The aim of this operational handbook is to provide practical guidance on the implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) policy recommendations on the prevention and management of TB in children and adolescents under programmatic circumstances and at different levels of the health system.
The practical guidance aims to inform the development or revision of national policies and related implementation guidance (e.g. handbooks, standard operating procedures) on the management of TB in children and adolescents. This handbook can also help countries adequately plan for the uptake of interventions to better address the specific needs of children and adolescents with or at risk of TB. It can contribute to national efforts to build capacity among national and subnational programme managers and among health workers at all levels of the health care system.
The target audience for this handbook includes NTPs and other child health programmes that provide care for children with or at risk of TB, including maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health programmes, HIV services, and PHC programmes. The handbook also targets paediatricians and other health care workers (HCWs) in the public and private sectors, school health services, civil society and community-based organizations, and health care educators.
The WHO Guidelines for the clinical management of severe illness from influenza virus infections are intended to guide clinicians in the care of patients with or at risk of severe illness from influenza virus infection, including those caused by
seasonal influenza viruses, pandemic influenza viruses, and zoonotic (novel influenza A) viruses. The guideline
provides recommendations on the following: treatment with antivirals, specifically neuraminidase inhibitors;
treatment with adjunctive therapies, specifically corticosteroids, marcrolides, and passive immune therapy;
and use of diagnostic testing strategies to guide treatment of patients with or at risk of sever influenza virus
infection.
By 2050, nearly 7 out of 10 people globally will live in cities and other urban settings. While urbanization, overall, is expected to reduce malaria transmission, unplanned urbanization will likely result in a malaria disease burden that is disproportionately high among the urban poor.
Cities are uniquely positioned to understand local needs and respond rapidly to changing conditions to safeguard health. These changes require strong city leadership to implement multisectoral, health-relevant policies and public services that engage communities. The response to malaria must be an integral part of such policies and processes.
This framework supports the control and elimination of malaria in urban environments. It provides guidance for city leaders, health programmes and urban planners as they respond to the challenges of rapid urbanization in a targeted way. For each urban context, the strategic use of data can inform effective, tailored responses and help build resilience against the threat of malaria and other vector-borne diseases.
This report presents the recommendations of the forty-third Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD). The ECDD is responsible for the assessment of psychoactive substances for possible scheduling under the International Drug Control Conventions. The ECDD reviews the therapeutic usefulness, the liability for abuse and dependence, and the public health and social harm of each substance. The ECDD advises the Director-General of WHO to reschedule or to amend the scheduling status of a substance. The Director-General will, as appropriate, communicate the recommendations to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who will in turn communicate the advice to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
This report summarizes the findings of the forty-third meeting at which the Committee reviewed 11 psychoactive substances:
\u2013 5-Methoxy-N,N-diallyltryptamine (5-MeO-DALT)
\u2013 3-Fluorophenmetrazine (3-FPM)
\u2013 3-Methoxyphencyclidine (3-MeO-PCP)
\u2013 Diphenidine
\u2013 2-Methoxydiphenidine (2-MeO-DIPHENIDINE)
\u2013 Isotonitazene
\u2013 MDMB-4en-PINACA
\u2013 CUMYL-PEGACLONE
\u2013 Flubromazolam
\u2013 Clonazolam
\u2013 Diclazepam
The report also contains the critical review documents that informed recommendations made by the ECDD regarding international control of those substances.
The WHO Science Division organized a Consultative Meeting on a Global Guidance Framework to Harness the Responsible Use of the Life Sciences, on 11 March 2021, bringing a broad range of stakeholders that included academia, scientists and researchers, publishers and editors, security actors, public health officers, policy makers, research donors, and representatives from regional and UN entities.
The objectives of the meeting were to consult on the scope of the Global Guidance Framework and on the critical elements this framework should address. The outcomes of this consultation will contribute to inform the development of the Global Guidance Framework. The meeting consisted of presentations and plenary discussions guided by a series of key questions. Overall, participants recommended to set up, at international level, a common terminology covering safe, secure and responsible research. Two major themes emerged during the discussions: the need for an overall risk management and a unified approach as well as the importance of awareness, education and training across the different stakeholder groups.
Governments and school communities recognize increasingly that health, well-being and educational
outcomes are closely intertwined and that schools are important resources for influencing the health
and well-being of students, families and the wider community. The school closures due to the COVID-19
pandemic have made these links particularly clear.
A health-promoting school is \u201ca school that constantly strengthens its capacity as a safe and healthy setting for living, learning and working\u201d.
