scholarly journals Eliminating measles: contributions by the Oporto international vaccination centre from 2017 to 2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
F Malcata ◽  
G Saldanha ◽  
M Henriques

Abstract Background Measles is one of world's most contagious diseases and a growing population mobility has promoted its spreading. Outbreaks have been recorded around the world, despite public health efforts. Measles spreads faster among clusters of unvaccinated people. In 2018, World Health Organization reported 328629 cases worldwide, of which 82596 in Europe and 171 in Portugal- 93% of the latter were imported. Portugal had one of the highest proportions of childhood immunization coverage for Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR): 98% for first dose, and 96-98% for second. The main goal of this study was to describe the contribution of the Oporto International Vaccination Centre (OIVC), one of the largest in Portugal, to measles elimination. Methods Cross-sectional study, with analysis of vaccination records from travelers vaccinated for MMR at OIVC between January 2017 and December 2018. Results OIVC held 5426 pre-travel consultations in 2017, and 6192 in 2018. 535 travelers got the MMR vaccine (57.2% males). Mean age was 44.3±10.9 [1;76] years. Among travelers aged 12 months-18 years (n = 10), 50% were inoculated with the first dose and 50% with the second. Regarding adult travelers (n = 525), 71.6% received the first dose; 24.2% the second; 2.9% the third dose; and 1.3% received both first and second (within > 4 weeks). Conclusions The substantial number of inoculated vaccines in OIVC resulted from checking traveler's vaccination immunity status in all pre-travel consultations; this routine practice aimed at reducing the risk of importing/exporting measles. The second dose of MMR was justified by the diversity of travelers who came to OIVC, and to whom such inoculation was indicated: health professionals, humanitarian travelers, and workers in airlines and cruises. The third dose was given due to loss of measles serologic immunity. These measures are important to implement the recommendations of the Measles National Elimination Program, while contributing to global public health. Key messages This is an original study on the contribution of international vaccination centers to reduce the number of imported/exported cases and to eliminate measles - which is a global public health issue. At a global level, measles has a large disease burden. Therefore, it is essential to take every opportunity, including pre-travel consultations, to vaccinate people.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurhayati Lubis ◽  
Meena Nathan Cherian ◽  
Chinmayee Venkatraman ◽  
Fiemu E. Nwariaku

Abstract Background In the last decade surgical care has been propelled into the public health domain with the establishment of a World Health Organisation (WHO) designated programme and key publications. The passing of the historic World Health Assembly Resolution (WHA) acknowledged surgical care as a vital component towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). We conducted the first worldwide survey to explore the perception of surgical care as a public health issue. Method The anonymous, cross sectional survey targeted worldwide participants across a range of professional backgrounds, including non-medical using virtual snowball sampling method (in English) using Google Forms (Google Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA) from 20th February 2019 to 25th June 2019. The survey questions were designed to gauge awareness on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UHC, WHO programmes and key publications on surgical care as well as perception of surgical care as a priority topic in public health. Results The survey was completed by 1954 respondents from 118 countries. Respondents were least aware of surgical care as a teaching topic in public health courses (27%; n = 526) and as a WHO programme (20%; n = 384). 82% of respondents were aware of UHC (n = 1599) and of this 72% (n = 1152) agreed that surgical care fits within UHC. While 77% (n = 1495) of respondents were aware of SDGs, only 19% (n = 370) agreed that surgery was a priority to meet SDGs. 48% (n = 941) rated surgical care as a cost-effective component of Primary Health Care. 88% (n = 1712) respondents had not read the WHA Resolution on ‘Strengthening emergency and essential surgical care and anaesthesia as a component of UHC’. Conclusion There is still a widespread gap in awareness on the importance of surgical care as a public health issue amongst our respondents. Surgical care was not seen as a priority to reach the SDGs, less visible as a WHO programme and not perceived as an important topic for public health courses.


2002 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Salma Padri ◽  
Gindo M. Simanjuntak

Rabies is geographically distributed in 8 provinces in Indonesia and its endemicity is quite   related to the educational level of the dog owners. The more  lower  of the population education.  it  seems  that the personal   hygienic  is worsen,  and their  dog immunization  coverage is  far less than 80% of dog population as recommended by World Health Organization, WHO. The objective  of study  is  to determine  the relationship between  the dog owner  family education  level   and their  behavior  toward rabies  control  program  activity.  This  study  is  designed  as Cross Sectional   method and sampled by multistage procession, where the houshold sample was taken randomly from the high and the low endemicity of rabies. The dog owner was interviewed based on the prepared written questionnaire. The result of the study showed that the majority of the respondent  population were low educational  level  where 73.0%   in  the cities   and 49.0%   in lhe villages  not  even passing the public school. Rabies transmission is known by 94.4% of the respondents  respectively  and 93.0% of them knew about  rabies prevention by vaccination coverage among  rabies transmitter animal was only 33.1 %.  Educational  level  is significantly   associated   with tha dog owners behavior  with  p<0.05,  (p:0.000). It is  hoping,   this  study regarding  the rabies  control  program  will pay a valuable contribution in term of the dog oqwner  knowledge   improvement  by public health education  which will   be given  by the public  health  educator.  Boar Hunter Clubs,  local  village   key persons,  or maybe by the religion leader.


