Promoting and protecting health is essential to human welfare and sustained economic and social development. This was recognized more than 30 years ago by the Alma-Ata Declaration signatories, who noted that Health for All would contribute
both to a better quality of life and also to global peace a...nd security
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Long Acting Muscarinic Antagonists (LAMA) such as tiotropium and glycopyrronium are used in the management of COPD1. They have been shown to improve lung function, quality of life and exercise tolerance. They have also been associated with reduced COPD-related exacerbations, associated hospitalisati...ons and duration of hospital stay. Both the South African Thoracic Society (SATS) and Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), guidelines recommend the use of long acting anticholinergic drugs (or long acting beta agonists) in moderate to very severe disease as defined by lung function (FEV1). The most up to date guideline, utilizing the GRADE methodology (European Respiratory Society guidelines of 2017), confirms their superiority over long acting β agonists (LABA) as monotherapy for COPD in that LAMA's have demonstrated greater efficacy in terms of exacerbation reduction, with similar safety profile.2 These recommnedations are supported by published peer-reviewed
evidence including individual papers and Cochrane reviews.
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ASLM in collaboration with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and in partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Amref and Last Mile Health present the Quality Assurance Framework for SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Testing for Diagnosis of COVID-19. This framework aims to pr...ovide general technical guidance to African Union Members States on the rollout, establishment, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 Ag RDT interventions so as to effectively and efficiently detect, control and minimise errors in the performance of COVID-19 laboratory testing processes. It describes the core components for quality assurance, resources mobilisation and advocacy for scale up, monitoring, evaluation, learning and accountability for SARS-CoV-2 implementation.
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The evolving epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus has challenged health-care professionals. It stands among the leading causes of mortality in the present world. It warrants new and versatile approaches to improve mortality and the associated huge quality-adjusted life years lost to it once diagnose...d. A possible venue to lower the incidence is to assess the safety and efficacy of various diabetes prevention strategies. Diet and exercise have a well-developed role in the prevention of weight gain and, ultimately, diabetes mellitus type II in high-risk individuals. However, high-risk individuals can also benefit from adjunct pharmacotherapy. In light of this information, we decided to conduct a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. This article summarizes the evidence in the literature on the pharmacological prevention of diabetes in high-risk individuals.
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This report makes the case for a major new initiative—to rapidly recruit, train and deploy 2 million community health workers in Africa. Drawing on a vast body of evidence and substantial regional experience, the report shows how community health workers save lives and improve quality of life and ...how investments in community health workers effectively harness the demographic dividend, reduce gender inequality and accelerate economic growth and development. Indeed, the benefits of community health workers stretch from one end of the Agenda for Sustainable Development to the other.
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Background
Chronic congestive heart failure is a common condition that, if untreated, markedly impairs the quality of life and is associated with a high risk of recurrent hospitalization and death.
Methods
This review is based on articles retrieved by a selective search in PubMed, as well as on r...elevant guidelines.
Results
Evidence-based treatment options are available only for congestive heart failure with a low ejection fraction. Pharmacotherapy is based on neurohumoral inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and the adrenergic system. The prognosis of patients with this condition has been further improved recently through the introduction of combined angiotensin receptor antagonists and neprilysin inhibitors. Modern implantable devices are a further component of treatment. Implantable defibrillators and special pacemakers for cardiac resynchronization are well established; the utility of alternative devices (baroreflex modulation or cardiac contractility modulation) needs to be investigated in further studies. It was recently shown that the catheter-based treatment of secondary mitral regurgitation with a MitraClip improves the outcome of selected patients.
Conclusion
The treatment of chronic systolic heart failure as recommended in the relevant guidelines, with drugs and implanted devices if indicated, can significantly improve the clinical outcome.
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Climate change is altering seasonal patterns, making our summers hotter, and fueling increased flooding from coastal storms. As a result, we face more heat-related illnesses, air quality issues, food and water contamination, traumatic injuries, threats to our mental health, and infectious diseases. ...These threats will only get worse as big polluters continue to pump carbon from coal, oil, and natural gas into the air. The good news is that we can protect ourselves from these impacts by moving to cleaner energy strategies and preparing more effectively for future disasters.
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Public Health is the science field dedicated to promoting health and well-being, and preventing disease within the human population to ultimately increase the quality of our livelihood and life span. Public Health does not focus on individual patients or diseases, but rather a given population and ...health system. The discipline is community-centered in its interventions and seeks to improve the health status of whole populations...
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The Ethiopian Food and Drug Administration (EFDA) is mandated, in the proclamation 661/2009, to ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of medicines. To achieve this, the authority has been working on different regulatory activities. The medicine market authorization system is one of the top priorit...y areas that have been implemented. In addition to the dedicated assessors, the authority uses a national drug advisory committee for the assessment and registration of medicines.
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Since the discovery of insulin nearly 100 years ago, advances in diabetes treatments and therapies have transformed the lives of people
with diabetes (PwD), notably reducing the daily burden of its management.
