Page 280 – Public Health Update

UNAIDS announces that the goal of 15 million people on life-saving HIV treatment by 2015 has been met

by Public Health Update July 16, 2015

ADDIS ABABA/GENEVA, 14 July 2015

UNAIDS announces that the goal of 15 million people on life-saving HIV treatment by 2015 has been met nine months ahead of schedule

The world has exceeded the AIDS targets of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6 and is on track to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The AIDS targets of MDG 6—halting and reversing the spread of HIV—have been achieved and exceeded, according to a new report released today by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). New HIV infections have fallen by 35% and AIDS-related deaths by 41%. The global response to HIV has averted 30 million new HIV infections and nearly 8 million (7.8 million) AIDS-related deaths since 2000, when the MDGs were set.

“The world has delivered on halting and reversing the AIDS epidemic,” said Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations. “Now we must commit to ending the AIDS epidemic as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

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How AIDS changed everything — MDG6: 15 years, 15 lessons of hope from the AIDS response

July 16, 2015 0 comments

Mental Health Atlas- 2014, WHO

by Public Health Update July 15, 2015

written by Public Health Update

WHO release the MENTAL HEALTH ATLAS TODAY (14 July 2015)

The 2014 version of mental health Atlas continues to provide up-to-date information on the availability of mental health services and resources across the world, including financial allocations, human resources and specialised facilities for mental health. This information was obtained via a questionnaire sent to designated focal points in each WHO Member State.

Worldwide, nearly 1 in 10 people have a mental health disorder, but only 1% of the global health workforce is working in mental health. This means, for example, that nearly half of the world’s population lives in a country where there is less than one psychiatrist per 100 000 people.

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The report states global spending on mental health is still very low. Low and middle-income countries spend less than US$ 2 per capita per year on mental health, whereas high-income countries spend more than US$ 50.

WHO’s Mental Health Atlas provides the baseline data to measure progress on the action plan targets. The 2014 edition is the fourth and newest edition, with data on the availability of mental health services and resources across the world, including financial allocations, human resources and specialized facilities for mental health from 171 countries.

The Comprehensive mental health action plan 2013-2020 targets, and baseline values for 2013:

80% of countries will have developed or updated their policies or plans for mental health in line with international and regional human rights instruments by the year 2020. Baseline: 45% of all WHO Member States
50% of countries will have developed or updated their law for mental health in line with international and regional human rights instruments by the year 2020. Baseline: 34% of all WHO Member States
Service coverage for severe mental disorders will have increased by 20% by the year 2020. Baseline: Currently not computable from Atlas 2014 data
80% of countries will have at least two functioning national, multisectoral mental health promotion and prevention programmes by the year 2020. Baseline: 41% of all WHO Member States
The rate of suicide in countries will be reduced by 10%. Baseline: 11.4 per 100 000 population 80% of countries will be routinely collecting and reporting at least a core set of mental health indicators every two years through their national health and social information systems by the year 2020.

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July 15, 2015 0 comments

National Health News National Plan, Policy & Guidelines Research & Publication

‪#‎NepalBudget_Health_2015‬ (FULL BUDGET SPEECH)

by Public Health Update July 14, 2015

written by Public Health Update

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July 14, 2015 0 comments

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World Population Day- 2015 activities- Pokhara

by Public Health Update July 11, 2015

written by Public Health Update

Every Year in July 11th World Population day is celebrated everywhere with different activities. In this year the theme of World Population Day is ”Vulnerable Populations in Emergencies.”

The recently released Post Disaster Needs Assessment Report strongly confirms that the most vulnerable people in time of emergencies are more likely to endure the consequences of a crisis such as gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, HIV infection, human trafficking, child marriage or even unwanted pregnancies. Globally, an estimated one in five women and adolescent girls are likely to be pregnant in humanitarian situations. (Source)

In this ocassion, Regional Health Directorate and District Public Health Office-Kaski also conduct a Program on #WPD, some mobile capture photos are posted here.

