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Showing results for tags 'Global health'.
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Content ArticleThis is the fourth Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK report, which provides evidence, analysis and recommendations based on climate change projections for the UK. Climate change affects most health determinants directly or indirectly by influencing the weather conditions we experience on a day-to-day basis. Climate change can increase risks to health directly through greater severity and frequency of extreme weather events such as flooding, drought, heatwaves or wildfires. Heatwaves, for example, have already led to excess deaths in England and they can increase burden on health and care services, increase strain on water, energy and transportation infrastructure and can have implications such as crop loss and reduced air quality that can also impact health. Many infectious diseases are highly climate sensitive, and with warmer temperatures we can expect an increased risk of new and emerging infectious diseases in the UK, including those transmitted through mosquito and tick bites. The impact of climate change on individuals will vary, with the worst effects on disadvantaged and vulnerable populations, which could widen health inequalities further.
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Content ArticleProduced by the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, and commissioned by the charity Patient Safety Watch, this report considers the current state of patient safety around the world, through analysis of publicly available data from the last two decades. It includes an interactive data dashboard, case studies of patient safety excellence and a ranking of patient safety in OECD countries.
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Content Article
WHO Global Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Portal
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in WHO
This World Health Organization (WHO) resource is for all health workers, as well as other professionals working in the field of infection prevention and control (IPC). It will help you carry out a situational analysis, track progress and understand how to make improvements to IPC at the national and facility levels, in accordance with validated WHO standards and implementation materials. All the WHO tools and resources are freely available for use by all. -
Content ArticleThe latest Lancet Countdown report underscores the imperative for a health-centred response in a world facing irreversible harms. Climate inaction is costing lives and livelihoods today, with new global projections revealing the grave and mounting threat to health of further delayed action on climate change. But bold climate action could offer a lifeline for health. This year’s report launches just weeks before the COP28 which has a health focus for the first time. The findings underscore the opportunity of a lifetime that COP could help deliver – through commitments and action to accelerate a just transition. Without profound and swift mitigation to tackle the root causes of climate change and to support adaptation efforts, the health of humanity is at grave risk. Our 2023 Report tracks the relationship between health and climate change across five key domains and 47 indicators, providing the most up-to-date assessment of the links between health and climate change.
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Content Article
Spotlight on Sudan: How can we improve healthcare services during war?
tikena17 posted an article in Organisational
From Kiev to Khartoum to Gaza, people are losing all their rights, including the right to life itself. From his observations of healthcare conditions in Sudan, Dr Ahmed Khalafalla presents some ideas on how we can improve healthcare services during times of war and uncertainty to make healthcare services accessible for those who need them. -
Content ArticleThe World Health Organization (WHO) has published the third edition of the Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guideline which includes important new, and updated, recommendations for the treatment and care of mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders. MNS disorders are major contributors to morbidity and premature mortality in all regions of the world. Yet it is estimated that over 75% of people with MNS disorders are unable to access the treatment or care they need. The mhGAP guideline supports countries to strengthen capacity to deal with the growing burden of these conditions. It is intended for use by doctors, nurses, other health workers working in non-specialist settings at primary health care level, as well as health planners and managers.
