La serovigilancia es una herramienta que complementa los métodos tradicionales de salud pública para la vigilancia de las enfermedades transmisibles y proporciona información valiosa sobre la transmisión de enfermedades en los grupos de la población; por ejemplo, para detectar brechas en la inm...unidad frente a las enfermedades prevenibles mediante vacunación. Esta información es útil para hacer un seguimiento de la exposición de la población a enfermedades como la malaria, las enfermedades infecciosas desatendidas, las enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos, agua y vectores, así como las enfermedades infecciosas emergentes. Como muchas enfermedades infecciosas están o han estado presentes en grupos que viven en entornos donde se superponen diversos factores de riesgo, la serovigilancia integrada facilita las sinergias y optimiza la utilización de los recursos de salud pública. Este conjunto de herramientas se elaboró para facilitar el diseño, la puesta en marcha, el análisis, la interpretación y el uso de los resultados de las encuestas serológicas integradas para reforzar las capacidades de los países con vistas a la eliminación de las enfermedades transmisibles. En la primera parte se describen los conceptos básicos sobre encuestas y vigilancia serológicas, sus usos, ventajas y desafíos, formas de mejorar su eficiencia, así como su potencial para contribuir a la toma de decisiones de salud pública. Posteriormente, se presenta un proceso gradual para la puesta en marcha de la vigilancia serológica integrada basada en encuestas serológicas. Incluye recomendaciones sobre cómo determinar la necesidad y el propósito de recopilar información serológica; el diseño y la metodología de la encuesta; los métodos del laboratorio; las consideraciones prácticas para la realización de encuestas; el análisis e interpretación de los datos y el uso de los resultados para respaldar la toma de decisiones. Su objetivo principal es apoyar a los directores de programas y equipos que participan en el control y eliminación de las enfermedades transmisibles. Se elaboró para ser usado, entre otros, por los coordinadores de enfermedades transmisibles, enfermedades infecciosas desatendidas y programas de vacunación; directores de vigilancia epidemiológica; personal de laboratorios de salud pública; y otros profesionales de los ministerios de salud y autoridades nacionales y subnacionales de salud que puedan estar interesados en incorporar la vigilancia serológica integrada como parte de las herramientas de sus sistemas de vigilancia, para obtener información adicional sobre la transmisión de enfermedades infecciosas en la población.
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Pathogen genomic surveillance has become a priority for public health systems in recent years. Genomic sequencing is increasingly being used to characterize pathogens and monitor important public health priorities (e.g. poliovirus, influenza virus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Vibrio cholerae, ant...imicrobial resistance (AMR)). The decrease in cost and time of sequencing and the exponential development of bioinformatic pipelines have played a critical role in integrating pathogen genomics into routine public health surveillance. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the role that sequencing plays in the surveillance of infectious diseases. Sequencing facilitates earlier detection, more accurate investigation of outbreaks, closer real-time monitoring of pathogen evolution and tailored development and evaluation of interventions to inform local to global public health decision-making and action. However, there remains a need to coordinate efforts, leverage and link existing surveillance and laboratory networks and capabilities, and systematically integrate genetic sequence data (GSD) with clinical and epidemiological data to strengthen its utility.
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Reduce Risk, Protect Health Facilities, Save Lives
The two-year impact report for the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator details impact, case studies and timelines of key milestones for the Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Vaccines pillars, as well as the Health Systems and Response Connector.
This document is part of the process for improving the quality of care in family planning. Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use (MEC), the first edition of which was published in 1996, prsents current World Health Organization (WHO) guidance on the safety of various contraceptive e-
m...ethods for use in the context of specific health conditions and characteristics. This is the fifth edtion of the MEC –the latest in the series of periodic updates
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Trustworthy, evidence-based health guidelines form the basis of national policies affecting both patients and health-care workers. Emphasizing the link between robust evidence and people’s trust in their health systems, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe said at the launch ev...ent, “Trust and transformation are key words for us, especially when we talk about improving and strengthening our health systems. Transformation should first and foremost serve the interests of patients and health-care workers”.
While it is not always easy to demonstrate the immediate effect of guidelines on people’s health, there is no viable alternative to utilizing guidelines based on the best available evidence.
