scholarly journals Egypt’s COVID-19 Response through a Gender Lens

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Nora Salem
Keyword(s):  
Social Security ◽  
World Health ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Health Economy ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Unpaid Care ◽  
International Obligation ◽  
Informal Labour ◽  
Egyptian Government ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Across every sphere of life—health, economy, social security, livelihood and education—the impacts of COVID-19 are exacerbated for women due to persisting gender inequalities. Women are not only more likely to contract COVID-19, but also lockdowns have affected women’s economic and social security disproportionately due to increased unpaid care work at home, women’s high representation in vulnerable employment or employment in the informal labour sector. Upon the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020, the Egyptian Government adopted a variety of public health measures to contain the widespread of the virus on 14 March 2020, accompanied by certain mitigation measures to reduce disproportionate impacts on women. Against this backdrop, this article examines the existence and scope of an international obligation to adopt mitigation measures to reduce disproportionate impacts on women and analyzes Egypt’s COVID-19 response against such obligation.

Characterizing the effectiveness of COVID-19 mitigation measures: A data-centric approach (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukman Olagoke ◽  
Ahmet E. Topcu
Keyword(s):  
Control Measure ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
World Health ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
The World ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND COVID-19 represents a serious threat to both national health and economic systems. To curb this pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a series of COVID-19 public safety guidelines. Different countries around the world initiated different measures in line with the WHO guidelines to mitigate and investigate the spread of COVID-19 in their territories. OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of these control measures using a data-centric approach. METHODS We begin with a simple text analysis of coronavirus-related articles and show that reports on similar outbreaks in the past strongly proposed similar control measures. This reaffirms the fact that these control measures are in order. Subsequently, we propose a simple performance statistic that quantifies general performance and performance under the different measures that were initiated. A density based clustering of based on performance statistic was carried out to group countries based on performance. RESULTS The performance statistic helps evaluate quantitatively the impact of COVID-19 control measures. Countries tend show variability in performance under different control measures. The performance statistic has negative correlation with cases of death which is a useful characteristics for COVID-19 control measure performance analysis. A web-based time-line visualization that enables comparison of performances and cases across continents and subregions is presented. CONCLUSIONS The performance metric is relevant for the analysis of the impact of COVID-19 control measures. This can help caregivers and policymakers identify effective control measures and reduce cases of death due to COVID-19. The interactive web visualizer provides easily digested and quick feedback to augment decision-making processes in the COVID-19 response measures evaluation. CLINICALTRIAL Not Applicable

scholarly journals The unintended consequences of COVID-19 mitigation measures matter: practical guidance for investigating them

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Marie Turcotte-Tremblay ◽  
Idriss Ali Gali Gali ◽  
Valéry Ridde
Keyword(s):  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
World Health ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Extensive Experience ◽  
Systematic Assessment ◽  
Practical Guidance ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Background COVID-19 has led to the adoption of unprecedented mitigation measures which could trigger many unintended consequences. These unintended consequences can be far-reaching and just as important as the intended ones. The World Health Organization identified the assessment of unintended consequences of COVID-19 mitigation measures as a top priority. Thus far, however, their systematic assessment has been neglected due to the inattention of researchers as well as the lack of training and practical tools. Main text Over six years our team has gained extensive experience conducting research on the unintended consequences of complex health interventions. Through a reflexive process, we developed insights that can be useful for researchers in this area. Our analysis is based on key literature and lessons learned reflexively in conducting multi-site and multi-method studies on unintended consequences. Here we present practical guidance for researchers wishing to assess the unintended consequences of COVID-19 mitigation measures. To ensure resource allocation, protocols should include research questions regarding unintended consequences at the outset. Social science theories and frameworks are available to help assess unintended consequences. To determine which changes are unintended, researchers must first understand the intervention theory. To facilitate data collection, researchers can begin by forecasting potential unintended consequences through literature reviews and discussions with stakeholders. Including desirable and neutral unintended consequences in the scope of study can help minimize the negative bias reported in the literature. Exploratory methods can be powerful tools to capture data on the unintended consequences that were unforeseen by researchers. We recommend researchers cast a wide net by inquiring about different aspects of the mitigation measures. Some unintended consequences may only be observable in subsequent years, so longitudinal approaches may be useful. An equity lens is necessary to assess how mitigation measures may unintentionally increase disparities. Finally, stakeholders can help validate the classification of consequences as intended or unintended. Conclusion Studying the unintended consequences of COVID-19 mitigation measures is not only possible but also necessary to assess their overall value. The practical guidance presented will help program planners and evaluators gain a more comprehensive understanding of unintended consequences to refine mitigation measures.

scholarly journals Long-Term Assessment of Air Quality and Identification of Aerosol Sources at Setúbal, Portugal

