Global Oil Crisis and Early COVID-19 Strategic Containment Responses in Africa: The Nigerian Experience

2021 ◽  
pp. 097492842110684
Author(s):  
Victor Chidubem Iwuoha
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Emergency Response ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
World Health ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The People ◽  
Oil Crisis ◽  
Shed Light

African countries have been hit by a dual shock of COVID-19 pandemic and global oil crisis, which have caused severe economic and social disruptions. Most studies shed light on the correlates between COVID-19 and the global oil crisis, including their economic impacts on oil producing/exporting countries. However, the objective of this study is to examine the effects of the global oil crisis on the implementation of World Health Organization’s (WHO) healthcare and public health measures to contain COVID-19 in Nigeria. Empirical data from Nigeria was collected and analysed using content analysis based on WHO’s methodology. There was low level of healthcare preparedness and emergency response capacities to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health measures against COVID-19 such as lockdowns and social distancing policies were poorly implemented at the expense of the people without adequate countercyclical stimulus packages and palliatives.

scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 on the care of people living with noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries: an online survey of physicians and pharmacists in nine countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Bullen ◽  
Jessica McCormack ◽  
Amanda Calder ◽  
Varsha Parag ◽  
Kannan Subramaniam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
World Health ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Abstract Background: The global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare worldwide. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where people may have limited access to affordable quality care, the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to have a particularly adverse impact on the health and healthcare of individuals with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). A World Health Organization survey found that disruption of delivery of healthcare for NCDs was more significant in LMICs than in high-income countries. However, the study did not elicit insights into the day-to-day impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare by front-line healthcare workers (FLHCWs). Aim: To gain insights directly from FLHCWs working in countries with a high NCD burden, and thereby identify opportunities to improve the provision of healthcare during the current pandemic and in future healthcare emergencies. Methods: We recruited selected frontline healthcare workers (general practitioners, pharmacists, and other medical specialists) from nine countries to complete an online survey (n = 1347). Survey questions focused on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on clinical practice and NCDs; barriers to clinical care during the pandemic; and innovative responses to the many challenges presented by the pandemic. Findings: The majority of FLHCWs responding to our survey reported that their care of patients had been impacted both adversely and positively by the public health measures imposed. Most FLHCs (95%) reported a deterioration in the mental health of their patients. Conclusions: Continuity of care for NCDs as part of pandemic preparedness is needed so that chronic conditions are not exacerbated by public health measures and the direct impacts of the pandemic.

scholarly journals Managing Borders During Public Health Emergencies of International Concern: A Proposed Typology of Cross-border Health Measures

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelley Lee ◽  
Karen A Grépin ◽  
Catherine Worsnop ◽  
Summer Marion ◽  
Julianne Piper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
World Health ◽  
Border Health ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Public Health Emergencies ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Starting Point

Abstract BackgroundThe near universal adoption of cross-border health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide has prompted significant debate about their effectiveness and compliance with international law. The number of measures used, and the range of measures applied, have far exceeded previous public health emergencies of international concern. However, efforts to advance research, policy and practice to support their effective use has been hindered by a lack of clear and consistent definition. ResultsBased on a review of existing datasets for cross-border health measures, such as the Oxford Coronavirus Government Response Tracker and World Health Organization Public Health and Social Measures, along with analysis of secondary and grey literature, we propose six categories to define measures more clearly and consistently – type of movement (travel and trade), policy goal, level of jurisdiction, use by public versus private sector, stage of journey, and degree of restrictiveness. These categories are then be brought together into a proposed typology that can support research with generalizable findings and comparative analyses across jurisdictions. The typology facilitates evidence-informed decision-making which takes account of policy complexity including trade-offs and externalities. Finally, the typology can support efforts to strengthen coordinated global responses to outbreaks and inform future efforts to revise the WHO International Health Regulations (2005). ConclusionsThe widespread use of cross-border health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted significant reflection on available evidence, previous practice and existing legal frameworks. The typology put forth in this paper aims to provide a starting point for strengthening research, policy and practice.

