In addition to the ongoing humanitarian emergencies in the country, the COVID-19 pandemic poses a potential monumental social and economic threat to Nigeria, with a devastating knock on effect for the most vulnerable population in the BAY states who have endured a decade of conflict. The UN system i...n Nigeria launched a One UN Response Plan to COVID-19 to support the rapid implementation of the Government’s National COVID-19 Multi-Sectoral Pandemic Response Plan and will continue to support strong coordination and coherence with all stakeholders responding to the pandemic.
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The Zimbabwe Multi-Sectoral Cholera Elimination Plan (2018–2028) aims to eradicate cholera by improving water, sanitation, and healthcare infrastructure, strengthening disease surveillance, and expanding oral cholera vaccination (OCV). The strategy focuses on five pillars, including public health ...response, WASH, infrastructure, community empowerment, and financing. A multi-sectoral approach involving government, international organizations, and local communities targets cholera hotspots to prevent outbreaks and ensure long-term disease control.
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Prenant pour socle la vision Bénin 2025 Alafia, le Plan National de Développement 2018-2025 intègre les nouveaux enjeux de développe-ment économique et social au plan national, africain et international. Son élaboration a été un défi majeur que nous avons relevé, avec la contri-bution de t...ous les acteurs à divers niveaux : secteur public, secteur privé, institutions de la République, organisations de la société civile, parte-naires sociaux, Association Nationale des Communes du Bénin (ANCB), universitaires, Gouvernement et partenaires techniques et financiers. En unissant les efforts, le peuple béninois vient de se doter d’un outil ma-jeur de développement dont la mise en œuvre réussie offrira au Bénin l’opportunité triplement gagnante d’atteindre la Vision Bénin 2025 et de se mettre sur le sentier des Objectifs de Développement Durable (ODD) à l’horizon 2030 et de la Vision Africa 2063.
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This Communication Guide for Malaria Control Interventions is aligned with Tanzania’s Malaria Strategic Plan (2015–2020) and provides comprehensive guidance on the implementation of Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria. It is int...ended for all stakeholders and implementing partners, with the aim of ensuring harmonised messaging and coordinated communication efforts. The guide outlines strategies, key messages, communication channels and target audiences, with a focus on sustaining and improving malaria-related behaviours at the individual, family and community levels. It incorporates malaria stratification and supports the development of tailored SBCC interventions in different risk areas. Developed with contributions from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Malaria Control Programme and various partner organisations, the guide aims to reduce the malaria burden and promote a malaria-free Tanzania. Supplemented by Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), the guide serves as a practical tool for consistent and effective malaria communication nationwide.
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The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the lead UN agency working to further gender equality and women’s empowerment in Sri Lanka. We are pleased to be a part of the joint effort with the Ministry of Health to develop the first ‘Standard Operating Procedures on sexual and gender-based vio...lence for first-contact-point healthcare providers’.
These operating procedures were developed alongside the ‘National guidelines on sexual and gender-based violence’, which aims to strengthen Sri Lanka’s health systems response to survivors of violence. We are grateful to the British High Commission in Colombo for their support in developing these guidelines and procedures as they mark an important milestone in creating a safer Sri Lanka for all women and girls. UNFPA is proud to be a part of this journey, and we stand ready to provide continued assistance to the Government of Sri Lanka and all key stakeholders to ensure women and girls receive essential services that support their safety, well-being and access to justice and to create a violence-free Sri Lanka.
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3rd edition. In 2001, Uganda adapted the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) developed by World Health Organization (WHO) for member states in African region. The Ministry of Health has been implementing the IDSR strategy since then with success across the country. This strategy prov...ides the opportunity for rational use of resources and maximises investments in health surveillance systems. The 3rd edition IDSR guidelines incorporates lessons learnt from previous
epidemics, new frameworks like the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), One Health, Disaster Risk Management (DRM), the WHO regional strategy for health security and emergencies, and the rising non-communicable diseases, and aims to strengthen implementation of IHR (2005) core surveillance and response capacities. These guidelines have been adapted to reflect national priorities, policies and public health structures; and shall be used in conjunction with other similar
guidelines/strategies or initiatives.
