This core package of materials provides a comprehensive introduction to the FAST strategy: a focused approach to stopping TB spread in congregate settings. In English, FAST stands for:
Finding TB cases
Actively,
Separating safely, and
Treating effectively.
FAST focuses health care workers on ...the most important TB transmission control intervention: effective treatment.
FAST can also be extrapolated to national policy where it serves as a framework for allocating resources to interventions that will have the greatest impact on reducing TB transmission.
This core package is composed of a booklet, job aids, posters, and a button which serves as a visual reminder to staff and patients of the importance of this strategy in TB control. FAST can be implemented in both general and TB specific medical settings.
For full package visit: https://drtbnetwork.org/fast-tb-infection-control-strategy-core-package
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The World Heart Federation (WHF) Roadmap series covers a large range of cardiovascular conditions. These Roadmaps identify potential roadblocks and their solutions to improve the prevention, detection and management of cardiovascular diseases and provide a generic global framework available for loca...l adaptation. A first Roadmap on raised blood pressure was published in 2015. Since then, advances in hypertension have included the publication of new clinical guidelines (AHA/ACC; ESC; ESH/ISH); the launch of the WHO Global HEARTS Initiative in 2016 and the associated Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) initiative in 2017; the inclusion of single-pill combinations on the WHO Essential
Medicines’ list as well as various advances in technology, in particular telemedicine and mobile health. Given the substantial benefit accrued from effective interventions in the management of hypertension and their potential for scalability in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), the WHF has now revisited and updated the ‘Roadmap for raised BP’ as ‘Roadmap for hypertension’
by incorporating new developments in science and policy. Even though cost-effective lifestyle and medical interventions to prevent and manage hypertension exist, uptake is still low, particularly in resource-poor areas. This Roadmap examined the roadblocks pertaining to both the demand side (demographic and socio-economic factors, knowledge and beliefs, social relations, norms, and
traditions) and the supply side (health systems resources and processes) along the patient pathway to propose a range of possible solutions to overcoming them. Those include the development of population-wide prevention and control programmes; the implementation of opportunistic screening and of out-of-office blood pressure measurements; the strengthening of primary care and a greater focus on task sharing and team-based care; the delivery of people-centred care and stronger patient and carer education; and the facilitation of adherence to treatment. All of the above are dependent upon the availability and effective distribution of good quality, evidencebased, inexpensive BP-lowering agents.
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Volume 3, Cancer, presents the complex patterns of cancer incidence and death around the world and evidence on effective and cost-effective ways to control cancers. The DCP3 evaluation of cancer will indicate where cancer treatment is ineffective and wasteful, and offer alternative cancer care packa...ges that are cost-effective and suited to low-resource settings. Main messages from the volume include:
-Quality matters in all aspects of cancer treatment and palliation.
-Cancer registries that track incidence, mortality, and survival paired with systems to capture causes of death are important to understanding the national cancer burden and the effect of interventions over time.
-Effective interventions exist at a range of prices. Adopting ‘resource appropriate’ measures which allow the most effective treatment for the greatest number of people will be advantageous to countries.
-Prioritizing resources toward early stage and curable cancers is likely to have the greatest health impact in low income settings.
-Research prioritization is no longer just a global responsibility.
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Every day, millions of women and girls worldwide experience violence. This abuse takes many forms, including intimate physical and sexual partner violence, female genital mutilation, child and forced marriage, sex trafficking, and rape. The Lancet Series on Violence against women and girls shows tha...t such abuse is preventable. Five papers cover the evidence base for interventions, discuss the vital role of the health sector in care and prevention, show the need for men and women to be involved in effective programmes, provide practical lessons from experience in countries, and present a call for action with five key recommendations and indicators to track progress. You can download articles and comments published in The Lancet
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Previous crises, such as the Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa in 2014, indicate the direct impact movement restrictions and disease containment efforts have on food availability, access, utilization and violence – particularly gender-based violence (GBV). The importance of maintaining and ...upscaling food security interventions for the most vulnerable populations, alongside the health sector’s efforts to avert disease spread, is therefore undeniable. The COVID-19 outbreak in South Sudan threatens to paralyze an already fragile food system and negatively impact more than 6.5 million people in South Sudan who remain vulnerable. At the same time, the core national capacities for prevention, preparedness and response for public health events is limited, and the healthcare system has been weakened by years of conflict, poor governance and low investments.
