The devastating impacts of the 2015–16 El Niño will be felt well into 2017. This crisis was predicted, yet overall, the response has been too little too late. The looming La Niña event may further hit communities that are already deeply vulnerable. To end this cycle of failure, there is an urgen...t need for humanitarian action where the situation is already dire, to prepare for La Niña later this year, to commit to comprehensive new measures to build communities’ resilience, and to mobilize global action to address climate change which is creating a ‘new normal’ of higher temperatures, drought and unpredictable growing seasons.
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Working Document Nov. 2020
The COVAX Supply and Logistics workstream lead by UNICEF, Gavi and WHO have released a working copy of the COVID-19 Vaccination, Country Readiness & Delivery: Supply and Logistics Guidance. Countries might find this Guide useful when developing and strengthening their sup...ply chain strategies to receive, store, distribute and manage the COVID-19 vaccines and their ancillary products, in line with their national deployment and vaccination plan (NDVP). The document also provides links to the different tools and resources to aid countries in performing assessment, planning and capacity-building activities.
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A Public Health EOC (PHEOC) serves as a hub for coordinating the preparation for, response to, and recovery from public health emergencies. The preparation includes planning, such as risk and resource mapping, development of plans and procedures, and training and exercising. The response includes al...l activities related to investigation, response and recovery. The PHEOC also serves as a hub for coordinating resources and information to support response actions during a public health emergency and enhances communication and collaboration among relevant stakeholders.
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Insufficient funding is hindering the achievement of malaria elimination targets in Africa, despite the pressing need for increased investment in malaria control. While Western donors attribute their inaction to financial constraints, the global health community has limited knowledge of China’s ex...panding role in malaria prevention. This knowledge gap arises from the fact that China does not consistently report its foreign development assistance activities to established aid transparency initiatives. Our work focuses on identifying Chinese-funded malaria control projects throughout Africa and linking them to official data on malaria prevalence. By doing so, we aim to shed light on China’s contributions to malaria control efforts, analysing their investments and assessing their impact. This would provide valuable insights into the development of effective financing mechanisms for future malaria control in Africa.
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Africa’s health sector is facing an unprecedented financing crisis, driven by a sharp decline of 70% in Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 2021 to 2025 and deep-rooted structural vulnerabilities. This collapse is placing immense pressure on Africa’s already fragile health systems as ODA ...is seen as the backbone of critical health programs: pandemic preparedness, maternal and child health services, disease control programs are all at
risk, threatening Sustainable Development Goal 3 and Universal Health Coverage. Compounding this is Africa’s spiraling debt, with countries expected to service USD 81 billion by 2025—surpassing anticipated external financing inflows—further eroding fiscal space for health investments. Level of domestic resources is low. TThe Abuja Declaration of 2001, a pivotal commitment made by African Union (AU) member states, aimed to reverse this trend by pledging to allocate at least 15% of national budgets to the health sector. However, more than two decades later, only three countries—Rwanda, Botswana, and Cabo Verde—have
consistently met or exceeded this target (WHO, 2023). In contrast, over 30 AU member states remain well below the 10% benchmark, with some allocating as little as 5–7% of their national budgets to health.
In addition, only 16 (29%) of African countries currently have updated versions of National Health Development Plan (NHDP) supported by a National Health Financing Plan (NHFP). These two documents play a critical role in driving internal resource mobilisation. At the same time, public health emergencies are surging, rising 41%—from 152 in 2022 to
213 in 2024—exposing severe under-resourcing of health infrastructure and workforce. Recurring outbreaks (Mpox, Ebola, cholera, measles, Marburg…) alongside effects of climate change and humanitarian crises in Eastern DRC, the Sahel, and Sudan, are overwhelming systems stretched by chronic underfunding. The situation is worsened by Africa’s heavy dependency with over 90% of vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics being externally sourced—leaving countries vulnerable to global supply chain shocks. Health worker shortages persist, with only 2.3 professionals
per 1,000 people (below the WHO’s recommended 4.45), and fewer than 30% of systems are digitized, undermining disease surveillance and early warning. Without decisive action, Africa CDC projects the continent could reverse two decades of health progress, face 2 to 4 million additional preventable deaths annually, and a heightened risk of a pandemic emerging from within. Furthermore, 39 million more
Africans could be pushed into poverty by 2030 due to intertwined health and economic shocks. This is not just a sectoral crisis—it is an existential threat to Africa’s political, social, and economic resilience, and global stability. In response, African leaders, under Africa CDC’s stewardship, are advancing a comprehensive three-pillar strategy centered on domestic resource mobilization, innovative financing, and blended finance.
