Zambia is facing a severe economic crisis marked by high inflation, increasing poverty and a heavy debt burden that is straining both its fiscal stability and progress in health outcomes. By 2020, the country's external debt reached United States dollars (USD) 12.7 billion, representing 108% of the ...country's gross domestic product (GDP). In 2020, Zambia sought assistance through the G20 Common Framework and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Credit Facility (ECF), securing a USD 1.7 billion loan over 5 years. IMF loans, however, come with austerity measures that prioritise fiscal discipline but could potentially exacerbate social inequalities. These measures, which include increasing consumer taxes on goods and services (value added taxes - VATs), electricity tariffs and fuel prices, disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, raising concerns about their long-term effects on essential services, especially accessible and good quality healthcare services.
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This comprehensive HPFM report thoroughly explores Kenya’s health financing landscape. It provides an in-depth analysis of the current state of affairs and sheds light on required strategic changes in health financing. The report points out the need to improve public financial management within th...e health sector, for more efficient financial systems. It focuses on better resourceraising and utilization mechanisms. The matrix highlights the need for consolidation of fragmented health financing arrangements, for a more efficient health system. It also emphasizes the need for enhancing strategic purchasing of health services, to improve the overall efficiency and quality of care. Additionally, the report stresses the critical
role of leveraging data and information systems for more evidence-based informed decision-making. These recommendations are crucial for advancing Kenya’s health financing system and moving closer to the UHC goal.
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This Guide is part of WHO’s overall programme of work on Political Economy of Health Financing Reform: Analysis and Strategy to Support UHC. The impetus for this work came from demands for more concrete evidence, recognition and integration of political economy issues within
health financing, and... overall system, reform design and implementation processes. This Guide is complementary to WHO’s Health Financing Progress Matrix assessment, as well as Health Financing Strategy development guidance. In this way, it promotes an embedded political
economy analysis approach that can be used in conjunction with other health financing assessments and guidance. The political economy framework can also be extended and easily adapted to broader health policy reforms.
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The world is facing a sustainable development crisis. The 2024 Financing for Sustainable Development Report: Financing for Development at a Crossroads finds that financing challenges are at the heart of the crisis and imperil the SDGs and climate action. The window to rescue the SDGs and prevent a c...limate catastrophe is still open but closing rapidly. Financing gaps for sustainable development are large and growing – the estimates by international organizations and others are coalescing around $4 trillion additional investment needed annually for developing countries. This represents a more than 50% increase over the pre-pandemic estimates. Meanwhile, the finance divide has not been bridged, with developing countries paying around twice as much on average in interest on their total sovereign debt stock as developed countries. Many countries lack access to affordable finance or are in debt distress. Weak enabling environments are preventing progress. Average global growth has declined, while policy and regulatory frameworks still do not set appropriate incentives. Public budgets and spending is not fully aligned with SDGs. Private investors are not incentivised to invest enough in SDGs and climate action. The world is at a crossroads. This is the last chance to correct course if we want to achieve the SDGs by the 2030 deadline. Only an urgent, large-scale and sustainable investment push can help us achieve our global goals. Next year’s Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in 2025 will be a once in 80-year opportunity to support coherent transformation of financing.
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The Plan subscribes to the goals and pillars of the WHO Global Technical Strategy against Malaria 2016-2030 (GTS), while presenting key elements to address the specific challenges of the Region.
El Plan de acción para la eliminación de la malaria 2021-2025 ha sido elaborado en consulta con los países y asociados regionales como un marco de referencia para orientar las acciones de los países y las contribuciones de los donantes y de los asociados hacia la eliminación de la enfermedad en... la Región de las Américas. El plan está en consonancia con los objetivos y pilares de la Estrategia técnica mundial contra la malaria 2016-2030 de la OMS, al tiempo que presenta elementos clave para afrontar los desafíos específicos de la Región.
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Le "Plan Stratégique National de Communication pour le Changement Social et de Comportement en Lutte contre le Paludisme" de la République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) vise à renforcer les actions de prévention et de traitement du paludisme à travers un changement social et comportemental. Ce p...lan s’inscrit dans un contexte où la RDC représente l’un des pays les plus touchés par le paludisme, avec une prévalence élevée, surtout chez les enfants de moins de cinq ans. Le plan met en avant des stratégies de mobilisation sociale, de communication et de gestion des cas de manière plus efficace. L'objectif est d'augmenter l'adhésion à l'utilisation des moustiquaires imprégnées et d'autres mesures préventives, tout en garantissant une meilleure gestion des stocks de traitements.
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The Malaria Ministerial Conference, co-hosted by WHO and the Government of Cameroon on 6 March 2024, brought together more than 400 stakeholders, including Ministers of Health and senior representatives from the African countries hardest hit by malaria, global health leaders, scientists, civil socie...ty and other partners. The pivotal meeting sought to leverage political commitment, scientific innovation and community engagement to reshape the trajectory of malaria control in high burden African countries, and beyond.
At the end of the meeting and in the weeks that followed, Ministers of Health from the 11 “High Burden High Impact” African countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania) signed the Yaoundé Declaration, pledging their “unwavering commitment” to the principle that “no one should die from malaria given the tools and systems available.” Success in reducing malaria morbidity and mortality will hinge on efforts by countries to translate this political commitment into actions and resources that will save lives.