Yet, developing robust guidelines remains a challenge for most countries. “Guidelines need to be both simple to use and timely, they need to address people’s real needs, especially at the local level, and should ultimately reflect the resources available,” said Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Director, Country Health Policies and Systems, WHO/Europe. “This means that any successful guideline needs to be adjusted and adapted to local contexts and realities.”
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Evidence-based psychological interventions are an important part of health, social, protection and education services and can help increase access to effective mental health treatments and progression towards universal health coverage.
This manual provides managers and others responsible for plan...ning and delivering services with practical guidance on how to implement manualized psychological interventions for adults, adolescents and children. It covers the five key implementation steps: make an implementation plan; adapt for context; prepare the workforce; identify, assess and support potential beneficiaries; and monitor and evaluate the service.
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Supplement
HIV testing services
December 2016
Este documento de orientação para elaboração de um plano nacional de operacionalização e vacinação (NDVP) apresenta um esquema que auxilia os países a: desenvolver e atualizar o respectivo NDVP para a introdução de vacinas contra a COVID-19; elaborar estratégias para a operacionalizaçã...o e o monitoramento da(s) vacina(s) contra a COVID-19 no país; garantir que o plano e o financiamento relacionado estejam bem alinhados a outros planos nacionais de suporte à recuperação e resposta à COVID-19, e que a implementação esteja totalmente integrada nos mecanismos nacionais de governança.Este documento de orientação baseia-se em documentos de orientação já existentes sobre a introdução de novas vacinas, elaborados anteriormente pela OMS mediante consulta com especialistas no assunto, e é embasado por materiais recentes sobre vacinas contra a COVID-19, endossados pelo SAGE OMS
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Interim Guidance.
A number of medical problems have been reported in survivors, including mental health issues. Ebola virus may persist in some body fluids, including semen. Ebola survivors need comprehensive support for the medical and psychosocial challenges they face and also to minimize the ...risk of continued Ebola virus transmission. WHO has developed this document to guide health services on how to provide quality care to survivors of Ebola virus disease
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The purpose of this document is to present and promote the minimum requirements for IPC programmes at the national and health care facility level, identified by expert consensus according to available evidence and in the context of the WHO core components.
The minimum requirements are defined as: I...PC standards that should be in place at the national and facility level to provide minimum protection and safety to patients, HCWs and visitors, based on the WHO core components for IPC programmes.
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WHO Vaccine Management Handbook
Updated 20 Nov. 2020
Countries can use this checklist of hospital governance, structures, plans and protocols to rapidly determine the current capacities of hospitals to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify gaps and major areas that require investment and action for the development of h...ospital readiness improvement plans. The tool can be used periodically to monitor hospital emergency operational readiness capacity development
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Inerim Guidance for health-care providers. This document describes guidance for a supportive response by healthcare providers (e.g. physicians, nurses), focusing primarily on women affected by Zika virus infection during pregnancy and their families, for their mental health and psychosocial needs.
This report presents country, regional and global estimates of low birth weight for 2000, together with a detailed description of the methods used in calculating the estimates. Some limited data on trends are also included. The limitations of low-birth-weight data are described and recommendations a...re made for further improvements in the data for this important indicator of health.
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WHO recommends interpersonal therapy (IPT) as a possible first line treatment for depression. With this new manual, the World Health Organization (WHO) gives guidance on the use of interpersonal therapy (IPT) using a 8 session group protocol. The manual - which is part of WHO’s mhGAP programme - d...escribes IPT in a simplified format for use by supervised facilitators who may not have received previous training in mental health.
Available in Swahili and Farsi
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The document "Priority medical devices list for the COVID-19 response and associated technical specifications" complements this guideline.
This document provides interim guidance on the quality, performance characteristics and related standards of personal protective equipment (PPE) to be used i...n the context of COVID-19. This includes WHO Priority Medical Devices, specifically: surgical masks, non-surgical masks, gloves, googles, face shields, gowns and N95 masks. It is intended for procurement agencies, occupational health departments, infection prevention and control departments or focal points, health facility administrators, biomedical and materials engineering, PPE manufacturers and public health authorities at both national and facility levels.
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This document is part three in a series of explainers on vaccine development and distribution. Part one focused on how vaccines work to protect our bodies from disease-carrying germs. Part two focused on the ingredients in a vaccine and the three clinical trial phases.
This document outlines the... next part of the vaccine journey: the steps from completing the clinical trial phases through to distribution.
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