This manual summarizes key issues related to the safety of NTD medicines and their administration, with a focus on essential medicines used in mass drug administration (MDA), also called preventive chemotherapy. It can be used as a standalone reference manual, but is intended to be used in conjuncti...on with the accompanying training modules, which provide practical instruction, and the aide-mémoires. Versions of the aide-mémoires and training modules are available respectively for both (i) programme managers and district-level health officials and (ii) community drug distributors and community health workers
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It has been over a year since Kenya identified the first case of COVID-19 in the country. The Government formed the National COVID-19 task force, which supported the country's response through multi-sectoral technical working groups on testing, case management, risk communication and community engag...ement among others. An earlier version of the COVID case management guideline was released in April 2020 and capacity building of health care workers on diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 was quickly carried out, even as counties prepared themselves by setting up isolation centres and supplies
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The document provides detailed guidelines for managing cholera outbreaks, focusing on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and control strategies. It emphasizes the importance of setting up Cholera Treatment Centers (CTCs), ensuring access to clean water, promoting hygiene, and utilizing oral rehydrati...on solutions (ORS) and antibiotics for treatment. The guide also addresses outbreak surveillance, community education, and resource allocation to effectively mitigate cholera's spread and impact.
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The KMC implementation strategy targets a broad audience. These include policy-makers and programme managers at national, regional and local levels, government and nongovernmental organizations working in the area of maternal and newborn care, global and national professional associations, public an...d private hospital management at all levels of care, and facility- and community-based maternal and infant care providers.
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Health Care Facilities (HCFs) are primarily responsible for management of the healthcare waste generated within the facilities, including activities undertaken by them in the community. The health care facilities, while generating the waste are responsible for segregation, collection, in-house trans...portation, pre-treatment of waste and storage of waste, before such waste is collected by Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility(CBWTF) Operator. Thus, for proper management of the waste in the healthcare facilities the technical requirements of waste handling are needed to be understood and practiced by each category of the staff in accordance with the BMWM.
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Prompt, effective antimalarial treatment, and supportive care can substantially reduce the rate of mortality from severe malaria. However, many children in malaria-endemic countries do not have access to health facilities or a qualified health care provider and do not receive the necessary care in a... timely fashion. Without rapid detection of danger signs and access to effective treatment, including pre-referral treatment that can be administered in the community level, many of these children with severe malaria die.
In situations where there is no immediate access to a health care facility, WHO recommends the administration of a standard dose of an effective antimalarial medicine as pre-referral treatment before referral to a facility at which complete treatment can be administered.
Rectal artesunate is the WHO-recommended pre-referral intervention in situations where artesunate injection are not feasible for children under the age of 6 years with suspected severe malaria. The intervention reduces the risk of death or permanent disability by up to 50% provided the child is referred to a health facility at which complete treatment can be administered.
This field guide is aimed at supporting the effective deployment of RAS as pre-referral treatment of suspected severe malaria in line with the WHO malaria guidelines.
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This year marked the beginning of the WHO biennium 2016-2017 action plan; this annual report highlights WHO’s key achievements in 2016
It also documents the extraordinary efforts by a broad coalition of government ministries, municipalities, international agencies, community groups, women’s or...ganizations, religious and traditional leaders, media, private sector and donors towards restoration and improving health indicators.
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The National Integrated Comprehensive Cholera Prevention and Control Plan (2017-2022) outlines Uganda's strategy to reduce cholera cases and mortality by 50% by 2022. The plan focuses on improving access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), strengthening disease surveillance, enhancing ca...se management, and implementing oral cholera vaccination (OCV) in high-risk areas. It emphasizes multi-sectoral collaboration, involving government agencies, NGOs, and local communities to ensure a sustainable response. Key interventions include community engagement, improved health services, and better outbreak preparedness, aiming for long-term cholera elimination in Uganda.
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These guidelines have been prepared by the Sub directorate: Maternal Health for the guidance of health workers (doctors and midwives) providing obstetric, surgical and anaesthetic services for pregnant women in district clinics, health centres and district hospitals. These guidelines are intended fo...r use in clinics, community health centres and district hospitals where specialist services are not normally available. The guidelines deal mainly with the diagnosis and especially the management of common and serious pregnancy problems. The assumption is made that the reader has a basic knowledge and understanding about the care of pregnant women. With a few exceptions (e.g. pre-eclampsia), there is no mention of aetiology and pathogenesis of the conditions described.https://www.knowledgehub.org.za/elibrary/guidelines-maternity-care-south-africa-2016
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The WHO Guide on Cholera Control in Complex Emergencies provides key steps for preparedness, prevention, and response to cholera and other diarrheal diseases in crisis situations. It highlights the importance of early warning systems, rapid response, and coordination among health agencies. The guide... outlines measures for case management, water sanitation, hygiene promotion, and outbreak containment, particularly in refugee camps and disaster-affected areas. It emphasizes community involvement, surveillance, and proper health infrastructure to reduce mortality and control disease spread in vulnerable populations.
