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Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere – from Prevention to Detection and Equitable Access to Care

by Public Health Update
written by Public Health Update

Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere – from Prevention to Detection and Equitable Access to Care

World Kidney Day is celebrated every year on the second Thursday of March, World Kidney Day (WKD) is the global campaign that aims at increasing awareness of the importance of our kidneys to our health and reduces the impact of kidney disease and its associated problems worldwide. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a non-communicable disease that affects 1 in 10 people worldwide. While severity can vary, CKD is incurable and causes the patient to need lifelong care. As the incidence of kidney disease escalates, World Kidney Day plays a crucial role in educating the public, the medical community and governments and encouraging prevention and early detection of kidney disease.

#worldkidneyday #MyGr8Rule

Key Messages

  • Kidney disease is projected to become the 5th leading cause of premature death globally by 2040.
  • Crucially, the onset and progression of chronic kidney disease is often preventable through primary, secondary or tertiary interventions,
  • Clinical preventive interventions include early check ups, blood pressure and glycemic control as well as management of co-morbidities e.g. cardiovascular disease.
  • A key preventative measure is more education and awareness of the risks of kidney disease among the population, patients, professions and policy makers.
  • A drastic change and improvement in national and specific policies directed towards education and awareness about kidney disease as well as CKD screening, management and treatment are needed.
  • World Kidney Day calls on everyone to advocate for concrete measures in every country to promote and advance kidney disease prevention.

The 8 Golden Rules

  1. Keep fit, be active
  2. Eat a healthy diet
  3. Check and control your blood sugar
  4. Check and control your blood pressure
  5. Take appropriate fluid intake
  6. Don’t smoke
  7. Don’t take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory/pain-killer pills regularly
  8. Get your kidney function checked if you have any ‘high risk’ factors
    • you have diabetes
    • you have hypertension
    • you are obese
    • you have a family history of kidney disease

MORE INFO: https://www.worldkidneyday.org

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WHO declares novel coronavirus (#COVID19)outbreak a pandemic

by Public Health Update
written by Public Health Update

WHO declares novel coronavirus (#COVID19)outbreak a pandemic

The World Health Organization declared #COVID19 as a first pandemic caused by a coronavirus.

Today’s declaration of a #COVID19 pandemic is a call to action – for everyone, everywhere. It’s also a call for responsibility & solidarity – as nations united and as people united. As we fight the virus, we cannot let fear go viral. Let’s overcome this common threat together. – @antonioguterres

 

This is the first pandemic caused by a #coronavirus. We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: all countries can still change the course of this pandemic. This is the first pandemic that can be controlled. – @DrTedros

WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 – 11 March 2020

11 March 2020
Good afternoon.
In the past two weeks, the number of cases of COVID-19 outside China has increased 13-fold, and the number of affected countries has tripled.  There are now more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries, and 4,291 people have lost their lives. 

Thousands more are fighting for their lives in hospitals.

In the days and weeks ahead, we expect to see the number of cases, the number of deaths, and the number of affected countries climb even higher.

WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction.

We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic. 

Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death.

Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by this virus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do.

We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus. This is the first pandemic caused by a coronavirus.

And we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled, at the same time.  

WHO has been in full response mode since we were notified of the first cases.  

And we have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action.

We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear. 

===

As I said on Monday, just looking at the number of cases and the number of countries affected does not tell the full story.

Of the 118,000 cases reported globally in 114 countries, more than 90 percent of cases are in just four countries, and two of those – China and the Republic of Korea – have significantly declining epidemics. 

81 countries have not reported any cases, and 57 countries have reported 10 cases or less.

We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: all countries can still change the course of this pandemic.

If countries detect, test, treat, isolate, trace, and mobilize their people in the response, those with a handful of cases can prevent those cases becoming clusters, and those clusters becoming community transmission.

Even those countries with community transmission or large clusters can turn the tide on this virus. 

Several countries have demonstrated that this virus can be suppressed and controlled. 

The challenge for many countries who are now dealing with large clusters or community transmission is not whether they can do the same – it’s whether they will.  

Some countries are struggling with a lack of capacity. 

Some countries are struggling with a lack of resources. 

Some countries are struggling with a lack of resolve.

We are grateful for the measures being taken in Iran, Italy and the Republic of Korea to slow the virus and control their epidemics.

We know that these measures are taking a heavy toll on societies and economies, just as they did in China.