The concept of health-promoting schools (HPS) is a whole-school approach to promoting health and educational attainment in school communities by capitalizing on the organizational potential of
schools to foster the physical, social\u2013emotional and psychological conditions for health as well as for
positive education outcomes. The HPS approach and related whole-school approaches to health have
been associated with considerable improvements in many domains of student health, well-being,
nutrition and functioning.
Tobacco has negative implications for the environment, the economy and the health of both smokers and non-smokers. All people have a fundamental right to breathe clean air, and tobacco-free environments are essential to guaranteeing this right. This includes protection in outdoor spaces. Whether sitting in class, playing games outside or waiting at the school bus stop, young people should be protected from second-hand smoke and e-cigarette emissions.
The guide is intended to provide schools and their students with the necessary knowledge and tools to successfully adopt a nicotine-free and tobacco-free campus policy. This step-by-step guide suggests engaging activities, offers sample communications material and provides practical examples of schools worldwide that have implemented nicotine-free and tobacco-free campus policies.
This World Health Organization (WHO) Noncommunicable Disease E-Registry user manual
is one of four resources that comprise the WHO Toolkit for the analysis and use of facility-based
data on noncommunicable diseases. The E-registry has been developed by WHO Department
of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health to deliver a holistic and unified approach to
managing and monitoring noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) at facility level.
By offering a seamless, end-to-end framework, the NCD E-Registry facilitates comprehensive disease
management along the continuum of care, from patient registration to clinical evaluation, diagnosis,
treatment, and follow-up care. Additionally, the NCD E-Registry, developed in accordance with
standards and indicators outlined in WHO\u2019s Noncommunicable disease facility-based monitoring
guidance(https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/364379/9789240057067-eng.pdf)1 serves as
a comprehensive framework to support facility-based NCD surveillance and monitoring.
The Health Systems for Health Security (HSforHS) Framework guides developing capacities for International Health Regulations (IHR), and components in health systems and other sectors that work in synergy to meet the demands imposed by health emergencies.
HSforHS offers an innovative and country-focused approach that builds on the lessons learned from recent health emergencies, including the COVID-19 Pandemic. The HSforHS Framework complements existing concepts and tools that support capacity-building for global health security.
The HSforHS Framework is structured to:
Support stakeholders to better understand what Health Systems for Health Security entails, Delineate the essential components of health systems and other sectors that play an important role in health security, Explain how countries can define, prioritize and monitor the actions and investments in health security, health systems and other sectors that can support multisectoral and multidisciplinary management of health emergencies, Help partners and donors better support countries in strengthening their health security capacities, and Highlight challenges related to the implementation of the HSforHS Framework.
Between 2023 and 2025, the WHO Science for Health Department and more than 130 experts from all regions carried out a global research priority-setting initiative on knowledge translation and evidence-informed policy-making. This consultative process culminated in the development of a global research agenda.
This publication presents the final 19 priority research areas, highlights why this agenda matters, and outlines the methodology used to develop it. It also reflects on lessons learned and identifies next steps to translate these priorities into concrete action.
The global research agenda serves as a practical resource for researchers, policy-makers, funders, practitioners, and civil society. It articulates a shared vision, calls for research and investment aligned with the identified priorities, and offers a flexible framework adaptable to diverse country and regional contexts.
Ultimately, this agenda is a call to action inviting everyone \u2013 from governments to grassroots organizations \u2013 to work together to make sure evidence leads to better decision-making, better policies and better health for all.
This brief report summarizes recent information on HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) in the era of integrase-strand transfer inhibitors (INSTI) for HIV prevention and treatment.
In this report, WHO documents high levels of HIV viral load suppression (>90%) in populations receiving dolutegravir (DTG)-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, recent observational data reveal that HIVDR to DTG is emerging at levels exceeding those observed in clinical trials. Few countries have reported people not achieving viral suppression while receiving DTG-containing ART. However, amongst the surveys reported, levels of DTG resistance ranged from 3.9% to 8.6%, with levels as high as 19.6% observed among highly treatment-experienced people who transitioned to a DTG-containing ART while having high HIV viral loads.
Levels of observed DTG resistance in real world populations receiving ART appear to be higher than anticipated from clinical trials. WHO recommends that countries routinely implement standardised surveillance of HIVDR to follow the prevalence and patterns of resistance among people not achieving suppressed viral load.
The use of long acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA) for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) greatly reduces the risk of acquiring HIV. However, INSTI resistance has been observed in some cases with recent CAB-LA exposure, and delayed detection and confirmation of HIV infection can increase the risk of selection of INSTI drug resistance\u2013associated mutations. Despite the possible risk, the roll-out of CAB-LA for PrEP should not be hindered. Scale-up of PrEP should be accompanied by standardized surveillance of drug resistance among people testing positive for HIV while receiving PrEP.
