March 2020
The number of African Union Member States reporting COVID-
19 cases is increasing and there is a likelihood of community transmission. The WHO recently modified the COVID-19 suspect case definition to include severe acute respiratory infection and advises testing of all severe acute r...espiratory illness (SARI) cases.1 However, many Member States have not yet started implementing these changes, they are still focussing surveillance efforts on individuals with travel history to an area with local COVID-19 transmission. This means patients with similar symptoms, but no apparent contact, may not
be investigated.
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28 January 2021. The purpose of this document is to provide interim guidance on laboratory biosafety related to the testing of clinical specimens of patients.
South Africa has recorded its first case of monkeypox today, 23 June 2022. The Minister of
Health Dr. Joe Phaahla explained that he received a report from the National Health
Laboratory Services’ CEO that they have confirmed through laboratory tests the first case of
monkeypox in South Africa. ...South Africa's monkeypox patient zero is a 30-year-old man from
Johannesburg.
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has prepared an
information sheet to better understand monkeypox, the symptoms to treatment.
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Advice and guidance on the health needs of migrant patients for healthcare practitioners.
Chagas disease is increasingly reported in Latin American migrants who have settled in Europe. It has rarely been reported in the UK due to lack of testing and awareness.
Chagas disease (American trypanosomia...sis) is a zoonosis caused by the flagellate protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi.
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Substantial progress in the fight against HIV has been made over the past decade. Advances in HIV prevention, testing, and treatment have been matched by declines in HIV incidence and HIV-related deaths. The success of Botswana reaching the 95-95-95 targets, despite resource limitations, points to a... hopeful future. However, the recent publication of In Danger: UNAIDS Global AIDS Update 2022, the UNAIDS annual report, paints a sobering picture of the fragility of these gains.
Stagnating financing for the HIV response, alongside continued global inequities, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, jeopardises progress. Current projections indicate that neither the UNAIDS 2025 95-95-95 targets nor the goal of ending the AIDS
epidemic by 2030 will be met.
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Março de 2020
O número de Estados Membros da União Africana a reportarem
casos do COVID-19 está a aumentar e existe uma probabilidade de transmissão comunitária. A OMS modificou recentemente a definição
de caso suspeito do COVID-19, de modo a incluir infecção respiratória aguda grave... e aconselha a testagem de todos os casos de doença respiratória aguda grave (SARI).1 Contudo, muitos Estados Membros ainda não começaram a implementar estas alterações, pois ainda estão a concentrar os esforços na vigilância de indivíduos com histórico de viagem para uma área com transmissão local do COVID-19. Isto significa que os doentes com sintomas semelhantes, mas sem contacto aparente, podem não ser investigados.
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SARS-CoV-2 infections among children and adolescents cause less severe illness and fewer deaths compared to adults. While a less severe course of infection is a positive outcome, there are concerns that mild symptoms may have led to less testing, resulting in fewer identified cases of COVID-19 in ch...ildren. If children with mild or no symptoms transmit the disease, they may act as drivers of transmission within their communities. Understanding symptoms, infectivity and patterns of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in children and adolescents is essential for developing, adapting and improving control measures for COVID-19 across all ages. This is a summary of the current knowledge around SARS-CoV-2 infection acquisition and transmission and COVID-19 disease symptoms in children and adolescents. It aims to inform decisions, based on local contexts, on how to best keep schools, kindergarten and day-care facilities open and what advice to apply to intergenerational mixing.
