigate the worst effects of the pandemic.
more
This policy brief aims to provide a review of the current progress on implementing the Malawi national action plan on AMR, identifies critical gaps, and highlights findings to accelerate further progress in the human health sector. The target audience includes all those concerned with implementing a...ctions to combat antimicrobial resistance in Malawi.
more
The purpose of these guidelines is to help health workers to participate in the process of continuous surveillance of safety and efficacy of the pharmaceutical products which are used in clinical practice, thus help to achieve the ultimate goal to make safer and more effective treatment available to... patients. This guideline addresses specifically the issues on what to report, why to report, when to report, where to report and how to report.
more
Cryptococcal disease is one of the most common opportunistic infections among people living with advanced HIV disease and is a major contributor to severe illness, morbidity, and mortality, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
These guidelines update the recommendations that were first released i...n 2018 on diagnosing, preventing, and managing cryptococcal disease. In response to important new evidence that became available in 2021, these new guidelines strongly recommend a single high dose of liposomal amphotericin B as part of the preferred induction regimen for the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis in people living with HIV. This simplified regimen - a single high dose of liposomal amphotericin B paired with other standard medicines (flucytosine and fluconazole) - is as effective as the previous WHO standard of care, with the benefits of lower toxicity and fewer monitoring demands.
The objective of these guidelines is to provide updated, evidence-informed recommendations for treating adults, adolescents and children living with HIV who have cryptococcal disease. These guidelines are aimed at HIV programme managers, policymakers, national treatment advisory boards, implementing partners and health-care professionals providing care for people living with HIV in resource-limited settings with a high burden of cryptococcal disease.
more
When Ebola hit Liberia in 2014, an atmosphere of fear and confusion contributed to the spread of the virus by making people unwilling to come forward for testing and treatment. Oxfam trained and equipped community health volunteers to go door-to-door, giving information and advice, encouraging anyon...e showing symptoms to go for tests, and keeping their family members informed about the progress of their treatment. The approach won the trust of communities and helped to slow the spread of the disease. This case study gives an overview of the programme, including aims, results and a personal story.
more
The objective of this paper is to summarise and critically review the available data about onchocerciasis in Mozambique, in order to report epidemiological and clinical aspects related to the disease and identify gaps in knowledge. The paper is intended to raise awareness of the existence and import...ance of this disease and to define research priorities
more
2nd edition.
The practical aspects of TB patient care from the onset of symptoms to the completion of treatment are covered in this guide
This short guide to the Global Diabetes Compact explains what diabetes is and why action to improve prevention efforts, diagnosis and treatment is so urgent. It outlines the key asks associated with the Compact and emphasizes that increasing access to insulin, strengthening health systems and meanin...gfully engaging with people affected by diabetes are key to success.
more
Practical guide for doctors, nurses,laboratory technicians, medical auxiliaries,water and sanitation specialists and logisticians.
The document is a comprehensive guide for managing cholera epidemics, providing detailed protocols for prevention, outbreak investigation, treatment, and control mea...sures. It covers essential aspects like rehydration therapy, water sanitation, hygiene promotion, and setting up treatment centers. Designed for medical and non-medical staff, it aims to support effective epidemic response and reduce cholera-related morbidity and mortality.
more
The HIV/AIDS Sustainability Index Dashboard is a tool completed every two years by President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) teams, host government and partner stakeholders to sharpen the understanding of each country’s sustainability landscape and to assist PEPFAR and other donors in ...making informed HIV/AIDS investment decisions. Based on responses to more than 100 questions, the SID assesses the current state of sustainability of national HIV/AIDS responses across 17 critical elements. Scores for these elements are displayed on a color-coded dashboard, together with contextual charts and information. As the SID is completed over time,
it will allow stakeholders to track progress and gaps across these key components of financial and programmatic sustainability.
more
The document outlines comprehensive guidelines for managing cholera outbreaks in South Africa, focusing on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and public health measures. It emphasizes the importance of rehydration therapy, sanitation, clean water access, and community involvement to control the sprea...d of the disease. It also provides protocols for handling outbreaks, including case identification, laboratory confirmation, and multi-sectoral coordination to reduce morbidity and mortality rates.
more
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on health care systems that, in many instances, worsened the already existing assistance gaps. When it comes to Latin America and Central America, this challenge adds to the consequences mass mobilizations have had in recent years, which have exc...eeded the national capacities to provide prompt assistance and social protection, particularly in the health care field. This pandemic has a direct impact on people on the move since the movement restriction policies and the lockdown and social distancing measures have reduced their ability to insert themselves into economic activities that were already precarious in many cases. Consequently, they have less access to food, housing, medicines and other essential consumer goods, and fewer possibilities of getting to their countries of destinati
more
PLoS ONE 15(1): e0228135.
The introduction of “Treat All” (TA) has been promoted to increase the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS treatment by having patients initiate antiretroviral therapy at an earlier stage of their illness. The impact of introducing TA on the unit cost of treatment has been less ...clear. The following study evaluated how costs changed after Namibia’s introduction of TA in April 2017.
more
The document is part of the Financing Global Health 2023 series by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) and focuses specifically on malaria. It provides a concise overview of global and regional trends in malaria-related health spending, including development assistance, government... spending, and out-of-pocket costs. The profile highlights funding gaps, shifts in donor contributions, and the need for sustainable financing to support malaria control and elimination efforts in the post-pandemic era.
more