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (15) ◽  
pp. 5447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Viana Silva ◽  
Cristina M. Oliveira ◽  
Nuno Canha ◽  
Ana Isabel Miranda ◽  
Susana Marta Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Urban Traffic ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
World Health ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Guideline Values ◽  
Health Organization

Understanding air pollution in urban areas is crucial to identify mitigation actions that may improve air quality and, consequently, minimize human exposure to air pollutants and their impact. This study aimed to assess the temporal evolution of the air quality in the city of Setúbal (Portugal) during a time period of 10 years (2003–2012), by evaluating seasonal trends of air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, O3, NO, NO2 and NOx) measured in nine monitoring stations. In order to identify emission sources of particulate matter, PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 were characterized in two different areas (urban traffic and industrial) in winter and summer and, afterwards, source apportionment was performed by means of Positive Matrix Factorization. Overall, the air quality has been improving over the years with a decreasing trend of air pollutant concentration, with the exception of O3. Despite this improvement, levels of PM10, O3 and nitrogen oxides still do not fully comply with the requirements of European legislation, as well as with the guideline values of the World Health Organization (WHO). The main anthropogenic sources contributing to local PM levels were traffic, industry and wood burning, which should be addressed by specific mitigation measures in order to minimize their impact on the local air quality.

scholarly journals The role of the age-friendly cities movement in the framework of active aging policies against the socioeconomic risks of demographic aging

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 847-863
Author(s):  
Aykut Aydın ◽  
Muharrem Es
Keyword(s):  
Social Security ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
World Health ◽  
Active Aging ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Demographic Aging ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Individual

Aging, a common problem in almost all countries, both developed and developing, is expressed in terms of a decrease in global birth and death rates or, from a different perspective, an increase in mean life expectancy. Demographic aging, which may be regarded as both a threat and an opportunity, affects a very broad sphere, including basic health, the economy, social security, the saving-consumption balance, living arrangements, urbanization, and the family structure, and therefore brings different disciplines together. Looked at in greater detail, it is a subject that requires reflection and planning since it affects such areas as change in a country’s population structure, economic growth, labor markets, labor supply and productivity, development policies, public borrowing, health and social security policies, education policies, and urbanization policies. The fact that demographic aging is a common problem of both developed and developing countries raises the question of active and healthy aging policies. These policies are thought to play an important role in measures created or potentially created by aging. Discovery of the importance of individual capital accumulation and wide social capital has prepared the dissemination of active-healthy aging policies out of the idea that investment in individuals’ health, education, and participation opportunities will benefit both the individual and the community. The emergence of the ‘Age-Friendly Cities’ movement initiated by the World Health Organization is one concrete outcome of these policies. The first section of this study will discuss the concept of demographic aging and its relationship with active-healthy aging. The economic and social effects of demographic aging will then be discussed. Another section of the study will discuss the concept of age-friendly cities, their relationship with active aging, and their role against the impacts of demographic aging.

scholarly journals Lessons learned from China’s mitigation strategies in fighting COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 292 ◽  
pp. 03088
Author(s):  
Sijiang Liu ◽  
Mingyuan Wan
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
World Health ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Health Complications ◽  
Health Organization

In late 2019, the first SARS-CoV-2 case was reported in Wuhan, China. It has been known as a deadly virus that could cause many severe health complications, particularly respiratory illnesses. With its extraordinary ability to transmit between humans, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide, including Antarctica and the Arctic region. On 11th March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 as a public health emergency worldwide (global pandemic) to raise global awareness of the dangerous virus. With immediate and efficient public health interventions, progress has been seen in many countries such as China and New Zealand. Therefore, in this review, we summarized the important public health risk mitigation measures applied in China.

scholarly journals Biochemical composition, transmission and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Ahirwar ◽  
Sonu Gandhi ◽  
Komal Komal ◽  
Geeta Dhaniya ◽  
Prem Prakash Tripathi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biochemical Composition ◽  
Antiretroviral Drugs ◽  
World Health ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Appropriate Behavior ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Lateral Flow Assays ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Health Organization

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a life-threatening respiratory infection caused by SARS-CoV-2, a novel human coronavirus.  COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by World Health Organization in March 2020 for its continuous and rapid spread worldwide. Rapidly emerging COVID-19 epicenters and mutants of concerns have created mammoth chaos in healthcare sectors across the globe. With over 185 million infections and approximately 4 million deaths globally, COVID-19 continues its unchecked spread despite all mitigation measures. Until effective and affordable antiretroviral drugs are made available and the population at large is vaccinated, timely diagnosis of the infection and adoption of COVID-appropriate behavior remains major tool available to curtail the still escalating COVID-19 pandemic. This review provides an updated overview of various techniques of COVID-19 testing in human samples and also discusses, in brief, the biochemical composition and mode of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2. Technological advancement in various molecular, serological and immunological techniques including mainly the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), CRISPR, lateral flow assays, and immunosensors are reviewed.

