Global Digital Store – Ebooks and Softwares

Tag: Partner

Relationship Secrets – How to Stay Happy

[ad_1]

You found that someone special. You know you want to spend the rest of your life with that one person. You know that being able to spend the rest of your life together is your idea of bliss. But we all know there are no guarantees in life. So, how can you make sure you both stay happy, each with the other? What are the secrets to staying happy and content in your relationship? This article provides five relationship secrets to keeping your relationship amazing.

Relationship Secret #1: Quality Couple Time

One of the greatest secrets in keeping a relationship healthy and strong is to spend quality time together, doing the things you both love together. That might mean a quiet evening at home. It might mean going ballroom dancing. It might mean dinner and a movie. The more quality time you have together, the more warm loving memories you co-create. The more warm loving memories you both share, the stronger your relationship will be.

Relationship Secret #2: Communicate Openly with Genuine Concern, Each for the Other

Perhaps the most important relationship secret is the imperative for both members of a couple to dialogue openly with one another, each with a genuine concern for the feelings, wishes, needs and desires of the other. You may not always agree with each other, but when you dialogue with a genuine concern for one another, you will always find that mutually agreeable way forward. And, in so doing, you will both co-create a strong foundation for a lifetime of happiness together.

Relationship Secret #3: Keep Your Partner ‘Safe’

An extension of the second relationship secret, is to keep your partner ‘safe’. This means that when you are both with family and friends, you take a united stand with your life partner. Similarly, if they are going through a difficult situation, you let your partner know that you will always be there for them. It might be as simple as giving them a hug and standing right beside them if/when they have to face a previous partner.

Relationship Secret #4: Make Each Other Your GO TO Person

This relationship secret builds on the second and third ones. When you create an environment of open dialogue, and you both feel ‘safe’, you will become each other’s GO TO person when there are personal or professional problems to address. Each time you seek each other’s help with a problem, you strengthen your coupledom bond even further. On the receiving side of the equation, you feel your partner’s love. On the giving side of the equation, you experience the joy in being able to help your partner through a tough problem.

Relationship Secret #5: Do Things Just Because Your Partner Will Love It

Finally, you will make your life partner’s day when you do things for them, simply because you know how much your partner will love it. You can be really creative in finding more ways to put a delighted smile on your partner’s face.

And when you do things because you know how much your partner will love it, you may be delighted to find that your life partner will spontaneously do something special for you too. This is not a case of quid pro quo. Instead, it is a matter of doing something special for your partner because you enjoy seeing the delighted smile on your partner’s face. In turn, your partner will want to do something equally special to see the delighted smile on your face.

These five secrets are very powerful. And yet, they are just the beginning. The longer you have been part of a couple, the more skilled you both become in nurturing one another’s happiness. So, start with these five secrets, be creative and go from there. Your relationship will be better for it.

[ad_2]

Source by Dr. Rachel Abramson, Ph.D

Views: 0

November 12, 2022
Get the Kind Of Marriage Counselling That Is Healthy For Your Relationship

[ad_1]

Marriage is a union of not only two souls but two families. It determines how the next phase of your life will look like and the expectations you can have from it. There comes a few times when things do not go so well and there are various ups and downs in a marriage. This is not a new thing as every marriage has faced such obstacles at certain phases of their life and they have dealt with it.

Marriage counseling comes as a huge help during these situations where you get guidance from a professional as to how you can handle such situations and not let the marriage get over. You get to learn a lot of tips and lessons from these counseling sessions that help you in the long run to keep that bond with your partner intact.

Let us have a look at some specific benefits that come your way because of this kind of counseling sessions:

• LEARN TO DEAL WITH THE MATTER IN A MATURE WAY

It is not necessary that you need to argue and fight in order to resolve a particular problem that might have taken place between partners. These matters can be handled maturely as well with a polite and civilized conversation between the two and then eventually reaching to a conclusion that will help to deal with the problem that has risen. This is the kind of tips that you can expect from these sessions that will help you to deal with the problem in a healthy manner.

