In 2020, UNRWA will continue to support Palestine refugees affected by the protracted crisis through providing relief assistance and ensuring access to essential education and health services. Drawing on its existing structures, supply chains and capacities, the Agency will continue to adapt its int...erventions to respond to ongoing and evolving needs in an effective and agile manner. In Syria, it is expected that the spontaneous return of Palestine refugees from within and outside the country will continue in areas that experience relative calm and where basic infrastructure is rehabilitated, as observed in Sbeineh and Khan Eshieh camps in recent years. In 2020, UNRWA will increase its efforts to rehabilitate its facilities and restore its services in areas of spontaneous return, including in Dera’a, where small scale returns have been observed in 2019.
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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 RehApp is specifically designed for fieldworkers in low-and middle-income countries and aims to enhance their capacity to work with people with disabilities within the community: assess their abilities and inabilities, design rehabilitation interventions, provide care and support and refer appro...priately. It consists of different chapters – covering various types of impairments – organised according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, commonly known as the ICF.
The RehApp is available for free, and once downloaded, it can be used in any setting without internet access. It is currently available in English, French, Nepali, and Portuguese. Several chapters area also available in Amharic, Burmese, Khmer, Spanish, Tajik and Vietnamese. The App is available for Apple and for Android.
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To eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) by 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a campaign against the disease. Since the launch in 2000, significant progress has been made to achieve this ambitious goal. In this article we review the progress and status of the LF programme in Afric...a through the WHO neglected
tropical diseases preventive chemotherapy databank, the Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN) portal and other publications. In the African Region there are 35 countries endemic for LF. The Gambia was reclassified as not requiring preventive chemotherapy in 2015, while Togo and Malawi eliminated LF as a public health problem in 2017 and 2020, respectively. Cameroon discontinued mass drug administration (MDA) and transitioned to post-MDA surveillance to validate elimination. The trajectory of coverage continues to accelerate; treatment coverage increased from 0.1% in 2000 to 62.1% in 2018. Geographical coverage has also significantly increased, from 62.7% in 2015 to 78.5% in 2018. In 2019, 23 of 31 countries requiring MDA achieved 100% geographic coverage. Although much remains to be done, morbidity management and disability prevention services have steadily increased in recent years. Vector control interventions conducted by other programmes, particularly malaria vector control, have had a profound effect in stopping transmission in some endemic countries in the region. In conclusion, significant progress has been made in the LF programme
in the region while we identify the key remaining challenges in achieving an Africa free of LF.
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The Cholera Outbreak Guidelines: Preparedness, Prevention, and Control provide a practical field guide for responding to cholera outbreaks. Developed by Oxfam GB, the guidelines combine lessons from past cholera interventions and best practices for effective outbreak management. The document outline...s key strategies, including preparedness planning, rapid response to outbreaks, water and sanitation improvements, hygiene education, and coordination among stakeholders. It covers both non-endemic and endemic cholera outbreaks, offering step-by-step guidance on surveillance, intervention, and monitoring. The aim is to ensure community-based, gender-sensitive, and rapid public health responses to control cholera and minimize mortality.
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Existing data on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) prevalence are irregularly distributed around the world, and in many geographic regions data are scarce or even nonexistent. This fact hinders the implementation of adequate preventive and therapeutic interventions to reduce the high burd...en and costs of COPD. In the current study, we have used the Geographic Information System (GIS) inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation technique with the objective of visualising spatial data of COPD prevalence in the world and obtaining a visual impression of the magnitude of this global health problem. GIS has been recognised as an effective tool to display the geographical distribution of data, even when they are few and widely separated, as is the case with the prevalence of COPD.
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The Coronavirus is spreading globally. How can individuals, communities and humanitarian actors best respond to the COVID-19 outbreak? How can the Sphere Handbook guide our response?
This document has two sections: A. The first section covers fundamental principles which are crucial to a succe...ssful, holistic intervention. B. The second covers relevant standards and guidance in the handbook’s WASH and Health chapters.
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Updated 8 June 2021. The document has two sections:
A. The first section covers fundamental principles which are crucial to a successful, holistic intervention.
B. The second covers relevant standards and guidance in the handbook’s Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion (WASH) and Health... chapters.
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This evaluation is the first systematic effort by UNICEF to generate evidence on how well its global as well as country level Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) strategies have worked, including their acceptance and ownership in various contexts and appropriateness of investments in c...apacity development and supply components. Overall, the evaluation recommends that UNICEF continue to promote and support CMAM as a viable approach to preventing and addressing severe acute malnutrition (SAM), with an emphasis on prevention through strengthening community outreach and integrating CMAM into national health systems and with other intervention
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Infection 2023 Oct;51(5):1399-1406. doi: 10.1007/s15010-023-01999-9. Epub 2023 Feb 20.
The results indicate a significantly higher rate of infections with S. mansoni in street children compared with orphans. This might be explained by the lack of access to adequate sanitation for street children ...as well as regular contact with the water of Lake Victoria. However, we did not find similar results concerning infection rates with protozoa. The study results show overall inadequate living conditions in this study population, which could be addressed by public health interventions.
