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WHO’s 7 policy recommendations on building resilient health systems

by Public Health Update October 20, 2021

written by Public Health Update

Overview

WHO has released a position paper on building health systems resilience towards UHC and health security during COVID-19 and beyond to reinforce the urgent need for renewed and heightened national and global commitment to make countries better prepared and health systems resilient against all forms of public health threats for sustained progress towards both UHC and health security. This requires an integrated approach to building and rebuilding health systems that serve the needs of the population, before, during and after public health emergencies. It encompasses capacities for

essential public health functions that improve, promote, protect and restore the health of all people;
building strong primary health care as a foundation for bringing health services closer to communities;
all-hazards emergency risk management that strengthens the ability of countries to prevent and tackle health emergencies, and can surge to meet the additional health security demands imposed by health emergencies;
engaging the whole-of-society so that all sectors work together towards a common goal of health for all.

These efforts will also help bolster the implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) and accelerate the achievement of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals.

The WHO position paper comes at a crucial time to provide leaders and policymakers with recommendations on positioning health within the wider discussions on socioeconomic recovery and transformation.

WHO’s 7 policy recommendations on building resilient health systems based on primary health care

Leverage the current response to strengthen both pandemic preparedness and health systems
Invest in essential public health functions including those needed for all-hazards emergency risk management
Build a strong primary health care foundation
Invest in institutionalized mechanisms for whole-of-society engagement
Create and promote enabling environments for research, innovation and learning
Increase domestic and global investment in health system foundations and all-hazards emergency risk management
Address pre-existing inequities and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on marginalized and vulnerable populations

Read more: Official website (WHO)

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October 20, 2021 0 comments

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GOLD International COPD Conference 2021

by Public Health Update October 18, 2021

written by Public Health Update

Overview

The 2021 International COPD Conference is hosted by Temple Lung Center (TLC) in conjunction with the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). This one-day virtual conference will feature the most recent GOLD strategies in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of patients with COPD. Full-day attendance makes for the best educational experience.

Accredited educational material will be presented in an interactive format applicable to all healthcare providers involved in the care of patients burdened by COPD.

The conference will feature a virtual exhibit hall to provide attendees with the opportunity to absorb critical information from healthcare professionals themselves. An on-demand conference will follow the live virtual event. An archive of all conference presentations and the virtual exhibit floor will be available to participants and new registrants for a period of 1 year.

Event date

Tuesday, November 16, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM EST
Healthy Lungs: Never More Important

Target Audience

This activity addresses the needs of physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals involved with the diagnosis and treatment of patients with COPD.

Upon completion of this educational activity, participants will be able to:

Define a COPD exacerbation and its characteristic presentation in clinical practice
Describe physiologic changes and blood biomarkers that may signal the onset of a COPD exacerbation
List mimickers of COPD exacerbations and their impact on COPD patient outcomes
Define risk factors for COPD development and progression beyond smoke exposure
Describe the interaction of disappearing airways and vanishing vessels in patients with COPD
Outline how to utilize strategies that attenuate COPD progression with current therapies
Describe gaps in care of COPD in LMICs
List strategies to overcome inconsistent utilization of guidelines and low access to therapeutic treatments for COPD in LMICs
Explain the status of COPD research in LMICs
Describe how to evaluate telehealth devices and methods that are potentially applicable to COPD care
Identify telehealth strategies that may aid in detection of early exacerbations
Convert knowledge of telehealth devices and methods to strategies that aid in at home care of COPD and rehabilitation
Describe pathogenic and mechanistic links in the development of lung cancer and COPD
Discuss how to correlate COPD presence and its severity with risk for lung cancer
List strategies that combines lung cancer screening with COPD and other comorbid condition detection
Discuss the impact of COPD on treatments for lung cancer.

Conference registration and more info: Official website

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October 18, 2021 0 comments

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World Evidence-Based Healthcare Day: ‘The Role of Evidence in an Infodemic’

by Public Health Update October 18, 2021

written by Public Health Update

#WorldEBHCday | #EvidenceFirst

Overview

The World Evidence-Based Healthcare (EBHC) Day is observed each year on 20 October each. World Evidence-Based Healthcare Day was launched in 2020 with a view to raising awareness of the need for better evidence to inform healthcare policy, practice and decision making to improve health outcomes globally.

EBHC Day is an opportunity to participate in debate about global trends and challenges, but also to celebrate the impact of individuals and organisations worldwide, recognising the work of dedicated researchers, policymakers and health professionals in improving health outcomes.

educate a broad audience about the importance of evidence-based healthcare and the need for better evidence to inform health policy and practice
be bold in our thinking, encouraging debate and discussion amongst the global evidence community on advancements in evidence-based healthcare
highlight the successes, challenges and experiences of the global evidence community in furthering the science and practice of evidence-based healthcare
celebrate impact, of researchers, academics, students, clinicians, consumers, patients and other agents of change who are driving improvements in the quality and outcomes of healthcare globally.