• YOU WILL LEARN TO DEVELOP A MORE EXTROVERT KIND OF A NATURE

One of the best lessons that comes our way from these sessions are that how you can stop hiding your thoughts and feelings within you and open up about them so that it gets more clear that what exactly each one of you have been thinking and where the problem lies. It is very important that you do not trap your feelings and be as vocal about it as possible and have a proper communication with your partner about it.

• YOU WILL GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER

Once all the misunderstandings and miscommunication is resolved, you will have a much better and deeper understanding of your spouse. You will develop a deep understanding for each other and that will help to sustain the marriage that had been hitting the rocks for a while now. This understanding will take the marriage a long way and make it more stable. You can very well see the role this kind of counseling gets to play in such scenarios, you do need a helping hand at times to get back on track and this kind of a help is exactly what a bit of an unstable marriage requires getting back on its feet.

[ad_2]

Source by Achal Mehrotra

Views: 0

November 11, 2022
Relief for a Sore Penis – Healing After Aggressive Sex
[ad_1]

A good roll in the hay or an especially sensual round of solo action can lead men to unbelievable ecstasy, followed a glow of satisfaction and a sense of relaxation and well-being. However, it can also lead to soreness, aching and a lingering feeling of discomfort – not the takeaway most men are looking for from the experience. While a sore penis after sex is common, and in general nothing serious, knowing how to prevent the pain from happening, and how to relieve it when it does occur – can improve men’s overall penis health and even enhance the sensations they feel during the proceedings.

What causes penis pain?

Penis pain can occur for a number of reasons and can even be related to more than one of these factors:
- Chafing – while the sliding, gliding and thrusting of sex feels tremendous in the moment, there is actually a lot of heat being generated by the friction. Most men won’t notice this when it is happening, unless things are particularly dry, but when the heat of the moment is over, this chafing can lead to red, raw-looking skin, or even the appearance of a rash. Over time, friction from intercourse or masturbation can cause the skin to overcompensate during healing, and a thicker layer of keratinized dermal tissue may be the result. Since this callus-like tissue can actually block pleasurable sensation, preventing it from occurring through regular moisturizing and use of a lube is highly recommended.
- Irritation – the penis skin is fairly delicate, and exposure to a partner’s body fluids, as well as lubes, latex, or other substances which may come into play can cause the skin to become irritated. Redness, itching, burning and even swelling may ensue. Avoiding known irritants is important here, so if a reaction seems to occur any time a particular product is used, eliminating this from the process is a good idea.
- Blunt force trauma or torsion – in a heated moment, it is natural to get overly enthusiastic, but abrupt moves can lead to sudden impact with a partner’s pelvic bone or with a sudden twist or turn that can cause penis pain and even rupture the penile tissue. Taking care during play sessions and avoiding sudden, forceful moves may take some of the excitement out of the process, but it can also prevent a world of hurt later on.
How to relieve a sore penis

When soreness and injuries do occur, pain relief may be the first thing on a man’s mind. In some cases, all that is needed is a little time off, but in others, some TLC at home can do the trick. Applying cold compresses (not too cold, or frostbite can be a real danger) or using an over-the-counter oral pain reliever may help to take the edge off while things heal. It is always a good idea to check with a doctor before trying any self-care techniques, however, especially in the case of sudden injury or for men who are being treated for other medical conditions.

When professional help is needed

If a penile injury is accompanied by a popping sound and/or sharp pain; if bruising or bleeding occurs; or if a man experiences an erection that does not dissipate after several hours, prompt medical attention is necessary to treat potentially serious issues.

Extra support for a stressed, sore penis

Aside from pain relief and waiting out the healing process, men can take some proactive steps, not only to promote healing, but also to prevent a recurrence of the problem:
- First of all, using a lubricant – and a little bit of common sense – for future sessions can also help to prevent injuries from friction, accidental impact, or sudden bending or twisting.
- Second, in order to heal properly, the penile tissues need to work harder than normal. Repairing damaged tissue requires essential nutrients that men can obtain through a penis vitamin cream. (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil) that is fortified with vitamins and amino acids, as well as natural emollients for extra relief. After the healing process is complete, continuing to apply a quality penis health cream can help to reduce the degree of cellular damage that can result from rough treatment.
[ad_2]

Source by John Dugan

Views: 0
November 11, 2022
Clues That Your Relationship Might Be Coming To an End

[ad_1]

Nobody likes going through a break up. A break up can leave you feeling betrayed. It hurts and often takes a long time to get over. A break up can be especially be bad if it comes as a surprise. This often leaves a person confused. So how can a person recognize if the relationship they are in is about to end? There are clues you can look for. These often involve a change in behavior being exhibited by your significant other.