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National Child Traumatic Stress Network National Center for PTSD | The field of school safety and emergency management has evolved significantly over the past decade. Tragically, acts of violence, natural disasters, and terrorist attacks have taught us many lessons. We also know that other types of ...emergencies can impact schools, including medical emergencies, transportation accidents, sports injuries, peer victimization, public health emergencies, and the sudden death of a member of the school community. We now recognize the need for school emergency management plans that are up-to-date and take an “all-hazards” approach with clear communication channels and procedures that effectively reunite parents and caregivers with students. We have also learned that preparing school administrators, teachers, and school partnering agencies before a critical event is crucial for effective response, the value of ongoing training and emergency exercises, and that having intervention models that address the public health, mental health, and psychosocial needs of students and staff is essential to a safe school environment and the resumption of learning.
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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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Background: Data on burden of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and its attributable risk factors are valuable for policymaking. We aimed to estimate the burden and risk factors for PAD from 1990 to 2019.
Methods: We extracted the data on prevalence, incidence, death, years lived with disability (YLD...s), and years of life lost (YLLs) from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 to measure PAD burden. Moreover, the attributable burden to PAD risk factors was also estimated.
Results: Globally, in 2019, 113,443,017 people lived with PAD and 10,504,092 new cases occurred, resulting in 74,063 deaths, 500,893 YLDs, and 1,035,487 YLLs. The absolute numbers of PAD prevalent and incident cases significantly increased between 1990 and 2019, contrasting with the decline trends in age-standardized prevalence and incidence rates. However, no statistically significant changes were detected in the global age-standardized death or YLL rates. The burden of PAD and its temporal trends varied significantly by location, gender, age group, and social-demographic status. Among all potentially modifiable risk factors, age-standardized PAD deaths worldwide were primarily attributable to high fasting plasma glucose, followed by high systolic blood pressure, tobacco, kidney dysfunction, diet high in sodium, and lead exposure.
Conclusion: PAD remained a serious public health problem worldwide. More strategies aimed at implementing cost-effective interventions and addressing modifiable risk factors should be carried out, especially in regions with high or increasing burden.
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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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These guidelines were developed as part of Kenya's fast-track plan to end AIDS among adolescents and young people. Based on research into adolescent and young key populations in Kenya and elsewhere, they outline a package of HIV prevention services, and emphasize the need to combine biobehavioural i...nterventions with services in education, job skills training, mental health, and social care and protection.
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The aim of the register is to support rapid evidence synthesis by all systematic review producers, including Cochrane's work on Rapid Reviews in response to COVID-19. The register helps systematic reviewers prioritize topics, identify available evidence, and produce urgently needed reviews for front...-line health professionals, public health policymakers, and research teams developing new therapeutic, diagnostic, and preventive interventions for COVID-19.
The new COVID-19 Study Register will be continually updated with human studies on COVID-19. More background information about the register can be found here: https://community.cochrane.org/about-covid-19-study-register
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This infographic poster provides key information on the prevention, transmission and control of malaria in Southeast Asia. It highlights regional challenges, the behaviour of malaria vectors, and community-based strategies to build resilience against the disease. Designed for public health workers a...nd communities, its purpose is to raise awareness and promote effective malaria interventions that will reduce the disease's burden on the region. Accessed June 2025
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AHRO Reviews of Nursing is an international open-access journal that promotes the dissemination of quality knowledge in all aspects of nursing practice
The AHRO Review of Nursing (ARN) is an international, open-access, peer reviewed, scientific journal that seeks to promote the dissemination of q...uality knowledge related to all spheres of nursing practice. The primary aim is to promote a high standard of clinically related scholarship which advances and supports the practice and discipline of nursing. The Journal also aims to promote the international exchange of ideas and experience that draws from the different cultures in which practice takes place. Further, ARN seeks to enrich insight into clinical need and the implications for nursing intervention and models of service delivery. Emphasis is placed on promoting critical debate on the art and science of nursing practice.