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Les manuels de formation TACT et la brochure destinée aux patients ont été élaborés dans le cadre de l'initiative du consortium ACT visant à améliorer la prise en charge du paludisme en encourageant l'utilisation correcte des tests de diagnostic rapide (TDR). L'initiative TACT (Targeting ACTs...) vise à garantir l'utilisation appropriée des combinaisons thérapeutiques à base d'artémisinine (ACT), en ne traitant que les cas de paludisme confirmés et en orientant les patients vers d'autres traitements pour les maladies fébriles non liées au paludisme. Les manuels proposent une formation interactive sur le lieu de travail pour aider les personnels de santé à passer d'un traitement présomptif à un diagnostic fondé sur des tests, conformément à la politique de l'OMS. La brochure d'accompagnement destinée aux patients, disponible en anglais et en swahili, s'appuie sur des récits illustrés pour expliquer l'utilité et le fonctionnement des TDR, répondre aux inquiétudes les plus courantes et encourager la confiance dans les résultats des tests. Ces documents, dont la clarté et la compréhension ont été testées au préalable, permettent d'opérer des changements durables dans la pratique clinique et la communication avec les patients au sein des établissements de soins primaires tanzaniens.
Accessed on 03/07/2025.
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Os manuais de formação TACT e o folheto para o paciente foram desenvolvidos no âmbito da iniciativa do ACT Consortium para melhorar a gestão dos casos de malária e promover a utilização correta dos testes de diagnóstico rápido (RDT). A iniciativa TACT ("Targeting ACTs") visa garantir a util...ização adequada das terapias combinadas à base de artemisinina (ACT), tratando apenas os casos de malária confirmados e orientando os cuidados alternativos para outras doenças febris. Os manuais oferecem formação interativa, baseada no local de trabalho, para auxiliar os profissionais de saúde na transição do tratamento presuntivo para um diagnóstico baseado em testes, em conformidade com a política da OMS. O folheto para o paciente, disponível em inglês e suáili, utiliza histórias ilustradas para explicar a importância e o objetivo dos TDR, abordar preocupações comuns e incentivar a confiança nos resultados dos testes. Após terem sido pré-testados quanto à sua clareza e compreensão, estes materiais apoiam mudanças sustentáveis na prática clínica e na comunicação com os doentes no âmbito dos cuidados de saúde primários na Tanzânia.
Accessed on 03/07/2025.
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This case study uses the Astana Primary Health Care (PHC) framework to explore the impact of the 2020–21 pandemic on primary health care in Kenya. While the pandemic exposed systemic challenges, such as limited testing capacity, an inadequate supply of PPE, and weak social protection, Kenya's heal...th system also demonstrated notable adaptability. The response was largely hospital-centred, with PHC playing a secondary role. Nevertheless, innovations emerged on both the provider and consumer sides to maintain service delivery and access. The study emphasises the importance of building on these experiences to enhance emergency preparedness and develop a more robust and integrated health system.
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Cotonou Declaration oBuruli Ulcer
Cotonou, Benin, 30 March 2009
Neglected tropical diseases kill, weaken or incapacitate millions of people every year, causing permanent physical suffering, social stigmatization and reduced productive capacity. Buruli ulcer, one such disease, causes immense suffer...ing and disabilities, especially among children. Delayed schooling and loss of productivity are considerable among the affected populations. These adverse consequences tend to aggravate poverty in affected communities. Globally, the disease has been reported in 30 countries. In WHO’s African Region, Buruli ulcer has been confirmed in 12 countries and is suspected in 10 others.
Significant progress has been made in the past 10 years in knowledge of Buruli
ulcer, investments in related research, control of the disease, and improvement
of tools for case diagnosis and development of treatment protocols. Substantial achievements have been made in diagnosis, treatment, immunology and epidemiology. Despite these achievements, little is known about the exact mode of transmission of the disease, and there is no simple diagnostic test usable in the field.
The use of antibiotics has revolutionized treatment and contributed to reducing the need for surgery by half. However, efforts are still needed to develop simple diagnostic tools usable in the field as well as disability prevention methods. The Global Buruli Ulcer Initiative has adopted the strategy recommended by WHO. The strategy is based on early diagnosis of the disease and the use of antibiotics for treatment upon the onset of the first signs by improving access to screening and case management at the most peripheral level of the health system.