Here are some common signs that your relationship may be coming to an end:

1. Is you partner avoiding your phone calls?

This a major clue to understanding why your relationship could be coming to and end. Lets face it when you don’t answer your cell phone it is because you do not want to talk to that person or organization. So why would your significant other not answer your phone call? It could be they are romantically involved with somebody else.

2. Has your partner become less Romantic?

Of course when you are lying in bed with your significant other and they are not romantically inclined is a definite sign to the beginning of the end to your relationship. This is especially evident when there a general lack of foreplay In fact this could me they are already romantically inclined to another individual.

3. Is your partner spending more time with friends?

There is nothing wrong when your significant other spends time with their friends. This is there play time. However this a place where they can meet other people of the opposite sex. If your relationship is on the rocks. If she or he is spending more time than usual with friends this could be a very strong clue to the end of your relationship

4. You often get into arguments over trivial things.

These situations often mean much bigger problems are the root cause. It is alright to discuss things with you partner. Sometimes there will anger in the discussion. However a good relationship will forgive and be capable of compromise. But if you and your significant other argue over trivial things them you are heading foe a possible separation or worse a divorce.

5. Has your partner become disrespectful towards you?

Bad behavior such as checking out other women or men could a definite sign. This a definite sign of possible break up. This is also a sign when a woman starts looking at other men. She will do to indicate to her man that she is not satisfied with him.

Understanding your relationship with somebody is not easy. However this relationship is worth keeping. the first thing you must develop is a friendship before you become romantically involved.

best regards

[ad_2]

Source by Paul Luciw

Views: 0

November 10, 2022
Stuffed Emotions Don't Die – They Multiply!

[ad_1]

As I work with clients on a daily basis, I am often amazed at how much fear is involved in showing emotion. Granted some people go the other way and completely out of control with their emotions. However, numerous others are entirely out of touch with how they feel. You can tell a person is in this situation because when you ask them the typical therapist question, "And how did that make you feel?" there will be a long pause. Uhhh …. ummmmm … truly the thought of putting emotion to an event is almost impossible for them.

This process can be very frustrating when a person's spouse tends to be very in-tune with their emotions. They know exactly how they feel at all times. When an inquiry into what their partner is feeling brings a blank stare, there can be a complete break-down of communication. My common answer to help the aggravated partner understand what's happening inside their loved one's heart is, "when he / she tells you they don't know how they feel they are telling the truth. They truly don't know how they feel."

Typically, a person who stuffs will respond to any situation requiring emotions in one or two ways. They will give you the one emotion that our culture allows us to show: anger. However, anger is not the real emotion they are feeling. It is just the emotion that we are allowed to express openly. Anger is really about hurt, unmet expectations or other pain. If a stuffer doesn't show you openly expressed anger, they will just push the anger down inside and do what they do so well … stuff it!

The problem is that stuffing doesn't stop the emotion. Stuffed emotions don't get buried. Truly, stuffed emotions multiply. They become stronger and more powerful. Stuffing emotions over the long haul will eventually cause your body to break down. You can only carry so much emotion on the inside. Pretty soon your internal systems will start responding to the heavy load you are forcing them to carry.

If you are a stuffer, please know that this information is coming your way via divine providence. It is time to step back and start finding new ways to identify and process your emotions. Emotions don't have to be scary when you learn better ways to get in touch with them. Emotions are just like the light on the dashboard of the car. They serve the purpose of letting you know that "something under the hood" needs looked at. You can take out the fuse so the light doesn't go on, but that doesn't stop the damage to the inside that could possibly happen if you drive on down the road ignoring the warning signal.