World Evidence-Based Healthcare Day 2021: ‘The Role of Evidence in an Infodemic’

Building on the collective wisdom of using evidence to generate impact in 2020, the campaign for World EBHC Day 2021 explores the role of evidence in an infodemic, in particular promoting access to trustworthy, evidence-informed health information. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of developing rapid evidence-informed responses; streamlining global efforts in producing trustworthy, pragmatic evidence; and ensuring the best-available evidence is accessible, transparent and understood. The rapid response of the global evidence community has been important and necessary. However, it has been accompanied by a plethora of mis/disinformation which has contributed to a global ‘infodemic’, making it hard for people to find evidence-based, trustworthy guidance when they need it.

Building on the collective wisdom of using evidence to generate impact in 2020, the campaign for World EBHC Day explores ‘the role of evidence in an infodemic’, in particular promoting access to trustworthy, evidence-informed health information.
https://worldebhcday.org/

What can we do?

FACILITATING ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION DURING AN INFODEMIC

Fostering meaningful partnerships between evidence producers and users to enhance the use of the best available evidence for COVID-19
Creating and tailoring strategies for communication of evidence for key stakeholders
Patients, healthcare consumers and the community as partners in amplifying the role of trustworthy information
Convening meaningful dialogue and engagement to advance evidence-informed decision making for COVID-19
Funding knowledge translation activities for COVID-19

KNOWLEDGE REFINEMENT, FILTERING & FACT-CHECKING

Utilising evolving evidence synthesis methods to rapidly & efficiently appraise and summarise evidence to inform policy, guidelines and practice (i.e. rapid reviews/role of AI/pre-print/global coordination)
Harnessing multiple initiatives and avoiding duplication of effort
Employing strategies to actively combat misinformation (myth-busting)
Patients, healthcare consumers and the community as partners in fighting mis/disinformation
Actively blocking dangerous sources of misinformation (i.e. Facebook/ Twitter)

BUILDING EHEALTH LITERACY & SCIENCE LITERACY CAPACITY

Employing strategies to amplify the important role of trustworthy evidence
Educating and preparing key stakeholders with the skills to identify and use the best available evidence (i.e. strategies/programs/partnerships between primary healthcare practitioners and patients, healthcare consumers and the community; targeted public health campaigns)
Establishing new partnerships (i.e. Academia-media, allopathic practitioners -traditional healers) to enhance science literacy
Funding projects and programs aimed at enhancing science literacy

MONITORING, INFODEMIOLOGY, INFOVEILLANCE & SOCIAL LISTENING

Ensuring available evidence is up to date and trustworthy
Determining the knowledge needs of decision makers, end users, patients, healthcare consumers and community members in an infodemic
Promoting/ensuring access to trustworthy evidence over mis/disinformation (i.e. the role of librarians/synthesists/living systematic reviews/social network analysis/social listening etc)
Funding platforms for enhanced monitoring and infoveillance

Read more: World Evidence-Based Healthcare Day (https://worldebhcday.org)

WORLD EVIDENCE-BASED HEALTHCARE (EBHC) DAY #EVIDENCETOIMPACT

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October 18, 2021 0 comments

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World Food Day 2021: Our actions are our future!

by Public Health Update October 16, 2021

written by Public Health Update

Overview

World Food Day is observed each year on 16th October to promote worldwide awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure healthy diets for all. Collective action across 150 countries is what makes World Food Day one of the most celebrated days of the United Nations’ calendar. Hundreds of events and outreach activities bring together governments, businesses, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the media, and general public. World Food Day 2021 will be marked a second time while countries around the world deal with the widespread effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a time to look into the future we need to build together.

Facts

More than 3 billion people (almost 40 percent of the world’s population) cannot afford a healthy diet.
Almost 2 billion people are overweight or obese due to a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. Related health-care costs could exceed USD 1.3 trillion per year by 2030.
Smallholder farmers produce more than 33 percent of the world’s food, despite challenges, including poverty and a lack of access to resources including finance, training and technology.
14 percent of the world’s food is lost due to inadequate harvesting, handling, storage and transit and 17 percent is wasted at consumer level.
Globally, 20 percent more women than men aged 25–34 live in extreme poverty, and more than 18 percent of indigenous women live on less than USD 1.90 a day.
55 percent of the world’s population resides in cities and this will rise to 68 percent by 2050.
The world’s agri-food systems currently employ 1 billion people, more than any other sector.
The world’s food systems are currently responsible for more than 33 percent of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.
10 percent of people are affected by unsafe food supplies contaminated by bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances.

World Food Day 2021

World Food Day 2021 will be marked a second time while countries around the world deal with the widespread effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic. It’s a time to look into the future we need to build together.