The WHO Framework to implement a life course approach in practice summarizes current evidence to reorient health systems to produce health and well-being, draws on global examples of implementation, and proposes next steps. A life course approach acknowledges that health and well-being depend on the interaction of multiple protective and risk factors, particularly during sensitive and critical periods throughout people\u2019s lives and across generations. It strengthens equity by recognizing how critical periods, transitions and cumulative exposures shape health trajectories. This framework targets a wide audience including governments, civil society, and other non-state actors committed to applying a life course approach and informs discussions on redesigning primary health care programmes to improve life course health trajectories. The framework provides:
- A strategic lens to advance universal health coverage and adapt systems to evolving needs by promoting health capacities and well-being
- Conceptual foundations on how genetic, biological, psychosocial and environmental factors shape health and well-being across the life course and intergenerational health
- Six core principles essential for operationalizing a life course approach
- Country examples on implementation showing how services are being reoriented
- Strategic actions needed to implement the approach, including multisectoral action and improved data and financing
Various forms of media help to shape public opinion, narratives and discourse that affect public behaviour, knowledge, attitudes, and practice. Media also help to dispel myths and misconceptions, combat misinformation and promote evidence- and science-based information. Media were therefore identified as one of four priorities during two global consultations for raising awareness about AMR, organized in 2022 by the Quadripartite organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
The priorities for developing a common approach to awareness-raising, including for the media, are to engage target audiences in a participatory approach; emphasize AMR and ensure that the messages are simple, consistent, and clear; agree on common definitions, language and terms for AMR in all sectors; and ensure coordination of awareness among sectors.
In response, the Quadripartite has developed this practical toolkit for engaging media in AMR. The aim is to equip individuals, organizations and networks with tools for media engagement on AMR at subnational, national, regional and global levels to increase public awareness of AMR, including policy-makers, civil society and communities.
The Global hepatitis report 2026 provides an up-to-date assessment of the status of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemics and progress in response efforts at global, regional and country levels, in the context of global commitments, strategies and targets.
The report is organized around 4 major topics:
\u2022\tAn overview of global commitments, strategies and targets related to viral hepatitis;
\u2022\tThe status of the HBV and HCV epidemics and trends in the period 2015\u20132024;
\u2022\tProgress in coverage of interventions for prevention, diagnosis and treatment; and
\u2022\tPriorities for action at global and regional levels to accelerate progress towards the 2030 elimination targets, and associated country examples.
The report is primarily based on data compiled from Member States in periodic rounds of global hepatitis data collection managed by WHO and model-based estimates of incidence, prevalence and mortality. In the 2025 round, 140 WHO Member States reported data, an increase from 113 in the previous round in 2023. Additional data sources include the WHO Global Health Observatory and databases managed by other UN agencies.
WHO has previously published global reports on viral hepatitis in 2017, 2021 and 2024, with a focus on HBV and HCV.
This guidance document provides an overview of internationally agreed ethical and scientific principles that should be adhered to as part of any research carried out in an artisanal and small-scale mining (ASGM) context.
This document is addressed to (a) Researchers and practitioners conducting assessments involving human biomonitoring in ASGM contexts; (b) government agencies, including ministries of health, mining, environment, labour, and others that may have an interest in such data; and (c) public or private bodies that fund or otherwise sponsor research or assessments in ASGM contexts.
The new Consolidated guidelines on person-centred HIV strategic information: strengthening routine data for impact 1 aim to help countries improve how routine patient data are collected, analysed and used. They propose a minimum dataset that captures key events in an individual\u2019s interaction with the health system, put forward priority indicators for monitoring a person\u2019s health, and make key recommendations for data systems and data use.
This policy brief summarizes the WHO guidance on digital health data in HIV services. The guidance covers several areas that are acutely important for transitioning from paper-based to digital systems while improving patient outcomes: interoperability, unique identifiers (UIDs) and privacy, security and data access and control.
WHO's Mental Health Atlas series has already established itself as the single most comprehensive and most widely used source of global information on mental health situation. This new edition of Mental Health Atlas, carried out in 2014, assumes new importance as a repository of mental health information in WHO Member States because it is providing much of the baseline data against which progress towards the objectives and targets of the Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020 is to be measured.
Atlas is the mechanism through which indicators in relation to agreed global targets, as well as a set of other core mental health indicators, are being collected. In collecting this information, the mental health Atlas 2014 questionnaire covers critical areas of mental health system development, including governance and financing, human resources, service availability and delivery, promotion and prevention, and surveillance.
Subsequent to this baseline data collection in 2014, a Mental Health Atlas survey will be sent to country focal points periodically, so that progress towards meeting the targets of the Action Plan can be measured over time.
