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Managing epidemics - Key facts about major deadly diseases

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO)
2018

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The manual is structured in three parts.

  • Part One “Epidemics of the 21st century” provides vital insights on the main features of the 21st century upsurge and the indispensable elements to manage them.
  • Part Two “Be in the know. 10 key facts about 15 deadly diseases” contains key information about 15 diseases (Ebola Virus Disease, Lassa Fever, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Yellow Fever, Zika, Chikungunya, Avian and Other Zoonotic Influenza, Seasonal Influenza, Pandemic Influenza, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Cholera, Monkeypox, Plague, Leptospirosis and Meningococcal Meningitis). This section provides tips on the interventions required to respond to epidemics of all these diseases.
  • Part Three “Tool boxes” gives an overview and summarized guidance on some other important topics, including: the role of WHO, the International Coordinating Group, laboratory diagnosis and shipment of infectious diseases substances, and vector control.

 

The handbook enables the three levels of WHO – its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Country Offices to work efficiently together by building the foundations of a shared conceptual and thinking framework, which includes common terminology. 

Treatment of tuberculosis guidelines

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2010

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These guidelines aim ..."to help national tuberculosis (TB) control programmes in setting TB treatment policy to optimise patient cure: curing patients will prevent death, relapse, acquired drug resistance, and the spread of TB in the community. Their further purpose is to guide clinicians working in both public and private sectors." This new edition of the guidelines integrates the detection and treatment of both HIV infection and multi-drug resistant TB

Medicines use in primary care in developing and transitional countries : fact book summarizing results from studies reported between 1990 and 2006

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
May 2009

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Irrational use of medicines is one of the most serious global public health problems we face today. Improving use requires regular monitoring and application of effective interventions, both of which are often not done, particularly in many lower income countries. To address this issue, WHO created a database of medicines use in in primary care settings in developing and transitional countries. Quantitative information has been extracted from 679 studies conducted in 97 countries and on 386 interventions (from 313 studies). The medicines use database has allowed the first systematic quantitative review of studies measuring medicines use in developing and transitional countries and the results are now presented

WHO model list of essential medicines for children

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
March 2009

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The medicines in this model list are intended for use for children up to the age of 12. There is a core list of minimum medicine needs for a basic health care system, listing the most efficacious, safe and cost-effective medicines for priority conditions. Priority conditions are selected on the basis of current and estimated future public health relevance, and potential for safe and cost-effective treatment. There is also a complementary list of essential medicines for priority diseases, for which specialised diagnostic or monitoring facilities, and/or specialist medical care, and/or specialist training are needed

WHO handbook on indoor radon : a public health perspective

ZEEB, Hajo
SHANNOUN, Ferid
2009

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This handbook focuses on residential radon exposure from a public health point of view and provides detailed recommendations on reducing health risks from radon and policy options for preventing and mitigating radon exposure. The material reflects the epidemiological evidence that indoor radon exposure is responsible for a substantial number of lung cancers in the general population

Measuring transparency in the public pharmaceutical sector : assement instrument

BAGHDADI-SABETI, Guitelle
COHEN-KOHLER, John Clare
WONDEMAGEGNEHU, Eshetu
2009

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The objective of this instrument is to help stakeholders carry out assessments to measure the level of transparency and the vulnerability to corruption in selected areas of the public pharmaceutical sector. It provides an assessment methodology together with a questionnaire for national assessors to systematically collect information and perceptions through interviews of relevant health professionals in the public and private sectors

Pharmacological treatment of mental disorders in primary health care

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2009

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This manual provides "evidence-based information to health care professionals in primary health care, especially in low- and middle-income countries, to be able to provide pharmacological treatment to persons with mental disorders. The manual contains basic principles of prescribing followed by chapters on medicines used in psychotic disorders; depressive disorders; bipolar disorders; generalised anxiety and sleep disorders; obsessive-compulsive disorders and panic attacks; and alcohol and opioid dependence"

Measuring medicine prices, availability, affordability and price components

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
HEALTH ACTION INTERNATIONAL (HAI)
2008

