The discipline of knowledge management aims to bridge the gap between information availability and its communication in areas where the it is needed most. This editorial looks at two programmes that demonstrate how knowledge management can work
The conference was held to review the experiences of 20 years of CBR and evaluate the impact of the approach in order to provide a direction for the development of CBR in the new millennium
This manual describes a new approach to measuring the prices people have to pay for a selection of important medicines in different medicine outlets. The manual also describes how to collect information on price composition (taxes, mark-ups, fees) and assess the affordability and availability of medicines
This document summarises the outcomes of the international consultation. The main conclusions were that human rights play a role in CBR, CBR has to be supported by national governments, various sectors have to cooperate and that UN agencies, governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have to promote CBR as a poverty re-education strategy
This report presents updated information useful for the formulation of a child and adolescent mental health care plan. The plan is based on the magnitude of the burden of child and adolescent mental disorders; advances made in treatment and diagnosis; barriers to treatment; and trends in care for children and adolescents with mental disorders
This case study outlines and assesses the Khayelitha programme, which focused on ART provision and aimed to document the feasibility of low-cost treatment and primary health care provision in developing countries. The document details the clinical outcomes of the programmes, the strategy used to ensure adherence and the contribution made by Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) to raise awareness and pressurise the government to develop an adequate response to the epidemic. The provision of ART in Khayelitsha had also a positive impact on prevention, making more HIV-positive people aware of their status, reducing stigma, being the catalyst of educational initiatives, improving the morale of health workers and keeping families intact and less at risk. The case study concludes with a comprehensive list of lessons learned and with key recommendations for the future, which include consolidation of nurse-based care, more training activities, integration of HIV/AIDS and TB services, educational programmes aimed at improving adherence to ART and a greater focus on paediatric AIDS and ART provision in rural remote areas
This report argues that real progress in health depends on strengthening health systems, centred on the principles of primary health care. This requires effective use of existing knowledge and technologies and innovation to create new health tools, along with appropriate structures and strategies to apply them. Success will need new forms of cooperation between international health agencies, national health leaders, health workers and communities, and other relevant sectors. Chapter 1 of the report looks at the current state of global health, highlighting the gap between the poor and better-off everywhere. Chapter 2 reflects on the slow progress towards achieving the Millenium Development Goals. Chapter 3 looks at the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and demonstrates why HIV/AIDS control needs to drive the agenda for the global health community. Chapter 4 looks at the steps needed to achieve polio eradication within the next few years, and chapter 5 concentrates on the lessons learned from the SARS outbreak. The theme of chapter 6 is the the overlap between communicable and non-communicable diseases and injuries occurring throughout the developing world, leading to a crisis of priorities for health systems. The concluding chapter returns to the statement that stronger health systems are necessary, and that strengthening health systems should be based on the principles and practices of primary health care
The purpose of this module is to set out a clear and rational model for assessing the needs of local populations for mental health care and for planning services accordingly. The module aims to provide countries with a set of planning and budgeting tools that can assist with the delivery of mental health services in local areas. It presents a pragmatic approach to service planning, making use of the best available information and taking account of the views of all relevant stakeholders
"The WHO mental health policy and service guidance package consists of the WHO mental health policy and plan checklists, and 14 interrelated modules...The package consists of a series of interrelated user-friendly modules that are designed to address the wide variety of needs and priorities in policy development and service planning. The topic of each module represents a core aspect of mental health"
"This module presents evidence-based guidance for the development and implementation of mental health policies, plans and programmes. The experiences of several countries are used as practical sources for drawing up mental health policies and implementing them through plans and programmes"
Notes: This module is part of a guidance package that consists of a series of interrelated user-friendly modules that are designed to address the wide variety of needs and priorities in mental health policy development and service planning. Its recommended for use by policy makers, service planners representatives or associations of families and carers of people with mental disorders
"This module provides practical guidance to assist countries with the financing of mental health care. The aims of the module are to: (1) provide a conceptual introduction to key issues related to the financing of mental health care; (2) set out a step-by-step approach addressing these key financing issues, recognizing that the steps may need to be adapted and tailored to the circumstances of each country; (3) link the steps to activities defined in other modules. The Introduction emphasizes financing as a major driver of the system and indicates the need to integrate this function with policy-making and planning. Steps are then presented to assist countries in their financing efforts. These steps are not intended to be prescriptive or rigid. Instead they identify critical activities related to financing which should be addressed in order to build and sustain a mental health system that meets priority needs and produces desired outcomes. Barriers to mental health financing are also reviewed"
Note: This module is part of a guidance package that consists of a series of interrelated user-friendly modules that are designed to address the wide variety of needs and priorities in mental health policy development and service planning. Its recommended for use by policy makers, service planners representatives or associations of families and carers of people with mental disorders
This resource provides guidance to ministries of health on the development of mental health advocacy in countries or regions. It is designed to be used by policy-makers and public health professionals, advocacy groups representing people with mental disorders and their families, and general health workers and mental health workers
Note: This module is part of a guidance package that consists of a series of interrelated user-friendly modules that are designed to address the wide variety of needs and priorities in mental health policy development and service planning. Its recommended for use by policy makers, service planners representatives or associations of families and carers of people with mental disorders
Study commissioned to develop a set of indicators on children's environmental health with the purpose of providing a basis for assessing environmental risks to children's health; acting as a basis for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of national and international initiatives; and providing a template for developing other indicators according to need. This summary provides an introduction to the indicators, outlines the principles and concepts behind the choice, presents simplified models of each issue highlighting the factors of key concern, and lists the core indicators that should be developed in each case
