Evolution of the monitoring and evaluation strategies to support the World Health Organization's Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis

Abstract The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) was established with the ambitious goal of eliminating LF as a public health problem. The remarkable success of the GPELF over the past 2 decades in carrying out its principal strategy of scaling up and scaling down mass drug administration has relied first on the development of a rigorous monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework and then the willingness of the World Health Organization and its community of partners to modify this framework in response to the practical experiences of national programmes. This flexibility was facilitated by the strong partnership that developed among researchers, LF programme managers and donors willing to support the necessary research agenda. This brief review summarizes the historical evolution of the GPELF M&E strategies and highlights current research needed to achieve the elimination goal.

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Are We on Our Way to Achieving the 2020 Goals for Schistosomiasis Morbidity Control Using Current World Health Organization Guidelines?

Clinical Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/cid/ciy001 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 66 (suppl_4) ◽

pp. S245-S252 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Jaspreet Toor ◽

Ramzi Alsallaq ◽

James E Truscott ◽

Hugo C Turner ◽

Marleen Werkman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

World Health Organization ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Monitoring And Evaluation ◽

Wash Water ◽

World Health ◽

Treatment Coverage ◽

Hygiene Measures ◽

High Prevalence ◽

The World ◽

Health Organization

Abstract Background Schistosomiasis remains an endemic parasitic disease affecting millions of people around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set goals of controlling morbidity to be reached by 2020, along with elimination as a public health problem in certain regions by 2025. Mathematical models of parasite transmission and treatment impact have been developed to assist in controlling the morbidity caused by schistosomiasis. These models can inform and guide implementation policy for mass drug administration programs, and help design monitoring and evaluation activities. Methods We use these models to predict whether the guidelines set by the WHO are on track for achieving their 2020 goal for the control of morbidity, specifically for Schistosoma mansoni. We examine whether programmatic adaptations; namely increases in treatment coverage and/or expansion to adult inclusion in treatment, will improve the likelihood of reaching the WHO goals. Results We find that in low-prevalence settings, the goals are likely to be attainable under current WHO guidelines, but in moderate to high-prevalence settings, the goals are less likely to be achieved unless treatment coverage is increased and expanded to at least 85% for school-aged children and 40% for adults. Conclusions To improve the likelihood of reaching the WHO goals, programmatic adaptations are required, particularly for moderate- to high-prevalence settings. Furthermore, improvements in adherence to treatment, potential development of candidate vaccines, and enhanced snail control and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) measures will all assist in achieving the goals.

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The roadmap towards elimination of lymphatic filariasis by 2030: insights from quantitative and mathematical modelling

Gates Open Research ◽

10.12688/gatesopenres.13065.1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 1538 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Lymphatic Filariasis ◽

Health Problem ◽

Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

World Health ◽

Basic Care ◽

The World ◽

Health Organization ◽

Initial Target

The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis was launched in 2000 to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public health problem by 1) interrupting transmission through mass drug administration (MDA) and 2) offering basic care to those suffering from lymphoedema or hydrocele due to the infection. Although impressive progress has been made, the initial target year of 2020 will not be met everywhere. The World Health Organization recently proposed 2030 as the new target year for elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public health problem. In this letter, LF modelers of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Modelling Consortium reflect on the proposed targets for 2030 from a quantitative perspective. While elimination as a public health problem seems technically and operationally feasible, it is uncertain whether this will eventually also lead to complete elimination of transmission. The risk of resurgence needs to be mitigated by strong surveillance after stopping interventions and sometimes perhaps additional interventions.

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Suicide and Attempted Suicide in Pakistan

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910.19.4.172 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 172-176 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Murad Moosa Khan

Keyword(s):

Attempted Suicide ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

World Health ◽

Suicide Mortality ◽

Mortality Statistics ◽

Current State ◽

Criminal Offenses ◽

The World ◽

Islamic Countries ◽

Health Organization

Suicide and attempted suicide are understudied subjects in Pakistan, an Islamic country where they are considered criminal offenses. National suicide statistics are not compiled nor are suicide mortality statistics reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). Although there are strong religious sanctions against suicide, there are no clear principles against attempted suicide in Islam. Despite this, Pakistan, like many other Islamic countries, has punitive laws against attempted suicide. This has led to both suicide and attempted suicide being underdiagnosed and underreported. Data on suicide and attempted suicide are also difficult to obtain. This article gives an overview of the current state of suicide and attempted suicide in Pakistan, in the context of existing religious and legal factors, highlighting the main findings of the few studies carried out over the last 50 years. It is important that researchers in Islamic countries like Pakistan not be deterred by the apparent low rates of suicide in these countries, but conduct further research in this important yet neglected public-health problem.