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During the pandemic, Brazil has provided its citizens with support in the areas of long-term care and disability, the labor market, social assistance, education, and pensions. This report focuses on two social policy areas, health-care and family benefits (including labor policies), as these were th...e most crucial social policies implemented in Brazil during the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of the resources allocated and the magnitude of social impact. Brazil’s relatively generous social policies were uncoordinated with public health interventions, which contributed to poor compliance with these public health interventions. This suggests that social policy initiatives alone are insufficient in mitigating the social consequences of the pandemic. They need to be accompanied by and coordinated with public health measures, including regulations on testing, social distancing and mask wearing.
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The article "Barriers and determinants of asthma control in children and adolescents in Africa: a systematic review" analyzes factors contributing to poor asthma control in African youth. Based on studies conducted between 2014 and 2019 in Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa, the review identifies key... challenges such as limited access to asthma diagnosis, inadequate use of inhaled corticosteroids, and environmental and socio-economic factors. It finds that urban living, older age, and concurrent allergic conditions significantly affect asthma management. The study emphasizes the need for improved diagnostic tools, better access to treatment, and tailored public health interventions to enhance asthma outcomes in African children.
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The document provides comprehensive guidelines on cholera outbreak management, including prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. It emphasizes rapid response measures, the importance of rehydration therapy (oral and intravenous), and public health interventions such as water sanitation, hygiene promot...ion, and disease surveillance to control the spread of cholera in affected communities. It is designed as a resource for healthcare providers and public health officials.
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The document, "Progress on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases," reports on global efforts to reduce the impact of NCDs, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, following the commitments made at high-level United Nations meetings. It highlights ...the inadequate progress in meeting the targets set under the Sustainable Development Goal 3.4 to reduce premature NCD mortality by one-third by 2030. Key challenges include insufficient funding, limited implementation of effective interventions, and political and economic barriers, especially in low-income countries. The report calls for strengthened international cooperation, policy reform, and innovative approaches to meet global health targets.
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BMJ Global Health2020;5:e002914. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002914
The evidence produced in mathematical models plays a key role in shaping policy decisions in pandemics. A key question is therefore how well pandemic models relate to their implementation contexts. Drawing on the cases of Ebola and in...fluenza, we map how sociological and anthropological research contributes in the modelling of pandemics to consider lessons for COVID-19. We show how models detach from their implementation contexts through their connections with global narratives of pandemic response, and how sociological and anthropological research can help to locate models differently. This potentiates multiple models of pandemic response attuned to their emerging situations in an iterative and adaptive science. We propose a more open approach to the modelling of pandemics which envisages the model as an intervention of deliberation in situations of evolving uncertainty. This challenges the ‘business-as-usual’ of evidence-based approaches in global health by accentuating all science, within and beyond pandemics, as ‘emergent’ and ‘adaptive’.
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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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The twentieth century ended with human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) epidemics raging across many parts of Africa. Resistance to existing drugs was emerging, and many programs aiming to contain the disease had ground to a halt, given previous success against HAT and the competing priorities associat...ed with other medical crises ravaging the continent. A series of dedicated interventions and the introduction of innovative routes to develop drugs, involving Product Development Partnerships, has led to a dramatic turnaround in the fight against HAT caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. The World Health Organization have been able to optimize the use of existing tools to monitor and intervene in the disease. A promising new oral medication for stage 1 HAT, pafuramidine maleate, ultimately failed due to unforeseen toxicity issues. However, the clinical trials for this compound demonstrated the possibility of conducting such trials in the resource-poor settings of rural Africa.
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The document, "Progress on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases," reports on global efforts to reduce the impact of NCDs, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, following the commitments made at high-level United Nations meetings. It highlights ...the inadequate progress in meeting the targets set under the Sustainable Development Goal 3.4 to reduce premature NCD mortality by one-third by 2030. Key challenges include insufficient funding, limited implementation of effective interventions, and political and economic barriers, especially in low-income countries. The report calls for strengthened international cooperation, policy reform, and innovative approaches to meet global health targets.
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Recent increases in family planning (FP) use have been reported among women of reproductive age in union (WRAU) in Senegal. However, trends have not been monitored among harder-to-reach groups (including adolescents, unmarried and rural poor women), key to understanding whether FP progress is equita...ble. We combined data from six Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in Senegal between 1992/93 and 2014. We examined FP trends over time among WRAU and subgroups, and trends in knowledge of FP and intention to use among women with unmet need for FP. Our results show that percent demand satisfied is lower among rural poor women and adolescents than WRAU, although higher among unmarried women. Marked recent increases have been observed in all subgroups, however fewer than 50% of women in need of FP use modern contraception in Senegal. Knowledge of FP has risen steadily among women with unmet need; however, intention to use FP has remained stable at around 40% since 2005 for all groups except unmarried women (75% of whom intend to use). Significant progress in meeting the need for FP has been achieved in Senegal, but more needs to be done particularly to improve acceptability of FP, and to strategically target interventions toward adolescents and rural poor women.
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Constituting the second part of the World Drug Report 2022, the present booklet contains an overview of the global demand for and supply of drugs.
The first chapter of the booklet begins with the latest estimates of the number of people who use drugs, the distribution of those users by type of drug...s, age and sex, and recent trends in the use of drugs. The chapter also reviews the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on drug use patterns and service provision. Other issues examined in the chapter are the health consequences of drug use, including the number of people in treatment for drug use disorders and the extent of drug injecting and of HIV and hepatitis C among people who inject drugs. The chapter concludes with a review of the extent to which strategies, policies and interventions are in place to respond to the drug use problem.
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