F1000Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 2931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Animesh Biswas ◽  
Koustuv Dalal ◽  
Jahangir Hossain ◽  
Kamran Ul Baset ◽  
Fazlur Rahman ◽  
...  

Background: Lightning injury is a global public health issue. Low and middle-income countries in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world are most affected by lightning. Bangladesh is one of the countries at particular risk, with a high number of devastating lightning injuries in the past years, causing high mortality and morbidity. The exact magnitude of the problem is still unknown and therefore this study investigates the epidemiology of lightning injuries in Bangladesh, using a national representative sample. Methods: A mixed method was used. The study is based on results from a nationwide cross-sectional survey performed in 2003 in twelve randomly selected districts. In the survey, a total of 819,429 respondents from 171,336 households were interviewed using face-to-face interviews. In addition, qualitative information was obtained by reviewing national and international newspaper reports of lightning injuries sustained in Bangladesh between 13 and 15 May 2016. Results: The annual mortality rate was 3.661 (95% CI 0.9313–9.964) per 1,000,000 people. The overall incidence of lightning injury was 19.89/100,000 people. Among the victims, 60.12% (n=98) were males and 39.87% (n=65) were females. Males were particularly vulnerable, with a 1.46 times increased risk compared with females (RR 1.46, 95% CI 1.06–1.99). Rural populations were more vulnerable, with a 8.73 times higher risk, than urban populations (RR 8.73, 95% CI 5.13–14.86). About 43% of injuries occurred between 12 noon and 6 pm. The newspapers reported 81 deaths during 2 days of electric storms in 2016. Lightning has been declared a natural disaster in Bangladesh. Conclusions: The current study indicates that lightning injuries are a public health problem in Bangladesh. The study recommends further investigations to develop interventions to reduce lightning injuries, mortality and related burden in Bangladesh.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-58
Author(s):  
AKM Farhad Hossain ◽  
Md Mahmudur Rahman Siddiqui ◽  
Sayada Fatema Khatun

Background: Thyroid cancer is the most common malignant disease in endocrine system. It is an emerging public health issue associated with burden on the family, community and the nation. The aim of this study is to determine the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patient with thyroid cancer attending in tertiary hospital. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among 246 thyroid cancer patients in two tertiary hospitals of Dhaka city from 01 July 2018 to 30 June 2019. The subjects were selected purposively following specific selection criteria and maintaining ethical issues. Data were collected by face to face interview using a semi-structured questionnaire and checklist. Data were analyzed by the statistical package for the social science (SPSS) version 23. Results: This study revealed that majority (74.4%) of respondents was female, married (72%), housewife (61.4%), rural respondent (41.1%) and had primary education (69%). Mean (± SD) age of the respondent was 37.85(±12.20) years (Range 14-70 years) and mean (± SD) monthly family income was Tk. 17681(±10602). Out of 246 cases, 204 (82.9%) was papillary and 42 (17.1%) was follicular carcinoma. Various clinical presentations included visible neck swelling in 225 (91.5%), swollen lymph node in 103 (41.9%), pain 90 (36.6%), Difficulties in swallowing 87 (35.4%), Hoarseness of voice in 141 (57.3%), cough along with swelling 47(19.1%), Difficulties in breathing due to swelling in 13(5.3%) of the patients. Conclusion: Incidence of thyroid cancer has increased worldwide specially in female patients in 3rd and 4th decades of life. As thyroid cancer is a growing public health problem in Bangladesh, proper screening and early diagnostic facilities at all level should be available to measure its actual burden in the country. Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Journal Vol. 11, No. 1: Jan 2020, P 54-58


Author(s):  
Chutima Rattanawan ◽  
Suraiya Cheloh ◽  
Asma Maimahad ◽  
Malatee Tayeh

Anemia is a global public health problem. The prevalence of anemia among different ages, genders or ethnic groups must be clarified in order to solve problems. This study proposed to determine the prevalence and factors related to anemia among the Muslim school-age population in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. Socio-demographic and anthropometric data were collected by a structured questionnaire. Blood samples were collected from 200 school-age subjects. The thalassemia screening was performed with KKU-OF and KKU-DCIP reagents. The prevalence of anemia in this study was 36.5%, divided into males and females, 33.3% and 39.1%, respectively. The means of Hb, Hct, MCV, MCH, and MCHC in the anemic group were significantly lower. The positive results for KKU-OF or KKU-DCIP or both were 15.0%, 2.5%, and 1.0%, respectively. The result of positive OF test was a significantly independent factor for anemia. The number of family members was 5 to 7 and more than 7 persons are related factors for anemia in this study. In summary, the contribution of thalassemia and socio-economic factor are associated factors to anemia in this population. These findings should be addressed in public health strategies for the control of anemia of school-aged Muslims in the region.


