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…
Context Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mental disorders are on the rise globally; 80% of annual deaths from NCDs occur in low and middle-income countries. In 2019, NCDs, including mental disorders, caused over 2.1 million premature deaths, and more than 204 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were lost due to NCDs…
Context Disease outbreaks and natural and man-made disasters pose severe threats to public health all over the world. Outbreak control, preparedness and response to public health emergencies are therefore needed on a global scale. The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) is a partnership established by the World Health…
Context During the fight to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, many essential health services and operations have been negatively impacted. For example, progress in reducing TB-related morbidity and mortality has been significantly hindered because vital prevention and control mechanisms have been disrupted. Consequently, TB case detection and reporting decreased substantially, and…
Context The strengthening of national public health institutions (NPHIs) is an essential component of global health protection. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and Robert Koch Institute (RKI) have been working together on issues related to global health security for more than a decade. In 2019, a…
Context The COVID-19 pandemic and various other viral infectious disease outbreaks in recent years highlight the need for strong laboratory preparedness and capacities to ensure an effective national response to public health emergencies. The World Health Assembly has therefore made genomic surveillance a key priority because this technology offers a…
Context The project addresses the third United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (Good health and well-being), contributing to the fight against communicable diseases. In modern human medicine, the use of drugs is essential for the treatment of infectious diseases. However, many pathogens develop resistance to drugs through genetic adaptation, and this…
Context Many urgent threats to global health – such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and numerous emerging infectious diseases – require closer intersectoral collaboration and the implementation of a One Health approach in order to address them effectively. In Namibia, implementing a One Health approach has led to some initial success…