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Fast facts (Source: The Himalayantimes News)

Eight million people, alone in the 14 most-affecte
d districts, were affected when the devastating quake hit the country on April 25

Among them are 1.5 million women of reproductive age
With damaged health institutions and disrupted health and reproductive health services, many women, especially pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and adolescent girls are facing increased health risks
Vulnerable people in time of emergencies are more likely to endure the consequences of a crisis such as gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, HIV infection, human trafficking, child marriage or even unwanted pregnancies
In the aftermath of a disaster, provisions of water, sanitation, food, tents and housing are automatically delivered while specific and essential needs for women and girls are often overlooked. Sexual reproductive health support to women and girls should also be integrated in the relief package.

Kantipur 12th July 2015

RELATED POST :NATIONAL POPULATION POLICY-2071

July 11, 2015 0 comments

International Plan, Policy & Guidelines Tobacco Control

WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2015

by Public Health Update July 7, 2015

written by Public Health Update

Today (7th July 2015) WHO releage the Report on the global tobacco epidemic 2015.The report focuses on raising taxes on tobacco. Although 33 countries impose taxes that represent more than 75% of the retail price of a packet of cigarettes, many countries have extremely low tax rates. Some have no special tax on tobacco products at all.

Raising taxes on tobacco is the most effective way to reduce tobacco use.

Strategies to support the implementation of demand reduction measures contained within the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), such as the “MPOWER” package, have helped save millions of lives in the past decade. MPOWER was established in 2008 to promote government action on 6 tobacco control strategies – 1 for each letter of the MPOWER acronym – to stamp out the tobacco epidemic, namely to:

Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies;
Protect people from tobacco smoke;
Offer help to quit tobacco use;
Warn people about the dangers of tobacco;
Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and
Raise taxes on tobacco.

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July 7, 2015 0 comments

Global Health News Public Health News

WHO urges vigil for MERS virus- Himalayan News Service (20th June 2015)

by Public Health Update June 20, 2015

written by Public Health Update

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, June 19

World Health Organisation has urged all countries in the southeast Asia region to step up vigil and review preparedness to respond to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS CoV) after Thailand confirmed the disease in a traveller from the Middle East region yesterday.

It is said to be the first case of MERS in the WHO southeast Asia region. “Strong health systems using strict infection control measures would be the key to prevent the spread of the virus while protecting health professionals and common people,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director at New Delhi-based WHO South-east Asia region. Earlier in the week, Dr Singh had written to the health ministers of 11 countries in the WHO southeast Asia region, including Nepal, asking them to review and strengthen preparedness against MERS CoV in view of the recent spread of the disease.

The Regional Director urged the countries to enhance surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections as well as focus on early diagnosis, while stepping up prevention and control procedures of infections in health-care facilities. According to a press release, WHO has been working with countries in the southeast Asia region to build their capacities and strengthen preparedness as required under International Health Regulations, 2005, to effectively detect and respond to outbreaks as well as other hazards. Efficient application of available knowledge, along with prevention and control mechanism, would enable the countries to effectively respond and mitigate the risk of spread of MERS CoV, Dr Singh said. The typical symptoms of MERS include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Pneumonia is also said to be common, but not always present.

Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhoea, have also been reported. MERS CoV was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Since then, as many as 1,333 cases have been reported from 26 countries. Though no case of MERS has been reported in Nepal as yet, the Epidemiology and Disease Control division of Department of Health Services has urged infected people to stay in separate rooms and cut physical contact with family as well as the community. It has also advised people coming from South Korea, Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, among others, to undergo medical check-up at the nearest health facility if they have symptoms of fever, cough and pneumonia.

Original Source of Info: Himalayan News Service

June 20, 2015 0 comments

Global Health News Public Health News

Thailand confirms maiden MERS case- The Himalayan Times News ( 19th June 2015)

by Public Health Update June 19, 2015

written by Public Health Update

Thailand confirms maiden MERS case

Reuters

Bangkok, June 18

Thailand confirmed its first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome today, becoming the fourth Asian country to register the deadly virus this year outside Saudi Arabia.

Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin told a news conference that a 75-year-old businessman from Oman had tested positive for MERS.“From two lab tests we can confirm that the MERS virus was found,” Rajata said, adding the man had travelled to Bangkok for medical treatment for a heart condition.“The first day he came he was checked for the virus.

The patient contracted the MERS virus.”The health minister said 59 others were being monitored for the virus, including three of the man’s relatives who travelled with him to Bangkok. MERS is caused by a coronavirus from the same family as the one that triggered China’s deadly 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

The vast majority of MERS infections and deaths have been in Saudi Arabia, where more than 1,000 people have been infected since 2012, and about 454 have died. Last month, a MERS outbreak erupted in South Korea resulting in 23 deaths so far. A total of 165 people have been infected and 6,700 people are in quarantine.But there have been signs that the outbreak, the largest outside of Saudi Arabia, may be slowing in South Korea. The daily number of new cases has dropped to single digits this week compared to as many as 23 last week. Three were reported today – the lowest number since June 1.All of the infections known to have occurred in South Korea have taken place in healthcare facilities.

Three hospitals have been at least partially shut and two have been locked down with patients and medical staff inside.China and the Philippines have also reported one MERS case this year.Earlier, Thailand’s Disease Control Department said it was screening travellers at 67 points of entry.“We are checking 67 ports including land, sea and air,” said Sophon Mekthon, secretary-general of Thailand’s Disease Control Department.“We’ve told all hospitals in Thailand to be on alert. Those who come back from the Middle East and South Korea must be checked thoroughly,” added Mekthon.

Source of Information: The Himalayan Times News ( 19th June 2015)

June 19, 2015 0 comments

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"Thank you for saving my life"- World Blood Donor Day, 14 June 2015

by Public Health Update June 14, 2015

written by Public Health Update

On World Blood Donor Day, 14 June, the WHO is calling for increased regular blood donations from voluntary, unpaid donors in order to save millions of lives globally each year.

World Blood Donor Day is now celebrated every year throughout the world on 14 June.

The theme of this year’s campaign is “Thank you for saving my life”. It focuses on thanking blood donors who save lives every day through their blood donations and strongly encourages more people all over the world to donate blood voluntarily and regularly with the slogan “Give freely, give often. Blood donation matters.”

The campaign aims to highlight stories from people whose lives have been saved through blood donation, as a way of motivating regular blood donors to continue giving blood and people in good health who have never given blood to begin doing so.

READ MORE:WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

June 14, 2015 0 comments

National Health News Public Health News

Bharatpur Cancer Hospital in dire straits- The himalayantimes News

by Public Health Update June 12, 2015

written by Public Health Update

BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital in Bharatpur, once known as a model health facility across Asia, has been reeling under acute financial crunch in Chitwan of late.

According to sources, it started to face financial crunch due to growing expense and dwindling budget every year. As the government’s plan to operate the hospital along with another health facility with the budget issued from the health tax fund act of 1994 failed to materialise, the health facility began to face crisis due to inadequate budget allocation.

The hospital, which was established with the aim of providing cancer treatment, prevention, awareness and conducting research on the disease, has hardly been providing treatment at present. Dej Kumar Gautam, Deputy Director of the health facility, said that Rs 330.1 million budget was issued in the fiscal 2011/12, Rs 334.6 million in the fiscal 2012/13, Rs 294 million in the fiscal 20113/14 and Rs 245 million in the fiscal 2014/15. As the health facility has not increased internal

charges for services, its income has not increased. The health facility earns around Rs 100 million from services every year, whereas the expense of the health facility is around Rs 500 million a year, said Gautam. “As we could not run the hospital with the allocated budget and internal income, we have spent Rs 280 million collected in the employee’s welfare fund, gratuity fund, health treatment fund, among others for the past two years,” said Gautam. According to him, they have run out of budget and failed to pay two months’ salary to employees. They are also yet to clear all the bills of various items purchased in the past one year. According to him, the health facility has not received any grant from the government except from the fund. “We have been facing acute budget crunch as the state doesn’t support us saying it is an autonomous institute,” he lamented. Dr Chin Kumar Pun, executive director of the health facility, said they have not been able to purchase necessary instruments due to budget crunch. A CT scan machine, which was damaged three months ago, is yet to be repaired due to financial crunch. Similarly, a mammogram, which was damaged five years ago, has not been repaired yet. This machine detects breast cancer in women.

