World Health Organization (WHO) Content Topic Results

From October 27-29, 2009, a working group of expert researchers, policymakers, and practitioners met to review the current state of evidence and practice in developing and implementing interventions and strategies to address the intersections of violence against women and HIV. The meeting aimed to make policy and programmatic recommendations for national and international HIV/AIDS programs and develop an agenda for future program development, evaluation and research efforts. This report summarizes the presentations, discussions and recommendations from the meeting.

This policy brief discusses the importance of developing and implementing policies to engage men in achieving gender equality and reducing health disparities. While it deals largely with issues related to disease and other health issues, the rationale and framework may be useful in developing internal policies and advocating for broader policy-driven social change.

Excerpt: This paper is an invitation to enter into a new way of thinking about violence and about how it is addressed. It may not be an easy invitation to accept: we have grown accustomed to working in certain ways; changing those ways can be difficult, but change we must if we are ever to make any headway in reducing violence.

This document aims to provide sufficient information for policy-makers and planners to develop data-driven and evidence-based programs for preventing intimate partner and sexual violence against women.

This comprehensive policy brief discusses the actions needed to increase the participation of persons with disabilities in the HIV response and ensure they have access to HIV services which are both tailored to their diverse needs and equal to the services available to others in the community.

This document reviews promising initiatives to promote gender equality and the effectiveness of such approaches in reducing VAW. These include school-based programs, community interventions such as microfinance, public awareness campaigns, and initiatives that engage men.

This document presents a global review of interventions that identify and respond to victims of interpersonal violence, including screening tools, education programs, mandatory reporting systems, and multi-agency risk assessments. Also included in this document is a review of programs that offer care and support to survivors.

"An estimated 10% of the world's population live with a disability. Persons with disabilities have the same sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs as other people. Yet they often face barriers to information and services. This guidance note addresses issues of SRH programming for persons with disabilities. It is intended for SRH experts and advocates within UNFPA and WHO as well as those in other development organizations and partners.

This document discusses the role of cultural and social norms in promoting VAW and presents promising interventions aiming to change these norms. The document also identifies challenges in rigorously evaluating the effectiveness of such interventions.

The World Health Report, first published in 1995, is WHO's leading publication. Each year the report combines an expert assessment of global health, including statistics relating to all countries, with a focus on a specific subject. The main purpose of the report is to provide countries, donor agencies, international organizations and others with the information they need to help them make policy and funding decisions. This report focuses on primary health care.

The elder population and primary health care professionals in 8 countries perceived that a screening instrument is critical in preventing and identifying elder abuse, suggesting that the tool should vary according to cultural and geographical contexts.

In a public health framework, primary prevention means reducing the number of new instances of intimate-partner violence and sexual violence by intervening before any violence occurs. Program and research in primary prevention has lagged efforts in secondary and tertiary prevention, which focus on people who are at risk or already have suffered violence. This background paper helps to close that gap and is the basis for a guideline on intimate partner and sexual violence prevention currently being prepared by WHO, CDC, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.