Our actions are our future

Governments, the private sector, civil society, international organizations and academia will need our help too. We need to influence what is produced by increasing our demand for sustainably produced nutritious foods, and at the same time be more sustainable in our daily actions, first and foremost by reducing food loss and waste. We also have the responsibility to spread the word, building awareness about the importance of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Efforts to mitigate climate change, environmental degradation, and our wellbeing, all depend on it. We need to activate a food movement that advocates for ambitious change.

What can countries do?

Ensure that all people everywhere have access to enough affordable, nutritious and safe food by moving towards more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems.
Adopt an evidence-based approach to policy-making, which considers diverse areas impacting food systems– agriculture, health, education, environment, water, sanitation, gender, social protection, trade, employment and finance.
Acknowledge the importance of innovation, indigenous knowledge and the role of women and youth in transforming food systems.
Help smallholder farmers to improve their livelihoods by increasing access to training, finance, digital technologies, extension services, social protection, early warning systems, and crop varieties or animal breeds that are resistant to climate change.
Increase nutritional awareness and encourage the private sector to produce more nutritious and sustainably produced foods, manage food waste more responsibly and limit the marketing of unhealthy foods.
Invest in infrastructure, affordable technologies and training to minimize post-harvest food loss.
Promote food safety by developing and enforcing international standards and control systems and implementing a ‘One Health Approach’ to tackling health threats to animals, humans, plants and the environment.

What can farmers do?

Engage in dialogue, participate in extension services, farmers’ organizations, cooperatives or farmer field schools and learn about nutrition, biodiversity, digital technologies and farming techniques to build resilience.
Adopt sustainable agricultural practices that respect biodiversity, are more environment-friendly and use natural resources more efficiently.
Consider climate-smart agriculture approaches that use natural resources in a sustainable way and use seed varieties or livestock breeds that are more resistant to drought and disease.
Minimize losses by harvesting at the right time, improving storage facilities, and learning about best practices and technologies.

What can the private sector do?

Limit levels of saturated fats, trans-fats, sugars and salt in products and ensure clear labelling, while improving food safety and quality.
Provide decent working conditions and ensure that staff have access to nutritious foods in the workplace.
Choose packaging that offers a longer shelf-life and increased food safety, while including biodegradable or recyclable materials.
The financial sector should put credit and savings tools in the hands of marginalized communities, including women and youth.

What can academia do?

Generate evidence-based knowledge to demonstrate climate change strategies for sustainable food systems, and share this with governments.
Universities, schools, technical and vocational education and training centres should provide nutrition education for students.

What can civil society do?

Garner support for change by launching campaigns and advocate for healthy and sustainable food choices.
Give a voice to the world’s poor, smallholder farmers, indigenous peoples, women and youth, since agri-food systems can only be transformed if everyone is involved.

What can we all do?

Choose diverse nutritious foods over highly processed ones, building demand for healthy foods.
2021 marks the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables reminding us to eat more fresh produce and learn about indigenous varieties.
Add plant-based protein such as nuts and legumes to our diets, which are cheaper than animal proteins and kinder on our planet.
Plan and organize our shopping and food preparation, to avoid spoilage and food waste.
Look out for FAO-supported and other labels that attest to sustainable production conditions for producers and the planet.
Be an advocate for sustainable healthy diets! Speak up in your community and make sure healthy food is available at schools, care facilities and other public settings.

Source of info: FAO official World Food Day Website

Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030

by Public Health Update October 16, 2021

written by Public Health Update

Overview

This Global Plan has been developed by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Regional Commissions, in cooperation with partners in the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration and other stakeholders, as a guiding document to support the implementation of the Decade of Action 2021–2030 and its objectives.

The Global Plan describes what is needed to achieve that target, and calls on governments & partners to implement an integrated SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH.

Who this Global Plan is for

This plan aims to inspire national and local government, as well other stakeholders who can influence road safety (including civil society, academia, the private sector, donors, community and youth leaders, and other stakeholders) as they develop national and local action plans and targets for the Decade of Action.

Building on the Safe System approach

The Safe System approach – a core feature of the Decade of Action – recognizes that road transport is a complex system and places safety at its core. It also recognizes that humans, vehicles and the road infrastructure must interact in a way that ensures a high level of safety. A Safe System therefore:

anticipates and accommodates human errors;
incorporates road and vehicle designs that limit crash forces to levels that are within human tolerance to prevent death or serious injury;
motivates those who design and maintain the roads, manufacture vehicles, and administer safety programmes to share responsibility for safety with road users, so that when a crash occurs, remedies are sought throughout the system, rather than solely blaming the driver or other road users;
pursues a commitment to proactive and continuous improvement of roads and vehicles so that the entire system is made safe rather than just locations or situations where crashes last occurred; and
adheres to the underlying premise that the transport system should produce zero deaths or serious injuries and that safety should not be compromised for the sake of other factors such as cost or the desire for faster transport times.