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Hepatitis C Worldwide and in Brazil: Silent Epidemic—Data on Disease including Incidence, Transmission, Prevention, and Treatment

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1155/2014/827849 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Iara Fabricia Kretzer ◽

Andrea do Livramento ◽

Joel da Cunha ◽

Sabrina Gonçalves ◽

Iraci Tosin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis C ◽

Viral Hepatitis ◽

Universal Access ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

World Health ◽

Current Status ◽

The World ◽

Prevention And Treatment ◽

Health Organization

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is endemic worldwide and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 150 million chronic carriers worldwide. The infection is a leading cause of liver diseases like cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); thus, HCV infection constitutes a critical public health problem. There are increasing efforts worldwide in order to reduce the global impact of hepatitis C through the implementation of programmatic actions that may increase the awareness of viral hepatitis and also improve surveillance, prevention, and treatment. In Brazil, about 1,5 million people have been chronically infected with HCV. The country has a vast territory with uneven population density, and hepatitis C incidence rates are variable with the majority of cases concentrated in the most populated areas. Currently, the main priorities of Brazilian Ministry of Health's strategies for viral hepatitis management include the prevention and early diagnosis of viral hepatitis infections; strengthening of the healthcare network and lines of treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, viral hepatitis, and AIDS; improvement and development of surveillance, information, and research; and promotion of universal access to medication. This review aims to summarize the available data on hepatitis C epidemiology and current status of efforts in prevention and infection control around the world and in Brazil.

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VIOLÊNCIA CONTRA A MULHER: FACILIDADES E DIFICULDADES RELACIONADAS A ASSISTÊNCIA MULTIPROFISSIONAL

Revista de Saúde Coletiva da UEFS ◽

10.13102/rscdauefs.v8i1.2094 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 54

Author(s):

Ana Paula Reis de Oliveira ◽

Chalana Duarte Sena ◽

Gilvânia Patrícia Do Nascimento Paixão ◽

Josinete Gonçalves dos Santos Lírio

Keyword(s):

Domestic Violence ◽

Violence Against Women ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

World Health ◽

Brazilian Literature ◽

The World ◽

Current Scenario ◽

Violencia Domestica ◽

Health Organization ◽

Target Agent

Considerada pela Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS) como problema de saúde pública, a violência contra a mulher (VCM) é uma epidemia mundial, estima-se que as mulheres em vivência de violência doméstica, ao longo de suas vidas, apresentam mais problemas de saúde e buscam, com mais frequência os serviços de saúde do que pessoas que não sofrem estes maus tratos. Diante do exposto, o presente estudo tem como objetivo: Identificar os fatores que facilitam e dificultam a assistência a saúde a mulher em situação de violência domestica segundo a literatura brasileira, visando à importância da identificação das mulheres em vivência de violência e a ampliação deste cuidado não apenas para a cura/tratamento, mas para o vínculo e acolhimento eficaz e humano entre o agente cuidador e o agente alvo de cuidados, visando à superação tanto do cenário atual, quanto de tal momento doloroso na vida na mulher.Descritores: Violência Doméstica e Sexual Contra a Mulher; Cuidados; associados ao uso do recurso booleano “AND”. ABSTRACT Considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a public health problem, violence against women (VCM) is a worldwide epidemic, it is estimated that women experiencing domestic violence throughout their lives have and seek health services more often than people who do not suffer from these ill-treatment. In view of the above, the present study aims to: Identify the factors that facilitate and hinder the health care of women in situations of domestic violence according to the Brazilian literature, aiming at the importance of identifying women in the experience of violence and the expansion of this care not only for the cure/treatment, but for the effective and humane bonding and reception between the caregiver agent and the target agent of care, aiming at overcoming both the current scenario and that painful moment in life in the woman. Descriptors: Domestic and Sexual Violence Against Women; Care; associated with the use of the boolean "AND".

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Adherence to Immunization: Rebuttal of Vaccine Hesitancy

Acta Haematologica ◽

10.1159/000511760 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Tamar Etzioni-Friedman ◽

Amos Etzioni

Keyword(s):

Adverse Effects ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

World Health ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Major Public Health Problem ◽

Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

The World ◽

Health Organization ◽

Near Future ◽

New Vaccines

Immunizations have been saving the lives of millions of people since they were first used by Edward Jenner in 1796, and new vaccines are being developed all the time. Hopefully, a new vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will be developed in the near future, and perhaps even one for human immunodeficiency virus. Although the effectiveness of vaccinations has been proven over the years and adverse effects to currently available vaccinations are extremely rare, many people continue to defer immunizations for themselves and their families. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this phenomenon, known as “vaccine hesitancy,” is a major public health problem globally. This review summarizes the unproven adverse effects of various vaccines and stresses the importance of enforcing vaccination policies to minimize vaccine hesitancy. Every effort should be made to improve existing vaccines and to produce new ones, according to carefully designed scientific preclinical and clinical trials. This is particularly important in today’s era, in light of the global transparency regarding vaccination development, and the potential for future pandemics such as COVID-19.