Overall, the 3rd edition technical guidelines will incorporate the following:
• Strengthening Indicator Based Surveillance
• Strengthening Event Based Surveillance
• Improving community-based disease surveillance
• Improving Cross Border Surveillance and response
• Scaling up e-IDSR implementation
• Improving reporting and information sharing platforms
• Improved data sharing across sectors
• Tailoring IDSR to Emergency or Disaster contexts
The 3rd edition guidelines are intended for use as:
• A general reference for surveillance activities across all levels
• A set of definitions for thresholds that trigger some action for response
• A stand-alone reference for level-specific guidelines on surveillance and response
• A resource for developing training, supervision and evaluation of surveillance activities
• A guide for improving early detection and preparedness for outbreak response.
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The guidance aspires
• To emphasize the 'need' to mainstream disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the health sector initiatives.
• To identify key approaches for mainstreaming DRR in the health sector in Myanmar, particularly in rural areas, based on the good practices, innovative approach...es and lessons learned of Government, UN agencies, NGOs and others involved in the Cyclone Nargis recovery.
• Identify key ‘vulnerabilities and opportunities’ for creating a ‘safer health system’ in Myanmar.
No publication year indicated.
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This study aimed to analyze the geographical distribution of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to identify high-risk areas in space and time for the occurrence of cases and deaths in the indigenous population of Brazil. This is an ecological study carried out between 24 March and 26 October 20...20 whose units of analysis were the Special Indigenous Sanitary Districts. The Getis-Ord General G and Getis-Ord Gi* techniques were used to verify the spatial association of the phenomena and a retrospective space–time scan was performed. There were 32 041 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 471 deaths. The non-randomness of cases (z score = 5.40; P < 0.001) and deaths (z score = 3.83; P < 0.001) were confirmed. Hotspots were identified for cases and deaths in the north and midwest regions of Brazil. Sixteen high-risk space–time clusters were identified for the occurrence of cases with a higher RR = 21.23 (P < 0.001) and four risk clusters for deaths with a higher RR = 80.33 (P < 0.001). These clusters were identified from 22 May and were active until 10 October 2020. The results indicate critical areas in the indigenous territories of Brazil and contribute to better directing the actions of control of COVID-19 in this population.
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Primary health care offers a cost–effective route to achieving universal health coverage (UHC). However, primary health-care systems are weak in many low- and middle-income countries and often fail to provide comprehensive, people-centred, integrated care. We analysed the primar...y health-care systems in 20 low- and middle-income countries using a semi-grounded approach. Options for strengthening primary health-care systems were identified by thematic content analysis. We found that: (i)despite the growing burden of noncommunicable disease, many low- and middle-income countries lacked funds for preventive services; (ii)community health workers were often under-resourced, poorly supported and lacked training; (iii)out-of-pocket expenditure exceeded 40% of total health expenditure in half the countries studied, which affected equity; and (iv)health insurance schemes were hampered by the fragmentation of public and private systems, underfunding, corruption and poor engagement of informal workers. In 14 countries, the private sector was largely unregulated. Moreover, community engagement in primary health care was weak in countries where services were largely privatized. In some countries, decentralization led to the fragmentation of primary health care. Performance improved when financial incentives were linked to regulation and quality improvement, and community involvement was strong. Policy-making should be supported by adequate resources for primary health-care implementation and government spending on primary health care should be increased by at least 1% of gross domestic product. Devising equity-enhancing financing schemes and improving the accountability of primary health-care management is also needed. Support from primary health-care systems is critical for progress towards UHC in the decade to 2030.
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Journal of the International AIDS Society Vol. 21 (2018) e25133
Many prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission programmes across Africa initiate HIV-infected (HIV positive) pregnant women on lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) on the first day of antenatal care (“same-day” initiation...). However, there are concerns that same-day initiation may limit patient preparation before starting ART and contribute to subsequent non-adherence, disengagement from care and raised viral load. We examined if same-day initiation was associated with viral suppression and engagement in care during pregnancy.