The patients are compelled to visit other private health facilities due to lack of necessary services and devices in the health facility. Various laboratory devices, radiotherapy device, operation tables, among others, have been collecting dust as they are in a dilapidated condition.

Many of the devices and instruments are more than a decade old, said Pun.

An under-construction structure of the health facility, which was supposed to be completed within three months, remains incomplete due to the acute shortage of budget.The contractors had agreed to complete the building at Rs 600 million, but only half of the said amount has been paid so far. The 194-bed hospital had taken initiatives to add 200 more beds. “Though we have sought budget, our efforts have been in vain,” said Pun. The hospital was established two decades ago with financial aid from China. Around one lakh patients visiting the health facility from both Nepal and India every year.

The Himalayantimes News

Tilak Ram Rimal Chitwan,

June 11

June 12, 2015 0 comments

National Plan, Policy & Guidelines Public Health Public Health Notes Research & Publication

Second Long Term Health Plan, 1997 – 2017

by Public Health Update June 11, 2015

written by Public Health Update

Overview

The Ministry of Health of His Majesty’s Government of Nepal developed a 20-year Second Long-Term Health Plan (SLTHP) for FY 2054-74 (1997-2017). The aim of the SLTHP is to guide health sector development in the improvement of the health of the population, particularly those whose health needs are not often met.

The SLTHP addresses disparities in healthcare, assuring gender sensitivity and equitable community access to quality healthcare services. The aims of the SLTHP are to provide a guiding framework to build successive periodic and annual health plans that improve the health status of the population; to develop appropriate strategies, programmes, and action plans that reflect national health priorities that are affordable and consistent with available resources; and to establish co-ordination among public, private and NGO sectors and development partners.

The SLTHP vision is a healthcare system with equitable access and quality services in both rural and urban areas. The system would encompass the concepts of sustainability, full community participation, decentralisation, gender sensitivity, effective and efficient management, and private and NGO participation.

Objectives

To improve the health status of the population of the most vulnerable groups, particularly those whose health needs often are not met-women and children, the rural population, the poor, the underprivileged, and the marginalized population.
To extend to all districts cost-effective public health measures and essential curative services for the appropriate treatment of common diseases and injuries.
To provide the appropriate numbers, distribution and types of technically competent and socially responsible health personnel for quality healthcare throughout the country, particularly in under-served areas.
To improve the management and organisation of the public health sector and to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare system.
To develop appropriate roles for NGOs, and the public and private sectors in providing and financing health services.
To improve inter-and intra-sectoral co-ordination and to provide the necessary conditions and support for effective decentralisation with full community participation.

Targets

The targets of the SLTHP are as follows:

To reduce the infant mortality rate to 34.4 per thousand live births;
To reduce the under-five mortality rate to 62.5 per thousand;
To reduce the total fertility rate to 3.05;
To increase life expectancy to 68.7 years;
To reduce the crude birth rate to 26.6 per thousand;
To reduce the crude death rate to 6 per thousand;
To reduce the maternal mortality rate to 250 per hundred thousand births;
To increase the contraceptive prevalence rate to 58.2 percent;
To increase the percentage of deliveries attended by trained personnel to 95%;
To increase the percentage of pregnant women attending a minimum of four antenatal visits to 80%;
To reduce the percentage of iron-deficiency anaemia among pregnant women to 15%;
To increase the percentage of women of child-bearing age (15-44) who receive tetanus toxoid (TT2) to 90%;
To decrease the percentage of newborns weighing less than 2500 grams to 12%;
To have essential healthcare services (EHCS) in the districts available to 90% of the population living within 30 minutes’ travel time of facilities;
To have essential drugs available at 100% of facilities;
To equip 100% of facilities with full staff to deliver essential health care services; and
To increase total health expenditures to 10% of total government expenditures.

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June 11, 2015 0 comments

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