Context Antimicrobial resistance occurs when antibiotics lose their effectiveness against bacterial infections. It is a growing public health concern, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Key contributing factors include uncontrolled access to antibiotics, inappropriate use in human and animal medicine, and limited access to laboratory-based diagnostics. Many rural areas lack adequate laboratory…
Context The COVID-19 pandemic put a heavy strain on many public health systems, which had to deal with high numbers of severely ill people and deaths and with challenges regarding vaccination and medical supplies. The Balkan region was seriously affected by the pandemic, highlighting the importance of strengthening preparedness and…
Context Numerous international infectious disease outbreaks in recent decades have demonstrated that emerging infectious diseases are a major threat to public health. In Sri Lanka, a tropical island characterised by its rich biodiversity and abundance of wildlife, there is a particularly high risk of viral spillover events. However, the country’s…
Context Endemic and emerging zoonotic diseases pose a threat to the health of humans and animals and to global health security. In Tunisia, due to its geographical position between sub-Saharan Africa and Mediterranean Europe and the mounting effects of climate change, the risk of zoonotic spillover events is increasing, requiring…
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 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 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…