[ad_2]

Source by Trudy Johnson

Views: 0

November 10, 2022
How To Heal Yourself & Begin To Move On From A Broken Relationship

[ad_1]

Are you newly single? Have you just come out of a relationship or marriage? Failed relationships can be painful and challenging to overcome. While the most common solution is to rebound into another relationship, these relationships rarely survive beyond a few months. And even if they do, they mostly work more like a compromise. The best way out is to take advantage of your new relationship status by learning from the past and recreating your life. A breakup or divorce can be a positive experience if you choose to learn from it.

Learn from a failed relationship and prepare to receive your future partner:

What's the lesson? Every failed relationship provides at least one significant lesson. What was it? Relationships typically fail either due to errors in choosing a partner or errors in behavior. Reflect and see where "you" made a mistake and decide to do something better next time. If you have multiple failed relationships, check to see if there is a pattern you can identify common to all of them. If you can understand your contributions to the failed relationship, you'd be in a better position to attract the right person and make it work!

Let it go. Unless there are children involved, consider ceasing all contact till you get over the hurt. Resist the tendency to "accidentally" run into them at your favorite hangout, send a late-night text message, or stalk them on Facebook. Take anything that reminds you of them, box it up, and put it in the garage. It is possible to be friends with your 'ex-partner / spouse' but it takes two very matured people to make that happen plus some healing time to reach a point where a healthy friendship can be maintained with no heart aches.

Forgive him / her for your own sake. It's an easy word to say, but challenging to do. Remember! There's no closure without forgiveness. Forgiveness is about freeing ourselves from the energy-draining quest for retribution.

Be there for yourself. It can be tempting to compromise on your hygiene, sit in front of the TV in your pajamas, and avoid the gym. However, it's important to continue taking care of yourself. Get a shower, spend time with friends that really care about you, and maintain your normal routine.

Get your life in order. Find a job you like if you don't already have one. Ensure your finances are in order. Get in shape. Feel good about your life and yourself before dating again. You want to have a great life to share with someone else, rather than find someone to fill in all the gaps and solve all the challenges in your life. Fix your life first! You'll be a much more attractive partner, when you do that.

Transform your space. Create a new environment at home. Move the furniture around. Renovate your home. Give yourself a fresh start.

Find a new hobby. There has got to be something you have always wanted to do. Now is the perfect time to do it! Take a photography class or buy a guitar. Join a dance class. Add something new and fun to your life.

Enjoy the freedom. Just enjoy the time, space and freedom of being single. Avoid starting a new relationship immediately. Spend more time with your friends and family.

Decide what you are looking for. Make a list of what you would like in a potential partner. Think about your past relationship experiences and put together a description of what you would like in a new partner. Also reflect on what that kind of person will be looking in their ideal partner. Work on yourself to develop those traits. Begin looking, but avoid straying too far from your list of requirements. Avoid falling into old patterns.

Take one step at a time. When you find a potential match, enjoy it. There's no rush. Take it slow. Neither be desperate for a commitment, nor commit too soon. Let it flow.

Moving on after a failed relationship can be especially challenging. Rely on friends and family to see you through. A breakup or divorce is an ideal time for self-examination and making positive changes in your life. There's no reason to be in a hurry to find a new partner. Move on from the past before jumping into a new relationship.

"Sometimes we must undergo hardships, breakups, and narcissistic wounds, which shatter the flattering image that we had of ourselves, in order to discover two truths: that we are not who we thought we were; and that the loss of a cherished pleasure is not necessarily the loss of true happiness and well-being. " – Jean-Yves LeLoup

[ad_2]

Source by Nidhika Bahl

Views: 0

July 29, 2022
The Gay Solution (1): Finding a Loving Male Partner to Marry

[ad_1]

Sex without love wouldn't satisfy you for more than 15 minutes and love without sex wouldn't satisfy you at all. So how do you find both in the same man? That was the question I left you with in a previous article.

A friend of mine is a life-insurance broker. He always says that there is only one rule for survival in sales and that is see people, see people, and see people. It's a numbers game. Of all the people you are going to see only between 2 and 10% will buy from you, so the more you see, the better your sales. Meeting people is exactly the same; the more people you meet, the better your chance of meeting the right person. Luckily there are a few possibilities in meeting new people.