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The document “Malaria Elimination Programme Review, India 2022”, published by the WHO Country Office for India, provides an in-depth assessment of India’s progress toward malaria elimination. It evaluates the structure, implementation, and effectiveness of national and subnational malaria prog...rams, focusing on surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, vector control, and community engagement. The review identifies strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement, offering evidence-based recommendations to accelerate India's efforts to eliminate malaria by 2030.
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The Malaria Ministerial Conference, co-hosted by WHO and the Government of Cameroon on 6 March 2024, brought together more than 400 stakeholders, including Ministers of Health and senior representatives from the African countries hardest hit by malaria, global health leaders, scientists, civil socie...ty and other partners. The pivotal meeting sought to leverage political commitment, scientific innovation and community engagement to reshape the trajectory of malaria control in high burden African countries, and beyond.
At the end of the meeting and in the weeks that followed, Ministers of Health from the 11 “High Burden High Impact” African countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania) signed the Yaoundé Declaration, pledging their “unwavering commitment” to the principle that “no one should die from malaria given the tools and systems available.” Success in reducing malaria morbidity and mortality will hinge on efforts by countries to translate this political commitment into actions and resources that will save lives.
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This document was developed by the Ministry of Health in Malawi in collaboration with national and international partners. It introduces a Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) malaria message guide that is aligned with the National Malaria Communication Strategy (NMCS) for the period 2023–2030. The g...uide aims to facilitate effective communication and behavioural change in order to reduce malaria-related morbidity and mortality. It provides a reference framework for messaging and communication tools tailored to target groups, supporting the broader goals of the Health Sector Strategic Plan III. This guide was developed with technical and financial support from key partners, including USAID, PMI through Breakthrough ACTION, and other stakeholders. The guide reflects Malawi’s ongoing commitment to evidence-based SBC interventions, community engagement, and the national fight against malaria.
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Tanzania has an estimated 2.9 million adults with diabetes, 35% of whom are undiagnosed, and over 22,000 people living with type 1 diabetes. While the 2023 Universal Health Insurance law aims to improve access to care, only 15% of people are insured. Over 700 clinics provide diabetes care and offer ...free insulin to children and young adults. However, challenges remain regarding insulin availability, diagnostics, patient education and the healthcare workforce. Community engagement, training and policy advocacy are essential for improving diabetes management and achieving universal health coverage.
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The National Malaria Elimination Strategic Plan (NMESP) 2024–2028 of Ghana outlines the country’s roadmap to shift from malaria control to elimination. Despite major progress—like reducing malaria deaths from nearly 2,800 in 2012 to 151 in 2022—malaria remains a major public health challenge... in Ghana.
The plan aims to reduce malaria deaths by 90% and cases by 50% by 2028 (compared to 2022), and to eliminate malaria entirely in 21 low-burden districts. It includes a mix of interventions such as insecticide-treated nets, indoor residual spraying, seasonal chemoprevention, malaria vaccination, and strong surveillance systems.
The strategy is tailored to the local malaria burden, promotes community engagement, relies on multisectoral partnerships, and ensures adequate resource mobilization. Its ultimate goal is to protect Ghana’s population, improve public health, and support the country’s socioeconomic development.
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This operational guidance provides a structured approach to support countries in sustaining priority services for HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections in the context of reduced external funding. The guidance is intended for national governments, public health programmes, communit...y-led organizations, civil society, technical partners and donors working to safeguard priority services, support phased adaptation, protect health outcomes and preserve hard-won gains.
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The updated List of Essential Diagnostics contains 46 general tests that can be used for routine patient care as well as for the detection and diagnosis of a wide array of disease conditions, and 69 tests intended for the detection, diagnosis and monitoring of specific diseases.
The List is divid...ed into two sections depending on the user and setting: one for community settings, which includes self-testing; and a second one for clinical laboratories, which can be general and specialized facilities.
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This is a resource pack for a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) surveys about Zika virus and its suspected complications such as microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
This resource and associated advice was requested by governments and response partners as a way to rapidly obtain valuab...le and insightful information in order to tailor interventions to better address people's needs at community level, thereby contributing to the overall public health response to Zika virus and its potential complications. It can be used in communities with Zika virus transmission or those at risk.
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Patients with suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can infect others at any time, including during transfer and transport. COVID-19 is a new infectious disease that requires contact and droplet precautions; lapses in infection prevention and control (IPC) can easily happen at vulnerable mom...ents such as during transfer. This guide aims to identify key steps to prepare the community and health system response to ensure IPC is maintained during transfer and transport. This guide is intended for personnel involved in coordinating and performing transfer and transport of patients with suspected COVID-19 requiring hospital care.
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HIV, viral hepatitis and STI epidemics, particularly among people who inject drugs and other key populations, continue to be fuelled by laws and policies criminalizing sex work; drug use or possession; diverse forms of gender expression and sexuality; stigma and discrimination; gender discrimination...; violence; lack of community empowerment and other violations of human rights. These sociostructural factors limit access to health services, constrain how these services are
delivered and diminish their effectiveness.
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