Preventing Stock-outs of Antimalarial\ud Drugs in sub-Saharan Africa:Novartis’s SMS for Life

Malaria is curable. Although highly effective antimalarial drugs are available (up to 96% effective in the case of artemisinin-lumefantrine fixed-dose combinations), widespread stock-outs lead to deaths on a daily basis. Of the close to 2000 people who die from malaria each day, most are children under five years of age in sub- Saharan Africa (1). Having adequate supplies of drugs when and where they are needed is essential. This remains a major challenge, particularly in remote rural communities in low-resource countries where widespread antimalarial stock-outs frequently prevent patients from receiving treatment

Distribution and determinants of tuberculosis in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 2005 to 2012

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a public health threat in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) with many challenges that limit its prevention and control. To understand how to meet these challenges, this study calculated the TB incidence rates (IRs) in KSA from 2005 to 2012, which were stratified by nationality, sex, and administrative regions. Furthermore, laboratory capabilities were assessed by determining the proportion of laboratory-confirmed TB cases. The overall TB IRs decreased from 15.80/100,000 population in 2005 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 15.29–16.31] to 13.16/100,000 population in 2012 (95% CI = 12.74– 13.58). The IRs were greater for males than for females from 2009 to 2012. The IRs of non-Saudis were approximately two times those of Saudis during the study period. Mecca had greater IR during the study period compared with other regions [25.13/100,000 (95% CI = 24.7–25.56)]. Among non-Saudis, those from Indonesia and Yemen had the greatest proportion of TB cases (15.4% and 12.9%, respectively). Individuals <15 years of age comprised 14.2% of the TB cases. Employed non-Saudis had the greatest proportion of TB (32%), followed by unemployed Saudis (22.38%). The proportion of laboratory-confirmed cases of reported TB was 57% from 2005 to 2012. For effective prevention and control, TB screening should be implemented for non-Saudi workers at ports of entry and laboratory-screening capacity for TB should be evaluated

Global progress report on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexual trasmitted infections, 2021

The 2021 global progress report on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, is an opportunity to take stock of the progress achieved in addressing these diseases to date, the setbacks caused by the pandemic, and the lessons learned for the coming decade. This report documents the implementation of the 2016–2021 global health sector strategies for HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections. Drawing on data from multiple sources, it analyses progress and highlights the continuing gaps. It reviews the activities undertaken over the last five years against WHO’s five strategic directions: information, services and essential interventions, equity, financing and innovation. There has been impressive progress in many areas of the response, including the large-scale expansion of HIV treatment, innovations in a cure for hepatitis C virus, and increasing coverage of immunization for hepatitis B virus and for human papillomavirus – the latter a critical intervention to prevent cervical cancer. Nevertheless, we are not on track to eliminate these preventable and treatable diseases, which together result in more than one million new infections every day, and more than two million deaths and 1.2 million new cases of cancer every year. In too many countries, priority interventions remain inaccessible to the populations most severely affected and at higher risk

Progress on Household Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

The World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund (WHO/ UNICEF) Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) produces internationally comparable estimates of progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and is responsible for global monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets related to WASH. In 2020, the JMP released updated estimates for WASH in schools and WASH in health care facilities (2000-2019). This report presents updated national, regional and global estimates for WASH in households for the period 2000 to 2020 and takes stock of progress five years into the SDG period (2015-2020)