The older guys (read: even older than I am) tell us that they didn't have gay clubs, bars, or dating services so they had to refine their gaydar and flirting skills. The fact is that those skills are still just as valuable today as they were years ago. Another important skill is taking it one step at a time. Two types of guys never end up with a perfect match; those who fly off in a second, and those who never come out of the starting block. The guys that fly off are proposing marriage before they even know the other guy, and those in the starting blocks only stare evening in and evening out.

If you are a flyer you need to relax. Look for friends in stead of possible partners. Nothing is a bigger turn-off than a guy who hits on you after he has tried everybody else on his way to your table. Friendly people have a few good friends, many acquaintances, and two or three possible people they might be interested in. Guys who try to fly into serious relationships have no friends, one or two acquaintances, and the whole city as possible people they are interested in. The important thing you should learn from this is that you start by meeting lots of people, you will find a few very good friends among them, and in time you will meet somebody you are really interested in. Flyers always run the risk of getting their heart broken on a weekly basis. You can never keep up with who they are in love with – it changes every time you see them, and every month or two they try you yet again. That is when you decide to ignore them completely.

The guys who never take off are almost in the same position. They see a possibility every night, but they are too scared to do anything about it. They look a bit weird if they stand in a corner ogling everybody so you ignore them as well. They have a few acquaintances that turns into friends because they normally end up in a group of seekers – waiting for something that never happens. If you are in such a group get out and start building your self-esteem. If you do not think that you are good enough as a partner, nobody else will believe in you either.

With that in your mind go back to the gay clubs, gay bars, dating sites, and the gay section of your local bookstore – start by making friends, being a good friend, and enjoying friendship for its own rewards. Stay away from the friend-zone – that is the ogling bunch in the corner. You will do fine.

[ad_2]

Source by Brand Doubell

Views: 0

July 28, 2022
Statement on the third meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
The third meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), took place on Thursday, 30 April 2020, from 12:00 to 17:45 Geneva
time (CEST).

Proceedings of the meeting

Members and advisors of the Emergency Committee were convened by teleconference. Membership of the Emergency Committee was expanded
to reflect the nature of the pandemic and the need to include additional areas of expertise.

The Director-General welcomed the Committee, thanked them for their commitment to enhancing global public health, and provided an overview of the major achievements in the COVID-19 response since the last Emergency Committee meeting on 30 January 2020.
Representatives of the legal department and the Department of Compliance, Risk Management, and Ethics (CRE) briefed the members on their roles and responsibilities.

The Ethics Officer from CRE provided the members and advisers with an overview of the WHO Declaration of Interest process. The members and advisers were made aware of their individual responsibility to disclose to WHO, in a timely manner, any interests
of a personal, professional, financial, intellectual or commercial nature that may give rise to a perceived or direct conflict of interest. They were additionally reminded of their duty to maintain the confidentiality of the meeting discussions and
the work of the committee. Only those committee members and advisers who were not considered to have any perceived or direct conflict of interest participated in the meeting.

The Secretariat turned the meeting over to the Chair, Professor Houssin. He also welcomed the Committee and reviewed the objectives and agenda of the meeting.

The WHO Regional Emergency Directors and the Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) provided regional and the global situation overview. After ensuing discussion, the Committee unanimously agreed that the outbreak still constitutes
a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) and offered advice to the Director-General.

The Director-General declared that the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to constitute a PHEIC. He accepted the advice of the Committee to WHO and issued the Committee’s advice to States Parties as Temporary Recommendations under the IHR.

The Emergency Committee will be reconvened within three months or earlier, at the discretion of the Director-General. The Director-General thanked the Committee for its work.

