Context In many countries in Western and South-Eastern Africa, access to safe and effective medicines remains a challenge. A key factor is the limited capacity of national drug quality control laboratories. Insufficient structures, resources or standardised procedures hinder reliable quality testing. As a result, substandard or falsified medicines may reach…
Context The treatment of tuberculosis (TB) is complex and often requires patients to follow long and extensive treatment protocols. This is especially true of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), which is one of the most urgent problems facing TB control in Eastern Europe. As any interruption of treatment can jeopardise effective (DR-)…
Context Despite important progress in therapy and prevention, HIV and viral hepatitis are still a major health threat in the WHO European Region. In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released action plans with specific targets to eliminate and control these diseases, which are being translated…
Context Being prepared for pandemics is one of the most important tasks of public health actors globally. Diseases like Lassa fever, Ebola virus disease and other endemic diseases in West Africa have highlighted the crucial importance of a good understanding of the One Health concept combined with a people-centred…
Context Health care facilities around the world are increasingly threatened by the spread of health care-associated infections and antibiotic resistance, which greatly endanger the safety of patients and place an additional burden on national health care systems. In Guinea in particular, the health system is challenged by numerous socio-economic…
Context Namibia faces a number of public health challenges that threaten the health security of the country. Public health systems need to be able to respond to various, often simultaneously occurring health threats and emergencies. To function well, a single focal point that coordinates the public health activities of…
Context Vaccinations constitute a powerful public health measure for preventing millions of deaths every year. Effective immunisation programmes are crucial for resilient and sustainable health-care systems and global health security. National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) provide sustainable, evidence-based, country-specific recommendations to ministries of health to support them in their…
Context Madagascar is facing significant institutional and structural challenges in its public health system, due to limited resources and capacities, contributing to the burden of disease in the country. With the numerous epidemics and pandemics caused by polio, plague and, in recent times, COVID-19, the current infrastructure and workforce are…
Context Pathogens with outbreak potential, including zoonotic types, pose severe hazards to public health. This threat gets aggravated when, simultaneously, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs, decreasing options or making it even impossible to treat. For both occurrences, laboratory surveillance is key – either regarding the investigation of pathogens with epidemic potential…