ARN is essential reading for anyone involved in nursing practice, whether clinicians, researchers, educators, managers, policy makers, or students. The development of clinical practice and the changing patterns of inter-professional working are also central to ARN's scope of interest. Contributions are welcomed from other health professionals on issues that have a direct impact on nursing practice.
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Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the single most common cause of death globally. However, with falling CHD mortality rates, an increasingnumber of people live with CHD and may need support to manage their symptoms and improve prognosis. Cardiac rehabilitation is acomplex multifaceted intervention whi...ch aims to improve the health outcomes of people with CHD. Cardiac rehabilitation consists of threecore modalities: education, exercise training and psychological support. This is an update of a Cochrane systematic review previouslypublished in 2011, which aims to investigate the specific impact of the educational component of cardiac rehabilitation.
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The Malaria Atlas Project (MAP) is a global research initiative that provides high-resolution, evidence-based spatial data on malaria transmission, risk and impact. MAP combines field data, satellite imagery, and advanced geostatistical modelling to deliver open-access maps, datasets, and analytical... tools that support malaria control and elimination strategies worldwide. MAP empowers researchers, policymakers, and public health practitioners by providing them with accurate, up-to-date geographic insights to inform resource allocation and intervention planning.
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In 2015, the United Nations set important targets to reduce premature
cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths by 33% by 2030. Africa disproportionately
bears the brunt of CVD burden and has one of the highest risks of dying
from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide. There is currently
an epide...miological transition on the continent, where NCDs is projected
to outpace communicable diseases within the current decade. Unchecked
increases in CVD risk factors have contributed to the growing burden of three
major CVDs—hypertension, cardiomyopathies, and atherosclerotic diseasesleading to devastating rates of stroke and heart failure. The highest age
standardized disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to hypertensive heart
disease (HHD) were recorded in Africa. The contributory causes of heart failure
are changing—whilst HHD and cardiomyopathies still dominate, ischemic
heart disease is rapidly becoming a significant contributor, whilst rheumatic
heart disease (RHD) has shown a gradual decline. In a continent where health
systems are traditionally geared toward addressing communicable diseases,
several gaps exist to adequately meet the growing demand imposed by CVDs.
Among these, high-quality research to inform interventions, underfunded
health systems with high out-of-pocket costs, limited accessibility and
affordability of essential medicines, CVD preventive services, and skill
shortages. Overall, the African continent progress toward a third reduction
in premature mortality come 2030 is lagging behind. More can be done in
the arena of effective policy implementation for risk factor reduction and
CVD prevention, increasing health financing and focusing on strengthening
primary health care services for prevention and treatment of CVDs, whilst
ensuring availability and affordability of quality medicines. Further, investing
in systematic country data collection and research outputs will improve the accuracy of the burden of disease data and inform policy adoption on
interventions. This review summarizes the current CVD burden, important
gaps in cardiovascular medicine in Africa, and further highlights priority
areas where efforts could be intensified in the next decade with potential
to improve the current rate of progress toward achieving a 33% reduction
in CVD mortality.
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One of the principles underpinning the delivery of all essential services and coordination of those services is the “survivor-centered approach”, which places the human rights, needs, and wishes of women and girl survivors at the centre of service delivery.
A key challenge faced by many entit...ies working to end violence against women is ensuring that survivors’ voices and inputs are incorporated into policies, practices, and procedures on response. Survivors have diverse needs and face different risks. Not all women and girls experience violence in the same way. An effective intervention takes into account the realities of their unique circumstances, addresses individual needs, and reduces the risk for further harm and suffering.