Advice to WHO

Coordination, planning, and monitoring
- Continue to lead and coordinate the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic in collaboration with countries, the United Nations (UN), and other partners.
- Work with fragile states and vulnerable countries that require additional technical, logistical and commodity support.
- Establish mechanisms to compile lessons learned from country and partner experiences and WHO missions and share the best practices and updated recommendations.
- Provide further guidance to countries about adjusting public health measures, taking into account the different epidemiological situations of the pandemic.
- Promote the inclusion of all interested countries, including low- and middle-income countries from all regions, in the Solidarity clinical trials for therapeutics and vaccines.
- Continue efforts with partners to obtain equitable access to personal protective equipment, diagnostics, and biomedical equipment essential to the pandemic COVID-19 response.
- Continue to coordinate global expert networks in epidemiology, laboratory, vaccines, clinical care, infection prevention and control, social sciences, and operational research; modelling; and other technical support.
One Health
- Work with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and countries to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including
  the possible role of intermediate hosts. This should be accomplished through efforts such as scientific and collaborative field missions, which will enable targeted interventions and a research agenda to reduce the risk of similar events.
- Work closely with OIE and FAO to provide guidance on how to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections in animals and humans and prevent the establishment of new zoonotic reservoirs.
- Work with partner organizations and countries to strengthen the global food supply chain, protect food workers, properly manage food markets, and mitigate possible disruptions to the food supply.
Essential Health Services
- Support countries to assess and manage the unintended consequences of public health measures implemented to control the COVID-19 pandemic, including gender-based violence and child neglect.
- Support countries to monitor their ability to provide and strengthen essential health services throughout a likely extended COVID-19 response. This should include, but is not limited to, essential prevention for communicable diseases, particularly
  vaccination; services related to reproductive health, including care during pregnancy and childbirth; care of vulnerable populations, such as young infants and older adults; provision of medications and supplies for the ongoing management of chronic
  diseases, including mental health conditions; continuity of critical inpatient therapies; management of emergency health conditions and common acute presentations that require time-sensitive intervention; and auxiliary services, such as basic
  diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, and blood bank services.
- Support countries to address shortages of essential medicines and health products, personal protective equipment, and other medical supplies and to establish sustainable risk management practices to prevent future shortages.
Risk communication and community engagement
- Continue risk communications and community engagement activities through the WHO Information Network for Epidemics (EPI-WIN) and other platforms to counter rumours and misinformation.
- Continue to regularly communicate clear messages, guidance, and advice about the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, how to reduce transmission, and save lives.
- Work with partners and countries to articulate potential long-term consequences of COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for strengthened cross-sectoral preparedness, transparency and global coordination.
Surveillance
- Clarify the testing strategy, support countries to increase testing capacity, and aim to provide equitable access to diagnostic tests and supplies in light of market failures and global shortages.
- Continue to provide guidance on monitoring disease trends using Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) and Influenza Like Illness (ILI) surveillance systems in anticipation of the co-circulation of influenza viruses.
- Develop qualitative and quantitative indicators that countries can use to assess and monitor SARS-CoV-2 transmission at all levels of public health response.
- Continue to support countries and partners by providing technical and operational guidance, training platforms, and tools such as Go.Data,to enhance case identification and contact tracing capacity, strengthen the public health workforce, and engage
  communities for contact tracing.
- Provide clear qualitative and quantitative indicators to monitor SARS-CoV-2 transmission to inform the adjustment of public health and social measures.
Travel and Trade
- Continue working with countries and partners to enable essential travel needed for pandemic response, humanitarian relief, repatriation, and cargo operations.
- Develop strategic guidance with partners for the gradual return to normal operations of passenger travel in a coordinated manner that provides appropriate protection when physical distancing is not feasible.
- Update recommendations on appropriate travel measures and analyze their effects on international transmission of COVID-19, with consideration of the balance between benefits and unintended consequences, including entry and exit screening, education
  of travelers on responsible travel behaviour, case finding, contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine, by incorporating evidence on the potential role of pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission.
To all States Parties