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News ArticleWorld leaders, cervical cancer survivors, advocates, partners, and civil society came together last week to mark the third Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action. The Initiative, which marked the first time Member States adopted a resolution to eliminate a noncommunicable disease, has continued to gain momentum, and this year's commemoration promises to be a beacon of hope, progress, and renewed commitment from nations around the world. “In the last three years, we have witnessed significant progress, but women in poorer countries and poor and marginalized women in richer countries still suffer disproportionately from cervical cancer,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “With enhanced strategies to increase access to vaccination, screening and treatment, strong political and financial commitment from countries, and increased support from partners, we can realize our vision for eliminating cervical cancer.” Australia is on target to be among the first countries in the world to eliminate cervical cancer, which the country anticipates to achieve in the next 10 years. In Norway, researchers have recently reported finding no cases of cervical cancer caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) in 25-year-olds, the first cohort of women who were offered the vaccine as children through the national vaccination programme. Indonesia announced this week a declaration committing to reach the 90-70-90 targets for cervical cancer elimination through the national cervical cancer elimination plan (2023 to 2030). In the United Kingdom, England’s National Health Service (NHS) pledged this week to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. Read full story Source: WHO, 17 November 2023
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EventuntilPatient Safety Movement Foundation invites you to the 11th World Patient Safety, Science & Technology Summit. Patient safety thought leaders and advocates from around the globe will come together to share their expertise and develop transformative solutions to enhance safety and outcomes of care for patients worldwide. Register
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Content ArticleHealth at a Glance provides a comprehensive set of indicators on population health and health system performance across OECD members and key emerging economies. These cover health status, risk factors for health, access to and quality of healthcare, and health system resources. Analysis draws from the latest comparable official national statistics and other sources. Alongside indicator-by-indicator analysis, an overview chapter summarises the comparative performance of countries and major trends. This edition also has a special focus on digital health, which measures the digital readiness of OECD countries’ health systems, and outlines what countries need to do accelerate the digital health transformation.
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Content ArticleThis article by the charity DiaTribe looks at the impact of armed conflict and displacement on people living with diabetes. Referencing the situation facing people with diabetes in Gaza, it highlights the safety risks including lack of access to healthcare professionals, insulin and other medications and reliable food sources. As well as signposting to other resources for people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in conflict zones, the article provides advice for patients on being prepared for unexpected disasters, including ensuring they have a good knowledge of self-management, know how to safely store insulin and have a diabetes identification card. It also outlines what healthcare workers, governments and aid organisations can do to support people with diabetes living in or having fled conflict zones.
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News Article
Global stakeholders agree to a new charter on patient safety rights
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The WHO-hosted global conference on patient safety and patient engagement concluded yesterday with agreement across a broad range of stakeholders on a first-ever Patient safety rights charter. It outlines the core rights of all patients in the context of safety of healthcare and seeks to assist governments and other stakeholders to ensure that the voices of patients are heard and their right to safe health care is protected. “Patient safety is a collective responsibility. Health systems must work hand-in-hand with patients, families, and communities, so that patients can be informed advocates in their own care, and every person can receive the safe, dignified, and compassionate care they deserve,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Because if it’s not safe, it’s not care.” "Our health systems are stronger, our work is empowered, and our care is safer when patients and families are alongside us,” said Sir Liam Donaldson, WHO Patient Safety Envoy. “The journey to eliminate avoidable harm in health care has been a long one, and the stories of courage and compassion from patients and families who have suffered harm are pivotal to driving change and learning to be even safer." The global conference on patient engagement for patient safety was the key event to mark World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) which will be observed on 17 September under the theme “Engaging patients for patient safety”. Meaningful involvement of patients, families and caregivers in the provision of health care, and their experiences and perspectives, can contribute to enhancing health care safety and quality, saving lives and reducing costs, and the WPSD aims to promote and accelerate better patient and family engagement in the design and delivery of safe health services. At the conference, held on 12 and 13 