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This manual is designed to provide comprehensive malaria case management training for health workers at all levels, including clinical, nursing, dispensing, laboratory and records staff. The training covers the use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and the treatment of severe malaria. The fiv...e-day training programme includes interactive modules supported by job aids. The ideal group size is 20–30 participants, supported by a team of three trainers. Trainers should thoroughly review the manual, including the 'Adult Learning Techniques' module, and follow the 'Facilitator's Guide', while participants should use the 'Simplified Participant's Guide'. The training includes pre- and post-tests to assess knowledge improvement. Continuing Medical Education (CME) is encouraged after the training, and resources are provided in the appendix.
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The "Integrated Management of Malaria Training – Health Worker’s Manual" is a practical guide developed by Uganda’s Ministry of Health to train healthcare workers at all levels in the effective diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and management of malaria. It aligns with national malaria treatme...nt guidelines and aims to improve the quality of care and reduce malaria-related illness and death. The manual covers key topics such as clinical assessment of fever, use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), case management of uncomplicated and severe malaria, malaria in pregnancy, co-infections like HIV, as well as community engagement and proper documentation. It includes structured training sessions, case studies, and job aids designed to strengthen the skills of health workers in both public and private sectors, and to ensure standardized, evidence-based malaria care across the country.
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Integrated Outbreak Analytics (IOA) applies a multidisciplinary approach to understanding outbreak dynamics and to inform outbreak response. It aims to drive comprehensive, accountable, and effective public health and clinical strategies by enabling communities, and national and subnational health a...uthorities to use data for operational decision-making. IOA embraces a holistic perspective of outbreak dynamics throughout: from the trigger questions to the data that are collected or accessed, to the interpretation of results and the recommendations that follow. In addition, IOA promotes co-development and monitoring of evidence informed actions.
The IOA toolkit aims to provide a clear understanding of IOA and highlight the importance of using an integrated, holistic approach to manage outbreak responses. It provides step-by-step guidance for setting up IOA and putting IOA principles into action. Finally, this toolkit provides guidance on applying IOA in humanitarian and emergency contexts, offering a practical and adaptable approach to informing public health emergency responses.
Developed based on the model from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), its creation involved extensive consultation with experts experienced in IOA applications. The toolkit was piloted in Tanganyika Province, DRC, as well as Somalia and Sudan, demonstrating its adaptability to diverse emergency scenarios. It builds upon an existing array of tools, templates, reports, case studies, animations, and publications used by stakeholders in diverse contexts.
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Singing to the Lions is a free training package (facilitator’s guide, supplement and video) by CRS, that is designed to help children and youth lessen the impact of violence and abuse in their lives. The main component is a three-day workshop where participants learn skills that can help them tran...sform their lives and no longer feel dominated by fear. Although the workshop is aimed at young people and includes games, art and songs, it can also be used to help adults take action on aspects of their lives that cause fear and, in so doing, become better parents and caregivers.
Singing to the Lions is available in English, French and Spanish, with Arabic and Hindi in process. See the links below. It can be easily adapted to different cultures, with different pictures and metaphors (e.g., “Singing to the Wolves” in Arabic; “Charming the Snakes” in Hindi.)
