Social distancing is an action taken to minimise contact with other individuals; social distancing measures comprise one category of non-pharmaceutical countermeasures (NPCs)1 aimed at reducing disease transmission and thereby also reducing pressure on health services.
This document builds upon exi...sting ECDC documents, including guidelines for the use of non-pharmaceutical measures to delay and mitigate the impact of 2019-nCoV, a rapid risk assessment: outbreak of novel coronavirus disease – 5th update, a technical report on the use of evidence in decision-making during public health emergencies, and a guidance document on community engagement for public health events caused by communicable disease threats in the EU/EEA.
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The coronavirus outbreak that began in late 2019 (COVID-19) has evolved rapidly and globally. On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and a pandemic on 11 March 2020 indicating global spread of a new... disease.
Addressing COVID-19 requires critical preparedness and a prepared response, particularly within places of detention (prisons). Prison staff play a crucial role in contributing to the effort of preventing the spread of the disease, promoting safer prison environments, and responding to outbreaks in a timely and effective manner.
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The importance of robust mortality surveillance systems cannot be overstated in an era marked by increasing global health challenges where health threats loom large and population dynamics continue to evolve. Accurate and timely mortality data is essential for identifying trends and detecting emergi...ng health threats, evaluating the impact of interventions, and guiding evidence-based policy decisions.
This framework outlines a holistic approach to strengthening routine mortality surveillance systems, considering the unique contextual factors and challenges faced by African countries. It emphasizes the importance of establishing efficient data collection mechanisms, enhancing data quality and completeness, and promoting data sharing and collaboration among stakeholders.
Moreover, the framework recognizes the pivotal role of technology in the integration of data from fragmented mortality data sources. It highlights the potential of innovative data capture methods, advanced analytics, and real-time reporting systems to enhance mortality data’s accuracy, efficiency, and timeliness.
The continental framework for mortality surveillance aligns with Africa CDC’s mission and strategic goal by serving as a fundamental component in strengthening public health systems, enhancing disease surveillance capacities and capabilities, informing evidence-based policies and interventions, and promoting collaboration and coordination among African countries to address health challenges and improve health outcomes on the continent.
The successful implementation of this framework requires collective commitment and concerted efforts from governments, health institutions, and the international community. We hope this document will serve as a catalyst for transformative change, enabling countries to build resilient mortality surveillance systems that protect public health, save lives, and contribute to evidence-based decision-making.
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Chapter · January 2009 DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-72711-0_25
D.D. Celentano and C. Beyrer (eds.), Public Health Aspects of HIV/AIDS in Low and Middle Income Countries, DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-72711-0 25, c Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2008
The UNHCR Cholera Response Plan (October 2022 – March 2023) outlines efforts to combat the cholera outbreak in Lebanon, which was declared in October 2022. The plan, led by the Ministry of Public Health with support from UNHCR, WHO, UNICEF, and NGOs, focuses on prevention, response, and surveillan...ce. Key actions include oral cholera vaccination campaigns, rapid diagnostics, strengthening healthcare facilities, and improving hygiene and sanitation in high-risk refugee settlements and collective shelters. The response also emphasizes risk communication and community engagement to raise awareness and ensure early detection. The plan targets 120,000 individuals and requires $8.5 million in funding to provide life-saving support and containment measures.
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The document "J-esyon ak bon manipilasyon manje yo" focuses on proper food handling and hygiene practices to prevent contamination and foodborne illnesses. It provides comprehensive guidelines for individuals and communities, emphasizing the importance of food safety. Key recommendations include kee...ping raw and cooked foods separate, ensuring thorough cooking of perishable items like meat and fish, and checking canned goods for damage or expiration before use. It stresses the need to use treated or boiled water for cooking, drinking, and washing food, as contaminated water can lead to diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid, and skin infections.
The document also highlights critical hygiene practices, such as washing hands with soap and treated water before handling food or eating, and thoroughly cleaning food preparation areas. Proper storage of food at suitable temperatures to prevent spoilage is another key focus, along with protecting food from animals, insects, and other sources of contamination. Overall, the manual emphasizes that maintaining proper hygiene and safe food handling practices is vital for preventing illnesses and promoting public health, making it a valuable resource for educating communities on food safety.
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On this homepage of the ATSDR you'll find learning material for webinars on chemical exposure assessment focused on the US, including:
- Webinar on ATSDR Assessment of Chemical Exposures (ACE) Program
-ATSDR National Toxic Substance Incidents Program (NTSIP) and the CDC Public Health Emergency Pre...paredness (PHEP) Program Capabilities Webinar
- State Partners Webinar - State Surveillance of Chemical Incidents
- ACE Webinar - NTSIP Assessment of Chemical Exposures (ACE) - Your Partner In Chemical Incident Response
- National Toxic Substance Incidents Database
accessed on 03.16.2018
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From February 22-23, 2023, the Wellcome Trust and the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) brought together researchers, decision makers, and public health implementers to participate in a virtual workshop focused on cholera and climate. Day 1 involved a technical workshop to identify key re...search themes as well as the challenges, gaps, and opportunities in using climate information for cholera decision making. Day 2 was an open forum focused on information-sharing and updates from countries and partners, including a call for stronger research and data on the connection between climate and cholera.
The overarching discussion outlined the complex relationship between climate and cholera. Materials from the event – including a recording of the Day 2 open forum, key findings/messages, and a final event report – can be accessed below
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Regional and global cholera surveillance is the continuous compilation of data from affected countries, analysis and interpretation at the regional and global levels, and prompt dissemination of findings for public health action.
Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease (CRD) worldwide and is estimated to affect 262 million causing significant mortality and morbidity, and has emerged as an important public health problem in many Latin American (LA) countries over the last 30 or so years. LA is a highly diverse r...egion in terms of geography, climate, wealth, and ethnicity including 20 different countries with 639 million inhabitants, where 40 million are estimated to have asthma. A common feature of LA countries is the high level of social inequalities3 (Figure 1). In LA, asthma prevalence in both children and adults is highly variable and, where high, is among the highest worldwide, particularly in coastal tropical cities.
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Event-based surveillance (EBS) is defined as the organized collection, monitoring, assessment and interpretation of mainly unstructured ad hoc information regarding health events or risks, which may represent an acute risk to health. Both indicator-based and event-based surveillance components serve... the early warning and response (EWAR) function of the public health surveillance system. The Framework for Event-based Surveillance offers guidance to public health practitioners seeking to implement EBS at each administrative level in healthier countries.
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The document is a comprehensive practical guide for managing cholera epidemics. It includes detailed instructions on outbreak investigation, control measures, case management, and the organization of treatment facilities. It emphasizes strategies such as rehydration therapy, water sanitation, hygien...e promotion, and vaccination to prevent the spread of cholera. The guide serves as a resource for healthcare professionals, logisticians, and public health officials to respond effectively to cholera outbreaks.
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MEDBOX Issue Brief 26. Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by eating or drinking food or water that is contaminated with the
bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Cholera remains a global threat to public health and is an indicator of inequity and lack of
social development. Researchers have esti...mated that every year, there are 1.3 to 4.0 million cases of cholera, and 21
000 to 143 000 deaths worldwide due to the infection.
However, cholera remains a neglected and underreported disease. Many cases are not recorded due to limitations in
surveillance systems and fears of potential impact on trade or tourism.
Today cholera affects 47 countries across the globe. Almost every developing country faces cholera outbreaks or
the threat of cholera. Major ongoing outbreaks are being reported from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Nigeria. Major outbreaks are currently in Syria and Haiti.
Therefore, MEDBOX decided to produce issue briefs on cholera and available resources in Arabic, English and
French.
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This document updates recommendations for HIV testing by laboratories in the United States and offers approaches for reporting test results to persons ordering HIV tests and to public health authorities. The recommended algorithm is a sequence of tests used in combination to improve the accuracy of ...the laboratory diagnosis of HIV based on testing of serum or plasma specimens. The updated recommendations also include tests for HIV antigens and HIV nucleic acid because studies from populations at high risk for HIV demonstrate that antibody testing alone might miss a considerable percentage of HIV infections detectable by virologic tests
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NLM Launches Emergency Access Initiative, Granting Free Access to Books and Journals for Healthcare Professionals Fighting Ebola Outbreak. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) Emergency Access Initiative (EAI) has been activated to support healthcare professionals working on the Ebola public healt...h emergency in West Africa.
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Human rights must be at the centre of all prevention, preparedness, containment and treatment efforts from the start, in order to best protect public health and support the groups and people who are most at risk. States have an obligation to protect and guarantee everyone the right to the highest at...tainable standard of health.
All European states have committed to fulfilling the right to health and have signed international and regional human rights treaties to that purpose. In the context of the current pandemic, authorities should engage all available resources to counter the pandemic while fulfilling the right to health.
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The Strategy aims to protect and improve the well-being
of society and of the individual, to protect and promote
public health, to offer a high level of security and well-being
for the general public and to increase health literacy. The
Strategy takes an evidence-based, integrated, balanced and
...
multidisciplinary approach to the drugs phenomenon at
national, EU and international level. It also incorporates a
gender equality and health equity perspective.
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This report examines the support to private healthcare provision in India by the World Bank’s private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Despite supporting private healthcare in the country since 1997, no healthcare results for lending and investments have been disclosed sinc...e the start of these operations over twenty-five years ago. The IFC has overwhelmingly invested in high-end urban hospitals which are out of reach for the majority of Indians. Several have consistently failed to provide free healthcare to poor patients despite this being a condition under which free or subsidized public land was allotted to these hospitals. Supporting private healthcare in a context where 37% of Indians experience catastrophic health expenditures in private hospitals appears to run counter to the World Bank Group’s focus on poverty reduction. These investments do not contribute to the building of stronger healthcare infrastructure or respond to unmet healthcare needs. Only 14% of IFC-financed hospitals are located in the 10 states ranked lowest in terms of the overall performance of the health system. Furthermore, we found many instances where regulators upheld complaints pertaining to violations of patients’ rights by these hospitals including overcharging, denial of healthcare, price rigging, financial conflict of interest and medical negligence.
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Snakebite envenoming affects millions of people worldwide annually and is a significant source of mortality. Preventing and treating the problem is complex and requires collaboration among the fields of public health, medicine, ecology, and laboratory science. After being removed from the category A... neglected tropical disease (NTD) list in 2013, snakebite envenoming was reinstated in 2017 in response to antivenom shortages and advocacy from researchers and international NGOs. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) set a target to halve the number of deaths and cases of snakebite envenoming by 2030.
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The Our World in Data webpage on air pollution provides an extensive overview of the global impact of air pollution on health and the environment. It presents data on sources of pollution, such as industry, vehicles, and domestic energy use, and highlights the associated health risks, including resp...iratory and cardiovascular diseases. The site emphasizes that air pollution is one of the leading environmental risk factors for premature deaths worldwide, particularly affecting low- and middle-income countries. It also discusses trends in air pollution levels over time and the effectiveness of policy interventions in reducing pollution and improving public health.
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