scholarly journals Six months of COVID-19 response in Nigeria: lessons, challenges, and way forward

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (Special1) ◽  
pp. 198-200
Author(s):  
Olayinka Stephen Ilesanmi ◽  
Aanuoluwapo Adeyimika Afolabi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Index Case ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
World Health ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Public Events ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Nigerian Government ◽  
Health Organization

Background: The declaration of COVID-19 as a public health emergency by the World Health Organization necessitated countries across the globe to implement response and mitigation measures. We aimed to assess the Nigerian government's response following six months of detection of COVID-19 in Nigeria. Methods: A narrative review of existing literature on the topic was done. The authors' opinion as experts supporting the COVID-19 pandemic response was included. The review and opinion were summarized, covering six months of the outbreak response in Nigeria. Results: Contact tracing commenced after identifying the index case of COVID-19 in Nigeria but has been faced with challenges such as inadequate equipment and shortage of funds. School closure was implemented barely three weeks after detecting the index case, but the resumption of terminal classes has been announced recently. The Nigerian government implemented restrictions on gatherings involving up to 11 people after three weeks following the detection of the index case of COVID-19. The lack of enforcement and supervision of gatherings and public events made many individuals disregard the restriction measures. Lockdowns on religious gatherings and public events have been recently eased nationwide, and regulatory measures have been put in place. The Nigerian government implemented bans on international travel from all countries, especially high-risk countries. However, the existence of porous borders limited success, which could have been obtained from the travel ban. Conclusion: COVID-19 mitigation measures should be implemented and reinforced as required nationwide and get provided the needed support.   References World Health Organization. COVID-19 public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) global research and innovation forum, 2020 February 12. In: WHO 2020. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/covid-19-public-health-emergency-of-international-concern-(pheic)-global-research-and-innovation-forum [Accessed on 26 August 2020].] European centre for disease prevention and control. COVID-19 situation updates worldwide, as of 26 August 2020. In: ECDC 2020. Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/geographical-distribution-2019-ncov-cases [ Accessed on 26 August 2020].] Nigeria centre for disease control. COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria situation report. Abuja. In: NCDC. 2020 Contract No.: S/N: 001. Available from: https://covid19.ncdc.gov.ng/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020]. Ogundele K. UPDATED: FG places travel ban on China, Italy, US, UK, nine others. Punch Newspapers, 2020 Mar 18. Available from: https://punchng.com/breaking-fg-places-travel-ban-on-china-italy-us-uk-others/ [ Accessed on 26 August 2020] Presidential task force on COVID-19. Available from: https://statehouse.gov.ng/covid19/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020]. Okunola A. 5 Challenges facing health care workers in Nigeria as they tackle COVID-19. On 9 June 2020. In: Global citizen. Available from: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/challenges-for-health-care-workers-nigeria-covid/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020]. Sessou E. COVID-19: Why we provided testing kits in Kano- ADF. 2020 May 8. In: Vanguard. Available from: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/05/covid-19-why-we-provided-testing-kits-in-kano-adf/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020]. Ilesanmi OS, Afolabi AA. Time to move from vertical to horizontal approach in our COVID-19 response in Nigeria. SciMed J. 2020; 2:28-29. https://doi.org/10.28991/SciMedJ-2020-02-S1-3. Olisa C. Covid-19: FG orders immediate shut down of all schools. 2020 March 20. In: Naira Metrics [Internet]. Available at: https://nairametrics.com/2020/03/20/covid-19-fg-orders-immediate-shut-down-of-all-schools/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020]. Adejayan G. COVID-19: Lagos decontaminates schools for partial resumption. On 1 August 2020 [cited 26 August 2020]. In: Within Nigeria. Available from: https://www.withinnigeria.com/2020/08/01/covid-19-lagos-decontaminates-public-schools-for-partial-resumption/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020]. Oyetimi K, Adewakun A. E-learning: How COVID-19 is reshaping education in Nigeria. On 10 April 2020. Publish In: MSN. Available at: https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/e-learning-how-covid-19-is-reshaping-education-in-nigeria/ar-BB12pMEd [Accessed on 26 August 2020]. Hale T, Webster S, Petherick A, Phillips T, Kira B. Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker, Blavatnik School of Government. 2020 March 21. In: Our World in Data. Oxford COVID-19 government response tracker. Available from: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/public-gathering-rules-covid?year=2020-08-26&time=2020-01-01.2020-08-04&region=Africa [Accessed on 26 August 2020]. Lagos police command enforces ban on social gatherings to prevent spread of coronavirus. On 22 March 2020. In Vanguard. Available from: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/03/lagos-police-command-enforces-ban-on-social-gatherings-to-prevent-spread-of-coronavirus/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020]. Donohue JM, Miller E. COVID-19 and School Closures. JAMA. 2020;324(9):845-847. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.13092 Sahara Reporters. Nigerian government lifts ban on religious gatherings, reduces curfew hours. On 1 June 2020. In: Sahara Reporters. Available from: http://saharareporters.com/2020/06/01/nigerian-government-lifts-ban-religious-gatherings-reduces-curfew-hours [Accessed on 26 August 2020]. COVID-19: Lagos reels out guidelines for reopening of Mosques, Churches. On 6 August 2020. In: Vanguard. Available from: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/08/covid-19-lagos-reels-out-guidelines-for-reopening-of-mosques-churches/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020]. Vanguard. Porous borders, cause of rise in COVID-19 cases — FG. On 3 April 2020. In: Vanguard [internet]. Available from: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/04/porous-borders-cause-of-rise-in-covid-19-cases-fg/ [Accessed on 26 August 2020].