All countries must strike a fine balance between protecting health, minimizing economic and social disruption, and respecting human rights.

WHO’s mandate is public health. But we’re working with many partners across all sectors to mitigate the social and economic consequences of this pandemic.

This is not just a public health crisis, it is a crisis that will touch every sector – so every sector and every individual must be involved in the fight. 

I have said from the beginning that countries must take a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach, built around a comprehensive strategy to prevent infections, save lives and minimize impact.

Let me summarize it in four key areas. 

First, prepare and be ready.

Second, detect, protect and treat.

Third, reduce transmission.

Fourth, innovate and learn. 

I remind all countries that we are calling on you to activate and scale up your emergency response mechanisms;

Communicate with your people about the risks and how they can protect themselves – this is everybody’s business; 

Find, isolate, test and treat every case and trace every contact;

Ready your hospitals;

Protect and train your health workers. 

And let’s all look out for each other, because we need each other.

===

There’s been so much attention on one word.

Let me give you some other words that matter much more, and that are much more actionable.

Prevention. 

Preparedness. 

Public health.

Political leadership. 

And most of all, people.

We’re in this together, to do the right things with calm and protect the citizens of the world. It’s doable.

I thank you.

WHO

MORE INFORMATION (WHO)Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak

Rolling updates on coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Situation dashboard

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Portugal brings down obesity by taxing sugary drinks

by Public Health Update
written by Public Health Update

Portugal brings down obesity by taxing sugary drinks

On World Obesity Day, 4 March, WHO highlighted the success Portugal has had in tackling childhood obesity – one of the main health challenges in the WHO European Region – with their sugary drinks tax.

Childhood obesity is a complex public health issue – caused by many factors, it intersects significantly with socioeconomic status. As obesity can establish behaviours at a young and vulnerable age, countries have a duty to protect children from a phenomenon that can become a health burden for the rest of their lives.

In Portugal, the combination of unhealthy diets and a rise in sedentary lifestyles has precipitated a public health struggle with childhood obesity. The consequences of this have implications for Portugal to achieve the wider targets for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) by 2030.

The importance of monitoring health trends

However, one monitoring programme, the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI), has attempted to take a firm hold on the crisis. COSI has been tracking the trend in childhood obesity for 12 years and has seen the numbers in Portugal slowly but surely turn around. COSI is an initiative that has surveyed the weight of school-aged children every 2–3 years in over 40 Member States of the European Region since 2008. It has delivered invaluable data to governments across the Region in that time.

Dr Ana Rito, Portugal’s Principal Investigator for COSI, walks us through the component parts of this critical monitoring initiative. “Between 2008 and 2016 we can see a drop in overweight children [in Portugal] from 37.9% to 30.7% and in obese children from 15.3% to 11.7%. However, it remains one of the highest rates in Europe,” she explains. Thanks to COSI, it is not just prevalence that can be assessed but also the behavioural aspects of healthy lifestyles, including diets and physical habits. It also goes beyond the children themselves to assess their environments, such as schools and family. This detailed level of analysis showed that despite the decreasing rates of obesity overall, dietary patterns seemed resistant to change.

Healthy lifestyles

Most importantly, COSI identified one of the main culprits. It seemed that the number of children who regularly drink soft drinks – a significant influence on weight gain – had increased over time to reach over 80.1% of children aged 6–8 years in 2016. “This data provided scientific evidence essential to support the implementation of the sugary drinks tax,” Ana tells me.

Taxation is often an effective way of nudging behaviour change and is far more successful than targeting or shaming individuals. However, building political momentum for such legislative change often proves challenging, particularly when it tackles an industry which puts profit before the health priorities of young people. Nonetheless, leading public health institutions in Portugal helped drive taxes on sweet beverages up the agenda and in January 2017, Portugal brought into force a sugary drinks tax.

Big steps forward

The results are impressive. Many companies have radically reduced the amount of sugar in their products and sales of sugary drinks have fallen overall. Future rounds of the COSI Portugal study will be able to track the full impact on children’s consumption patterns, but the initial plunge in high-sugar beverage sales and the significant reformulation of products is impressive.