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This summary assesses the current state of evidence on each approach in tabular form, providing: the definition and objectives; evidence of effectiveness; operational considerations (e.g., training, staffing, and logistics); cost considerations and evidence on cost-effectiveness; operational success...es and challenges; and areas for future research and learning. This document is not intended to endorse any particular approach. Rather, it aims to objectively present the state of the existing evidence on each approach, so as to inform decision-making among practitioners looking to further test, refine and implement such approaches.
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Abridged version. In this abridged version of the Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Follow-Up of at-risk neonates, we provide recommendations for the care of newborns up to 2 years of age, corresponding to the first phase of their follow-up. The recommendations are intended for all... health sector staff responsible for the primary care of these neonates: general practitioners, family practitioners, pediatricians, neonatologists, pediatric ophthalmologists, pediatric otolaryngologists, nursing professionals, specialists in other fields, and multidisciplinary staff involved in the care process. The purpose of these guidelines is to facilitate policy implementation processes carried out by decision-makers and members of government bodies, and will also be useful for parents, mothers, and caregivers. The main topics covered by this document include the hospital discharge criteria, including screening tests; information and support for parents, mothers, and caregivers; screening at the follow-up visit, and the frequency of follow-ups until the infant is 2 years of age. These guidelines do not address matters related to nursing or comorbidities.
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The Practical manual on laboratory strengthening, 2022 update provides practical guidance on implementation of WHO recommendations and best practices for TB laboratory strengthening. It is an updated version of the GLI Practical Guide to Laboratory Strengthening published in 2017 and provides the la...test practical guidance on use of newly recommended diagnostics as well as guidance in key technical areas, including quality assurance and quality management systems, specimen collection and registration, procurement and supply-chain management, diagnostic connectivity, biosafety, data management, human resources, strategic planning, and model algorithms. The key changes are:
inclusion of recent or updated WHO recommendations for tests to diagnose TB and detect drug resistance;
alignment with the latest WHO critical concentrations for phenotypic drug-susceptibility testing (DST) and the new definitions of pre-XDR-TB and XDR-TB;
updated information on building quality-assured TB testing and management capacity using the Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) approach (Score-TB package1);
updated information on assessing, analysing and optimising TB diagnostic networks; and
updated information on the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) to detect mutations associated with drug resistance for surveillance purposes.
The document also provides references to resources and tools relevant for work on laboratory strengthening.
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Little is known about foreign aid provided by private donors. This paper contributes to closing this research gap by comparing the allocation of private humanitarian aid to that of official humanitarian aid awarded to 140 recipient countries over the 2000-2016 period. We construct a new database tha...t offers information on the country in which the headquarters of private donors are located to test whether private donors follow the aid allocation pattern of their home country. Our empirical results confirm that private aid “follows the flag.” This finding is robust against the inclusion of various fixed effects, estimating instrumental variables models, and disaggregating private aid into corporate aid and NGO aid. Donor country-specific estimations reveal that private aid from China, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States “follow the flag.”
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Pour une intervention efficace et efficiente de lutte anti-vectorielle, il est nécessaire de disposer au préalable des informations sur l’écologie, le comportement et la dynamique des populations de vecteurs locaux. Après interventions, il est fondamental d'évaluer l'effet des opérations et... aussi de pouvoir détecter ou prédire les fluctuations inhabituelles des tendances qui peuvent avoir des conséquences significatives sur la maladie.
Pour cette raison, des scientifiques d'institutions de recherche, des programmes nationaux de lutte contre le paludisme et de l'OMS se sont réunis en Juin 2008, à Libreville (Gabon) pour élaborer le premier projet de document intitulé «procédures opérationnelles standardisées (SOP) pour la surveillance des vecteurs dans le cadre de la surveillance intégrée des maladies et la gestion intégrée des vecteurs ». Le Projet de document a été finalisé par deux consultants et envoyé aux 7 pays pilotes pour être testé sur le terrain.
