Community-based strategies play a significant role in many health systems in low- and middle-income countries, especially in light of critical shortages in the health workforce. The term community health worker has been used to refer to volunteers and salaried, professional or lay health workers wit...h a wide range of training, experience, scope of practice and integration in health systems. In the context of this study, we use the term community-based practitioner (CBPs) to reflect the diverse nature of these cadres of health workers.
CBPs provide preventive, promotive, curative and palliative services across a range of areas, including reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, control of other endemic diseases, and noncommunicable diseases. Significant evidence has emerged over the past two decades on their effectiveness, which has triggered interest in the potential to use their services to expand access to care, in particular in rural and underserved areas where deployment and retention of more qualified health workers is problematic. Calls have been made to integrate CBP programmes in human resources and health strategies, and to scale up rapidly the extent and coverage of CBP initiatives.
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14 March 2022. Ukraine emergency response
WHO appreciates offers of contributions of supply support in solidarity with the affected population of the current conflict in Ukraine.
Please note that supply into and within Ukraine is seriously constrained by continuously shifting conflict zones, d...amage to infrastructure and potential shortages of power and fuel. The WHO priority is to supply critically needed items in a manner that is safe, secure, and responsive to the environment in which we are operating in. Access constraints require that logistics planning and capacity are paramount if supplies are to move smoothly to destinations where they are needed.
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The guidelines are presented in the form of the following chapters:
Chapter 1: Floods status and context
Chapter 2: Institutional framework and financial arrangements
Chapter 3: Flood prevention, preparedness and mitigation
Chapter 4: Flood forecasting and warning in India
C...hapter 5: Dams, reservoirs and other water shortages
Chapter 6: Regulation and enforcement
Chapter 7: Capacity development
Chapter 8: Flood response
Chapter 9: Implementation of guidelines: preparation of flood management plans
Chapter 10: Summary of action points
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Background: Investing in the health workforce is key to achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. However, achieving these Goals requires addressing a projected global shortage of 18 million health workers (mostly in low- and middle-income countries). Within that context, in 2016, ...the World Health Assembly adopted the WHO Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030. In the Strategy, the role of official development assistance to support the health workforce is an area of interest. The objective of this study is to examine progress on implementing the Global Strategy by updating previous analyses that estimated and examined official development assistance targeted towards human resources for health. Methods: We leveraged data from IHME’s Development Assistance for Health database, COVID development assistance database and the OECD’s Creditor Reporting System online database. We utilized an updated keyword list to identify the relevant human resources for health-related activities from the project databases. When possible, we also estimated the fraction of human resources for health projects that considered and/or focused on gender as a key factor. We described trends, examined changes in the availability of human resources for health-related development assistance since the adoption of the Global Strategy and compared disease burden and availability of donor resources.
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Africa is experiencing an increasing burden of cardiac arrhythmias. Unfortunately, the expanding need for appropriate care remains largely unmet because of inadequate funding, shortage of essential medical expertise, and the high cost of diagnostic equipment and treatment modalities. Thus, patients ...receive suboptimal care. A total of 5 of 34 countries (15%) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) lack a single trained cardiologist to provide basic cardiac care. One-third of the SSA countries do not have a single pacemaker center, and more than one-half do not have a coronary catheterization laboratory. Only South Africa and several North African countries provide complete services for cardiac arrhythmias, leaving more than hundreds of millions of people in SSA without access to arrhythmia care considered standard in other parts of the world. Key strategies to improve arrhythmia care in Africa include greater government health care funding, increased emphasis on personnel training through fellowship programs, and greater focus on preventive care.
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Over 1 million women in Burkina Faso caught between conflict and COVID-19
More than a million women and girls in Burkina Faso are facing increased sexual violence, hunger and water shortage as a result of the coronavirus pandemic on top of the existing conflict, said Oxfam today.
In its report “...Women in Burkina Faso’s crisis: survivors and heroines”, Oxfam reveals that women and girls are exposed to unprecedented risks including daily harassment and aggression, especially in the fields and at water points.
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Medical oxygen is an essential medicine in the treatment of COVID-19. How is it used? Why is there a shortage in some countries and what are WHO, partners and Governments doing about it? WHO’s Dr Janet Diaz explains in Science in 5.
The spread of COVID-19 poses a challenge for emerging markets such as those in Africa and Latin America. While governments around the world are suffering from a shortage of ventilators, hospital beds, and personal protective equipment, availability of these items is already extremely limited in some... countries.
You can also view the results in the interactive dashboard below, which will be updated with new data over time.
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The spread of COVID-19 poses a challenge for emerging markets such as those in Africa and Latin America. While governments around the world are suffering from a shortage of ventilators, hospital beds, and personal protective equipment, availability of these items is already extremely limited in some... countries. In Africa, countries including Mali, Liberia, and Burkina Faso have only a few ventilators available to aid their populations, and there is also a lack of reliable oxygen supplies, ICUs, and healthcare workers to treat the sick. Additionally, many countries in Africa are already suffering from food insecurity and weak economies, which will worsen the long-term effects of coronavirus.