September, WHO unveiled two new resources to support key stakeholders in implementing involvement of patients, families and caregivers in the provision of health care. Drawing on the power of patient stories, which is one of the most effective mechanisms for driving improvements in patient safety, a storytelling toolkit will guide patients and families through the process of sharing their experiences, especially those related to harmful events within health care. The Global Knowledge Sharing Platform, created as part of a strategic partnership with SingHealth Institute for Patient Safety and Quality Singapore, supports the exchange of global resources, best practices, tools and resources related to patient safety, acknowledging the pivotal role of knowledge sharing in advancing safety. “Patient engagement and empowerment is at the core of the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030. It is one of the most powerful tools to improve patient safety and the quality of care, but it remains an untapped resource in many countries, and the weakest link in the implementation of patient safety measures and strategies. With this World Patient Safety Day and the focus on patient engagement, we want to change that”, said Dr Neelam Dhingra, head of the WHO Patient Safety Flagship. Read full story Source: WHO, 14 September 2023 -
Content Article
The Worldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Alliance
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in End of life care
The Worldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA) is an international non-governmental organisation focusing exclusively on hospice and palliative care development worldwide. With over 100 members worldwide, it's mission is to bring together the global palliative care community to improve well-being and reduce unnecessary suffering for those in need of palliative care in collaboration with the regional and national hospice and palliative care organisations and other partners. The WHPCA website hosts a wide variety of resources relating to hospice and palliative care including: Advocacy resources Building Integrated Palliative Care Programs and Services Country reports and needs assessments Covid-19 Resources Disease specific plans and guidance Fundraising resources Global Atlas of Palliative Care at the End of Life Laws, regulations and national strategies Media resources National association strategic plans Palliative Care Toolkits and Training Manual Standards, clinical guidelines and protocols UN guidelines, documents and strategies on palliative care Universal Health Coverage Resources WHPCA position statements WHPCA publications and reports -
Content Article
WHO's Global Knowledge Sharing Platform for Patient Safety
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Global Knowledge Sharing Platform for Patient Safety (GKPS) at the World Patient Safety Day 2023 Global Conference on 13 September 2023. GKPS is an online and public platform to facilitate systematic collection and sharing of patient safety knowledge by stakeholders in different geographic regions, economics and cultural settings. It promotes the sharing of best practices related to the theme of each World Patient Safety Day for implementing and learning, as well as sharing of experience in enhancing patient safety. -
Content ArticleA global shortage of an estimated 18 million health workers is anticipated by 2030, a record 130 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, and there is the global threat of pandemics such as COVID-19. At least 400 million people worldwide lack access to the most essential health services, and every year 100 million people are plunged into poverty because they have to pay for healthcare out of their own pockets. There is, therefore, an urgent need to find innovative strategies that go beyond the conventional health-sector response. WHO recommends self-care interventions for every country and economic setting as critical components on the path to reaching universal health coverage (UHC), promoting health, keeping the world safe and serving the vulnerable.
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News Article
The BMJ Investigates U.S. defunding virus detection programme
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Two years after launching what officials hailed as a five-year flagship project for hunting viruses among wildlife to prevent human pandemics, the US Agency for International Development is shutting down the enterprise. Hear the update from the Editor-in-Chief of The BMJ, Kamran Abbasi. Source: BMJ, 7 September 2023 -
Content ArticleThe USA President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology have released their report to the US President, Joe Biden, on patient safety. The report contains recommendations aimed at dramatically improving patient safety in Amercia.
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Content ArticleThe number of under-50s worldwide being diagnosed with cancer has risen by nearly 80% in three decades, according to the largest study of its kind. Global cases of early onset cancer increased from 1.82 million in 1990 to 3.26 million in 2019, while cancer deaths of adults in their 40s, 30s or younger grew by 27%. More than a million under-50s a year are now dying of cancer, the research reveals. Experts are still in the early stages of understanding the reasons behind the rise in cases. The authors of the study, published in BMJ Oncology, say poor diets, alcohol and tobacco use, physical inactivity and obesity are likely to be among the factors. “Since 1990, the incidence and deaths of early onset cancers have substantially increased globally,” the report says. “Encouraging a healthy lifestyle, including a healthy diet, the restriction of tobacco and alcohol consumption and appropriate outdoor activity, could reduce the burden of early onset cancer.”