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EVALUATION REPORT | Cette évaluation représente la première tentative mondiale d’examiner les interventions programmatiques de l’UNICEF menées dans le but de protéger les enfants lors des situations ’urgence. Elle a pour objectif de renforcer la programmation en matière de protection de ...l’enfance en évaluant les résultats accomplis au cours des dernières années, ainsi que de tirer des enseignements et faire des recommandations susceptibles d’avoir une influence sur les programmes en cours et futurs. Les conclusions de l’évaluation étaieront la mise en œuvre du Plan stratégique pour la période 2014-2017. L’évaluation comprend des études de cas nationales analysant les résultats en faveur des enfants à la lumière du plan stratégique à moyen terme (PSMT, 2006-2013), des Principaux engagements pour les enfants dans l’action humanitaire et des thèmes choisis pour l’évaluation. Douze pays ont fourni des données pour l’analyse, quatre sous forme d’études de cas avec visites dans le pays et rapports spéciaux (Colombie, Pakistan, République démocratique du Congo (RDC) et Soudan du Sud) et huit autres pays sous forme d’études théoriques (Afghanistan, État de Palestine, Haïti, Myanmar, Philippines, Somalie, Soudan et Sri Lanka). Quatre des pays (Haïti, Myanmar, Pakistan et Philippines) sont frappés par des catastrophes naturelles et des conflits soudains tandis que les autres souffrent surtout de conflits de longue durée connaissant parfois des éruptions soudaines de violence.
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Le résumé d’orientation du Rapport de situation de l’OMS sur la santé bucco-dentaire dans le monde passe en revue les données les plus récentes sur les principales maladies bucco-dentaires, les facteurs de risque, ainsi que les défis à relever et les possibilités de réforme du système ...de santé. Le rapport établit comme constat clair que la situation de la santé bucco-dentaire dans le monde est alarmante et nécessite une action urgente. Le rapport servira de référence aux décideurs et permettra d’orienter un large éventail de parties prenantes dans différents secteurs en vue de guider les efforts de sensibilisation en faveur d’une meilleure définition des priorités en matière de santé bucco-dentaire dans les contextes mondiaux, régionaux et nationaux. En outre, le rapport fournit, par le biais d’une ressource en ligne distincte, les tout premiers profils de la santé bucco-dentaire des pays pour l’ensemble des 194 États Membres de l’OMS, donnant un aperçu unique des domaines et des marqueurs clés de la santé bucco-dentaire qui sont pertinents pour les décideurs.
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Une fois adoptée et mise en œuvre, la stratégie contribuera à réduire sensiblement les nouvelles infections sexuellement transmissibles et les décès connexes (ainsi que les mortinatalités et le cancer du col de l’utérus), tout en améliorant la santé individuelle, la santé sexuelle des ...hommes et des femmes, et le bien-être de tous. Elle va orienter les efforts visant à : accélérer et cibler l’essentiel des actions de prévention en renforçant des approches à la fois comportementales, biomédicales et structurelles ; faciliter l’accès individuel à l’information concernant le statut personnel vis-à-vis des infections sexuellement transmissibles ; améliorer l’accès au traitement et à l’éventail complet des soins de longue durée, le cas échéant ; et combattre la stigmatisation et la discrimination généralisées. Le projet de stratégie encourage une démarche centrée sur la personne et fondée sur les principes des droits fondamentaux, de l’égalité entre les sexes et de l’équité en santé.
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L’un des principaux défis auxquels fait face le secteur de la santé au Togo est la mise à la disposition des décideurs, des partenaires et du public des données fiables, pertinentes et à temps opportun. Le présent annuaire des statistiques sanitaires a pour objectif, de contribuer à releve...r ce défi, en fournissant des informations de qualité sur le niveau de réalisation des plans d’action et des prestations de santé afin d’apprécier le niveau de performances de la mise en oeuvre des interventions à l’échelle du pays.
Cette publication retrace, sous forme de tableaux et de graphiques, les activités du département de la santé au Togo en 2016. Il s’agit : (i) des ressources en santé, (ii) de l’utilisation des services, (iii) des principales causes de morbidité et de mortalité, (iv) de la situation des maladies prioritaires et (v) des activités préventives et promotionnelles.
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This report’s central premise is that diagnostics and therapeutics, and associated test to treat strategies, are fundamental components of the pandemic response, both for COVID-19 and for future health threats. Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, this report reflects on the main challenges and k...ey solutions on the road to equitable access to diagnostics and therapeutics.