Recommended actions

Multimodal transport and land-use planning

Implement policies that promote compact urban design.
Implement policies that lower speeds, and prioritize the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users.
Promote transit-oriented development to concentrate urban and commercial developments around mass transit nodes.
Strategically locate – where feasible – public, subsidized, and workforce housing to provide convenient access to high-capacity transit services.
Discourage the use of private vehicles in high density urban areas by putting restrictions on motor vehicle users, vehicles, and road infrastructure, and provide alternatives that are accessible, safe, and easy to use, such as walking, cycling, buses and trams.
Provide intermodal connectivity between transit and bike share schemes at major transit stops and create transport connections for bicycle and pedestrian travel that reduce total travel time.
Construct (or reconstruct existing) transport networks to ensure that non-motorized modes of travel are as safe as motorized ones, and most importantly serve the travel needs of all ages and abilities.
Promote positive marketing and use of incentives such as employer cost-sharing of public transport subscriptions.

Safe road infrastructure

Develop functional classifications and desired safety performance standards for each road user group at the geographic land-use and road corridor level.
Review and update legislation and local design standards that consider road function and the needs of all road users, and for specific zones.
Specify a technical standard and star rating target for all designs linked to each road user, and the desired safety performance standard at that location.
Implement infrastructure treatments that ensure logical and intuitive compliance with the desired speed environment (e.g. 30 km/h urban centres; ≤ 80 km/h undivided rural roads; 100 km/h expressways).
Undertake road safety audits on all sections of new roads (pre-feasibility through to detailed design) and complete assessments using independent and accredited experts to ensure a minimum standard of three stars or better for all road users.
Undertake crash-risk mapping (where crash data are reliable) and proactive safety assessments and inspections on the target network with a focus on relevant road user needs as appropriate.
Set a performance target for each road user based on the inspection results with clear measurable metrics at the road-attribute level (e.g. sidewalk provision).

Vehicle safety

Require high-quality harmonized safety standards for new and used motor vehicles, safety belts, child-restraint systems and motorcycle helmets.
Ensure that high-quality, harmonized safety standards are kept throughout the full lifecycle of the vehicle.

Safe road use

Enact and enforce road safety legislation
Establish traffic rules and licensing requirements
Ensure road infrastructure takes account of the needs of all road users and is designed to facilitate safe behaviours
Make use of vehicle safety features and technologies to support safe behaviours

Post-crash response

Provide a system to activate post-crash response
Build response capacity among lay responders (non-medical professionals)
Strengthen professional medical care
Establish requirements multidisciplinary, post-crash investigation
Provide social, judicial and, where appropriate, financial support to bereaved families and survivors.

READ MORE DETAILS: DOWNLOAD PDF (WHO)

Global Tuberculosis Report 2021

by Public Health Update October 15, 2021

written by Public Health Update

Overview

Each year, the WHO Global TB Report provides a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the TB epidemic, and of progress in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease, at global, regional and country levels. This is done in the context of global TB commitments, strategies and targets.

Tuberculosis deaths rise for the first time in more than a decade due to the COVID-19 pandemic

The 2021 edition of the report has been produced in a new and more web-centric format. This is designed to make the content available in smaller (more “bite-sized”) chunks that are easier to read, digest, navigate and use. There is a short and slim report PDF with 30 pages of main content plus six short annexes. This is accompanied by expanded and more detailed digital content on web pages. The total amount of content remains similar to that of previous years.

Fact sheet

TB SITUATION AND RESPONSE

Tuberculosis (TB) is contagious and airborne.
TB is the second leading infectious killer after COVID-19 and the 13th leading cause of death worldwide. It was also the leading killer of people with HIV and a major cause of deaths related to antimicrobial resistance.

THE BURDEN

In 2020, an estimated 9.9 million (8.9-10.9 million) people fell ill with TB worldwide, of which 5.5 million were men, 3.3 million were women and 1.1 million were children. People living with HIV accounted for 8% of the total.
Eight countries accounted for two-thirds of the global total: India, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh and South Africa.
In 2020, 1.5 million people died from TB, including 214 000 people with HIV. This is a reduction from 2.4 million in 2000.
Globally, the TB incidence rate fell by 11% between 2015 to 2020 (from 142 to 127 new cases per 100 000 population), including a reduction of 1.9% compared with 2019.

TB CARE AND PREVENTION

TB treatment saved 66 million lives globally between 2000 and 2020.
Globally, the number of people newly diagnosed with TB and those reported to national governments dropped from 7.1 million in 2019 to 5.8 million in 2020. The combined total for 2018–2020 (20 million) was 50% of the way towards the 5 year target of 40 million for 2018-2022.
There is still a large global gap between the estimated number of people who fell ill with TB and the number of people newly diagnosed, with 4.1 million people not diagnosed with the disease, or not officially reported to national authorities in 2020, up from 2.9 million in 2019.
The countries that contributed most to the global reduction in TB notifications between 2019 and 2020 were India (41%), Indonesia (14%), the Philippines (12%) and China (8%). These and 12 other countries accounted for 93% of the total global drop in notifications. Provisional data up to June 2021 show ongoing shortfalls.