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The objectives of this guideline are the same as those of the 2011 edition, namely to provide evidence-based normative guidance on interventions to improve adolescent morbidity and mortality by reducing the chances of early pregnancy and its resulting poor health outcomes. The specific objectives of... the guideline were to: 1. identify effective interventions to prevent early pregnancy by influencing factors such as early marriage, coerced sex, unsafe abortion, access to contraceptives and access to maternal health services by adolescents; and 2. provide an analytical framework for policy-makers and programme managers to use when selecting evidence-based interventions to prevent early pregnancy and negative health outcomes when they occur that are most appropriate for the needs of their countries and context. The recommendations and best practice statements described in this document aim to enable evidence-based decision-making with respect to preventing early pregnancy and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in low- and middle-income country contexts.
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Early Identification and Early Intervention Services for Young Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities in Namibia Republic of Namibia Namibia
Regional Consultations Report
Tuberculosis (TB) is among the top ten most common causes of death globally and as a single infectious disease it top among infectious diseases. Furthermore, it is noted as the top causes of death among people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Despite recent decreases in the numb...er of notified cases, Namibia still has a high TB burden and is included among the top 30 high-burden TB countries by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In the 2018 Global TB Report, the estimated incidence rate of TB in Namibia was 423/100,000. The same report estimated that 60 people per 100,000 populations died of TB in Namibia, which is a concern, for a disease that is curable and preventable.
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Namibia is estimated to be at 94-97-93 as defined by the UNAIDS 95-95-95 treatment cascade, one of the first high burden countries to approach epidemic control. COP22 is about sustaining the impact of years of investment and partnership with the Namibian government and other stakeholders by employin...g targeted and innovative approaches to prevent new infections, reduce mortality rates, and strengthen the health system to endure the impact of unexpected external shocks, while still providing person-centered health services.
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This publication provides a problem analysis of the U.S. cuts in global health and derives concrete recommendations for action for medical actors. The focus is on analyzing the direct effects on health-specific development cooperation.
2nd edition. This second edition builds on the experience of more than 10 years of SMC deployment, and reflects changes introduced in the WHO guidelines for malaria, 3 June 2022. The goal of this publication is to share these best practices to improve SMC implementation, coverage, and monitoring and... evaluation. Examples of materials and tools as well as links to resources are included to support managers and health workers in their efforts to conduct successful SMC activities and prevent malaria among vulnerable children.
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The Strategic Malaria Communication Guide for Central America is intended to facilitate the shift from malaria control to elimination by strengthening communication and advocacy initiatives throughout the region. Based on interviews and a review of literature, the guide offers National Malaria Progr...ammes (NMPs) recommendations on messaging, target audiences, communication channels and advocacy strategies. The guide's primary goals are to raise awareness of malaria elimination, encourage long-term commitment from decision-makers and mobilise sustainable resources. The guide outlines two strategic objectives: (1) creating a shared understanding of the long-term requirements for malaria elimination, including funding, surveillance and multi-sectoral engagement, and (2) expanding support among public, private and cross-sectoral stakeholders. With malaria cases having already reduced by 88% since 2000, the guide emphasises the importance of maintaining focus and investment in order to fully eliminate the disease and prevent its re-establishment in Central America.
Accessed on 10/06/2025.
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This Implementation Kit (I-Kit), developed by the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3), which is funded by USAID and based at the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, offers structured guidance for improving social and behavioural change communication (SBCC) strategies relat...ed to malaria in pregnancy (MiP). Designed for programme managers and stakeholders, the toolkit addresses critical communication gaps in MiP programming, particularly among service providers. It provides tools to help users integrate MiP into situation analyses, segment audiences, define behavioural objectives and draft strategic communication plans.
MiP poses a significant public health challenge, contributing to maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa. Although effective interventions exist, such as the use of insecticide-treated nets, intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) and timely diagnosis and treatment, their implementation remains inconsistent. The I-Kit supports more effective SBCC planning and implementation, with the aim of increasing the uptake and impact of these interventions and ultimately reducing malaria-related deaths and illness among pregnant women and newborns.
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This Implementation Kit (I-Kit), developed by the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3), helps national and local stakeholders to design country-specific social and behavioural change communication (SBCC) campaigns that address the threat posed by substandard, spurious, falsified and fal...sely labelled (SSFFC) malaria medicines. These poor-quality medicines endanger lives by failing to treat malaria effectively, undermine health systems, and contribute to drug resistance.
The I-Kit provides practical guidance and resources in six sections, including global examples, campaign design elements, media engagement strategies and tools for knowledge sharing. It is intended for health promotion officers, drug regulators, communication specialists and global health partners. Drawing heavily on experiences in Nigeria, the I-Kit promotes evidence-based, context-sensitive SBCC interventions to safeguard communities against SSFFC malaria medicines and enhance treatment outcomes.
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Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) is essential for the effective control, prevention and elimination of malaria. The 2018–2030 Strategic Framework for Malaria SBCC guides countries and partners in strengthening capacities, refining strategies and sharing best practices, all of which... are aligned with the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria. Despite progress, malaria continues to threaten billions of people, and success hinges on access to interventions and behavioural change. This framework emphasises advocacy, technical guidance and tools to ensure that SBCC is prioritised and resourced as an essential element in the global fight against malaria.
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Cette note d'information souligne l'importance d'intégrer une approche sensible au genre dans les efforts de lutte contre le paludisme dans le monde entier. Il montre que la prise en compte des vulnérabilités et des besoins spécifiques à chaque sexe - en particulier ceux des femmes et des enfan...ts - peut produire un « double dividende » en améliorant les résultats sanitaires et en faisant progresser l'égalité entre les sexes
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