The ERF provides WHO staff with essential guidance on how the Organization manages the assessment, grading and response to public health events and emergencies with health consequences, in support of Member States and affected communities. The ERF adopts an all-hazards approach and it is therefore applicable in all acute public health events and emergencies.
This version (2024) of the WHO ERF has been developed following extensive consultation across the three levels of the Organization and response experiences over the last five years of emergency response. Key areas have been updated to improve the accountability, predictability, timeliness and effectiveness of WHO\u2019s response to emergencies.
This policy brief provides guidance on the minimum criteria external quality assurance proficiency testing schemes are required to meet to be used to assess the proficiency of laboratories seeking designation or redesignation as WHO-designated laboratories for the purpose of HIV drug resistance surveillance testing.
Routine monitoring and surveillance of HIV drug resistance is one of the key pillars of quality and effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) programming and helps ensure the continuous efficacy of ART and supports countries in achieving the 2030 global goal for HIV epidemic control.
WHO has also established a network of HIV drug resistance genotyping laboratories (WHO HIVResNet laboratories) that support the generation of reliable quality-assured HIV drug resistance survey data. Participation in external quality assurance programmes, including annual proficiency testing, is required by WHO for laboratories to obtain and maintain HIVResNet designation status.
One limitation with the existing programme is a restricted number of laboratories that can be supported due to funding constraints. To facilitate the inclusion of additional laboratories into the WHO HIVResNet Laboratory Network, WHO in collaboration with the WHO HIVResNet Laboratory Working Group developed minimum criteria for external quality assurance proficiency testing schemes that can be used to support laboratories seeking designation or redesignation by WHO for the purposes of HIV drug resistance surveillance.
National food control system plays a pivotal role in protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in food trade. When we are able to assess performance of the system in a comprehensive way, it can identify priority areas of improvement and plan sequential and coordinated activities to reach expected outcomes.
FAO and WHO jointly developed a comprehensive tool to assist Member states in assessing the effectiveness of national food control system.
The tool is based on Codex guidelines for food control systems. The tool\u2019s primary focus is analysis of the performance of competent authorities involved in food control. It covers: (i) controls performed by competent authorities to assure the safety of food as well as mandated quality attributes as defined in the food law; and (ii) non-regulatory approaches that are contributing to improve these attributes of the food production.
The FAO/WHO tool is intended to be used by countries as a supporting basis for self-assessment to identify priority areas of improvement and plan sequential and coordinated activities to reach expected outcomes. Some countries may find a benefit in receiving technical assistance for the implementation of assessments from an external neutral partner such as FAO or WHO.
This tool comprises 25 system competencies under 4 Dimensions; Dimension A. Inputs and Resources; Dimension B. Control Functions; Dimension C. Interactions with Stakeholders; and Dimension D. Science/Knowledge Base and Continuous Improvement.
The WHO Enhanced Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (EGASP) was established to overcome the limitations of the original GASP framework and to enhance sentinel surveillance of gonococcal antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in selected countries.
EGASP operates under a comprehensive protocol published in 2021, allowing participating countries to customize its implementation to fit their unique contexts. The programme is also closely aligned with the WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS).
This report details the primary outcomes of EGASP surveillance activities conducted from January to December 2023.
This report delivers the first systematic analysis of available data to make an authoritative statement on the status of inequality in HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. Monitoring inequalities in HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria (in terms of burden, prevention and treatment) helps to pinpoint where there may be gaps and identify population groups that are being left behind, and support countries and international organizations to tailor policies, programmes, and service provision to close these gaps.
The objectives of the report are to: assess the latest status and change of inequality in HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis globally; identify good-performing countries in terms of equity as well as countries that have room for improvement; and investigate the association of inequality with inequality in other health topics, social determinants of health and access to health facilities.
This report supports Output 4.1.2 of GPW 13 (GPW 13 impacts and outcomes, global and regional health trends, Sustainable Development Goal indicators, health inequalities and disaggregated data monitored). Similar analysis have been previously conducted and published for other disease topics, including State of inequality: Childhood immunization and State of inequality: Reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health.
In 1999, WHO published the Guidelines on basic training and safety in acupuncture. However, various backgrounds of acupuncture service providers were addressed inadequately in this document, and there is a lack of a defined career pathway for acupuncture providers. This updated benchmark document aims to reduce the gaps by setting up required leaning modules for each category of acupuncture service providers at different levels, so that individual practices and practitioners can be compared, evaluated and accredited.
This document offers a useful reference point to evaluate acupuncture service providers, which will benefit policymakers, health workers, education providers and the public in general. It forms an integral part of the updated benchmark series, targeting key modalities of traditional medicine intervention and contributing to the establishment of a reference toolkit for countries.