General Terms


Admission

Formal acceptance, by a health facility, of a patient who is to receive medical or paramedical care while occupying a health facility bed. Healthy babies born in hospital should not be counted if they do not require special care.
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Antenatal care

Includes recording medical history, assessment of individual needs, advice and guidance on pregnancy and delivery, screening tests, education on self care during pregnancy, identification of conditions detrimental to health during pregnancy, first-line management and referral if necessary.
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Antenatal care coverage at least one visit

Percentage of women who utilized antenatal care provided by skilled birth attendance for reasons related to pregnancy at least once during pregnancy as a percentage of live births in a given time period.
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Antenatal care coverage at least four visits

Percentage of women who utilized antenatal care provided by skilled birth attendants for reasons related to pregnancy at least four times during pregnancy as a percentage of live births in a given time period.
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Beds

The number of beds regularly maintained and staffed for the accommodation and full-time care of a succession of inpatients and which are situated in wards or a part of the hospital where continuous medical care for inpatients is provided. The total number of such beds constitutes the normally available bed complement of the hospital. Cribs and bassinets maintained for use by healthy newborn babies who do not require special care are not included.
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Discharges (including deaths)

The number of persons, living or dead, whose stay in a health care facility has terminated and whose departure has been officially recorded.
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Emergency

A state in which normal procedures are suspended and extraordinary measures are taken in order to avert the impact of a hazard on the community. Authorities should be prepared to respond effectively to an emergency. If not managed properly, some emergencies will become disasters.
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Hazard

A dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or condition that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impact, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.
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Health infrastructure Public facilities

General hospital

Hospital providing a range of different services for patients of various age groups and with varying disease conditions.
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Specialized hospital

Hospital admitting primarily patients suffering from a specific disease or affection of one system, or reserved for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting a specific age group or of a long-term nature.
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District /first-level refferrel hospitals (DHQ,THQ)

Hospital at the first referral level responsible for a district or a defined geographical area containing a defined population and governed by a politico-administrative organization, such as a district health management team. The role of a district hospital in primary health care has been expanded beyond being dominantly curative and rehabilitative to include promotional, preventive and educational roles as part of a primary health care approach.
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Primary health care centre (RHC, BHU)

Centre that serve as first point of contact with a health professional and provides outpatient medical and nursing care. Services are provided by general practitioners, dentists, community nurses, pharmacists and midwives, among others.
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Health workforce

Physicians

Graduates of any faculty or school of medicine, licensed or registered to work in the country as medical doctors who apply preventive or curative measures and/or conduct research. Also expressed as number of physicians per 1000 population. Disaggregated by gender, area and sector.
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Dentists

Graduates of any faculty or school of dentistry, odontology or stomatology, duly licensed or registered to practise dentistry, and actually working in the country in any dental field to apply medical knowledge in the field of dentistry and/or conduct research. Also expressed as number of dentists per 1000 population. Disaggregated by gender, area and sector.
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Pharmacists

Graduates of any faculty or school of pharmacy, duly licensed or registered to practice pharmacy and actually working in the country in pharmacies, hospitals, laboratories, industry, etc. applying pharmaceutical concepts and theories by preparing and dispensing or selling medicaments and drugs. Also expressed as number of pharmacists per 1000 population. Disaggregated by gender, area and sector.
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Nurses

Persons who have completed a programme of basic nursing education and are qualified and registered or authorized to provide responsible and competent service for the promotion of health, prevention of illness, care of the sick, and rehabilitation, and are actually working in the country. Also expressed as number of nurses per 1000 population. Disaggregated by gender, area and sector.
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Midwives

Persons who have completed a programme of midwifery education and have acquired the requisite qualifications to be registered and/or legally licensed to practice midwifery, and are actually working in the country. The persons may or may not have prior nursing education. Also expressed as number of midwives per 1000 population. Disaggregated by sex, gendera and sector.
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Paramedical staff

Health care assistants, laboratory technicians, technologists, therapists, nutritionists, sanitarians, among others, who are actually working in the country and are graduates of 2- to 5-year health courses in recognized health training institutions. Also expressed as number of paramedical staff per 1000 population. Disaggregated by gender, area and sector.
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Community health workers

Lay members of communities who have a period of on-the-job training, sometimes formalized in apprenticeships, who work either for pay or as volunteers in association with the local health care system in both urban and rural environments and usually share ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status and life experiences with the community members they serve. Also expressed as number of community health workers per 1000 population. Disaggregated by gender, area and sector.
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Urban Area

Those working in urban areas or in planned metropolitan communities in developed areas designed to be self-sufficient, with their own housing, education, commerce and recreation.
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Rural Area

Those working rural areas or in areas outside cities and metropolitan areas generally regarded as underdeveloped in terms of infrastructure and specialized services.
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Public Sector

Those who are employed in the public sector, which is the portion of society controlled by national, state or provincial and local governments.
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Private Sector

Those who are employed in the private sector, which comprises private corporations, households and non-profit institutions serving households.
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Immunization coverage for infants

Percentage of children under one year of age who have received immunization against tuberculosis (BCG), diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DTP3 and DTP1), poliomyelitis (POL3), measles (at least one dose and two doses) and hepatitis B3 and HepB birth dose. Also includes coverage with vitamin A1.
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Inpatient

A person admitted to a health care facility and who usually occupies a bed in that health care facility.
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Neonatal period

Commences at birth and ends 28 completed days after birth.
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Outpatient

A person who goes to a health care facility for consultation, is not admitted to the facility and does not occupy a hospital bed for any length of time.
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Population

All the inhabitants of a given country or area considered together. Estimates are based on a recent census, official national data. Presented in thousands or actual value. Disaggregated by gender.
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Population density

Population per square kilometer.
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Population growth rate

The average exponential population growth of the population in a given period of time. Expressed as a percentage. Disaggregated by gender.
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