Keeping these factors in mind, GeoPoll conducted a remote study in 12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa on the effects coronavirus is already having on people throughout the region.
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Policy Brief.
Our understanding of how to diagnose and manage Long COVID is still evolving but the condition can be very debilitating. It is associated with a range of overlapping symptoms including generalized chest and muscle pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive dysfunction, and the ...mechanisms involved affect multiple system and include persisting inflammation, thrombosis, and autoimmunity. It can affect anyone, but women and health care workers seem to be at greater risk.
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Persons with acute respiratory illness with sudden onset of at least one of the following: cough, sore throat, shortness of breath or fever [≥ 38°C (measured) or history of fever (subjective)] irrespective of admission status AND In the 14 days prior to onset of symptoms, met at least one of the ...following epidemiological criteria: Were in close contact1 with a confirmed2 or probable3 case of SARS-CoV-2 infection; OR Had a history of travel to areas with presumed ongoing community transmission of SARS-CoV-2; (Visit WWW.NICD.AC.ZA for an updated case definition). OR Worked in, or attended a health care facility where patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections were being treated. OR Admitted with severe pneumonia of unknown aetiology.
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Asthma is a chronic lung disease affecting people of all ages. It is caused by inflammation and muscle tightening around the airways, which makes it harder to breathe.
Symptoms can include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. These symptoms can be mild or severe and can co...me and go over time.
Although asthma can be a serious condition, it can be managed with the right treatment. People with symptoms of asthma should speak to a health professional.
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Asthma is a chronic lung disease, a respiratory condition marked by spasms in the bronchi of the lungs. It causes difficulty in breathing, and includes symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Asthma affects people in varying degrees. For some, the symptoms are minor; for others,... they may be life threatening.
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The document provides information on managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It emphasizes the importance of recognizing early symptoms such as persistent coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing. The guide offers practical advice, including quitting smoking, avoiding lung irritant...s, regular consultations with healthcare providers, and seeking support from friends and caregivers. It also highlights the value of preparing for medical visits, noting symptoms, understanding risk factors, and taking notes during appointments to maximize treatment effectiveness.
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Asthma is a chronic lung disease affecting people of all ages. It is caused by inflammation and muscle tightening around the airways, which makes it harder to breathe.Symptoms can include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. These symptoms can be mild or severe and can come a...nd go over time.
Although asthma can be a serious condition, it can be managed with the right treatment. People with symptoms of asthma should speak to a health professional.
more
Asthma is a chronic lung disease affecting people of all ages. It is caused by inflammation and muscle tightening around the airways, which makes it harder to breathe.
Symptoms can include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. These symptoms can be mild or severe and can co...me and go over time.
Although asthma can be a serious condition, it can be managed with the right treatment. People with symptoms of asthma should speak to a health professional.
more
The Mediclinic article on silicosis provides an overview of this occupational lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust. It explains that inhaled silica particles lead to lung scarring and nodule formation, progressively impairing breathing. The article outlines symptoms such as shortness of breat...h, severe cough, fatigue, loss of appetite, chest pains, and fever. Diagnosis involves a medical examination, detailed occupational history, lung function tests, and imaging like chest X-rays or CT scans to detect lung scarring and nodules. While silicosis is irreversible with no specific cure, management focuses on preventing further silica exposure and treating complications. Preventive measures include maintaining high occupational health standards to control silica dust exposure.
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Asthma is a chronic lung disease affecting people of all ages. It is caused by inflammation and muscle tightening around the airways, which makes it harder to breathe.
Symptoms can include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. These symptoms can be mild or severe and can co...me and go over time.
Although asthma can be a serious condition, it can be managed with the right treatment. People with symptoms of asthma should speak to a health professional.
more
Asthma is a long term illness of the lungs that causes the airways to become inflamed and produce lots of mucus. Viral infections, cold air, allergens, exercise, and smoke make the airways “twitchy”; they close easily causing asthma attacks with coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath (see wh...at is asthma). Between attacks the airways are inflamed (see what is an allergy).
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The Mediclinic Infohub article on silicosis provides an overview of this occupational lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust. It explains that inhaled silica particles lead to lung scarring and nodule formation, progressively impairing breathing. The article outlines symptoms such as shortness ...of breath, severe cough, fatigue, loss of appetite, chest pains, and fever. Diagnosis involves a medical examination, detailed occupational history, lung function tests, and imaging like chest X-rays or CT scans to detect lung scarring and nodules. While silicosis is irreversible with no specific cure, management focuses on preventing further silica exposure and treating complications. Preventive measures include maintaining high occupational health standards to control silica dust exposure.
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