Newer technologies, including those driven by artificial intelligence, have the potentia...l to further improve the quality of life of PwD and help
identify and diagnose people at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and diabetes-related complications early. However, medical and technological advances alone are not enough to fix the diabetes challenge. It is also critical to acknowledge the complexity and the seriousness of diabetes, its impact on the quality of life and well-being of over 32 million PwD in the EU and the financial burden it represents for health systems and society at large.
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WHOs Special Initiative for Mental Health has supported the availability of mental health services for more than 40 million more people. Learn about WHOs Special Initiative for Mental Health, which seeks to increase access to quality and affordable care for mental health conditions in 12 countries ...for 100 million more people. The initiative is advancing policies, advocacy and human rights, and scaling-up quality interventions and services for people with mental, neurological and substance use conditions.
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Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) describes a set of principles and procedures that, when followed, ensure that medicines and related substances are of high quality, safety and efficacy. SAHPRA is a
participating authority of the Pharmaceutical Inspection Cooperation Scheme (jointly known as PIC/S).... PIC/S aims to develop international standards between countries and pharmaceutical inspection
authorities, to provide harmonised and constructive co-operation in the field of GMP. PIC/S affiliation is subject to initial and periodic assessment of the participating authority to ensure that it has equivalent legislation, regulatory and enforcement procedures and inspection capacity.
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WHO’s antiretroviral treatment (ART) clinic-based acquired drug resistance survey method yields robust estimates of HIV viral suppression and acquired HIV drug resistance in adults, children and adolescents taking both dolutegravir and non-dolutegravir based regimens.
Results are used to inform A...RT programme decision making regarding optimal ART regimens and support evaluation of programme quality with respect to maximizing viral load suppression and minimizing emergence of resistance in people taking ART.
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Spirometry is required as part of the comprehensive evaluation of both adult and paediatric individuals with suspected or confirmed respiratory diseases and occupational assessments. It is used in the categorisation of impairment, grading of severity, assessment of potential progression and response... to interventions. Guidelines for spirometry in South Africa are required to improve the quality, standardisation and usefulness in local respiratory practice. The broad principles of spirometry have remained largely unchanged from previous versions of the South African Spirometry Guidelines; however, minor adjustments have been incorporated from more comprehensive international guidelines, including adoption of the Global Lung Function Initiative 2012 (GLI 2012) spirometry reference equations for the South African population.
All equipment should have proof of validation regarding resolution and consistency of the system. Daily calibration must be performed, and equipment quality control processes adhered to. It is important to have standard operating procedures to ensure consistency and quality and, additionally, strict infection control as highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adequate spirometry relies on a competent, trained operator, accurate equipment, standardised operating procedures, quality control and patient co-operation. All manoeuvres must be performed strictly according to guidelines, and strict quality assurance methods should be in place, including acceptability criteria (for any given effort) and repeatability (between efforts).
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The Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Service Package for Men and Adolescent Boys has been developed to support providers of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to increase the range and quality of services to meet the specific and diverse needs of men and adolescent boys. This package... focuses specifically on the provision of such services integrated
within clinical and non-clinical contexts and follows a gender-transformative approach. It covers men and adolescent boys in all their diversity and takes a positive approach to SRH, seeing this not just as the absence of disease, but the positive expression of one’s gender, sex and sexuality. In doing so, this service package contributes to efforts to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as prioritized in the Sustainable Development Goals. This package is in no way intended to detract from the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and adolescent girls, nor to divert resources, funding or attention from much-needed SRH services and programmes for women and adolescent girls.
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All WHO essential medicines are covered in Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHO_Model_List_of_Essential_Medicines, and items are translated in several languages. Increasing the amount, quality and languages of information on essential medicines through multiple sources- Wikipedia, formularie...s, guidelines- will help promoting the use of essential medicines across communities
Accessed July 1 ,2019
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This Cardiac Rehabilitation Change Package was completed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) with the purpose of helping cardiac rehabilitation programs, hospital quality improv...ement teams, and public health professionals who partner with these groups to implement systems and strategies that improve care for patients who are eligible for cardiac rehabilitation. AACVPR is a multidisciplinary professional association comprised of health professionals who serve in the field of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.
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In 2017, 3.6 million of the estimated 10 million people with TB worldwide were “missed” by national TB programmes (NTPs). Two thirds of them are thought to access TB treatment of questionable quality from public and private providers who are not engaged by the NTP. The quality of care provided i...n these settings is often not known or substandard. Closing these gaps and ensuring patient-centred care imply that quality-assured and affordable TB services must be made available wherever people choose to seek care.
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Promoting and protecting health is essential to human welfare and sustained economic and social development. This was recognized more than 30 years ago by the Alma-Ata Declaration signatories, who noted that Health for All would contribute both to a better quality of life and also to global peace an...d security.
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Interagency Guidelines - This revised Interagency List of Essential Medicines for Reproductive Health presents
the current international consensus on rational selection of essential reproductive health medicines. The list is intended to support decisions regarding the production, quality assurance..., national procurement and reimbursement schemes of these medicines.
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