DRUG-RESISTANT TB

The number of people treated for drug-resistant TB fell by 15%, from 177 000 in 2019 to 150 000 in 2020, equivalent to only about 1 in 3 of those in need.
The treatment success rate for drug-resistant TB, at 59% globally, remains low.

ADDRESSING THE CO-EPIDEMICS OF TB AND HIV

In 2020, 376 000 people living with HIV were diagnosed with TB; 88% were on antiretroviral therapy.
The burden of HIV-associated TB is highest in the WHO African Region.

TB PREVENTIVE TREATMENT

WHO recommends TB preventive treatment for people living with HIV, household contacts of those with bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary TB, and clinical risk groups (e.g. those receiving dialysis). Globally in 2020, TB preventive treatment was provided to only 2.8 million people, a 21% reduction since 2019.
Most of those provided with TB preventive treatment were people living with HIV: 7.2 million were treated from 2018-2020, the global subtarget of providing TB preventive treatment to 6 million people living with HIV between 2018 and 2022 was achieved well ahead of schedule.
The cumulative number of contacts initiated on TB preventive treatment in the 3-year period 2018–2020, at 1.5 million, is only 6.2% of the 5-year target of 24 million for the period 2018–2022.
Between 2018 and 2020, only 8.7 million people were provided TB preventive treatment. This is 29% of the target of 30 million for 2018-2022.

UPTAKE OF DIAGNOSTICS, NEW DRUGS AND REGIMENS

The use of rapid tests remains far too limited. A WHO-recommended rapid molecular test was used as the initial diagnostic test for only 1.9 million (33%) of the 5.8 million people newly diagnosed with TB in 2020.
Globally, 1.9 million people with TB (new and relapse) were identified by a WHO-recommended rapid diagnostic test in 2020, equivalent to only 33% of those newly diagnosed with TB in 2020.
By the end of 2020, 65 countries, mostly in Africa and Asia, reported having used shorter MDR-TB regimens, and 90 countries had used all-oral longer MDR-TB regimens. By the end of 2020, 109 countries reported having imported or started using bedaquiline.

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

The diagnostic pipeline remains robust in terms of the number of tests, products or methods in development. These include newer skin tests for TB infection that have better performance than tuberculin skin tests; next-generation lateralflow lipoarabinomannan (LF-LAM) assays that perform better than currently marketed assays; amplification- based targeted next-generation sequencing assays for detecting drug-resistant TB directly from sputum specimens; and an expanding pipeline of new interferon gamma release assays to test for TB infection.
Fourteen vaccine candidates are in clinical trials: two in Phase I, eight in Phase II and four in Phase III. They include candidates to prevent TB infection and TB disease, and candidates to help improve the outcomes of treatment for TB disease.
There are 25 drugs and several combination treatment regimens in clinical trials.
Progress in the development of new TB diagnostics, drugs and vaccines, is constrained by the overall level of
investment, which at US$ 0.9 billion in 2019 falls far short of the global target of US$ 2 billion per year.

UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE, SOCIAL DETERMINANTS AND MULTISECTORAL ACTION

Progress on service coverage expansion and catastrophic health spending reduction is required for high TB burden countries to achieve Universal Health Coverage. The COVID-19 pandemic is very likely to have caused progress towards UHC to stall or reverse in 2020 and 2021 in many countries.
Major efforts are required to achieve the End TB target on catastrophic costs due to TB. 47% (33-61%) of people with TB and their households face catastrophic costs according to latest survey evidence.Addressing broader determinants of the TB epidemic requires multisectoral accountability. WHO has been working with countries to adapt and use the WHO multisectoral accountability framework to end TB (MAF-TB). Baseline assessments show that progress is being made; however, engagement of all relevant sectors including civil society requires strengthening, as do mechanisms for high-level review.
The Global TB Report features a TB-SDG monitoring framework that focuses attention on 14 indicators that are associated with TB incidence. Monitoring of these indicators can be used to identify key influences on the TB epidemic at national level and inform the multisectoral actions required to end it.
Many new cases of TB are attributable to undernourishment, HIV infection, smoking, diabetes and alcohol use disorders.

TB FINANCING

By 2022, US$ 13 billion is needed annually for TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care to achieve the global target agreed at the UN high level-meeting on TB in 2018.
Funding in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that account for 98% of reported TB cases falls far short of what is needed.
There was an 8.7% decline in spending between 2019 and 2020 (from US$ 5.8 billion to US$ 5.3 billion), with TB funding in 2020 back to the level of 2016.
Of the US$5.3 billion funding for tuberculosis in 2020, 81% was from domestic sources, with the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa) accounting for US$2.8 billion (65% of total domestic funding).
The largest bilateral donor is the Government of the United States of America. The biggest international donor is the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, although the share of resources allocated for TB is currently fixed at 18 per cent.
For research and development, at least an extra US$ 1.1 billion per year is needed to accelerate the development of new tools.

