oil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are among the most common infections worldwide and affect the poorest and most deprived communities.
They are transmitted by eggs present in human faeces which in turn contaminate soil in areas where sanitation is poor.
The main species that infect peopl...e are the roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), the whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) and the hookworms (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale).
Intestinal worms produce a wide range of symptoms including intestinal manifestations (diarrhoea, abdominal pain), general malaise and weakness. Hookworms cause chronic intestinal blood loss that result in anaemia.
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Despite pandemic-related disruptions, a total of 76.9 million people received treatment for schistosomiasis in 2020, representing a global coverage of 31.9%, compared with 105 million treated in 2019 (coverage of 44.8%).
The latest data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) show that 2...8.6 million fewer people were treated for schistosomiasis (bilharzia) in 2020 than in 2019. This 27% drop in the number of treatments delivered is largely due to the implementation of COVID-19 measures, including school closures.
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Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are among the most common infections worldwide and affect the poorest and most deprived communities. They are transmitted by eggs present in human faeces which in turn contaminate soil in areas where sanitation is poor.
As a high-burden neglected tropical disease, soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections remain a major problem in the world, especially among children under five years of age. Since young children are at high risk of being infected, STH infection can have a long-term negative impact on their life, i...ncluding impaired growth and development. Stunting, a form of malnutrition in young children, has been long assumed as one of the risk factors in acquiring the STH infections. However, the studies on STH infection in children under five with stunting have been lacking, resulting in poor identification of the risk. Accordingly, we collected and reviewed existing related research articles to provide an overview of STH infection in a susceptible population of stunted children under five years of age in terms of prevalence and risk factors. There were 17 studies included in this review related to infection with Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, hookworm, and Strongyloides stercoralis from various countries. The prevalence of STH infection in stunted children ranged from 12.5% to 56.5%. Increased inflammatory markers and intestinal microbiota dysbiosis might have increased the intensity of STH infection in stunted children that caused impairment in the immune system. While the age from 2 to 5 years along with poor hygiene and sanitation has shown to be the most common risk factors of STH infections in stunted children; currently there are no studies that show direct results of stunting as a risk factor for STH infection. While stunting itself may affect the pathogenesis of STH infection, further research on stunting as a risk factor for STH infection is encouraged.
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Worm infestation is a common issue that is seen mostly among children. However, this issue can be found among adults as well due to the change in lifestyle patterns. In most cases, worm infestation is not a life-threatening infection but it can lead to various clinical problems.
Congenital transmission of Chagas disease has not been extensively studied in Colombia, and there are no standardized processes in the health system regarding
the specific diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of this disease. To generate recommendations on congenital Chagas disease and Chagas in wom...en of childbearing
age in Colombia, a consensus of experts was developed. An extensive literature search through the Medline database was carried out using the MeSH terms:
«Chagas disease/congenital», «prevention and control», «diagnosis», «therapeutics» and «pregnancy». Appropriate abstracts were selected and the full texts were
analyzed. The relevant information was synthesized, classified, and organized into tables and figures and was presented to a panel of experts, which was composed
of 30 professionals from various fields. Based on the Delphi methodology, three rounds of consultation were conducted. The first and second rounds were based
on electronic questionnaires that measured the level of consensus of each question among the participants. The third round was based on a face-to-face discussion focusing on those questions without consensus in the previous consultations. The evidence was adapted to national circumstances on a case-by-case basis,
and the content the final document was approved. These recommendations are proposed for use in routine medical practice by health professionals in Colombia.
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Mycetoma - Report by the Secretariat - WHO
Following the publication of Guidelines on certification of elimination of human onchocerciasis in 2001 by the World Health Organization (WHO), these are the first evidence-based guidelines developed by NTD Department according to the international standards. They provide a set of recommendations th...at would guide national programme managers in collaboration with their respective oversight committees on when to stop mass drug administration (MDA) and conduct post-treatment surveillance (PTS) activities for a minimum period of 3 to 5 year before confirming the interruption of transmission of Onchocerca volvulus parasite and hence its elimination. They also include steps to undertake for verification of elimination of transmission of the parasite in the whole endemic country by the International Verification Team (IVT) prior to the official acknowledgement by WHO Director General.
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Snake-bites are well-known medical emergencies in many parts of the world, especially in rural areas. Agricultural workers and children are the most affected. The incidence of snake-bite mortality is particularly high in South-East Asia. Rational use of snake anti-venom can substantially reduce mort...ality and morbidity due to snake bites. These Guidelines are a revised and updated version of similar guidelines published by the WHO Regional Office in South-East Asia in 1999. These guidelines aim to promote the rational management of snake-bite cases in various health facilities where trained health functionaries and quality snake antivenom are available.
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This toolkit provides step-by-step guidance to NTD programme managers and partners on how to engage and work collaboratively with the WASH community to improve delivery of water, sanitation and hygiene services to underserved population affected by many neglected tropical diseases. The toolkit draws... on tools and practices used in the delivery of coordinated and integrated programmes for control, elimination and eradication of NTDs. This second edition include revisions and new tools based on experiences of using the toolkit in more than 20 countries.
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Children with disabilities are particularly vulnerable in humanitarian settings, yet they are often not able to access the services and protection they need. While multiple factors create these barriers, a major cause is how data about children with disabilities is collected and mapped. Data collect...ion processes often exclude or underrepresent the views of children with disabilities and thier caretakers. When the experiences of children with disabilities and their caretakers are not defined and collected, they become excluded from mainstreamed protective services, which are meant to serve all children. Children with disabilities also do not get the specialised interventions they need.