Coordination and Collaboration
- Support WHO leadership and continue to collaborate with WHO at all levels of the organization and with other countries to enable effective global COVID-19 pandemic preparedness and response.
- Participate in global solidarity efforts to enable access to essential supplies for all.
- Document and share lessons learned from efforts to control the pandemic, including the timing, pace, and sequencing of the application and lifting of public health measures.
Preparedness
- Strengthen preparedness for health emergencies, and build resilient health systems, incorporating lessons learned during different stages of the pandemic, and sharing experiences with other countries.
Surveillance
- Work with WHO and multisectoral partners to interrupt transmission by maintaining robust surveillance systems; enhancing capacities for case detection, testing, isolation of cases, contact tracing, quarantine of contacts, and rapid response; strengthening
  the public health workforce; and actively engaging communities for contact tracing, with a particular focus on high risk areas.
- In settings where testing a large proportion of suspected cases is not possible, monitor overall trends; undertake early detection through laboratory confirmation of a limited number of cases with a focus on health workers; and rapidly implement
  public health measures.
- Share with WHO all data necessary to conduct global risk assessments through data platforms, such as the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System and the IHR mechanism. These data should include SARI and ILI where available.
- Use the WHO qualitative and quantitative indicators to assess and monitor SARS-CoV-2 transmission at all levels of public health response.
Additional Health Measures
- Avoid restrictions on international transport of food, medical and other essential supplies and permit the safe movement of essential personnel required for an effective pandemic response.
- Implement appropriate travel measures with consideration of their public health benefits, including entry and exit screening, education of travelers on responsible travel behaviour, case finding, contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine, by
  incorporating evidence on the potential role of pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission.
- Implement and monitor case finding and contact tracing of travellers, using digital tools where appropriate.
- Continue to review travel and trade measures based on regular risk assessments, transmission patterns at origin and destination, cost-benefit analysis, evolution of the pandemic, and new knowledge of COVID-19.
- Engage in global efforts to respond to the challenges of COVID-19 in managing maritime vessels.
- Do not implement trade restrictions beyond those considered to be of public health importance in accordance with relevant international agreements.
- Continue to provide appropriate public health rationale to WHO for additional health measures in accordance with IHR.
Health Workers
- Prioritize the protection of the health workforce through access to training and provision of personal protective equipment, infection prevention and control measures, improved working conditions, application of WHO recommended testing strategies,
  and prevention of stigma and attacks on health workers.
Food Security
- Work with WHO and partners to strengthen the global food supply chain, protect food workers, properly manage food markets, and mitigate possible disruptions to the food supply, especially for vulnerable populations.
One Health
- Promote sound practices to manage risks of trade of live animals in food markets and regulate trade of exotic wildlife.
Risk Communications and Community Engagement
- Continue to engage communities to address rumours and misinformation and keep the public informed, with a focus on vulnerable populations.
Research and development
- Address research gaps such as: routes of transmission, including the role of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic infection droplet, contact, fomite and aerosol transmission; and viral shedding; and animal source and intermediate hosts, in collaboration
  with partners.
- Continue to support and conduct COVID-19 research, in line with the WHO Research and Development Blueprint, and the road map for COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
- Continue sharing full genome sequences to increase global understanding of virus evolution and phylogenetics and their application to public health practices.
Essential Health Services
- Maintain essential health services throughout a likely extended COVID-19 response. This should include essential prevention for communicable diseases, particularly vaccination; services related to reproductive health, including care during pregnancy
  and childbirth; care of vulnerable populations, such as young infants and older adults; provision of medications and supplies for the ongoing management of chronic diseases, including mental health conditions; continuity of critical inpatient
  therapies; management of emergency health conditions and common acute presentations that require time-sensitive intervention; and auxiliary services, such as basic diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, and blood bank services.
- Continue to track and document the impact of COVID-19 on essential health services.
Read More
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/01-05-2020-statement-on-the-third-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-outbreak-of-coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)

Views: 0
May 9, 2020
A meeting on digital innovations, TB and implementation research organised by WHO and the European Respiratory Society

WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Programme (WHO/GTB) and the European Respiratory Society convened a technical meeting on digital innovations, TB and implementation research, in Geneva on 7 February 2020. This meeting brought together funders,
partners, representatives of national TB programmes, civil society and scientists to discuss the challenges and opportunities when evaluating, integrating and scaling up digital technologies under programmatic settings. Specifically, this meeting
sought to receive input on the elements of a toolkit on implementation research that is currently being developed by WHO/GTB and the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) to support evidence-informed use of
digital technologies under programmatic settings. Th etoolkit will be launched in mid-2020. Considering that several countries are updating their national TB strategic plans and preparing funding proposals for submission to the Global Fund, this meeting
also sought to create mutual understanding on the importance of resourcing implementation science to bridge the divide between research and practice.