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND TB – IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic has reversed years of global progress in tackling tuberculosis. In 2020, more people died from TB, far fewer people were diagnosed and treated or provided with TB preventive treatment compared with 2019, and overall spending on essential TB services fell.
The major challenge is disruption in access to TB services and a reduction in resources. In many countries, human, financial and other resources have been reallocated from tackling TB to the COVID-19 response, limiting the availability of essential services.
WHO is working in close coordination with partners and civil society to support countries in maintaining the continuity of essential health services, including those for TB.

DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT

Tuberculosis deaths rise for the first time in more than a decade due to the COVID-19 pandemic

by Public Health Update October 15, 2021

written by Public Health Update

14 October 2021 – The COVID-19 pandemic has reversed years of global progress in tackling tuberculosis and for the first time in over a decade, TB deaths have increased, according to the World Health Organization’s 2021 Global TB report.

In 2020, more people died from TB, with far fewer people being diagnosed and treated or provided with TB preventive treatment compared with 2019, and overall spending on essential TB services falling.

Global Tuberculosis Report 2021

The first challenge is disruption in access to TB services and a reduction in resources. In many countries, human, financial and other resources have been reallocated from tackling TB to the COVID-19 response, limiting the availability of essential services.

The second is that people have struggled to seek care in the context of lockdowns.

“This report confirms our fears that the disruption of essential health services due to the pandemic could start to unravel years of progress against tuberculosis,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This is alarming news that must serve as a global wake-up call to the urgent need for investments and innovation to close the gaps in diagnosis, treatment and care for the millions of people affected by this ancient but preventable and treatable disease.”

TB services are among many others disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but the impact on TB has been particularly severe.

For example, approximately, 1.5 million people died from TB in 2020 (including 214 000 among HIV positive people).

The increase in the number of TB deaths occurred mainly in the 30 countries with the highest burden of TB. WHO modelling projections suggest the number of people developing TB and dying from the disease could be much higher in 2021 and 2022.

Challenges with providing and accessing essential TB services have meant that many people with TB were not diagnosed in 2020. The number of people newly diagnosed with TB and those reported to national governments fell from 7.1 million in 2019 to 5.8 million in 2020.

WHO estimates that some 4.1 million people currently suffer from TB but have not been diagnosed with the disease or have not officially reported to national authorities. This figure is up from 2.9 million in 2019.

The countries that contributed most to the global reduction in TB notifications between 2019 and 2020 were India (41%), Indonesia (14%), the Philippines (12%) and China (8%). These and 12 other countries accounted for 93% of the total global drop in notifications.

There was also a reduction in provision of TB preventive treatment. Some 2.8 million people accessed this in 2020, a 21% reduction since 2019. In addition, the number of people treated for drug-resistant TB fell by 15%, from 177 000 in 2019 to 150 000 in 2020, equivalent to only about 1 in 3 of those in need.

Global investment for TB falls

Funding in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that account for 98% of reported TB cases remains a challenge. Of the total funding available in 2020, 81% came from domestic sources, with the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa) accounting for 65% of total domestic funding.

The largest bilateral donor is the Government of the United States of America. The biggest international donor is the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The report notes a fall in global spending on TB diagnostic, treatment and prevention services, from US$ 5.8 billion to US$ 5.3 billion, which is less than half of the global target for fully funding the TB response of US$ 13 billion annually by 2022.

Meanwhile, although there is progress in the development of new TB diagnostics, drugs and vaccines, this is constrained by the overall level of R&D investment, which at US$ 0.9 billion in 2019 falls far short of the global target of US$ 2 billion per year.

Global TB targets off track

Reversals in progress mean that the global TB targets are off track and appear increasingly out of reach, however there are some successes. Globally, the reduction in the number of TB deaths between 2015 and 2020 was only 9.2% – about one quarter of the way to the 2020 milestone of 35%.

Globally, the number of people falling ill with TB each year (relative to population) dropped 11% from 2015 to 2020, just over half-way to the 2020 milestone of 20%.

However, the WHO European Region exceeded the 2020 milestone, with a reduction of 25%. This was mostly driven by the decline in the Russian Federation, where incidence fell by 6% per year between 2010 to 2020. The WHO African Region came close to reaching the milestone, with a reduction of 19%, which reflects impressive reductions of 4–10% per year in South Africa and several other countries in southern Africa, following a peak in the HIV epidemic and the expansion of TB and HIV prevention and care.

