Improving rural public health through ‘best practice’ water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tari Bowling ◽  
Nina Hall
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Regulatory Environment ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Community Ownership ◽  
Sanitation And Hygiene ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Minimum Requirements ◽  
Donor Agencies

An understanding of best practice rural water, sanitation and hygiene (rWASH) and its associated indicators can ensure greater success and reduced failure of future projects. While numerous organisations have actively implemented rWASH projects since the early 1990s with donor reports, funding proposals and reviews frequently claiming best practice, there remains a paucity of information on what constitutes ‘best practice’ rWASH. A scoping review of qualitative and quantitative literature was done with six primary factors identified as key contributors to best practice rWASH: regulatory environment, community ownership, programme methodology, funding, technology and capacity. In the absence of standardisation, a benchmark of proven techniques may be used as an alternative to identify ‘best practice’ within the sector and propose minimum requirements for the development of best practice rWASH. Clearly defining best practice rural water, sanitation and hygiene is useful for governments, donor agencies and implementing organisations and those monitoring outcomes of programmes against national and global targets.

scholarly journals Major Public Health Problems in Nigeria: A review

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faisal Muhammad ◽  
Jamil Hassan Abdulkareem ◽  
ABM Alauddin Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Web Search ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Scientific Database ◽  
Sanitation And Hygiene ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
Donor Agencies

The inadequate programs designed to address the numerous health problems in Nigeria have led to the little improvement in our health status. Besides the continued neglect of the importance of addressing public health issues would make matters worse for poor Nigerians most of who are at the receiving end. This study adopted a qualitative approach, so as to adequately describe the study aims and objectives. The data for this study were collected through scientific database sources, web search engines, direct observation and relevant documents from the Nigerian Ministry of Health. The major public health challenges Nigeria faces are infectious diseases, control of vector some diseases, maternal mortality, infant mortality, poor sanitation and hygiene, disease surveillance, non-communicable diseases and road traffic injuries etcetera. Nigeria is currently working towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Despite the collaborative efforts of both Nigerian Government, Donor Agencies and NGOs to provide an efficient and effective health care delivery in Nigeria.South East Asia Journal of Public Health Vol.7(1) 2017: 6-11

scholarly journals Policy addressing suicidality in children and young people: a scoping review protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. e023153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynne Gilmour ◽  
Edward Duncan ◽  
Margaret Maxwell
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Health Issue ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Mesh Terms

IntroductionSuicide is one of the leading causes of death among children and young people globally and a major public health issue. Government policies determine how much recognised health issues are prioritised and set the context for investment, development and delivery of services. A review of policies concerning children and young people who are suicidal could shed light on the extent that this public health issue is prioritised and highlight examples of best practice in this area. There has never been a review to explore how policy worldwide addresses the specific needs of this vulnerable population. This review will map the key policy documents and identify their relevance to the review question: how does policy address the treatment and care of children and young people who experience suicidality? (international, national (UK) and local (Scotland)).MethodologyEmploying scoping review methodological guidance a systematic and transparent approach will be taken. Preliminary searches will facilitate the identification of MeSh terms, subject headings, individual database and platform nuances. A full search strategy will be created to search five databases: CINAHL, PsychInfo, Medline, Web of Science and Cochrane. Government and other key agency websites (eg, WHO, Unicef) will be searched to identify policy documents. The reference lists of identified documents will be checked. A second reviewer will independently screen and cross validate eligible studies for final inclusion. A data extraction template will then be used to extract key information. We will report our findings using narrative synthesis and tabulate findings, by agreed key components.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required to conduct a scoping review. We will disseminate the findings through a peer-reviewed publication and conference presentation.

Sustainable Rural Water Supply Schemes and Sri Lankan Community-based Organisations

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 702-717
Author(s):  
Lalith Wijesinghe ◽  
Darshani Ilangangedara ◽  
L.H.P. Gunarathne
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Rural Water Supply ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Sanitation And Hygiene ◽  
Rural Water ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Donor Agencies

With a majority of the world’s poor living in rural areas, focusing on rural water supply, sanitation and hygiene is necessary if Millennium Development Goals are to be achieved. Therefore, donor agencies invest a significant amount of funds on rural water and sanitation projects. These rural water supply schemes (RWSS) are usually proposed to be managed by community-based organisations. Therefore, sustainability has become a widely discussed aspect in the agendas of programmes related to these projects. Benefits can be obtained by developing a framework for measuring sustainability and identifying the factors affecting the sustainability of RWSS. This can help to predict sustainability before implementing projects and to take necessary actions to enhance the sustainability during the project implementation stage itself. This conceptual and practice-based study was carried out to develop a framework to assess and compare the sustainability of community-based RWSS and to identify the factors affecting them.

