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Press Releases: Acute Respiratory Infections
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new healthcare guidance for the H1N1 influenza pandemic that encourages early treatment with antiviral drugs of ill people in high-risk categories and of anyone who has rapidly progressing symptoms.
Prompt treatment with antiviral drugs for persons infected with the pandemic A(H1N1) virus reduces the severity of illness and improves the chances of survival. But emergency rooms and intensive care units will experience the heaviest burden of patient care during the pandemic, experts said at a three-day meeting in Washington, D.C.
High-level Meeting on Influenza A (H1N1). Mexico. 3 July 2009.- Director's closing remarks - 'I believe that we are reaping the fruits of years of planning and preparation, which have been very important and, since 2007, have put most of the countries on a rather similar and equitable plane in terms of their ability to participate and implement the International Health Regulations' ... 'this is the real political challenge, always bearing in mind the fundamental principles of protecting the population, solidarity, and equity, and above all trust among peoples and among authorities'.
Science Magazine. 8 May 2009.- "I'm amazed at the capacity we have with the information and communication technologies," says epidemiologist Mirta Roses Periago, head of the Pan American Health Organization. "We used to do things with our hands and smelling and looking at the patients." During the past few weeks, she notes, scientists have rapidly shared sequences of the viruses, digital images of patient x-rays, and electron micrographs of the new H1N1.
"At this point in history, this is the best surveillance we've ever had," said Keiji Fukuda, one of WHO's assistant director generals.
(Note: Series renamed, formerly EID Updates: Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Region of the Americas.) 
This document is addressed to infection control professionals, occupational health specialists and other professionals involved in patient care in health-care facilities. It is designed to provide quick reference guidance on infection prevention and control to help prevent the transmission of acute infectious respiratory diseases during health care.
This page describes the PAHO Technical Area for Health Surveillance and Disease Prevention and Control(HSD), its mission and objectives, what it does in terms of projects and activities. It contains links to the four technical groups and the Pan American Center under its umbrella. Note: Prior to June 2006, the Area was named Disease Prevention and Control.
As much as 24% of global disease is caused by environmental exposures which can be averted. Well-targeted interventions can prevent much of this environmental risk, the World Health Organization (WHO) demonstrates in a report issued today. The report further estimates that more than 33% of disease in children under the age of 5 is caused by environmental exposures. WHO report 
This page offers a comprehensive, organized listing of all PAHO materials on the topic of avian influenza (bird flu), as well as links to other sites with relevant information, mainly at WHO and in the Region of the Americas.
Two overarching themes emerge from the extensive research and analyses in this World Bank publication: (1) Current resources can yield substantial health gains if knowledge of cost-effective interventions were applied more fully. (2) Additional resources are needed in low-income countries to minimize the glaring inequities in health care. Increased resources would provide highly-effective interventions, expand research, and extend basic health coverage to more people. WHO contributed to this publication.
This page offers an organized listing of all PAHO documents on the topic of seasonal influenza, as well as links to other sites with relevant information, primarily at WHO and in the Region of the Americas.
This issue contains two articles on influenza: Outbreak news on H5N1 avian influenza: first steps towards development of a human vaccine; and Influenza Vaccines: WHO Position Paper. The theme of the latter is seasonal influenza and the effects of antiviral vaccines on public health, in the framework of large-scale vaccine programs.
This presentation of eight PowerPoint slides outlines how vital the global alert and response was in containing the worldwide SARS epidemic, how SARS is transmitted, its economic effects, and lessons learned for future application.
This six-part course in PDF copies of PowerPoint slides was prepared by the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WHO/WPRO) with the objective of training hospital personnel in the proper prevention and control procedures for SARS, both for their own protection and to prevent hospital transmission. Sections include clinical management, personal protection equipment, scrubbing hands, patient management and transport, laboratory procedures, educating the public, and laundry and disinfection guidelines. The link to WPRO presentations appears on the PAHO web to facilitate distribution and use among hospital staff in the English-speaking countries of the Americas.
Este volumen de investigaciones operativas prioritarias sobre la estrategia AIEPI incluye un conjunto de protocolos diseñados para su aplicación en los niveles locales que permiten, a la vez que evaluar resultados de la aplicación de la estrategia AIEPI, estudiar otros aspectos de la salud infantil que pueden merecer consideración adicional y que deben por lo tanto hacer parte de dicha estrategia. Esta página brinda un resumen del libro y acceso al texto completo en archivos de PDF.
Las investigaciones operativas están orientadas a la obtención de datos prácticos y a la toma de decisiones relativas a la aplicación de las intervenciones y a las actividades de control. Este libro consiste de 22 estudios etnográficos focalizados (EEF) como instrumentos destinados a preparar los elementos de los componentes de comunicación, educación y capacitación eficaces para concretizar las actividades de control de las IRA. La página brinda acceso a un resumen y al libro completo dividido en capítulos, en PDF.