World Health Organization

About: World Health Organization is a government organization based out in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 13330 authors who have published 22232 publications receiving 1322023 citations. The organization is also known as: World Health Organisation & WHO.

HIV Infection—Associated Tuberculosis: The Epidemiology and the Response

Abstract: Of the 33.2 million persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), one-third are estimated to also be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In 2008, there were an estimated 1.4 million new cases of tuberculosis (TB) among persons with HIV infection, and TB accounted for 26% of AIDS-related deaths. The relative risk of TB among HIV-infected persons, compared with that among HIV-uninfected persons, ranges from 20- and 37-fold, depending on the state of the HIV epidemic. In 2008, 1.4 million patients with TB were tested globally for HIV, and 81 countries tested more than half of their patients with TB for HIV. Only 4% of all persons infected with HIV were screened for TB in the same year. Decentralization of HIV treatment services and strengthening of its integration with TB services are essential. Use of the highly decentralized TB services as an entry point to rapidly expand access to antiretroviral therapy and methods for prevention of HIV infection must be pursued aggressively.

The International Pilot Study of Schizophrenia

Abstract: SYNOPSIS The results are described of a transcultural psychiatric study of schizophrenia undertaken by WHO in nine countries. The study proved that such a collaboration was feasible, that it was possible to develop research procedures for international use, and that similar types of schizophrenia could be found in each of the countries involved. One thousand two hundred and two patients were studied and over 2 million items of information obtained.

How effective is antenatal care in preventing maternal mortality and serious morbidity? An overview of the evidence

Abstract: This is an overview of evidence of the effectiveness of antenatal care in relation to maternal mortality and serious morbidity, focused in particular on developing countries. It concentrates on the major causes of maternal mortality, and traces their antecedent morbidities and risk factors in pregnancy. It also includes interventions aimed at preventing, detecting or treating any stage along this pathway during pregnancy. This is an updated and expanded version of a review first published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1992. The scientific evidence from randomised controlled trials and other types of intervention or observational study on the effectiveness of these interventions is reviewed critically. The sources and quality of available data, and possible biases in their collection or interpretation are considered. As in other areas of maternal health, good-quality evidence is scarce and, just as in many aspects of health care generally, there are interventions in current practice that have not been subjected to rigorous evaluation. A table of antenatal interventions of proven effectiveness in conditions that can lead to maternal mortality or serious morbidity is presented. Interventions for which there is some promising evidence, short of proof, of effectiveness are explored, and the outstanding questions formulated. These are presented in a series of tables with suggestions about the types of study needed to answer them.