Dr Francisco Goiana Silva was in the cabinet of the Ministry of Health of Portugal when the sugary drinks tax was implemented and is confident about the tax: “this policy intervention is estimated to have had a far greater impact on the population’s diet than all the education and self-regulated mechanisms combined. The tax also serves as a measure to tackle health inequalities”. Unhealthy diets and obesity are strongly related to social determinants of health in Portugal – people at lower income and education levels are the most vulnerable to developing NCDs. “By promoting transfer of consumption to healthier choices, such as water, which is not more expensive, this policy will reduce the risk of developing NCDs among the most vulnerable population groups,” added Dr Silva.

Dr Silva also stresses the importance of investing revenue raised by the sugary drinks tax in health promotion initiatives. “It allows the creation of a multiplier effect,” he said. “It brings to light the positive impacts of the tax and prevents criticism from stakeholders in the industry arguing that the tax serves only to generate revenue.”

Surveillance systems such as COSI are clearly not just monitors of change – they have a huge amount of agency in driving through reforms and building change themselves. When policy-makers, politicians and academics collaborate flexibly, they can have a significant impact on influencing the healthy behaviour of populations.

COSI is just one of the WHO tools that Portugal has adopted to tackle childhood obesity and other NCD risk factors. National-level stakeholders have recognized the importance of such tools and resources. “Having tools which can be readily used by policy-makers and ministries of health to assess the potential impact of policy scenarios is extremely useful. In the past, we have also used WHO tools to estimate the potential health impact of the Portuguese Sweetened Beverages Tax and we are currently considering their application in other policies,” commented Dr Maria João Gregório, Director, Portuguese National Programme for the Promotion of Healthy Eating.

Portugal’s fiscal measures are taking on entrenched challenges and defending the right to health for all – including children. Although there is more work to be done on healthy behaviours, these measures offer a guide to best practice in turning the tide of the childhood obesity epidemic.

WHO European

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#WorldObesityDay 2017 is focusing on tackling the causes of #obesity to avoid #NCDs

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Achieve gender equality in this generation | WHO South-East Asia Region

by Public Health Update
written by Public Health Update

Achieve gender equality in this generation | WHO South-East Asia Region

7 March 2020 

Statement

 India

By Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia
Achieving gender equality is everyone’s business, including the health sector’s. Health authorities across the WHO South-East Asia Region must be a force for change and take the opportunity to lead. On this year’s International Women’s Day, which marks 25 years since the path-breaking Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, we must redouble our efforts and accelerate progress towards gender equality in this generation. This year’s theme – I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights – is of special significance to the health sector for three key reasons. 

First, gender inequality is closely linked to health. Gender inequalities systematically determine health risks, access to services and health outcomes. For example, whether a woman can access skilled assistance during childbirth significantly depends on where she lives, her education level and household income, which are themselves mediated by her gender. The Region’s relatively high maternal mortality underscores women’s continuing disadvantage and the need for health systems to deliver evidence-based solutions. 

Second, the call to achieve gender equality highlights the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on gender equality and its relevance for other goals, including the health goal. It recognizes that gender inequality spans generations, starting before birth and continuing into infancy, through childhood, adolescence, adulthood and older ages. It is for this reason that WHO takes a life-cycle approach to building gender-responsive health systems and programmes, which it is supporting all countries to adopt and implement. 

Third, realizing women’s rights includes their right to health. Respecting, protecting and promoting the right to health requires us to end all forms of discrimination against women and girls. This is aligned with the SDG target on universal health coverage, which is also one of the Region’s eight Flagship Priorities. To achieve UHC, all health systems must cater to the full range of women’s health needs, not only maternal needs. We must remove all barriers that women and girls face when seeking care, whether social, economic, legal or health system-related. We must also end gender-based violence, a grievous and widespread human rights violation, which limits women’s equal participation in education and economic, political and civic life.

Progress on gender equality is especially needed in the WHO South-East Asia Region. The highest any country in the Region ranked on the 2019 UNDP Gender Inequality Index, which ranks 189 countries, is 81st. The lowest is 129th. Though Member States have made significant advances in recent years, they must accelerate progress: At the present rate of progress, estimates suggest it will take the world almost 100 years to close the gender gap.

On International Women’s Day, WHO reiterates its commitment to supporting countries in the Region to identify and implement policies that promote gender equality in the health sector and beyond. Together we must drive faster and more enduring gains for women and girls across our Region, and across the world. A more gender-equal world is possible. This generation must achieve it. 