A Scoping Review of Interventions Aimed at Improving Knowledge, Detection Practices and Management of Dementia among Health Professionals (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna Krishna Prasad Pathak
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Improving Health Care

BACKGROUND Health professionals (HPs) play a key role in dementia management and detection. However, there is a gap in the literature as to what represents best practice with regard to educating HPs to improve their dementia detection practices and management. OBJECTIVE The objective of this scoping review is to synthesize the aggregated studies aimed at improving health care knowledge, detection practices and management of dementia among HPs. METHODS We searched electronically published relevant articles with inclusion criteria; (1) intervention studies aimed at improving HPs practices concerning dementia care and (2) educational interventions focused on nurses and doctors’ knowledge, detection practice and management of dementia. Twenty-five articles fit the inclusion criteria. RESULTS Collaborative programs of practice based workshops, interactive learning activities with community and multi-faced educational program were the most effective. CONCLUSIONS HPs should be supported to improve their knowledge, tackle behavioural problems associated with dementia, be made aware of services and be enabled to engage in more early diagnosis. CLINICALTRIAL no applicable

scholarly journals Identifying Environmental Determinants Relevant to Health and Wellbeing in Remote Australian Indigenous Communities: A Scoping Review of Grey Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4167
Author(s):  
Amal Chakraborty ◽  
Mark Daniel ◽  
Natasha J. Howard ◽  
Alwin Chong ◽  
Nicola Slavin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Classification System ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Environmental Determinants ◽  
Health And Wellbeing

The high prevalence of preventable infectious and chronic diseases in Australian Indigenous populations is a major public health concern. Existing research has rarely examined the role of built and socio-political environmental factors relating to remote Indigenous health and wellbeing. This research identified built and socio-political environmental indicators from publicly available grey literature documents locally-relevant to remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia. Existing planning documents with evidence of community input were used to reduce the response burden on Indigenous communities. A scoping review of community-focused planning documents resulted in the identification of 1120 built and 2215 socio-political environmental indicators. Indicators were systematically classified using an Indigenous indicator classification system (IICS). Applying the IICS yielded indicators prominently featuring the “community infrastructure” domain within the built environment, and the “community capacity” domain within the socio-political environment. This research demonstrates the utility of utilizing existing planning documents and a culturally appropriate systematic classification system to consolidate environmental determinants that influence health and disease occurrence. The findings also support understanding of which features of community-level built and socio-political environments amenable to public health and social policy actions might be targeted to help reduce the prevalence of infectious and chronic diseases in Indigenous communities.

scholarly journals Artificial intelligence for good health: a scoping review of the ethics literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Murphy ◽  
Erica Di Ruggiero ◽  
Ross Upshur ◽  
Donald J. Willison ◽  
Neha Malhotra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Ethical Implications

Abstract Background Artificial intelligence (AI) has been described as the “fourth industrial revolution” with transformative and global implications, including in healthcare, public health, and global health. AI approaches hold promise for improving health systems worldwide, as well as individual and population health outcomes. While AI may have potential for advancing health equity within and between countries, we must consider the ethical implications of its deployment in order to mitigate its potential harms, particularly for the most vulnerable. This scoping review addresses the following question: What ethical issues have been identified in relation to AI in the field of health, including from a global health perspective? Methods Eight electronic databases were searched for peer reviewed and grey literature published before April 2018 using the concepts of health, ethics, and AI, and their related terms. Records were independently screened by two reviewers and were included if they reported on AI in relation to health and ethics and were written in the English language. Data was charted on a piloted data charting form, and a descriptive and thematic analysis was performed. Results Upon reviewing 12,722 articles, 103 met the predetermined inclusion criteria. The literature was primarily focused on the ethics of AI in health care, particularly on carer robots, diagnostics, and precision medicine, but was largely silent on ethics of AI in public and population health. The literature highlighted a number of common ethical concerns related to privacy, trust, accountability and responsibility, and bias. Largely missing from the literature was the ethics of AI in global health, particularly in the context of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Conclusions The ethical issues surrounding AI in the field of health are both vast and complex. While AI holds the potential to improve health and health systems, our analysis suggests that its introduction should be approached with cautious optimism. The dearth of literature on the ethics of AI within LMICs, as well as in public health, also points to a critical need for further research into the ethical implications of AI within both global and public health, to ensure that its development and implementation is ethical for everyone, everywhere.