This guidance note explores how to use qualitative methods to create more robust assessment processes to ensure more effective programming and services for children with disabilities. This note provides promising practices for engaging with children with disabilities and includes sample tools that can be tailored to fit the needs of a particular assessment process. The note also explores the importance of thoughtful cross-sectoral responses so that children with disabilities, and their families, are carefully considered in areas like water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), education, health, and nutrition, and therefore receive the holistic support they need and deserve.
This note is intended for a broad audience of relevant child protection actors, including practitioners, coordination groups, researchers, and donors. The information is not limited to one type of humanitarian setting, geographic region, or culture. As a result, the practices and guidance should be adapted to each specific context, ideally in partnership with well-informed local actors, such as representatives from local organisations for persons with disabilities.
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Each humanitarian setting provides distinct opportunities and challenges for actors to coordinate and collaborate at strategic and operational levels. The Health and Protection Joint Operational Framework has been developed to ensure that the health and protection response during humanitarian emerge...ncies can adapt to each environment and is adequately coordinated to ensure high-quality services to meet the needs of affected individuals and at-risk groups based on their situation or vulnerabilities.
The Health and Protection JOF was conceived in 2019 as a collaboration between the Global Health Cluster (GHC), the Global Protection Cluster (GPC) and its Areas of Responsibility (AoRs), the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings (IASC MHPSS RG), and the Inter-Agency Working Group for Reproductive Health in Crisis (IAWG), in addition to key technical experts.
A Steering Group (SG) comprised of representatives from each of these entities guided the framework through a joint global analysis of good practices, gaps, and barriers to integrated and inter-sectoral response coordination. This included a mixed methods review of policy and practice, a survey of humanitarian experts, multiple case studies, structured stakeholder interviews, and field visits. This exercise produced a zero-draft which was then reviewed by field practitioners in three operational contexts to clarify and fully coordinate its operationally focused lens. Finally, the JOF was reviewed by the SG including via a series of consultations in early 2023 to consolidate the current framework.
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New data indicates declining confidence in childhood vaccines of up to 44 percentage points in some countries during the COVID-19 pandemic
New UNICEF report shows 67 million children missed out on one or more vaccinations over three years due to service disruption caused by strained health system...s and diversion of scarce resources, conflict and fragility, and decreased confidence.
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Le récit de leur vaccination respective symbolise l’un des plus grands progrès de l’humanité en matière de santé publique : des vaccins pour chaque enfant.
Un centre de santé. Une campagne de vaccination. Un camp pour personnes déplacées à l’intérieur de leur propre pays.
C...e sont dans ces contextes que beaucoup d’enfants, à l’image de Marwan, Hind et Iman, se font vacciner depuis des décennies. Ainsi protégés contre la maladie, ils ont beaucoup plus de chances de s’épanouir, d’apprendre et de vivre en bonne santé.
Comme l’indique cette édition du rapport La Situation des enfants dans le monde, il est essentiel d’agir dès maintenant pour faire en sorte qu’aucun enfant partageant le sort de Marwan, Hind et Iman ne soit plus laissé de côté.
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Las historias de estos tres niños ilustran a la perfección uno de los mayores logros de la humanidad en materia de salud pública: la vacunación para todos los niños y niñas.
Un centro de salud. Una campaña de vacunación. Un campamento para desplazados internos.
Estos son los contexto...s en los que niños y niñas como Marwan, Hind e Iman llevan décadas recibiendo sus vacunas. Y esos niños y niñas, cuando están protegidos contra las enfermedades, tienen muchísimas más posibilidades de poder prosperar, aprender y vivir una vida saludable.
Como descubrirás en este nuevo informe sobre el Estado Mundial de la Infancia, es esencial que tomemos medidas ahora para no dejar atrás a otros niños y niñas como Marwan, Hind e Iman.
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نريد أن نقدم لكم ثلاثة أطفال: «مروان»، و«هند»، و«إيمان».
وتمثل قصصهم أمثلة مؤثرة بشأن أحد أعظم إنجازات البشرية في مجال الصحة العامة: اللقاحات، لكل طفل.
مركز صحي. ح...لة تحصين. مخيم للمهجّرين داخلياً.
هذه هي الأوضاع التي ظل الأطفال من قبيل «مروان» و«هند» و«إيمان» يحصلون فيها على اللقاحات منذ عقود، وتكون الأرجحية أكبر بكثير أن يتمتعوا بفرصة ليزدهروا ويتعلموا وأن يتمكنوا من عيش حياة صحية عندما يحصلون على حماية من الأمراض.
ستكتشفون في تقرير حالة أطفال العالم أنه من الأهمية الحاسمة أن نتصرف الآن لنضمن أن الأطفال الآخرين، مثل «مروان» و«هند» و«إيمان»، لا يتخلفون عن الركب.
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WHO launched the Health Inequality Data Repository, the most comprehensive global collection of publicly available disaggregated data and evidence on population health and its determinants. The repository allows for tracking health inequalities across population groups and over time, by breaking dow...n data according to group characteristics, ranging from education level to ethnicity.
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This publication is a compendium of 49 country examples highlighting efforts in improving refugees’ and migrants’ health following the adoption of the WHO Global Action Plan on Promoting the health of refugees and migrants at the seventy-second World Health Assembly, in May 2019.
There has been important progress for the rights of adolescent girls and women in recent decades, yet millions still struggle to
access the nutritious diets, essential nutrition services and nutrition and care practices they need to prevent malnutrition.
Undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies ...and anaemia amplify gender inequalities by lowering learning potential, wages and life opportunities for adolescent girls and women, weakening their immunity to infections, and increasing their risk of lifethreatening complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
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This bulletin focuses on the situation in Ukraine and several key refugee-receiving countries (Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, and Slovakia), with the understanding that other countries in the European Region are also receiving Ukrainian refugees and WHO is pr...oviding technical support to them.
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