WHO South-East Asia Region

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Shortage of personal protective equipment endangering health workers worldwide

by Public Health Update
written by Public Health Update

Shortage of personal protective equipment endangering health workers worldwide

3 March 2020 

News release

 Geneva

WHO calls on industry and governments to increase manufacturing by 40 per cent to meet rising global demand
The World Health Organization has warned that severe and mounting disruption to the global supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) – caused by rising demand, panic buying, hoarding and misuse – is putting lives at risk from the new coronavirus and other infectious diseases.

Healthcare workers rely on personal protective equipment to protect themselves and their patients from being infected and infecting others.

But shortages are leaving doctors, nurses and other frontline workers dangerously ill-equipped to care for COVID-19 patients, due to limited access to supplies such as gloves, medical masks, respirators, goggles, face shields, gowns, and aprons.

mask

“Without secure supply chains, the risk to healthcare workers around the world is real. Industry and governments must act quickly to boost supply, ease export restrictions and put measures in place to stop speculation and hoarding. We can’t stop COVID-19 without protecting health workers first,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, prices have surged. Surgical masks have seen a sixfold increase, N95 respirators have trebled and gowns have doubled.

Supplies can take months to deliver and market manipulation is widespread, with stocks frequently sold to the highest bidder.

WHO has so far shipped nearly half a million sets of personal protective equipment to 47 countries,* but supplies are rapidly depleting.

Based on WHO modelling, an estimated 89 million medical masks are required for the COVID-19 response each month. For examination gloves, that figure goes up to 76 million, while international demand for goggles stands at 1.6 million per month. 

Recent WHO guidance calls for the rational and appropriate use of PPE in healthcare settings, and the effective management of supply chains.

WHO is working with governments, industry and the Pandemic Supply Chain Network to boost production and secure allocations for critically affected and at-risk countries.

To meet rising global demand, WHO estimates that industry must increase manufacturing by 40 per cent.

Governments should develop incentives for industry to ramp up production. This includes easing restrictions on the export and distribution of personal protective equipment and other medical supplies. 

Every day, WHO is providing guidance, supporting secure supply chains, and delivering critical equipment to countries in need.

WHO

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The First Global Health Literacy Summit 2020, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

by Public Health Update
written by Public Health Update

The First Global Health Literacy Summit 2020, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

The first Global Health Literacy Summit is the first largest and most diverse global gathering on health literacy. Organized by the International Health Literacy Association and hosted by the E-DA Healthcare Group|I-Shou University, the first Global Health Literacy Summit will be held in Kaohsiung on October 26-28th, 2020. The summit will bring together over 500 people from 80 countries to network and share ideas on how to advance health literacy. The theme of the Summit is “Health Literacy for All” highlighting its importance for equity and sustainable development.

Goals of the Global Health Literacy Summit

The aim of the IHLA Global Health Literacy Summit is to unite people around the world working to promote health literacy in order to

  1. foster knowledge exchange between researchers, practitioners and policy makers regarding health literacy
  2. promote evidence-based actions and practices in the area of health literacy
  3. promote health literacy to reduce inequality in health.

Important Dates

  • Deadline for abstract submission: 31 March 2020 23:59 (GMT+8)
  • Deadline for early bird discount registration: 1 August 2020
  • Deadline for online registration: 1 October 2020

Main themes

  1. Health literacy and health equity
  2. Librarians advancing health literacy
  3. Improving Health Literacy Using Information Technology
  4. Health literacy across the lifespan
  5. Child and Family Health Literacy
  6. Health literacy in adolescence
  7. Health literacy and older adults
  8. Health literacy and social costs
  9. Cancer health literacy
  10. Health literacy in professional training and performance (incl Medical / Health Professions Schools, Occupational therapy etc.)
  11. Health literacy and patient safety
  12. Environmental health literacy and climate change
  13. Health literacy and sustainability
  14. Health literacy in in market settings (consumers, etc.) market research
  15. Health literacy and clinical healthcare settings (incl primary care)
  16. Mental health literacy
  17. Health literacy policy and advocacy
  18. Health literacy in schools and educational settings
  19. Health literacy interventions and behavior change
  20. Nutrition health literacy
  21. Research and new measures for health literacy
  22. Organizational health literacy
  23. Health literacy and cultural appropriateness
  24. Digital and technological health literacy
  25. Health literacy and the media
  26. Health literacy and public health promotion
  27. Health literacy and NCDs
  28. Health literacy and sexual & reproductive health
  29. Other
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
  1. Abstracts should follow the appropriate type of presentation.
  2. Abstracts must be in the English language only.
  3. Abstract titles have a maximum of 20 words. Abstract titles should be in lower case, except the first word, abbreviations and countries. Do not use capital letters only and avoid using abbreviations or acronyms.
  4. The content of the abstracts should not include more than 350 words
  5. Abstracts should be written in Size 11 font, Arial font style.
  6. Abstracts may not contain photos, graphs or tables.
  7. Author and co-author: you can include up to 6 co-authors, including one presenting author. Special circumstances can be applied to info@ihlasummit2020.org if more than 6 co-authors (maximum 8) is needed.