This report draws from experience gained through the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator Diagnostics and Therapeutics pillars, and includes the perspectives of collaborating stakeholders (countries, civil society representatives and the private sector). Building on these findings, this report proposes sixteen recommended actions to address what have been identified as key structural challenges and specifies a potential owner for each action.
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Les modules de formation et d’orientation QualityRights ont été élaborés pour renforcer les connaissances, les compétences et la compréhension des principales parties prenantes sur la manière de promouvoir les droits des personnes en situation de handicap psychosocial, intellectuel ou cogni...tif, d'améliorer la qualité des services et des aides fournis dans le domaine de
la santé mentale et dans les domaines connexes, conformément aux normes internationales en matière de droits de l'homme, et en particulier la Convention des Nations unies relative aux droits des personnes handicapées et l'approche du rétablissement.
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D’un format facilement accessible, simple à utiliser, le présent document décrit succinctement
les problèmes liés à la santé et aux droits en matière de sexualité et de reproduction qui peuvent
affecter les droits fondamentaux, la santé et le bien-être des adolescents (âgés de 10 à... 19 ans)
et il présente les lignes directrices pertinentes de l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS). Ce
document donne accès aux nombreuses lignes directrices formulées par l’OMS, et il constitue
une source d’informations utile pour les activités de sensibilisation, la conception des politiques
et des programmes ou projets et la recherche. Son objectif est de soutenir la mise en oeuvre
de la stratégie mondiale pour la santé des femmes, des enfants et des adolescents 2016–2030 (1), en conformité avec le cadre pour une action mondiale accélérée en faveur de la santé des
adolescents et avec le cadre opérationnel de l’OMS sur la santé sexuelle et ses liens avec la
santé reproductive (2,3).
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In an ambitious new era for health development under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, WHO and
its partners have a solid foundation of success on which to build. Health plays a fundamental role in development
and is the central focus of Sustainable Development Goal 3, “Ensure healthy ...lives and promote well-being for all
at all ages”. It is also relevant to all the Sustainable Development Goals. Understanding the significance of the
role of health is a prerequisite for successful collective action on the social, economic and environmental
determinants of health
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The 2015-16 MDHS is a national sample survey that provides up-to-date information on fertility levels; marriage; fertility preferences; awareness and use of family planning methods; child feeding practices; nutrition; adult and childhood mortality; awareness and attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS; women...s empowerment; and domestic violence. The target groups were women and men age 15-49 residing in randomly selected households across the country. In addition to national estimates, the report provides estimates of key indicators for both urban and rural areas in Myanmar and also for the 15 states and regions.
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Briefing note | 16 March 2020
Do no harm, equality, transparency, humanity: values should guide the criminal justice sector’s response to coronavirus
At the time of publishing there were more than 164,000* confirmed cases of COVID- 19, the novel form of Coronavirus, affecting 110 countries wit...h more than 6,470 deaths. In this briefing we assess the current situation of COVID-19 outbreaks and prevention measures in prisons** and wider impacts of responses to governments on people in criminal justice systems. This briefing note argues for action to be taken now and immediately, given the risk people in prison are exposed to, including prison staff.
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The Arab region in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) represents a substantial area of the terrestrial landmass encompassing several countries and ecosystems. This area is generally drier and warmer compared to the rest of the world and has extreme resource limitations that are highly vulnerabl...e to a changing climate, geopolitical instability and land degradation (Slimani & Aidoud, 2004). Agriculture (crops and livestock) is a critical source of employment and a potential option for engaging rural youth. However, environmental degradation coupled with declining and variable agricultural productivity may pose a massive challenge already beset by instability and declining oil reserves (Tagliapietra, 2017). The Arab region is also subjected to short and long-duration climate extreme events, and the overall impact of their cascading effects on ecosystems, societies and economies is still an open question. Climate change, along with post-war geopolitical complexities, has greatly affected the Arab region in terms of its economy and social balance. Climate change has penetrating effects on the region’s agriculture sector and hence its economy. These are mainly manifested via changes in water resources and extreme weather conditions such as heatwaves and a drastic decline in precipitation.
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