Early identification of symptoms and timely establishment of appropriate clinical management are critical elements to reducing the risk and impact of sepsis. The detection of some biomarkers, such as C reactive protein and procalcitonin, can be effective in diagnosing the condition.

After early recognition, diagnostics to help identify a causal pathogen of infection leading to sepsis are important to guide targeted antimicrobial treatment. The appropriate antimicrobial therapy (for example, antibiotics and antifungals) should be given within one hour of sepsis identification.

evere acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease caused by a SARS-associated coronavirus. It was first identified at the end of February 2003 during an outbreak that emerged in China and spread to 4 other countries. WHO co-ordinated the international investigation with the assistance of the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) and worked closely with health authorities in affected countries to provide epidemiological, clinical and logistical support and to bring the outbreak under control.

There is no cure or vaccine for SARS and treatment should be supportive and based on the patient’s symptoms.

Controlling outbreaks relies on containment measures including:

Sexual health is fundamental to the overall health and well-being of individuals, couples and families, and to the social and economic development of communities and countries. Sexual health, when viewed affirmatively, requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. The ability of men and women to achieve sexual health and well-being depends on their:

WHO has been working in the area of sexual health since at least 1974, when the deliberations of an expert committee resulted in the publication of a technical report entitled “Education and treatment in human sexuality” (WHO, 1975).

Starting in 2000, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and WHO convened a number of expert consultations to review terminology and identify programme options. The culmination of these meetings was a Technical Consultation in 2002,  where the working definitions of the key sexual health-related terms below were developed. 
 

The International Health Regulations (2005) states that the public health sector must be prepared to respond and to provide medical care to the injured.

WHO established the Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance Network (REMPAN) to promote preparedness for radiation emergencies and to advise health authorities in the event of overexposure of people to any source of radiation. The Network’s centres provide emergency medical assistance after radiation accidents and conduct technical training as a preparedness measure.

Radiation emergencies can be accidental or deliberate, when caused by terrorists. They refer to non-routine situations where there is a release of radiation or risk of exposure. Regardless to whether the accident is an isolated event or a large-scale catastrophe, such as Chernobyl, radiation emergencies can greatly impact life, property and the environment.

Radiation emergencies include:

Radiation is energy that travels in the form of waves or particles and is part of our everyday environment. People are exposed to radiation from cosmic rays, as well as to radioactive materials found in the soil, water, food, air and also inside the body.

Human-made radiation sources are widely used in medicine, industry, and research. There are two types of radiation: ionizing and non-ionizing radiation

People infected with plague usually develop influenza-like symptoms after an incubation period of 3–7 days. Symptoms include fever, chills, aches, weakness, vomiting and nausea.

There are 3 main forms of plague.

The global landscape of health care is changing with health systems operating in increasingly complex environments. While new treatments, technologies and care models can have therapeutic potential, they can also pose new threats to safe care. Patient safety is a fundamental principle of health care and is now being recognized as a large and growing global public health challenge. Global efforts to reduce the burden of patient harm have not achieved substantial change over the past 15 years, despite pioneering work in some health care settings.

Onchocerciasis is an eye and skin disease. Symptoms are caused by the microfilariae, which move around the human body in the subcutaneous tissue and induce intense inflammatory responses when they die. Infected people may show symptoms such as severe itching and various skin changes. Some infected people develop eye lesions which can lead to visual impairment and permanent blindness. In most cases, nodules under the skin form around the adult worms.

Onchocerciasis – or “river blindness” – is a parasitic disease caused by the filarial worm Onchocerca volvulus transmitted by repeated bites of infected blackflies (Simulium spp.). These blackflies breed along fast-flowing rivers and streams, close to remote villages located near fertile land where people rely on agriculture.