“We have just one year left to reach the historic 2022 TB targets committed by Heads of State at the first UN High Level Meeting on TB. The report provides important information and a strong reminder to countries to urgently fast-track their TB responses and save lives,” said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global TB Programme. “This will be crucial as preparations begin for the 2nd UN High Level Meeting on TB mandated for 2023.”

The report calls on countries to put in place urgent measures to restore access to essential TB services. It further calls for a doubling of investments in TB research and innovation as well as concerted action across the health sector and others to address the social, environmental and economic determinants of TB and its consequences.

The new report features data on disease trends and the response to the epidemic from 197 countries and areas, including 182 of the 194 World Health Organization (WHO) Member States.

The UN Political Declaration on TB also included 4 new targets for the period 2018-2022:

Treat 40 million people for TB disease
Reach at least 30 million people with TB preventive treatment for a latent TB infection
Mobilize at least US$13 billion annually for universal access to TB diagnosis, treatment and care
Mobilize at least US$2 billion annually for TB research

Source: WHO News Flash

Global Handwashing Day 2021: Our Future is at Hand – Let’s Move Forward Together.

by Public Health Update October 14, 2021

written by Public Health Update

Overview

Global Handwashing Day is an annual global advocacy day celebrated every year on October 15th to advocate for handwashing with soap as an easy, effective, and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives. It was founded by the Global Handwashing Partnership, and is an opportunity to design, test, and replicate creative ways to encourage people to wash their hands with soap at critical times.

WORLD HAND HYGIENE DAY 2021! SECONDS SAVE LIVES–CLEAN YOUR HANDS!

Theme

The theme for Global Handwashing Day 2021 is “Our Future is at Hand – Let’s Move Forward Together.”

The unprecedented nature of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight the critical role hand hygiene plays in disease transmission. Therefore, this year’s theme is a call to action which asks us to leverage experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to address the historic neglect of hand hygiene investments, policies, and programs once and for all. As we enter a new normal beyond COVID-19, the future state of hygiene is in our hands. A lot has been learned about promoting hand hygiene at scale, but much work is needed for the current momentum to be sustained.

Key points

Handwashing with soap is an easy, effective, affordable do-it-yourself practice that prevents infections and saves lives.
Handwashing with soap is easy.
Handwashing with soap is effective.
Handwashing with soap is affordable.

Benefits of hand hygiene

Handwashing with soap can reduce the transmission of a range of diseases:

Hand washing can reduce diarrheal diseases by 30%.
Hand washing can reduce acute respiratory infections by up to 20%.
Handwashing plays an important role in reducing the transmission of outbreak-related pathogens
such as cholera, Ebola, shigellosis, SARS and hepatitis E.
Hand hygiene is protective against healthcare associated infections and reduces the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Hand hygiene may contribute to the reduction of Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Key advocacy and action messages

Handwashing is key to reducing the burden of many diseases which pose chronic challenges to population health and development.
Handwashing contributes to mitigating the transmission of COVID-19 and will remain an essential prevention measure while vaccines are being rolled out.
Handwashing is a ‘first-line’ defense in preventing outbreaks and reducing the toll of both current and future pandemics.
Handwashing rates have increased during the pandemic and now need to be sustained and supported.
Handwashing practices have not increased equally, and people living in fragile settings or LMIC countries have continued to face barriers to handwashing during the pandemic.
Increases in handwashing with soap have been driven by fear during the early stage of the pandemic, but fear-based changes are likely to be short-lived. There is therefore a need to use additional motives.
There is now a window of opportunity to sustain behavior change by addressing a broader array of behavioral determinants.
Handwashing promotion initiatives should assess all factors that may influence behavior and design programs which focus on addressing context-specific motivations, opportunities or barriers and creating an enabling physical and social environment for handwashing to take place.
When communicating about handwashing use behavioral theory, draw attention to new norms, and emphasize that it is a behavior that is done to protect others as well as yourself.

Source of info: https://globalhandwashing.org

#GlobalHandwashingDay #OurFutureAtHand

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October 14, 2021 0 comments

Global Health News Public Health News

Health and Education Ministers, heads of partner agencies commit to health promoting schools for all in WHO South-East Asia Region

by Public Health Update October 12, 2021

written by Public Health Update

New Delhi, 12 October 2021 – To build back better from the ongoing pandemic, health and education ministers of countries in WHO South-East Asia Region, and heads of UN agencies today committed to Health Promoting Schools for healthier generations and societies, and for schools to remain operational during public health emergencies and be resilient and well prepared for future emergencies.

“The pandemic is a strong reminder of the importance of maintaining strong education systems that support the interlinked objectives of education and health for all children and adolescents leaving no one behind, in normal circumstances as well as during emergency situations like this pandemic,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director WHO South-East Asia, who convened a meeting of heads of partner agencies UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF and WFP, and health and education ministers from the Region on Health Promoting Schools.

