The Diagnostic Technical Advisory Group (DTAG) for the WHO Global NTD Programme was formed to foster a unified approach for identifying and prioritizing diagnostic needs, and to inform WHO strategies and guidance on NTD diagnostics. The first meeting of the DTAG was held at the Inter Parliamentary Union in Geneva, Switzerland, in October 2019. The second took place virtually in October 2020, the third in June 2021, the fourth in October 2021 and the fifth in November 2022. Several disease-specific and cross-cutting DTAG subgroups have been formed, resulting in the development of target product profiles (TPPs) for new diagnostics, some of which have been published, and some of which are in production. WHO/NTD convened the sixth DTAG meeting on 14 and 15 February 2024, with the following objectives across the end-to-end process of diagnostic development: -consider updates from disease-specific subgroups and TPP production; -discuss progress made by the cross-cutting and resource mobilization subgroups; -discuss the Expert Review Panel for Diagnostics (ERPD) NTD pilot project and lessons learnt; -discuss engagement of manufacturers and developers; -discuss laboratory capacity strengthening and standardization of molecular methods; -deliberate on the priority/focus areas of engagement for the DTAG for the next 2 years.

The World Health Organization's Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016- 2030 has been developed with the aim to help countries to reduce the human suffering caused by the world's deadliest mosquito-borne disease. Adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2015 it provides comprehensive technical guidance to countries and development partners for the next 15 years emphasizing the importance of scaling up malaria responses and moving towards elimination. It also highlights the urgent need to increase investments across all interventions - including preventive measures diagnostic testing treatment and disease surveillance- as well as in harnessing innovation and expanding research. By adopting this strategy WHO Member States have endorsed the bold vision of a world free of malaria and set the ambitious new target of reducing the global malaria burden by 90% by 2030. They also agreed to strengthen health systems address emerging multi-drug and insecticide resistance and intensify national cross-border and regional efforts to scale up malaria responses to protect everyone at risk.

The global burden of disease: 2004 update is a comprehensive assessment of the health of the world's population. It provides detailed global and regional estimates of premature mortality, disability and loss of health for 135 causes by age and sex, drawing on extensive WHO databases and on information provided by Member States.--Publisher description.

Social justice is a matter of life and death. It affects the way people live, their consequent chance of illness, and their risk of premature death. We watch in wonder as life expectancy and good health continue to increase in parts of the world and in alarm as they fail to improve in others.

Malaria remains an important cause of illness and death in children and adults in countries in which it is endemic. Malaria control requires an integrated approach including prevention (primarily vector control) and prompt treatment with effective antimalarial agents. Malaria case management consisting of prompt diagnosis and effective treatment remains a vital component of malaria control and elimination strategies. Since the publication of the first edition of the Guidelines for the treatment of malaria in 2006 and the second edition in 2010 all countries in which P. falciparum malaria is endemic have progressively updated their treatment policy from use of ineffective monotherapy to the currently recommended artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT). This has contributed substantially to current reductions in global morbidity and mortality from malaria. Unfortunately resistance to artemisinins has arisen recently in P. falciparum in South-East Asia which threatens these gains. This third edition of the WHO Guidelines for the treatment of malaria contains updated recommendations based on a firmer evidence base for most antimalarial drugs and in addition include recommendation on the use of drugs to prevent malaria in groups at high risk. The Guidelines provide a framework for designing specific detailed national treatment protocols taking into account local patterns of resistance to antimalarial drugs and health service capacity. It provides recommendations on treatment of uncomplicated and severe malaria in all age groups all endemic areas in special populations and several complex situations. In addition on the use of antimalarial drugs as preventive therapy in healthy people living in malaria-endemic areas who are high risk in order to reduce morbidity and mortality from malaria. The Guidelines are designed primarily for policy-makers in ministries of health who formulate country-specific treatment guidelines. Other groups that may find them useful include health professionals and public health and policy specialists that are partners in health or malaria control and the pharmaceutical industry. The treatment recommendations in the main document are brief; for those who wish to study the evidence base in more detail a series of annexes is provided with references to the appropriate sections of the main document.

This report demonstrates the relationship between sexual health, human rights and the law. Drawing from a review of public health evidence and extensive research into human rights law at international, regional and national levels, the report shows how states in different parts of the world can and do support sexual health through legal and other mechanisms that are consistent with human rights standards and their own human rights obligations.

This report is part of WHO's response to the 49th World Health Assembly held in 1996 which adopted a resolution declaring violence a major and growing public health problem across the world. It is aimed largely at researchers and practitioners including health care workers, social workers, educators and law enforcement officials.