MORE INFORMATION: CONFERENCE WEBSITE

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World Obesity Day: The Roots of Obesity Run Deep

by Public Health Update
written by Public Health Update

World Obesity Day: The Roots of Obesity Run Deep

World Obesity Day is marked globally on 4 March. World Obesity Day (WOD) was launched in 2015 as an initiative of the World Obesity Federation to stimulate and support practical solutions on a broader, global basis to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight, and to reverse the obesity crisis. March 4 is the new date for World Obesity Day. In the spirit of a global approach, several leading obesity organisations are coming together in 2020 to focus on Word Obesity Day on March 4.

The main heading for World Obesity Day is  ”The Roots of Obesity Run Deep” and  Sub-heading is ”Together we can create a healthier future.”

Obesity and its root causes

World obesity day encourages practical solutions to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight, undertake proper treatment, and reverse the obesity crisis.

Obesity rates have nearly tripled since 1975 and have increased almost five times in children and adolescents, affecting people of all ages from all social groups in both developed and developing countries.  Obesity is a major risk factors for various noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and various forms of cancer.

People with obesity are constantly shamed and blamed because many – including doctors, policymakers, and others – do not fully understand the root causes of obesity, which are often a complex mixture of dietary, lifestyle, genetic, psychological, sociocultural, economic and environmental factors. It is time we break the cycle of shame and blame and reevaluate our approach for addressing this complex global public health problem.

Together we can make a difference. There is a lot we can do, including restricting the marketing to children of food and drinks high in fats, sugar and salt; taxing sugary drinks, and providing better access to affordable, healthy food. In our cities and towns, we need to make space for safe walking, cycling, and recreation. We must teach our children healthy habits from early on.

WHO is responding to the global obesity crisis on many fronts, including monitoring global trends and prevalence, the development of a broad range of guidance addressing the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity, and providing implementation support and guidance such as the Report of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity.

THE AIM OF WORLD OBESITY DAY IS TO

  • INCREASE AWARENESS: Increase knowledge and understanding of the challenge of obesity, and what can and should be done to overcome it.
  • IMPROVE POLICIES: Encourage governments to take urgent action to meet their commitment to halt the rise in obesity by 2025.
  • SHARE EXPERIENCES: Share national experiences of campaigning to enable the spread of best practices.

Key facts

  • Worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975.
  • In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 650 million were obese.
  • 39% of adults aged 18 years and over were overweight in 2016, and 13% were obese.
  • Most of the world’s population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
  • 40 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2018.
  • Over 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016.
  • Obesity is preventable.

Source of info: WHO and World Obesity Day 

World Obesity Day: The Roots of Obesity Run Deep

World Obesity Day: The Roots of Obesity Run Deep

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WHO emphasizes on agile response capacities, as South-East Asia Region confirms more COVID-19 cases

by Public Health Update
written by Public Health Update

WHO emphasizes on agile response capacities, as South-East Asia Region confirms more COVID-19 cases

4 March 2020 

News release

India

SEAR/PR/1725

New Delhi – With India, Indonesia and Thailand confirming new cases of COVID-19, World Health Organization today asked countries in its South-East Asia Region to strengthen preparedness for all possible scenarios and ensure early containment measures.

“Top priority of countries should be to be ready to roll out speedy response to the first case, first cluster, and first evidences of community transmission. Early containment measures can help countries stop transmission,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region.

Five of the 11 countries in the Region have confirmed COVID-19 cases – Thailand 43, India 28, Indonesia 2 and Sri Lanka and Nepal one each.

“The risk of the new coronavirus is very high across the world and in WHO South-East Asia Region. More cases can be expected. Rapidly identifying these cases, isolating them and following their contacts are important initiatives to help limit person to person transmission. The speed of our response is critical, which is only possible if we are prepared,” the Regional Director said.