The World Health Organization and Public Health Research and Practice in Tuberculosis in India

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debabar Banerji
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
General Health ◽  
Operational Research ◽  
World Health ◽  
Expert Committee ◽  
The People ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The World ◽  
National Tuberculosis

Two major research studies carried out in India fundamentally affected tuberculosis treatment practices worldwide. One study demonstrated that home treatment of the disease is as efficacious as sanatorium treatment. The other showed that BCG vaccination is of little protective value from a public health viewpoint. India had brought together an interdisciplinary team at the National Tuberculosis Institute (NTI) with a mandate to formulate a nationally applicable, socially acceptable, and epidemiologically sound National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP). Work at the NTI laid the foundation for developing an operational research approach to dealing with tuberculosis as a public health problem. The starting point for this was not operational research as enunciated by experts in this field; rather, the NTI achieved operational research by starting from the people. This approach was enthusiastically welcomed by the World Health Organization's Expert Committee on Tuberculosis of 1964. The NTP was designed to “sink or sail with the general health services of the country.” The program was dealt a major blow when, starting in 1967, a virtual hysteria was worked up to mobilize most of the health services for imposing birth control on the people. Another blow to the general health services occurred when the WHO joined the rich countries in instituting a number of vertical programs called “Global Initiatives.” An ill-conceived, ill-designed, and ill-managed Global Programme for Tuberculosis was one outcome. The WHO has shown rank public health incompetence in taking a very casual approach to operational research and has been downright quixotic in its thinking on controlling tuberculosis worldwide.

scholarly journals World leaders’ usage of Twitter in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: a content analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 510-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sohaib R Rufai ◽  
Catey Bunce
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Group Of Seven ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Twitter Data ◽  
Public Health Information ◽  
Effective Public Health

ABSTRACT Background It is crucial that world leaders mount effective public health measures in response to COVID-19. Twitter may represent a powerful tool to help achieve this. Here, we explore the role of Twitter as used by Group of Seven (G7) world leaders in response to COVID-19. Methods This was a qualitative study with content analysis. Inclusion criteria were as follows: viral tweets from G7 world leaders, attracting a minimum of 500 ‘likes’; keywords ‘COVID-19’ or ‘coronavirus’; search dates 17 November 2019 to 17 March 2020. We performed content analysis to categorize tweets into appropriate themes and analyzed associated Twitter data. Results Eight out of nine (88.9%) G7 world leaders had verified and active Twitter accounts, with a total following of 85.7 million users. Out of a total 203 viral tweets, 166 (82.8%) were classified as ‘Informative’, of which 48 (28.6%) had weblinks to government-based sources, while 19 (9.4%) were ‘Morale-boosting’ and 14 (6.9%) were ‘Political’. Numbers of followers and viral tweets were not strictly related. Conclusions Twitter may represent a powerful tool for world leaders to rapidly communicate public health information with citizens. We would urge general caution when using Twitter for health information, with a preference for tweets containing official government-based information sources.

scholarly journals Logarithmic versus Linear Visualizations of COVID-19 Cases Do Not Affect Citizens’ Support for Confinement

2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 385-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Semra Sevi ◽  
Marco Mendoza Aviña ◽  
Gabrielle Péloquin-Skulski ◽  
Emmanuel Heisbourg ◽  
Paola Vegas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Policy ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
Government Action ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Health Organization

The SARS-CoV-2 virus was first identified in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019, and it quickly spread to many countries. By March 2020, the virus had triggered a global pandemic (World Health Organization, 2020). In response to this crisis, governments have implemented unprecedented public health measures. The success of these policies will largely depend on the public's willingness to comply with new rules. A key factor in citizens’ willingness to comply is their understanding of the data that motivate government action. In this study, we examine how different ways of presenting these data visually can affect citizen's perceptions, attitudes and support for public policy.

scholarly journals Progress of COVID-19 Epidemic in Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 154-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khadijah Abid ◽  
Yashfika Abdul Bari ◽  
Maryam Younas ◽  
Sehar Tahir Javaid ◽  
Abira Imran
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Short Communication ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
World Health ◽  
First Case ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Shed Light

The outbreak of corona virus initiated as pneumonia of unknown cause in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, which has been now spreading rapidly out of Wuhan to other countries. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus outbreak as the sixth public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), and on March 11, 2020, the WHO announced coronavirus as pandemic. Coronavirus is thought to be increasing in Pakistan. The first case of coronavirus was reported from Karachi on February 26, 2020, with estimated populace of Pakistan as 204.65 million. Successively, the virus spreads into various regions nationwide and has currently become an epidemic. The WHO has warned Pakistan that the country could encounter great challenge against the outbreak of coronavirus in the coming days. This short communication is conducted to shed light on the epidemic of coronavirus in the country. It would aid in emphasizing the up-to-date situation in a nutshell and the measures taken by the health sector of Pakistan to abate the risk of communication.

scholarly journals Vietnamese Public Health Practices in the Advent of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons for Developing Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 163-164
Author(s):  
Jeconiah Louis Dreisbach
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Short Communication ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
World Health ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) presents a great challenge to developing countries with limited access to public health measures in grassroots communities. The World Health Organization lauded the Vietnamese government for its proactive and steady investment in health facilities that mitigate the risk of the infectious disease in Vietnam. This short communication presents cases that could benchmark public health policies in developing countries.