At the three-day inter-ministerial meeting that began this morning, health and education ministers from countries in WHO South-East Asia Region adopted a ‘Call to Action’ to scale up the implementation of comprehensive school health programmes that promote the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents.

As a prelude to the ministerial meeting, the Regional leadership of UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP, WHO held a Summit and deliberated on strengthening school health programmes in the Region and signed a ‘Joint UN statement on strengthening education, school health, nutrition and well-being’ to collectively advocate for a healthier generation and provide harmonized joint technical support to countries.

The Health Promoting School approach aims at advancing health, nutrition, mental health and the overall wellbeing of school-age children and adolescents, teachers and other staff members. As children and adolescents spend most of their formative years in schools, promoting healthy behavior from early childhood through the school setting will benefit their immediate and later health in their adult life, as well as the health and wellbeing of their families and wider communities.

“The pandemic has exacerbated inequities and is disproportionately affecting the most marginalized and disadvantaged children in the region. Children are learning less and numerous health and nutrition services that were once provided from schools have stopped. School closures and isolation have taken a severe toll on children’s mental health and is exposing them to exploitation and harm. We must act urgently to safely reintroduce children back to school while making sure learning continues uninterrupted for children everywhere,” said George Laryea-Adjei, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia.

With the pandemic and prolonged school closures significantly impacting education, health, and nutrition, the Member countries and partners discussed prioritizing reopening of schools, where possible, and their safe operations and preparedness for future outbreaks.

“‘Building forward better’ from COVID-19, and pursuing a mission to recover education, requires us to rethink how we deliver quality and inclusive education to all children and adolescents in the Asia-Pacific region. Among other things, this necessitates urgent investment in school health and nutrition programmes and creating the overall conditions for learners to lead healthy lives,” said Shigeru Aoyagi, Director, UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education.

Adequate public health and social measures should be ensured while reopening schools such as wearing of masks, physical distancing, provisions of soap and running water to facilitate hand washing and use of open and well-ventilated spaces.

Measures should be in place to immediately control any outbreak in the school along with long-term preparedness plan to deal with future emergencies.

Member countries and partner agencies discussed measures to enhance collaboration between health, education, and other relevant ministries, local governments and stakeholders including adolescents to ensure implementation of the Health Promoting Schools initiative.

“For many of the millions of students across the Asia region who receive school meals, it’s often the most substantial and nourishing meal they have each day,” said John Aylieff, WFP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “WFP welcomes the renewed commitment of countries in the region to give their children access to the nutrition they need to grow, mentally and physically. We have an opportunity to strengthen our school systems so that no child is forced to drop out of school because of hunger or illness again.”

The initiative also supports the immediate need to continue nutrition and health services in schools, foster youth engagement for safe reopening and safe operations of schools and deliver an integrated school curriculum including adolescent sexual and reproductive health for enhanced health literacy and life skills.

“As children traverse the journey from childhood to adolescence, they must have a conducive environment in schools which support them to make informed choices on life-changing matters, including some of the most personal issues in their lives. When young people are equipped with skills to make informed decisions and exercise their rights, they are able to realize their fullest potential and contribute to society meaningfully as responsible adults”, said Björn Andersson, Regional Director of UNFPA Asia and the Pacific.

The global standards for health promoting schools and its implementation were developed collaboratively by WHO, UNESCO, and expert groups to support health and education as a community-centered approach. WHO and UNESCO launched a new initiative “Making Every School a Health Promoting School” on 22 June 2021 led by the Director-General of WHO and UNESCO.

The Health Promoting Schools initiative is expected to serve over 2.3 billion school-age children and 362 million adolescents (10–19 years) in the WHO South-East Asia Region and will contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in the fields of education and health

WHO News/Press release 1769

October 12, 2021 0 comments

Symposium Public Health Events Public Health Opportunities Public Health Opportunity

Global Tuberculosis Symposium 2021

by Public Health Update October 12, 2021

written by Public Health Update

Overview

The World Health Organization (WHO) is organizing a special symposium to mark the launch of the 2021 Global Tuberculosis Report. The symposium will also showcase the work undertaken by countries, partners, civil society and WHO across all three levels, to ramp up the TB response, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

TB remains one of the top infectious killers in the world. This year’s Global Tuberculosis Report highlights the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has reversed years of progress and disrupted access to essential TB services. It also presents the status of progress towards targets set at the first-ever United Nations General Assembly high-level meeting on TB in 2018 as well as the targets of the WHO End TB Strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Objective

The symposium will bring together countries, partners and civil society linked to the TB response globally and nationally to discuss how the TB response can be accelerated in the coming 12 months to reach the 2022 UN High Level Meeting targets, and discuss preparations for the 2023 UN High Level Meeting on TB.

Date

Date: OCTOBER 18, 2021 12:30H-15:00H CEST
Event type: Virtual

Registration and more info: Download flyer here.

Overview

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