2021 ◽  
pp. 19-23
Author(s):  
Donizete Tavares Da Silva ◽  
Priscila De Sousa Barros Lima ◽  
Renato Sampaio Mello Neto ◽  
Gustavo Magalhães Valente ◽  
Débora Dias Cabral ◽  
...  

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (1) declared COVID-19 as a pandemic and a threat to global public health (2). The virus mainly affects the lungs and can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In addition, coronavirus 2 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARSCOV2) also has devastating effects on other important organs, including the circulatory system, brain, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and liver


Author(s):  
Jakob Tarp ◽  
Juel Jarani ◽  
Florian Muca ◽  
Andi Spahi ◽  
Anders Grøntved

Abstract Background The extent of the obesity epidemic among youth is an important public health statistic which provides an indication of the future burden of non-communicable diseases. Many developing countries, including Albania, do not have systematic and repeated monitoring systems in operation. Methods The Balkan Survey of Inactivity in Children study is a population-based cross-sectional survey including Albanian children living in the four Balkan nation-states of Albania, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia and Montenegro. In total, 19,850 children from 49 schools were approached. The LMS method was used to provide body mass index (BMI), height, weight and waist circumference reference centiles for boys and girls. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) age- and sex-specific BMI cut-points were applied to evaluate adiposity levels. Results A sample of 18,460 participants aged 6–16 years old was available for creation of the BMI for age and sex reference centiles. The prevalence of overweight (including obesity) in the full sample was 21% (95% CI: 20%–21%) according to IOTF cut-off points and 28% (95% CI: 28%–29%) at WHO cut-off points. Overweight/obesity levels where higher in boys than in girls irrespective of the cut-off points applied (p<0.001). Noticeable between-country differences were observed with a prevalence of overweight/obesity of 40% (95% CI: 38%–42%) in Montenegro but only 20% (95% CI: 19%–21%) in Kosovo (WHO cut-off points). Conclusions Overweight/obesity is highly prevalent in Albanian children and adolescents. The apparent sex and country differences may inform public health actions.


Author(s):  
Abidemi Faleye

Background: Male medical circumcision (MMC) has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission in circumcised men by up to 60%. Following recommendations from the World Health Organization, South Africa adopted MMC as a preventative strategy against HIV in 2010 and set up circumcision camps across the country. Concerns have been raised about condom avoidance following MMC because of a mistaken belief about the benefits of MMC.Aim and setting: The aim of this study was to describe the profile and knowledge about HIV and circumcision amongst men presenting for MMC in an urban area in KwaZulu-Natal.Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of 394 clients over the age of 18 years who presented to two MMC sites in Durban between November 2012 and March 2013. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data.Results: The mean age of clients presenting for MMC was 28 years. Most clients were black, single, unemployed and sexually active. The majority presented for MMC because they believed that MMC would reduce their risk of acquiring HIV infection. Knowledge about HIV transmission was very good and 86.3% of clients were aware that risky sexual behaviour suchas condom avoidance could reverse the benefits of MMC.Conclusion: The knowledge of HIV and benefits of MMC was very good amongst those presenting for MMC. However as MMC is primarily a preventative strategy, innovative methods to promote MMC prior to first sexual encounter need to be explored. Further research is needed to determine whether the benefits of MMC on the reduction of HIV transmission aresustained in routine practice. [Full text article to follow]


2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 511-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudeepa Abeysinghe

ArgumentScientific uncertainty is fundamental to the management of contemporary global risks. In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the start of the H1N1 Influenza Pandemic. This declaration signified the risk posed by the spread of the H1N1 virus, and in turn precipitated a range of actions by global public health actors. This article analyzes the WHO's public representation of risk and examines the centrality of scientific uncertainty in the case of H1N1. It argues that the WHO's risk narrative reflected the context of scientific uncertainty in which it was working. The WHO argued that it was attempting to remain faithful to the scientific evidence, and the uncertain nature of the threat. However, as a result, the WHO's public risk narrative was neither consistent nor socially robust, leading to the eventual contestation of the WHO's position by other global public health actors, most notably the Council of Europe. This illustrates both the significance of scientific uncertainty in the investigation of risk, and the difficulty for risk managing institutions in effectively acting in the face of this uncertainty.


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