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News Article
Global COVID-19 data gap grows as countries stop reporting to WHO
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Fewer than 20 countries worldwide still report COVID-19 hospitalisation and ICU data to the World Health Organization (WHO), leaving the UN health body blind to the impact and evolution of the virus in most of the world, agency leaders have said. The decline in data reporting is a major setback for the WHO’s efforts to track the pandemic. Without reliable data, the WHO cannot accurately assess the burden of disease, identify new variants, or target its resources where they are most needed. “We don’t have good visibility of the impact of COVID-19 around the world,” said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, who leads the WHO’s COVID-19 task force. “It is really important that surveillance continues, and this is on the shoulders of governments right now.” “While we are certainly not in the same situation that we were in a year ago or two years ago, SARS-Cov-2 circulates in all countries right now,” said Van Kerkhove. “It is still causing a large number of infections, hospitalisations, admissions to the ICU and deaths.” The current set of dominant COVID-19 variants can still cause the “full spectrum” of disease, from asymptomatic infections to severe disease and death, Kerkhove said. Read full story Source: Health Policy Watch, 25 August 2023 -
News ArticleIn September last year, Ebrima Sajnia watched helplessly as his young son slowly died in front of his eyes. Mr Sajnia says three-year-old Lamin was set to start attending nursery school in a few weeks when he got a fever. A doctor at a local clinic prescribed medicines, including a cough syrup. Over the next few days, Lamin's condition deteriorated as he struggled to eat and even urinate. He was admitted to a hospital, where doctors detected kidney issues. Within seven days, Lamin was dead. He was among around 70 children - younger than five - who died in The Gambia of acute kidney injuries between July and October last year after consuming one of four cough syrups made by an Indian company called Maiden Pharmaceuticals. In October, the World Health Organization (WHO) linked the deaths to the syrups, saying it had found "unacceptable" levels of toxins in the medicines. A Gambian parliamentary panel also concluded after investigations that the deaths were the result of the children ingesting the syrups. Both Maiden Pharmaceuticals and the Indian government have denied this - India said in December that the syrups complied with quality standards when tested domestically. It's an assessment that Amadou Camara, chairperson of the Gambian panel that investigated the deaths, strongly disagrees with. "We have evidence. We tested these drugs. [They] contained unacceptable amounts of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol, and these were directly imported from India, manufactured by Maiden," he says. Ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol are toxic to humans and could be fatal if consumed". Read full story Source: BBC News, 21 August 2023
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News Article
NHS’s mounting failures and political neglect laid bare in sobering report
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
What would the NHS see if it looked in a mirror, asks Siva Anandaciva, author of the King’s Fund’s study comparing the health service with those of 18 other rich countries, in the introduction to his timely and sobering 118-page report. The answer, he says, is “a service that has seen better days”. Britons die sooner from cancer and heart disease than people in many other rich countries, partly because of the NHS’s lack of beds, staff and scanners, a study has found. The UK “underperforms significantly” on tackling its biggest killer diseases, in part because the NHS has been weakened by years of underinvestment, according to the report from the King’s Fund health thinktank. It “performs poorly” as judged by the number of avoidable deaths resulting from disease and injury and also by fatalities that could have been prevented had patients received better or quicker treatment. The comparative study of 19 well-off nations concluded that Britain achieves only “below average” health outcomes because it spends a “below average” amount for every person on healthcare. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 26 June 2023 -
News Article
More than 1.3bn adults will have diabetes by 2050, study predicts
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The number of adults living with diabetes worldwide will more than double by 2050, according to research that blames rapidly rising obesity levels and widening health inequalities. New estimates predict the number will rise from 529 million in 2021 to more than 1.3 billion in 2050. No country is expected to see a decline in its diabetes rate over the next 30 years. The findings were published in The Lancet and The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journals. Experts described the data as alarming, saying diabetes was outpacing most diseases globally, presenting a significant threat to people and health systems. “Diabetes remains one of the biggest public health threats of our time and is set to grow aggressively over the coming three decades in every country, age group and sex, posing a serious challenge to healthcare systems worldwide,” said Dr Shivani Agarwal, of the Montefiore Health System and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. The research authors wrote: “Type 2 diabetes, which makes up the bulk of diabetes cases, is largely preventable and, in some cases, potentially reversible if identified and managed early in the disease course. However, all evidence indicates that diabetes prevalence is increasing worldwide, primarily due to a rise in obesity caused by multiple factors.” Structural racism experienced by minority ethnic groups and “geographic inequity” were accelerating rates of diabetes, disease, illness and death around the world, the authors said. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 22 June 2023 -