scholarly journals Coronavirus disease 2019 and future pandemics: Impacts on livestock health and production and possible mitigation measures

2021 ◽  
pp. 2434-2443
Author(s):  
Md. Hakimul Haque ◽  
Md. Aminul Islam ◽  
Md. Rezaul Karim ◽  
Mohammad Enamul Hoque Kayesh ◽  
Subir Sarker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Car Industry ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Integrated Pest Control

The World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic on March 11, 2020. COVID-19, the current global health emergency, is wreaking havoc on human health systems and, to a lesser degree, on animals globally. The outbreak has continued since the first report of COVID-19 in China in December 2019, and the second and third waves of the outbreak have already begun in several countries. COVID-19 is expected to have adverse effects on crop production, food security, integrated pest control, tourism, the car industry, and other sectors of the global economy. COVID-19 induces a range of effects in livestock that is reflected economically since human health and livelihood are intertwined with animal health. We summarize the potentially harmful effects of COVID-19 on livestock and possible mitigation steps in response to this global outbreak. Mitigation of the negative effects of COVID-19 and future pandemics on livestock requires the implementation of current guidelines.

scholarly journals Avian Influenza H5N1: Risks at the Human–Animal Interface

2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (2_suppl2) ◽  
pp. S357-S363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Mumford ◽  
Jennifer Bishop ◽  
Saskia Hendrickx ◽  
Peter Ben Embarek ◽  
Michael Perdue
Keyword(s):  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Human Exposure ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
World Health ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Pandemic Virus ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Exposure Risks ◽  
Health Organization

Background Great concern has arisen over the continued infection of humans with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) of the H5N1 subtype. Ongoing human exposure potentially increases the risk that a pandemic virus strain will emerge that is easily transmissible among humans. Although the pathogenicity of a pandemic strain cannot be predicted, the high mortality seen in documented H5N1 human infections thus far has raised the level of concern. Objectives To define the three types of influenza that can affect humans, discuss potential exposure risks at the human–animal interface, and suggest ways to reduce exposure and help prevent development of a pandemic virus. Methods This review is based on data and guidelines available from the World Health Organization, the scientific literature, and official governmental reports. Results Epidemiological data on human exposure risk are generally incomplete. Transmission of HPAI to humans is thought to occur through contact with respiratory secretions, feces, contaminated feathers, organs, and blood from live or dead infected birds and possibly from contaminated surfaces. Consumption of properly cooked poultry and eggs is not thought to pose a risk. Use of antiviral containment and vaccination may protect against development of a pandemic. Conclusions To most effectively decrease the risk of a pandemic, the public health and animal health sectors—those which are responsible for protecting and improving the health of humans and animals, respectively—must collaborate to decrease human exposure to HPAI virus, both by controlling virus circulation among poultry and by assessing the risks of human exposure to avian influenza virus at the human—animal interface from primary production through consumption of poultry and poultry products, and implementing risk-based mitigation measures.

Welding Incident Mitigation at Mechanical Engineering

2018 ◽  
Vol 927 ◽  
pp. 6-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuliya V. Anishchenko ◽  
Anna N. Vtorushina ◽  
T.A. Zadorozhnaya ◽  
V.E. Gorshkova
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
World Health ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Probability Assessment ◽  
Metal Working ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
Expert Evaluation Method ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Probable Type

Mechanical engineering is one of the most dynamically developing industries in many countries. Welding at the same time is one of the main processes of metal working in various industries, especially in mechanical engineering. The World Health Organization considers welding works to be harmful and dangerous for health. The present paper identifies the main factors leading to injuries during welding works at a stationary workplace. A causal tree for a welding incident has been devised and analyzed. Probability of an incident was estimated by using the expert evaluation method. It was found out that machine injury is the most probable type of incident. The aim of this article is to work out welding incident mitigation measures in the industrial sphere based on the incident probability assessment

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