UN Women, together with Global Rights for Women, have developed “Safe consultations with survivors of violence against women and girls”, which is designed to provide practical steps, safety measures, and actions that government agencies, civil society and survivor organizations, and United Nations’ entities can take to incorporate survivors' voices into systemic reform efforts, through safe and meaningful consultations.
This guidance is intended to help policymakers develop survivor-centered programming on ending violence against women and girls that meets the needs of diverse groups of women and girls, including those who are at higher risk of experiencing violence and discrimination. It is applicable to programming across the health, justice and policing, and social services sectors, as well as coordination of these sectors, and will help improve the standard and delivery of essential services for women and girls who have experienced violence.
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Cystic fibrosis (CF) was earlier thought to be a disease prevalent in the West among Caucasians. However, quite a number of recent studies have uncovered CF cases outside of this region, and reported hundreds of unique and novel variant forms of CFTR. Here, we discuss the evidence of CF in parts of... the world earlier considered to be rare; Africa, and Asia. This review also highlighted the CFTR mutation variations and new mutations discovered in these regions. This discovery implies that the CF data from these regions were earlier underestimated. The inadequate awareness of the disease in these regions might have contributed towards the poor diagnostic facilities, under-diagnosis or/and under-reporting, and the lack of CF associated health policies. Overall, these regions have a high rate of infant, childhood and early adulthood mortality due to CF. Therefore, there is a need for a thorough investigation of CF prevalence and to identify unique and novel variant mutations within these regions in order to formulate intervention plans, create awareness, develop mutation specific screening kits and therapies to keep CF mortality at bay.
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Background: Despite several cycles of Mass Drug Administration (MDA), however, the prevalence of Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) remains high in Bangladesh. A clear understanding of local knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to the acceptance and utilization of MDA is critical for ...effective implementation of this intervention.
Methods: This research, a cross-sectional descriptive study that utilized quantitative methods, was conducted between February and June 2017. A total of 380 questionnaire surveys were distributed to school-aged children (SAC), the parents of SAC, and school teachers.
Results: Out of 160 SACs, 81.9% knew of STH and 75.6% knew of MDA. SAC showed a high awareness of STH and recognized the importance of preventive measures and MDA. In terms of the parents of SAC and school teachers, close to half of the respondents were knowledgeable about STH and MDA. While nearly all of the participants held positive attitudes toward MDA, the respondents pointed out that school-based MDA presents severe limitations, as non-school-going children are neglected by this effort. A total of 68.3% of all school teachers and 56.8% of all parents of SAC found MDA efforts to be effective.
Conclusion: STH infections still remain a significant public health burden in Bangladesh. Reforming the MDA policy is necessary to achieve the target of STH elimination.
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Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the second common cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) accounting for about 35% of all deaths, after a composite of communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases. Despite prior perception of low NCDs mortality rates, current evidence suggests t...hat SSA is now at the dawn of the epidemiological transition with contemporary double burden of disease from NCDs and communicable diseases. In SSA, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the most frequent causes of NCDs deaths, responsible for approximately 13% of all deaths and 37% of all NCDs deaths. Although ischemic heart disease (IHD) has been identified as the leading cause of CVDs mortality in SSA followed by stroke and hypertensive heart disease from statistical models, real field data suggest IHD rates are still relatively low. The neglected endemic CVDs of SSA such as endomyocardial fibrosis and rheumatic heart disease as well as congenital heart diseases remain unconquered. While the underlying aetiology of heart failure among adults in high-income countries (HIC) is IHD, in SSA the leading causes are hypertensive heart disease, cardiomyopathy, rheumatic heart disease, and congenital heart diseases. Of concern is the tendency of CVDs to occur at younger ages in SSA populations, approximately two decades earlier compared to HIC. Obstacles hampering primary and secondary prevention of CVDs in SSA include insufficient health care systems and infrastructure, scarcity of cardiac professionals, skewed budget allocation and disproportionate prioritization away from NCDs, high cost of cardiac treatments and interventions coupled with rarity of health insurance systems. This review gives an overview of the descriptive epidemiology of CVDs in SSA, while contrasting with the HIC and highlighting impediments to their management and making recommendations.
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