Niger's humanitarian situation looks set to worsen

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Natural Disaster ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Cholera Outbreak ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Permanent Strain ◽  
Endemic Malaria ◽  
Major Outbreak

Significance On Niger’s side of the border, by September 27 there were over 5,000 cases across six of the country’s eight regions -- numbers exceeding those of the country’s last major outbreak in 2018. The outbreak compounds Niger’s existing health, natural disaster, food security and displacement challenges, all in the world’s poorest country. Impacts The public health crises and other strains add to the worsening insecurity and COVID-19 burdens. Endemic malaria places the rudimentary health system under permanent strain, leaving it ill-equipped to deal with disease outbreaks. Rising levels of displacement could slow down efforts to stem the cholera outbreak.

Focus on politics will allow Mali’s epidemic to grow

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Security ◽  
International Security ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Crisis

Subject COVID-19 impact on Mali. Significance COVID-19 is a serious threat in Mali but increasingly, many leaders’ and citizens’ attention is focused on other issues, especially the massive mobilisations of citizens calling for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to resign. Nevertheless, the public health crisis is not yet contained, and the pandemic is taking a toll on the economy and the food security outlook. Impacts The secondary impacts of COVID-19 could begin to accumulate, for example in terms of excess malaria deaths, as resources are diverted. Insecurity persists in northern and central Mali, but so far looks likely to simply continue along pre-existing (worsening) trends. COVID-19 has infected personnel in key international security deployments, but is unlikely to disrupt operations significantly.

Requirements for microbiological quality management of the agricultural products

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 808-816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashed Noor ◽  
Farahnaaz Feroz
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Agricultural Products ◽  
General Situation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Safety ◽  
The Public ◽  
Management Schemes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to portray a general situation on the microbiological spoilage aspects of agriculture and focus on the necessary management schemes of microbiological contamination aiming to deliver information on the public health safety. Design/methodology/approach – A substantial number of local studies on nutritional policies have been performed earlier; however, the microbiological quality control of the agricultural products is still scarce. This review analyzes the microbiological aspects of local agricultural products together with the study findings relevant to food safety as published both globally and locally. Findings – Ongoing awareness on the microbiological quality in accordance to the recommended microbiological limit of different fresh produces would deliver a practical outcome in the safe crop management. Information on microorganisms contaminating agricultural products is expected to ensure public health safety especially within the developing countries along with Bangladesh. Originality/value – The improvements in agriculture status in Bangladesh, particularly in microbiological quality perspective, have been relatively slow, principally due to lack of knowledge on the health risks within the mass population caused by microorganisms harbored through the agricultural products. The novelty of the current review, thus, underlies the necessity of microbiological quality management of the agricultural products, projection on the specific microorganisms contaminating the agricultural products and possible disease outbreaks caused by the consumption of these contaminated products.

scholarly journals Public engagement and dialogic accounting through social media during COVID-19 crisis: a missed opportunity?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Landi ◽  
Antonio Costantini ◽  
Marco Fasan ◽  
Michele Bonazzi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Public Agencies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Agencies

PurposeThe purpose of this exploratory study is to investigate why and how public health agencies employed social media during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak to foster public engagement and dialogic accounting.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analysed the official Facebook pages of the leading public agencies for health crisis in Italy, United Kingdom and New Zealand and they collected data on the number of posts, popularity, commitment and followers before and during the outbreak. The authors also performed a content analysis to identify the topics covered by the posts.FindingsEmpirical results suggest that social media has been extensively used as a public engagement tool in all three countries under analysis but – because of legitimacy threats and resource scarcity – it has also been used as a dialogic accounting tool only in New Zealand. Findings suggest that fake news developed more extensively in contexts where the public body did not foster dialogic accounting.Practical implicationsPublic agencies may be interested in knowing the pros and cons of using social media as a public engagement and dialogic accounting tool. They may also leverage on dialogic accounting to limit fake news.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to look at the nature and role of social media as an accountability tool during public health crises. In many contexts, COVID-19 forced for the first time public health agencies to heavily engage with the public and to develop new skills, so this study paves the way for numerous future research ideas.