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Trachoma Prevalence After Discontinuation of Mass Azithromycin Distribution

The Journal of Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/infdis/jiz691 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 221 (Supplement_5) ◽

pp. S519-S524

Author(s):

William Godwin ◽

Joaquin M Prada ◽

Paul Emerson ◽

P J Hooper ◽

Ana Bakhtiari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Diagnostic Tests ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

World Health ◽

Simulation Based ◽

The World ◽

Health Organization ◽

Program Cycle ◽

The Impact ◽

Oral Azithromycin

Abstract Background As the World Health Organization seeks to eliminate trachoma by 2020, countries are beginning to control the transmission of trachomatous inflammation–follicular (TF) and discontinue mass drug administration (MDA) with oral azithromycin. We evaluated the effect of MDA discontinuation on TF1–9 prevalence at the district level. Methods We extracted from the available data districts with an impact survey at the end of their program cycle that initiated discontinuation of MDA (TF1–9 prevalence <5%), followed by a surveillance survey conducted to determine whether TF1–9 prevalence remained below the 5% threshold, warranting discontinuation of MDA. Two independent analyses were performed, 1 regression based and 1 simulation based, that assessed the change in TF1–9 from the impact survey to the surveillance survey. Results Of the 220 districts included, TF1–9 prevalence increased to >5% from impact to surveillance survey in 9% of districts. Regression analysis indicated that impact survey TF1–9 prevalence was a significant predictor of surveillance survey TF1–9 prevalence. The proportion of simulations with >5% TF1–9 prevalence in the surveillance survey was 2%, assuming the survey was conducted 4 years after MDA. Conclusion An increase in TF1–9 prevalence may represent disease resurgence but could also be due to measurement error. Improved diagnostic tests are crucial to elimination of TF1–9 as a public health problem.

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Lipid Metabolism as a Targetable Metabolic Vulnerability in Colorectal Cancer

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13020301 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 301

Author(s):

Yekaterina Zaytseva

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Lipid Metabolism ◽

World Health Organization ◽

Health Problem ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

World Health ◽

The World ◽

Health Organization

Colorectal cancer (CRC), the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths according to the World Health Organization, remains a substantial public health problem worldwide [...]

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Insights from quantitative and mathematical modelling on the proposed WHO 2030 goal for schistosomiasis

Gates Open Research ◽

10.12688/gatesopenres.13052.1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 1517 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Treatment Guidelines ◽

Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Control Measures ◽

World Health ◽

School Aged Children ◽

The World ◽

Health Organization ◽

The Impact ◽

Current Guidelines

Schistosomiasis remains one of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) impacting millions of people around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently proposed a goal of elimination as a public health problem (EPHP) for schistosomiasis to be reached by 2030. Current WHO treatment guidelines for achieving EPHP focus on targeting school-aged children. The NTD Modelling Consortium has developed mathematical models to study schistosomiasis transmission dynamics and the impact of control measures. Our modelling insights on Schistosoma mansoni have shown that EPHP is likely to be attainable in low to moderate prevalence settings using the current guidelines. However, as prevalence rises within higher settings, EPHP is less likely to be achieved unless both school-aged children and adults are treated (with coverage levels increasing with the adult burden of infection). We highlight the challenges that are faced by treatment programmes, such as non-adherence to treatment and resurgence, which can hinder progress towards achieving and maintaining EPHP. Additionally, even though EPHP may be reached, prevalence can still be high due to persisting infections. Therefore, without elimination of transmission, treatment will likely have to continue to maintain EPHP. Further modelling work is being carried out, including extending our results to S. haematobium. By providing these modelling insights, we aim to inform discussions on the goals and treatment guidelines for schistosomiasis.

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Epidemiology and impact of SARs Corona Virus 2 in animals and human health with one health concept: A review

World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews ◽

10.30574/wjarr.2020.8.3.0383 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 363-372

Author(s):

Edget Abayneh ◽

Henok Goba

Keyword(s):

One Health ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

World Health ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

The World ◽

Health Concept ◽

Human Animal ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Health Organization ◽

Corona Viruses

Corona viruses infect many species of animals, including humans. Coronaviruses have been described for more than 50years but up to 2003, only two coronaviruses were identified to infect humans. From 2002 to 2003, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) affected more than 8000 people and caused about 800 deaths around the world. After a few years a novel coronavirus was recognized in September, 2012, later renamed Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). In December 2019, 2019 novel Coronavirus (nCoV), which is another public health problem, has emerged in the Huanan Seafood Market, where livestock animals are also traded, in Wuhan State of Hubei Province in China and has been the focus of global attention due to a pneumonia epidemic of unknown cause. The Corona viridae Study Group of ICTV named this novel Coronavirus as SARS-Cov-2. In March 2020 the World Health Organization declared the SARS-Cov-2 virus a global pandemic. The pandemic is ongoing and its study and further scientific works on it are still running and in conclusion a one health approached are required to combat this situation with an integrated effort of human, animal and environmental health.

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