Dr Khetrapal Singh said there are three priorities for country readiness – protecting health workers, engaging with communities and empowering them with timely and accurate information to enable them take protective measures, specially those at highest risk; and doing our best to contain epidemics in the most vulnerable countries.

The virus can cause mild, flu-like symptoms as well as more severe disease. Patients have a range of symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Based on current data, globally 81% of cases seem to have mild disease, about 14% appear to progress to severe disease, and some 5% are critical.

People can protect themselves and prevent spread of the virus by practicing hand hygiene, covering their cough and sneeze, maintaining distance from others if they are sick and from those who are sick, she said.

Infection prevention and control is of critical importance in health facilities for COVID-19.

Outlining preparedness and response measures and capacities in the WHO South-East Asia Region, Dr Khetrapal Singh said, WHO is assisting countries in preparedness and response planning, in coordination with other partner organization; as per updated global guidelines. All member countries have rolled out a series of measures to prevent the disease and protect their nationals.

Nine of the 11 countries now have capacities to test for COVID-19. WHO is supporting countries with supplies for laboratories. For countries unable to test, WHO is assisting in shipping of their samples to global referral laboratories, three of them in the Region –  two in Thailand and one in India.

Nearly 300 000 pieces of personal protective equipment comprising of caps, goggles, surgical masks, gloves gowns etc, have been supplied to member countries, and nearly 200 000 more pieces are being procured.

WHO is conducting web trainings for countries in critical areas of preparedness and response such as surveillance, testing in laboratories, clinical management of cases, infection prevention and control, communicating the disease to the community etc.

Globally, WHO is constantly analyzing data, as more information comes in, and is working closely with global experts to better understand transmission, risk factors, and source of the infection. 

On 28 February, WHO raised the risk assessment for the COVID-19 outbreak internationally from “high” to “very high” nearly a month after the novel coronavirus was declared a public health emergency of international concern – WHO’s highest level alarm.

10 things you can do to prevent COVID-19:

  1. Clean your hands regularly – wash with soap and water, or clean with alcohol-based hand rub
  2. Clean surfaces regularly with disinfectant – for example kitchen benches and work desks;
  3. Educate yourself about COVID-19. Make sure your information comes from reliable sources;
  4. Avoid traveling if you have a fever or cough, and if you become sick while on a flight, inform the crew immediately. Once you get to your destination, make contact with a health professional and tell them about where you have been;
  5. Cough or sneeze into your sleeve. If using a tissue, dispose of the tissue immediately into a closed rubbish bin, and then clean your hands;
  6. Take extra precautions to avoid crowded areas if you are over 60 years old, or if you have an underlying condition;
  7. If you feel unwell, stay at home and call your doctor or local health professional;
  8. If you are sick, stay at home, and eat and sleep separately from your family, use different utensils and cutlery to eat;If you develop shortness of breath, call your doctor and seek care immediately;
  9. It’s normal and understandable to feel anxious, especially if you live in a country that has been affected. Find out what you can do in your community.
  10. Discuss how to stay safe in your workplace, school or place of worship. 

WHO SEARO

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Operational Planning Guidelines and COVID-19 Partners Platform to support country preparedness and response

by Public Health Update
written by Public Health Update

Operational Planning Guidelines and COVID-19 Partners Platform to support country preparedness and response

In order to assist UN country teams in scaling up country preparedness and response to COVID-19, WHO has developed these learning modules as a companion to the Operational Planning Guidelines to Support Country Preparedness and Response.

The training is intended:

  • For UN country teams (UNCTs)
  • For other relevant stakeholders, including partners, donors and civil society
  • To support national readiness and preparedness for COVID-19
  • To help countries increase their capacity to respond to COVID-19
  • To increase international coordination for response and preparedness
  • To streamline the process of coordinating resources and assessing country preparedness level

This learning package consists of 3 modules with videos and downloadable presentations.