Facilities technology management framework for public health-care institutions in a developing country

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramiro Z. Dela Cruz ◽  
Ruth A. Ortega-Dela Cruz
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Technology Management ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Framework ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Care Institutions

Purpose This study aims to develop a Facilities technology management framework for public health-care institutions in a developing country. Design/methodology/approach The study used descriptive research design to identify the specifications of the framework via strategic initiatives anchored on efficiency, sustainability, ecological-friendliness and technological innovation. These measures are wrapped into a facilities TM framework which incorporates concepts and practices on risk management, facility management (FM) and TM. Findings Results of the survey of the public HCIs in the Philippines, show high levels of acceptability of proposed measures which identify the technologies, innovations and materials which are in the viable context of public hospital circumstances in the country. Research limitations/implications The findings of this study are limited to the public HCIs in a developing country, and thus cannot be generalized to other HCIs particularly the private institutions. Practical implications The framework seeks to help improve the operational efficiency and sustainability of public HCIs in a developing country like the Philippines. The discussions on TM revolve around the application of TM approaches. Also, the study incorporates discussions on sustainability, technology innovation and the conformity of these with HCI standards, best practices and government requirements. Social implications The study takes into consideration the identification of FM principles and practices that are deemed suitable and applicable for public HCIs in a developing country. This study is intended to develop a TM framework for FM services which is cost-effective but not sacrificing safety, security, employees and the environment. Then the foremost consideration is the perceived suitability of the framework in the public HCI environment. Originality/value This is an original study. It has as its scope the fusion of FM and TM approaches that would help in the identification of challenges, requirements for manpower, processes and technologies (especially, information and communications technolog-based technologies), and a corresponding TM system framework for public HCI facilities in a developing country.

Sustainable diets

2011 ◽  
pp. 379-388
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Food Security ◽  
The Political ◽  
Public Health Nutrition ◽  
Individual Behaviour ◽  
The Public ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Impact

Sustainability and nutrition 380 Sustainable development 382 Food security 383 Climate change and obesity 384 Useful websites and further reading 388 The public health nutrition field has identified a need to encompass the inter-relationship of man with his environment (The Giessen Declaration, 2005). Ecological public health nutrition places nutrition within its wider structural settings including the political, physical, socio-cultural and economic environment that influence individual behaviour and health. As a consequence, it includes the impact of what is eaten on the natural environment as well as the impact of environmental and climate change on all components of food security, i.e. on what food is available, accessible, utilizable and stable (...

Assessing public health risk factors for internally displaced households in North Darfur, Sudan

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elfadil Mohammed Mahmoud ◽  
Indraijt Pal ◽  
Mokbul Morshed Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Health Risk Factors ◽  
Public Health Risk ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internally Displaced ◽  
Household Level ◽  
The Public

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the public health risk factors of internally displaced households and suggest appropriate measures and strategies for health risk reduction in the context of IDPs.Design/methodology/approachThe composite Index (CI) method was used to compare the public health risk factors at the household level in three IDP camps. A set of 22 indicators were studied in 326 households. Households were selected by using a two-stage cluster sampling technique.FindingsThe findings indicate that the Shangil Tobaya camp is at the highest risk for communicable diseases (63.6%) followed by Zamzam (52.4%) and Abu Shouk (42.7%) at the household level. Eight indicators appeared to have made differential impacts between Abu Shouk and Shangil Tobaya, these include: level of education, walking time to health facilities, water source, latrines type, safe disposal of child feces, frequency of visit by pregnant women to antenatal care services, place of delivery and women delivering their children with the help of skilled birth attendants.Research limitations/implicationsSince the selection criteria of the camps were predefined; there are variations in the number of samples between the camps. Therefore, the generalizability may be compromised.Social implicationsIncreased access to healthcare services particularly reproductive health services to the most vulnerable groups (women). Community involvement in services management to promote ownership.Originality/valueThe methods used in this study is original and flexible and can be replicated for other emergency areas and risks.