scholarly journals Policy liberalism and source of news predict pandemic-related health behaviors and trust in the scientific community

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252670
Author(s):  
Madeleine Reinhardt ◽  
Matthew B. Findley ◽  
Renee A. Countryman
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
News Media ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
The United States ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Health Measures

In March of 2020, the United States was confronted with a major public health crisis caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This study aimed to identify what factors influence adherence to recently implemented public health measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing, trust of scientific organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on information pertaining to the pandemic, and level of perceived risk. Data were collected from June 30, 2020 to July 22, 2020 on 951 adult residents of the United States using an online survey through Microsoft Forms. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the strongest predictors for compliance to pandemic-related health measures, trust in the scientific community, and perceived risk. Results showed that the strongest predictor of all variables of interest was degree of policy liberalism. Additionally, participants who consumed more conservative news media conformed less to the pandemic health guidelines and had less trust in the scientific community. Degree of policy liberalism was found to have a significant moderating effect on the relationship between gender and conformity to pandemic-related health behaviors. These findings have concerning implications that factors like degree of policy liberalism and source of news are more influential in predicting adherence to life-saving health measures than established risk factors like pre-existing health conditions.

scholarly journals Does sunlight drive seasonality of TB in Vietnam? A retrospective environmental ecological study of Tuberculosis seasonality in Vietnam from 2010-2015

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Bonell ◽  
Lucie Contamin ◽  
Pham Quang Thai ◽  
Hoang Thi Thanh Thuy ◽  
Rogier H van Doorn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Linear Model ◽  
World Health ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
The South ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The World

Abstract Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health burden, with an estimated quarter of the world’s population being infected. The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the “End TB Strategy” in 2014 emphasising knowing the epidemic. WHO ranks Vietnam 12 th in the world of high burden countries. TB spatial and temporal patterns have been observed globally with evidence of Vitamin D playing a role in seasonality. We explored the presence of temporal and spatial clustering of TB in Vietnam and their determinants to aid public health measures. Methods: Data were collected by the National TB program of Vietnam from 2010-2015 and linked to the following datasets: socio-demographic characteristics; climatic variables; influenza-like-illness (ILI) incidence; geospatial data. The TB dataset was aggregated by province and quarter. Descriptive time series analyses using LOESS regression were completed per province to determine seasonality and trend. Harmonic regression was used to determine the amplitude of seasonality by province. A mixed-effect linear model was used with province and year as random effects and all other variables as fixed effects. Results: There were 610,676 cases of TB notified between 2010-2015 in Vietnam. Heat maps of TB incidence per quarter per province showed substantial temporal and geospatial variation. Time series analysis demonstrated seasonality throughout the country, with peaks in spring/summer and troughs in autumn/winter. Incidence was consistently higher in the south, the three provinces with the highest incidence per 100,000 population were Tay Ninh, An Giang and Ho Chi Minh City. However, relative seasonal amplitude was more pronounced in the north. Mixed-effect linear model confirmed that TB incidence was associated with time and latitude. Of the demographic, socio-economic and health related variables, population density, percentage of those under 15 years of age, and HIV infection prevalence per province were associated with TB incidence. Of the climate variables, absolute humidity, average temperature and sunlight were associated with TB incidence. Conclusion : Preventative public health measures should be focused in the south of Viet Nam where incidence is highest. Vitamin D is unlikely to be a strong driver of seasonality but supplementation may play a role in a package of interventions.

scholarly journals Wayfaring in Taiwan during COVID-19: Reflections on Political Ontologies of Disease and Geopolitics

2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Simon
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Pacific Islanders ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Political ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Ethnic Tensions ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

What are the political and ontological implications of COVID‑19? I had plenty of time to reflect on this from March to July after I ended fieldwork in Guam and unexpectedly spent four months in Taiwan. Because of Taiwan’s proximity to China, where the pandemic began, it initially seemed as if it would be among the most serious cases. Instead, Taiwan’s public health measures allowed it to become one of the few places in the world relatively untouched by the virus. The experience of Taiwan with COVID‑19 was shaped most of all by tense relations with China and the non-recognition of the country by the World Health Organization (WHO). There are also intriguing differences within Taiwan where historically Chinese settler groups and Indigenous peoples related to other Pacific Islanders find their place in the world through a broad spectrum of non-Western ontologies. In travelogue genre, I reflect upon their different stories and practices of worlding as fears of the pandemic ontributed to a heightened sense of crisis, ethnic tensions, and a rise in nationalism. This reveals important ontological differences that will continue to influence the geopolitics of the region even beyond the current pandemic.

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