The data suggest that same-day ART initiation during pregnancy is not associated with lower levels of engagement in care or viral suppression through 12 months post-delivery in this setting, providing reassurance to ART programmes implementing Option B+.
https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.25133
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Le Plan Stratégique National de Lutte contre le Paludisme 2023–2026 du Togo définit les grandes orientations pour réduire de 65 % l’incidence et la mortalité liées au paludisme d’ici 2026, en comparaison avec les niveaux de 2022. Élaboré par le Programme National de Lutte contre le Pa...ludisme (PNLP), il s’inscrit pleinement dans les objectifs mondiaux fixés par l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé pour parvenir à l’élimination du paludisme d’ici 2030. Ce plan repose sur quatre axes stratégiques : la prévention à travers l’utilisation des moustiquaires imprégnées, la chimio-prévention et la lutte antivectorielle ; la prise en charge efficace des cas grâce au diagnostic rapide et au traitement par ACT ; le renforcement du système de santé et la gestion du programme ; ainsi que la surveillance, le suivi et l’évaluation des interventions. Une attention particulière est accordée à la digitalisation des outils, à l’amélioration de la qualité des données, à l’implication des communautés locales et à la réduction des inégalités régionales dans l’accès aux services. Intégrant les partenaires techniques et financiers, le secteur privé et les acteurs communautaires, ce document constitue une véritable feuille de route nationale pour coordonner et intensifier la lutte contre le paludisme sur la période 2023–2026.
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The protracted humanitarian situation in northeastern Nigeria, particularly in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) States, remains a concern due to ongoing insecurity, displacement, food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and climate-related shocks. To address these complex challenges, the health sector has ...developed a comprehensive humanitarian response strategy aligned with the three States Development plans, Durable Solutions for the Population Displacement Plan, and the Humanitarian Need Response Plan for 2025. This strategy aims to reduce morbidity and mortality among crisisaffected populations by ensuring timely, equitable, and effective delivery of lifesaving health services, while strengthen the resilience of health system and enhancing local and national capacities for sustainable health response in protracted emergency.
Supported by an in-depth analysis of the ongoing health humanitarian response using the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) methodology, the strategy is guided by three key objectives:
1. Provide access to lifesaving interventions and sustain an effective response to the prolonged health emergency.
2. Prevent, mitigate, and prepare for health risks from all hazards and respond to all health emergencies.
3. Advance the primary health care approach and essential health system capacities for universal health coverage.
To achieve these objectives, the strategy employs the “Five C” framework which refers to:
• Collaborative Surveillance: Enhancing collaborative efforts for effective monitoring.
• Community Protection: Implementing community-based protection measures.
• Safe and Scalable Care: Ensuring care that is both secure and scalable.
• Access to Countermeasures: Facilitating access to necessary countermeasures.
• Emergency Coordination: Coordinating emergency responses efficiently.
These proactive approaches are designed to be more anticipatory and preemptive rather than reactive, aiming to meet the needs of the crisis-affected population by providing lifesaving interventions, enhancing preventive and anticipatory actions, and ensuring the resilience of the health system. All actions are guided by International Humanitarian Standards and the Humanitarian Principles.
The implementation of the health humanitarian response strategy will involve collaboration with local authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international organizations. The strategy emphasizes localization and resource mobilization, efficient logistics and supply chain management, mainstreaming protection, and the deployment and training of healthcare workers. Continuous monitoring and periodic evaluation will ensure the effectiveness of the response. Cross-sector collaboration with sectors such as WASH, Nutrition, Education, and Protection will be crucial to enhance the quality and reach of health interventions. Additionally, sustainability and transition approaches will ensure long-term health outcomes and benefits, bridging the gap from humanitarian to development efforts.
By adopting this comprehensive approach, the humanitarian response in northeastern Nigeria, particularly in BAY States, can be effectively guided, ultimately reducing the suffering of affected populations.
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Alternative Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in response to South Africa’s Baseline Country Report of March 2013 on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with particular reference to the provisions of Article 24
Guidelines for the registration of microbial, botanical and semiochemical pest control agents for plant protection and public health uses.
These guidelines are intended to guide pesticide regulatory authorities in the registration of microbial, botanical, and semiochemical pest control agents for p...lant protection and public health uses.
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