Peri-urban water, sanitation and hygiene in Lusaka, Zambia: photovoice empowering local assessment via ecological theory

2021 ◽  
pp. 175797592199571
Author(s):  
Sikopo Nyambe ◽  
Taro Yamauchi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Policy ◽  
Health Hazard ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Ecological Theory ◽  
Urban Slum ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Minimal Impact ◽  
Sanitation And Hygiene ◽  
Definition Of

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) factors are responsible for 11.4% of deaths in Zambia, making WASH a key public health concern. Despite annual waterborne disease outbreaks in the nation’s peri-urban (slum) settlements being linked to poor WASH, few studies have proactively analysed and conceptualised peri-urban WASH and its maintaining factors. Our study aimed to (a) establish residents’ definition of peri-urban WASH and their WASH priorities; and (b) use ecological theory to analyse the peri-urban WASH ecosystem, highlighting maintaining factors. Our study incorporated 16 young people (aged 17–24) residing in peri-urban Lusaka, Zambia in a photovoice exercise. Participants took photographs answering the framing question, ‘What is WASH in your community?’ Then, through contextualisation and basic codifying, participants told the stories of their photographs and made posters to summarise problems and WASH priorities. Participant contextualisation and codifying further underwent theoretical thematic analysis to pinpoint causal factors alongside key players, dissecting the peri-urban WASH ecosystem via the five-tier ecological theory ranging from intrapersonal to public policy levels. Via ecological theory, peri-urban WASH was defined as: (a) poor practice (intrapersonal, interpersonal); (b) a health hazard (community norm); (c) substandard and unregulated (public policy, organisational); and (d) offering hope for change (intrapersonal, interpersonal). Linked to these themes, participant findings revealed a community level gap, with public policy level standards, regulations and implementation having minimal impact on overall peri-urban WASH and public health due to shallow community engagement and poor acknowledgement of the WASH realities of high-density locations. Rather than a top-down approach, participants recommended increased government–resident collaboration, offering residents more ownership and empowerment for intervention, implementation and defending of preferred peri-urban WASH standards.

scholarly journals Delivery of the National Child Measurement Programme in England

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Martin Čadek ◽  
Stuart W. Flint ◽  
Ralph Tench
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The Other ◽  
Service Availability ◽  
Healthy Weight ◽  
Weight Category ◽  
Convenience Sampling

Abstract Objective: The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is a mandatory initiative delivered in England to children in reception and year 6. To date, no research has explored the methods used to deliver the NCMP by Local Government Authorities (LGA) across England. Design: An online survey was administered between February 2018 and May 2018 to explore the delivery of the NCMP across the 152 LGAs in England and disseminated using non-probability convenience sampling. Setting: LGAs received an anonymous link to the survey. Participants: A total of 92 LGAs participated in the survey. Results: Most LGAs who responded provide result feedback (86%), a proactive follow-up (71%) and referrals to services (80%). Additionally, 65% of the authorities tailor Public Health England specimen result letters to suit their needs, and 84% provide attachments alongside. Out of 71% of LGAs who provide proactive follow-up, 19 (29%) provide the proactive follow-up only to upper weight categories, and only 4 (6 %) include Healthy Weight category with other categories in proactive follow-up. Regarding the service availability for children, out of 80% of LGAs who indicated that services are available, 32 (43%) targeted solely upper weight categories while the other 42 (57%) offered services across all weight categories. Finally, most LGAs (88%) commission providers to manage various parts of the NCMP. Conclusions: The results show that LGAs in England localise the NCMP. Further guidance regarding standards of best practice would help LGAs to find the most suitable localisation out of various options that exist across other LGAs.

scholarly journals Leveraging artificial intelligence for pandemic preparedness and response: a scoping review to identify key use cases

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ania Syrowatka ◽  
Masha Kuznetsova ◽  
Ava Alsubai ◽  
Adam L. Beckman ◽  
Paul A. Bain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Use Cases ◽  
Outbreak Detection ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Pandemic Preparedness ◽  
Modeling Approaches

AbstractArtificial intelligence (AI) represents a valuable tool that could be widely used to inform clinical and public health decision-making to effectively manage the impacts of a pandemic. The objective of this scoping review was to identify the key use cases for involving AI for pandemic preparedness and response from the peer-reviewed, preprint, and grey literature. The data synthesis had two parts: an in-depth review of studies that leveraged machine learning (ML) techniques and a limited review of studies that applied traditional modeling approaches. ML applications from the in-depth review were categorized into use cases related to public health and clinical practice, and narratively synthesized. One hundred eighty-three articles met the inclusion criteria for the in-depth review. Six key use cases were identified: forecasting infectious disease dynamics and effects of interventions; surveillance and outbreak detection; real-time monitoring of adherence to public health recommendations; real-time detection of influenza-like illness; triage and timely diagnosis of infections; and prognosis of illness and response to treatment. Data sources and types of ML that were useful varied by use case. The search identified 1167 articles that reported on traditional modeling approaches, which highlighted additional areas where ML could be leveraged for improving the accuracy of estimations or projections. Important ML-based solutions have been developed in response to pandemics, and particularly for COVID-19 but few were optimized for practical application early in the pandemic. These findings can support policymakers, clinicians, and other stakeholders in prioritizing research and development to support operationalization of AI for future pandemics.

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