News Article
More than half of humans on track to be overweight or obese by 2035
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
More than half of the world’s population will be overweight or obese by 2035 unless governments take decisive action to curb the growing epidemic of excess weight, a report has warned. About 2.6 billion people globally – 38% of the world population – are already overweight or obese. But on current trends that is expected to rise to more than 4 billion people (51%) in 12 years’ time, according to research by the World Obesity Federation. Without widespread use of tactics such as taxes and limits on the promotion of unhealthy food, the number of people who are clinically obese will increase from one in seven today to one in four by 2035. If that happens, almost 2 billion people worldwide would be living with obesity. Evidence shows that obesity increases someone’s risk of cancer, heart disease and other diseases. Prof Louise Baur, the federation’s president, said the stark findings were “a clear warning that by failing to address obesity today, we risk serious repercussions in the future. “It is particularly worrying to see obesity rates rising fastest among children and adolescents.” Countries need to take “ambitious and coordinated action” as part of a “robust international response” to tackle the growing health and economic crisis that obesity involves, the federation believes. “Governments and policymakers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social and economic costs on to the younger generation,” Baur added. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 2 March 2023 -
News Article
Mental health of young adults severely impacted by pandemic
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A new study has found that the pandemic has severely affected people’s mental health and relationships all over the world, particularly for young adults. The third annual mental state of the world report (MSW) commissioned by Sapien Labs, a non-profit research organisation, conducted a global survey to better understand the state of mental health. The research compiled responses from over 400,000 participants across 64 countries, asking respondents about their family relationships, friendships and overall mental wellbeing. The survey found that there has been little recovery in declining mental health during the pandemic, which the group measures by a score called “mental health quotient”. It had found that average score had declined by 33 points – on a 300-point scale – over the past two years and still showed no signs of recovery, remaining at the same level as 2021. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 1 March 2023 -
News Article
‘Alarming setbacks’ in mortality rates among pregnant women, research shows
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Progress to cut the number of women dying in pregnancy or childbirth has stalled or even reversed in recent years, with a death recorded every two minutes, the United Nations has said. Years of gains had begun to plateau even before the pandemic and there had been “alarming setbacks for women’s health,” according to a new report from several UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO). Maternal mortality rates had fallen widely in the first 15 years of the century, but since 2016, they had only dropped in two UN regions: Australia and New Zealand, and in Central and Southern Asia. The rate went up in Europe and North America by 17% and in Latin America and the Caribbean by 15%. Elsewhere it stagnated. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Telegraph, 23 February 2023 -
News ArticleAbout 2 million people die a year as a result of a core group of fungi, and the WHO is concerned we are unprepared for the future. In October, the World Health Organization released its fungal priority pathogens list, the first global effort to create a mycological “most wanted” list of the 19 fungi most dangerous to humans . “Despite posing a growing threat to human health, fungal infections receive very little attention and resources globally,” the report said. “This all makes it impossible to estimate the exact burden of fungal infections, and consequently difficult to galvanise policy and programmatic action.” Fungi are the most populous life form on the planet, with an estimated 12 million species existing worldwide. Only a fraction of these species infect humans, but they are responsible for roughly a billion infections each year. “Most of those are superficial things like athlete’s foot, that no one’s particularly bothered about, but there is a core group that causes life-threatening infections, and particularly in susceptible populations such as the very old or young, and those with immune systems that don’t work properly,” says Mark Ramsdale, an associate professor of mycology at the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology in Exeter. About 1.5 million people die a year as a result of these infections, says Ramsdale – although that may be an underestimation, because fungi predominantly infect people who already have major health problems. “The primary cause of death will probably be leukaemia or heart transplant, or whatever,” he says. “But the thing that actually kills the patient is a fungal infection, so there is a strong element of underreporting going on.” Underestimating them would be a mistake. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 10 February 2023