This present meeting, is the latest in a series of efforts by WHO/GTB to facilitate the meaningful use of digital technologies for TB prevention and care. It
was preceded by a one-day workshop on 6 February held at the same venue for partner agencies of the ASCENT project. ASCENT is a UNITAID-funded project that started in 2019 with the aim of increasing demand and adoption of affordable digital technologies for TB medication adherence. The project is led by KNCV in partnership with Aurum Institute for Health
Research, PATH and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Activities are running in Ethiopia, the Philippines, South Africa, Ukraine and Tanzania UR. This was the first in a series of annual meetings that will be coordinated by the WHO/GTB
to assess progress in implementation of country activities and results from the interventions.

Read More
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/26-04-2020-a-meeting-on-digital-innovations-tb-and-implementation-research-organised-by-who-and-the-european-respiratory-society

Views: 0

April 10, 2020
Strengthening accountability to end TB
WHO today released a Checklist to enable Member States and their partners to assess the status of work at the national level to strengthen accountability to End TB, principally: national commitments made, actions taken on those commitments, monitoring & reporting approaches, and the nature of any high-level review mechanisms. The Checklist has been developed in response to requests from Member States, regions, civil society and partners as a tool to support the adaptation and implementation of the WHO Multisectoral Accountability Framework (MAF-TB) released in 2019. It responds also to the UN General Assembly request to WHO to ensure implementation of the Framework.

There are four components of the MAF-TB that form a cycle for strengthening accountability: Commitments, Actions, Monitoring and Reporting, and Review, that were released during the World Health Assembly in May, 2019. In the political declaration of the first UN high-level meeting on TB, world leaders called for WHO to finalize the framework and ensure its implementation in 2019.

After its publication in May, 2019, WHO began work with pathfinding country counterparts who were seeking to move ahead on key elements including, among others: formal adoption of country-specific targets for 2022 for increased TB case detection and treatment in line with the global targets in the political declaration; updating or development of new national TB strategic plans based on 2022 and 2030 targets and other new commitments; coordination platforms across sectors and stakeholders; formalizing engagement with civil society across End TB efforts; producing robust performance reports; and, using those reports to inform high-level review bodies that will assess and drive faster progress. Based on the MAF-TB document, relevant country experiences, and specific requests from countries and partners, WHO developed the MAF-TB Checklist. The Checklist is especially relevant for high TB burden countries, but has content relevant to all countries. The appropriateness of different approaches may vary, according to national constitutional, legal and/or regulatory frameworks or other relevant factors.

The MAF-TB Checklist has three annexes on:
1. engagement across government ministries and bodies;
2. engagement of civil society and affected communities; and,
3. adoption and implementation of WHO TB guidance.
In releasing this MAF-TB Checklist today, Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO Global TB Programme noted, “At this enormously difficult time, all countries and partners are focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. Lessons learnt from ongoing TB programmes are helping the response. Likewise, TB efforts will benefit from learning underway on collaboration, innovation and accountability in confronting the virus.”

WHO will be helping Ministries of Health and partners to use the Checklist, hold related consultations and move forward with more effective collaboration and review mechanisms. The WHO Civil Society Task Force on TB also will support countries and civil society partners, using the Checklist. Progress in strengthening accountability will be assessed in the 2020 Report of the UN Secretary-General on progress since the 2018 TB UN high-level meeting, as well as in the WHO Global TB Report 2020.

The WHO TB Civil Society Task Force, National TB Programme Managers and other country officials, WHO staff at all levels, consultants working with WHO and The Global Fund, and staff of partner agencies, contributed content to, and/or provided feedback on, the MAF-TB Checklist during its development. Access the Checklist and 3 annexes.

An online form of the checklist will be available shortly here, along with additional information.

Translations of the Checklist and annexes, as soon as available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish, will be posted at the above link as well. Kindly contact gtb programme@who.int if you have questions regarding the MAF-TB Checklist or to request versions in MS Word format if needed.

Read More
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/08-04-2020-strengthening-accountability-to-end-tb

Views: 0
April 10, 2020