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This manual is to help governments, civil society groups and others concerned about the prices of medicines to collect and analyse: medicine prices (patient prices and government procurement prices) across sectors and regions in a country; medicine availability; treatment affordability; and all price components in the supply chain from manufacturer to patient (taxes, mark-ups etc.). It is accompanied by a CD-ROM which contains a more extensive collection resources and tools, such as sample training materials, frequently asked questions, and a report template for use in developing national survey reports

PMI communication and social mobilization guidelines

PRESIDENT'S MALARIA INITIATIVE (PMI)
2008

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These guidelines are help in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes to influence behaviours and mobilise communities to create long-term normative shifts towards desired behaviours and to sustain enabling behaviours around the four interventions of the Presidents Malaria Initiative. These are: * Increased demand for malaria services and products; * Acceptance of indoor residual spraying; * Improved adherence to treatment regimens and intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy during pregnancy; * Regular insecticide-treated nets use by the general population, focusing on vulnerable groups including pregnant women and children under five; * Prompt, appropriate treatment with Artemisinin-based combination therapies for children under five within 24 hours of onset of symptoms; and * Community involvement in malaria control

How to improve the use of medicines by consumers

CHETLEY, Andrew
et al
2007

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This manual focuses on selecting, testing, implementing and evaluating interventions to improve the use of medicines at community level. Two broad strategic areas are identified: communication strategies and strategies to create enabling environments. "What has become clear over the years is that there is no single model or approach that is the solution to all health communication challenges. Different techniques are appropriate in different contexts to deal with different priorities and problems. This manual will help you to build skills and experience to make that selection more effectively"

A model quality assurance system for procurement agencies : recommendations for quality assurance systems focusing on prequalification of products and manufacturers, purchasing, storage and distribution of pharmaceutical products

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2007

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The long-term goal of these recommendations is the design and implementation of a uniform and harmonised system that will ensure procurement of pharmaceutical products of defined quality for supply to patients, based on a mutually recognised process of prequalification of products and manufacturers by means of product dossier evaluation and inspection of manufacturing sites. This document was previously published as Annex 6 of the WHO Technical Report Series No. 937, 2006

Handbook of supply management at first-level health care facilities : 1st version for country adaptation

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2006

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This guide describes all major medicines and supply management tasks, known as the standard procedures of medicines supply management at first level health care facilities. Each chapter covers one major task, explains how the task fits into the process of maintaining a consistent supply of medicines, and recommends which standard procedures to use. Annexes contain various checklists and examples of forms which can be introduced at health care facilities as needed

Developing pharmacy practice : a focus on patient care

WLEDENMAYER, Karin
et al
2006

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This handbook outlines the role of pharmacists in the context of greater availability of a complex range of medicines and suggests good pharmacy practices. Effective pharmaceutical care entails a patient-centred approach that should encourage adherence to prescribed medicines, through a close relationship between patient and pharmacist and follow-up on health outcomes. 'Adherence to long-term therapy for chronic conditions in developed countries averages 50%, with even lower rates for developing countries'. The handbook looks at pharmacists and patient care both from a policy and from a practical perspective

WMF 2006 : WHO Model Formulary

MEHTA, Dinesh K. RYAN, Rachel S.M. HILL Suzanne R.
Eds
2006

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This is a resource is for countries wanting to develop a national formulary. This edition is fully compatible with the 14th WHO Model List of Essential Medicines as recommended by the WHO Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines at its meeting of March 2005

Starting or strengthening a drug bulletin : a practical manual

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF DRUG BULLETINS
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2005

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Access to independent and reliable drug information is key to the promotion of rational prescribing and use of medicines. Bulletins are essential tools for information dissemination and this manual aims to provide guidelines, tips and examples on how to start or improve drug bulletins. It covers all aspects of production, providing a comprehensive overview of the editorial process, the reviewing of new drugs and the design, production and distribution of the bulletin. The manual is an essential guide for anyone starting or running a drug bulletin, but may also be of interest to health professionals and others

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E-bulletin