scholarly journals Environmental Health Workforce – Essential for Interdisciplinary Solutions to the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin J. Ryan ◽  
Raymond Swienton ◽  
Curt Harris ◽  
James J. James
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mass Gatherings ◽  
Response And Recovery

ABSTRACT Interdisciplinary public health solutions are vital for an effective coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response and recovery. However, there is often a lack of awareness and understanding of the environmental health workforce connections and capabilities. In the United States, this is a foundational function of health departments and is the second largest public health workforce. The primary role is to protect the public from exposures to environmental hazards, disasters, and disease outbreaks. More specifically, this includes addressing risks relating to sanitation, drinking water, food safety, vector control, and mass gatherings. This profession is also recognized in the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019. Despite this, the profession is often not considered an essential service. Rapid integration into COVID-19 activities can easily occur as most are government employees and experienced working in complex and stressful situations. This role, for example, could include working with leaders, businesses, workplaces, and churches to safely reopen, and inspections to inform, educate, and empower employers, employees, and the public on safe actions. There is now the legislative support, evidence and a window of opportunity to truly enable interdisciplinary public health solutions by mobilizing the environmental health workforce to support COVID-19 response, recovery, and resilience activities.

The public’s trust and information brokers in health care, public health and research

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 929-948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodyn Platt ◽  
Minakshi Raj ◽  
Sharon L.R. Kardia
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health System ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Information Brokers

Purpose Nations such as the USA are investing in technologies such as electronic health records in order to collect, store and transfer information across boundaries of health care, public health and research. Health information brokers such as health care providers, public health departments and university researchers function as “access points” to manage relationships between the public and the health system. The relationship between the public and health information brokers is influenced by trust; and this relationship may predict the trust that the public has in the health system as a whole, which has implications for public trust in the system, and consequently, legitimacy of involved institutions, under circumstances of health information data sharing in the future. This paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the authors aimed to examine characteristics of trustors (i.e. the public) that predict trust in health information brokers; and further, to identify the factors that influence trust in brokers that also predict system trust. The authors developed a survey that was administered to US respondents in 2014 using GfK’s nationally representative sample, with a final sample of 1,011 participants and conducted ordinary least squares regression for data analyses. Findings Results suggest that health care providers are the most trusted information brokers of those examined. Beliefs about medical deceptive behavior were negatively associated with trust in each of the information brokers examined; however, psychosocial factors were significantly associated with trust in brokers, suggesting that individual attitudes and beliefs are influential on trust in brokers. Positive views of information sharing and the expectation of benefits of information sharing for health outcomes and health care quality are associated with system trust. Originality/value This study suggests that demonstrating the benefits and value of information sharing could be beneficial for building public trust in the health system; however, trust in brokers of information are variable across the public; that is, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs are associated with the level of trust different individuals have in various health information brokers – suggesting that the need for a personalized approach to building trust.

Confidentiality and security of information in the public health-care facilities to curb HIV/AIDS trauma among patients in Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ngoako Solomon Marutha ◽  
Olefhile Mosweu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Chronic Patients ◽  
Aids Patients ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Hiv Aids

Purpose This study sought to investigate a framework for ensuring the confidentiality and security of information at the public health-care facilities to curb HIV/AIDS trauma among patients in Africa. In most instances, trauma to HIV/AIDS patients accelerate because of their personal information relating to the state of illness leaks to public people. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study used literature to study confidentiality and security of information at the public health-care facilities to curb HIV/AIDS trauma among patients in Africa. Findings The study revealed that confidentiality and security of information has been neglected, in most instances, at the health-care facilities, and this has, to some extent, affected HIV/AIDS patients negatively, leading to trauma, stigma and skipping of treatment by patients resulting in accelerated mortality among chronic patients. The study recommends that patients’ information be always strictly controlled and kept confidential and secured at all the times, especially that of HIV/AIDS patients. Practical implications The proposed framework can be used by health-care facilities to guide the management and promotion of the confidentiality and security of information in the public health-care facilities to curb additional trauma to HIV/AIDS patients in the context of Africa, and even beyond. Originality/value The study provides a framework to ensure the confidentiality and security of information at the public health-care facilities to curb additional trauma to HIV/AIDS patients.

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