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The toolkit's purpose is to:
improve the primary health care response for older persons.
sensitize and educate primary health care workers about the specific needs of their older clients.
provide primary care health workers with a set of tools/instruments to assess older people's hea...lth.
raise awareness among primary care health workers of the accumulation of minor/major disabilities experienced by older people.
provide guidance on how to make primary health care management procedures more responsive to the needs of older people's needs.
offer direction on how to do environmental audits to test primary health care centres for their age-friendliness.
The toolkit comprises a number of instruments (evaluation forms, slides, figures, graphs, diagrams, scale tables, country guidelines, exam sheets, screening tools, cards, checklists, etc.) that can be used by primary health care workers to assess and address older persons' health. These resources are meant to supplement and not to replace local and national materials and guidelines
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Open Journal of Epidemiology, 2018, 8, 226-241
Abstract
Introduction: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are a major public health issue
in developing countries, where roads tend to be built haphazardly and accidents
take a heavy toll on victims—including leaving them disabled. This
study seeks ...to identify those factors that cause RTA victims to become disabled
as a result of their injuries. Methods: This retrospective community-
based study looked at RTA victims treated in five public and faith-based
hospitals in Benin. Disability was evaluated using the Washington Group on
Disabilities Statistics questionnaire. The independent variables were related to
the victim’s socio-demographic traits, the circumstances of the accident, and
post-crash response mechanisms. The proportions were compared using the
chi-squared test, with a threshold of 5%. Results: The prevalence of disability
among road traffic accident victims is 9.59% (CI 95%: 6.86% - 13.20%). The
occurrence of disability is associated with age (p = 0.002), occupational group
(p = 0.0077), the mode of transport used to transfer the victim (p < 0.001)
and the location of the injuries (p = 0.0035). The study also found that people
fail to make sufficient use of post-crash response mechanisms. Conclusion:
Public policy-makers should therefore focus on stepping up interventions to
get more people using both protective equipment and post-crash response services.
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Ce rapport présente les résultats clés de la cinquième Enquête Démographique et de Santé du Cameroun
(EDSC-V) réalisée sur le terrain du 16 juin 2018 au 19 janvier 2019, par l’Institut National de la Statistique
(INS), en étroite collaboration avec le Ministère de la Santé Publique. ...L’enquête a été financée par le
Gouvernement camerounais, l’Agence des États-Unis pour le Développement International (USAID), le Fonds
des Nations Unies pour la Population (UNFPA) et le Fonds Mondial à travers le Programme National de Lutte
contre le Paludisme (PNLP). D’autres institutions ont également apporté leur expertise à la réalisation de cette
opération. Parmi elles figurent le Centre Pasteur du Cameroun (CPC) pour l’analyse des prélèvements sanguins
afin d’estimer la prévalence du VIH, et le Centre International de Référence Chantal Biya (CIRCB) pour le
contrôle de qualité externe des tests du VIH. ICF a fourni l’assistance technique à l’ensemble du projet par le
biais du Programme Mondial des Enquêtes Démographiques et de Santé, The DHS Program, financé par
l’USAID, et dont l’objectif est de fournir un soutien et une assistance technique aux pays du monde entier pour
la réalisation des enquêtes sur la population et la santé.
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Parasites & Vectors volume 11, Article number: 264 (2018)
Dengue creates a staggering epidemiological and economic burden for endemic countries. Without a specific therapy and with a commercial vaccine that presents some problems relative to its full effectiveness, initiatives to improve vector... control strategies, early disease diagnostics and the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs are priorities. In this study, we present the probable origins of dengue in America and the trajectories of its spread. Overall, dengue diagnostics are costly, making the monitoring of dengue epidemiology more difficult and affecting physicians’ therapeutic decisions regarding dengue patients, especially in developing countries. This review also highlights some recent and important findings regarding dengue in Brazil and the Americas. We also summarize the existing DENV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic tests to provide an improved reference since these tests are useful and accurate at discriminating DENV from other flaviviruses that co-circulate in the Americas. Additionally, these DENV PCR assays ensure virus serotyping, enabling epidemiologic monitoring.
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