Publications

The KIT/ITAD team was invited to carry out an evaluation of DFID’s partnership with WHO within the context of the ISP and the ISP Action Plan, and as a first example of evaluating DFID’s partnership with other multilateral organisations.

Fin 2001, l’ONUSIDA a initié, en consultation avec le Secrétariat de l’ONUSIDA, les Groupes Thématiques des Nations Unies dans différents pays et les responsables du Département Développement de Réseaux Techniques (TND) de l’ONUSIDA, le développement d’un Recueil de Techniques et Pratiques pour le renforcement des Compétences en matière de lutte contre le SIDA. Ce Recueil d’outils a pour but de renforcer la capacité et les compétences des intervenants au niveau local à répondre aux défis posés par l’épidémie liée à l’infection VIH/SIDA.

Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae and is endemic in many developing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has adopted the goal of eliminating leprosy as a public health problem by the year 2005, defined as reducing the national prevalence below 1/10 000.1 Until now, the prevalence decreased mainly due to the introduction and subsequent shortening of multidrug treatment (MDT). Leprosy control strategies are designed to stop transmission through early case detection and treatment with MDT, but do not seem to have the desired effect. The number of new cases—719 330 in 20002—did not decline over the last 15 years, indicating that transmission is continuing at the same level.

No ano 2001, a UNAIDS deu início ao desenvolvimento de uma ‘caixa de ferramentas’ contendo um conjunto de técnicas e práticas para a capacitação na área de AIDS, em um esforço conjunto entre a Secretaria da UNAIDS, com os Grupos Temáticos das Nações Unidas em diferentes países e membros da Rede Técnica da UNAIDS para Repostas Localmente Apropriadas para HIV/AIDS

Important developments have taken place over the past decade in tackling the global leprosy burden. There has been a very significant reduction of over 90% in the total number of leprosy patients registered for treatment through the implementation of multidrug therapy regimes that have dramatically reduced the duration of treatment. However, despite this reduction in registered prevalence of leprosy, there has been no parallel reduction in the global case detection. This is a serious barrier to aspirations to eradicate leprosy in the future.

Dans plusieurs pays d’Afrique de l’Ouest, les gouvernements ont pris l’engagement politique de lancer ou d’approfondir le processus de décentralisation afin, notamment, d’accroître la démocratie locale, de rapprocher les services publics des populations et de promouvoir le développement local. La décentralisation est un processus complexe et de longue haleine qui va bien au-delà d’un réaménagement du territoire. L’Etat doit assurer un transfert effectif des compétences et des ressources financières et soutenir le renforcement des capacités locales de gouvernance et de gestion. La réussite de la décentralisation dépend d’une part de la volonté politique de redéfinir les relations entre l’Etat central et les collectivités territoriales, d’autre part de l’adhésion de la population. Bien que légales, les nouvelles collectivités, surtout les communes, doivent encore acquérir une légitimité auprès de la population

“There has never been such an overwhelming move to increase access to medicines in such a short period”. In one sentence, a conference speaker had given participants a view of the magnitude of the debate that conference organizers, KIT, Share-Net and Aids Fonds, ignited when they asked: “3 by 5: what are the implications?” The HIV/AIDS pandemic had been put in the right dramatic context without using dramatic effects. But by referring to the history of public health care, the speaker went beyond the limitations of the conference question, suggesting that traditional approaches will be far from sufficient to address the problem of HIV/AIDS.

Tuberculosis is still one of the major public health problems in the world. Countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region have been working hard for several years to promote directly observed treatment, short course (DOTS) and reach the regional target of DOTS ALL OVER. As a result, 18 out of 22 countries in the Region have already achieved DOTS ALL OVER. Somalia and Yemen are in the final stage of achieving this target, whilst Pakistan and Afghanistan, currently at 45% and 35% DOTS coverage respectively, are making progress towards achieving DOTS ALL OVER.

Sustainable chain management maps out the economic, ecological and social effects that occur during the life cycle of a product and focuses on measures that improve the sustainability.

Recognising inter-cultural differences in the way people experience and express emotional problems and the difficulties that consequently may arise in properly diagnosing mental health problems, this study seeks to develop and validate a tool for screening psychiatric disorders in Ethiopian populations. The study was carried out in Ethiopia as well as among Ethiopian Jews in Israel, among groups at different levels of exposure to western medicine. It was a collaborative effort between researchers from Israel, Ethiopia and the Netherlands.

For many years, official development assistance (ODA) to low and middle income countries seemed incompatible with private sector initiatives. ODA had its roots in charity while the private sector was looking for profits. ODA interests were on the side of recipients; the private sector’s interests were on the side of shareholders.

This study encompasses the results of a comprehensive survey among different groups of Zambian adolescents concerning sexual behaviour and attitudes which affect the risk of HIV infection and AIDS. It deals with the factors that influence the youngsters’ knowledge about AIDS, their perceptions with regard to prevention and their engagement in risky sexual activities. The study was carried out by a team of Israeli and Zambian researchers between 1997 and 2002.

This manual is an action-oriented document which will facilitate improved coverage and quality of SRH services. Its main target audience are those individuals, alone or as part of the district health management team (DHMT), who have responsibility for the planning and management of sexual and reproductive health/ primary health care services in the district.

This study was designed to investigate whether leprosy patients diagnosed with mild sensory impairment have a better prognosis when treated with steroids than similarly impaired patients treated with placebo.

Many Ministries of Health are trying to improve the functioning of their health care system by introducing changes in resource allocation, better management and changes in the role of the government, such as more responsibility at lower levels through decentralisation. A prerequisite of a well-functioning system is a well-motivated workforce. The Ministry of Health in Viet Nam gives great importance to the development of a public health network, in order to provide good quality health care services. As most people live in rural areas, an extensive public health network is required in rural areas so as to provide appropriate care close to the people. This implies the need to keep sufficient qualified and motivated human resources in the rural areas.