This 3-module learning package introduces the context for the need for a coordinated global response plan to the COVID-19 outbreak. It provides the required guidance to implement the Operational Planning Guidelines to Support Country Preparedness and Response. These planning guidelines describe priority steps and actions to be included in countries’ preparedness and response plans across the major areas of public health preparedness and response. This is aligned with the previously communicated COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP). By the end of this course, the appointed UNCT lead planners and relevant partners should be able to assess and fill in capability gaps to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Key learning objectives:

  • Be able to educate yourself and others about the importance of operationalizing the SPRP for the COVID-19 outbreak using the Operational Planning Guidelines
  • Be able to describe the 8 major pillars of public health preparedness and response and initial actions to be taken by the UN country teams
  • Be able to access the full set of actions, performance indicators and resources needed to conduct the preparedness level assessment using the COVID-19 Partners Platform

Course duration: Approximately 1 hour for Modules 1 and 2 and another hour for Module 3.

Certificates: A Record of Achievement will be available to participants who score 80% or higher in the cumulative course assessment for both Modules 1 and 2. Module 3 is free of any certification.

Course contents

  • Module 1: Mission and purpose of this program (incl. COVID-19 knowledge):This module provides a description of the purpose and context for this learning package, leadership words and relevant COVID-19 knowledge.
  • Module 2: Country-level preparedness and response:This module provides an introduction to Operational Planning Guidelines to Support Country Preparedness and Response, and access to relevant information and documentation.
  • Module 3: Pillars of the public health response:This module is technical deep dive into each of the 8 pillars of the public health response as described by the Operational Planning Guidelines to Support Country Preparedness and Response.
Registration and Enrollment

The course is free. Just register for an account on OpenWHO and take the course!

Enroll now

Example Record of Achievement

Example Record of Achievement

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Maternal, Newborn and Child HealthPublic Health

Strengthen health systems to prevent, detect and treat birth defects

by Public Health Update
written by Public Health Update

Strengthen health systems to prevent, detect and treat birth defects

3 March 2020 

Statement

 India

By Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia

Concerted action is needed to ensure health systems in the WHO South-East Asia Region can prevent, detect and treat birth defects. Every year, eight million children globally are estimated to be born with a birth defect. The most serious defects include heart defects, neural tube defects and Down syndrome. Birth defects are responsible for the death of an estimated 300 000 newborns annually, 90 000 of them in the South-East Asia Region. The mortality and life-long disability birth defects can cause disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries.

The Region’s Member States have made steady progress to tackle birth defects, in line with the Region’s Flagship Priority on reducing newborn mortality. Almost all countries have national action plans to address birth defects. Hospital-based surveillance for birth defects – which is key to prevention and treatment – has increased Region-wide, with the WHO-supported Newborn and Birth Defects Surveillance initiative growing in strength and reach. Across the Region, vaccine against rubella, a disease that can cause several birth defects, is now included in all national immunization programmes. Several Member States have fortified foods such as wheat flour with folic acid, vitamin B-12 and iron to prevent neural tube defects and anemia.

To ensure all health systems in the Region can prevent, detect and treat birth defects, Member States must continue to expand surveillance and strengthen services for maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health. A focus on several key areas is needed.

First, to prevent birth defects, health authorities should ensure all women and girls have access to vaccination throughout their lives, as well as good quality antenatal care. Though all countries in the Region provide routine rubella vaccination, the average coverage is 83%. Achieving full coverage will have a substantial impact on the incidence of birth defects caused by congenital rubella syndrome. Quality antenatal services are likewise key. Services that provide micronutrient supplementation will help pregnant women nourish their fetus, while healthy lifestyle counselling will help them avoid harmful products such as tobacco and alcohol. Both outcomes will prevent a range of defects.

Second, to detect birth defects, health authorities should ensure all families have access to facilities with adequate screening capacity. Screening before and during pregnancy, including with ultrasound, is vital to detecting birth defects, including major abnormalities. Neonatal screening can detect common metabolic disorders, in addition to heart defects and other congenital disorders. Early detection is crucial for a child’s life-long health and well-being.

Third, to treat birth defects, health authorities should ensure all families have access to appropriate services. Early interventions can be life-changing for children with disorders that put them at risk of physical, intellectual, visual or auditory disabilities, as well as for children with defects that have a functional impact. For children with neural tube defects or congenital heart defects, pediatric surgery can be life-saving. Equitable access to treatment will save lives and reduce the load on health systems and families. Both are valuable outcomes. 

On World Birth Defects Day, WHO reiterates its commitment to supporting Member States in the Region to prevent, detect and treat birth defects. We must add years to life and life to years. Together we can reduce the prevalence and impact of birth defects and increase health equity. A healthier, fairer Region is possible – but only if we act.  

WHO SEARO

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