Exploring the evolution of health promotion in Namibia: opportunities and obstacles during the post-independence era

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 107-113
Author(s):  
Mwakanyadzeni Abigail Chipare ◽  
Roy Tapera ◽  
Ronald Farayi Pachawo ◽  
James January

Namibia is a Southern African country with social inequalities. This paper discusses the historical development of health promotion in Namibia. The country has achieved tremendous progress in public health after gaining independence in March 1990, with increased life expectancy, reduced tuberculosis and AIDS mortality due to high coverage of antiretroviral therapy (90%) in 2012, and a reduced under-five mortality rate, from 74 deaths per 1000 live births in 1990 to 50 in 2013. However, challenges still exist in achieving health for all. Non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are among the top 10 diseases and top 15 causes of death, with diabetes emerging as one of the greatest threats to health. Opportunities and obstacles for effective health promotion are discussed. In conclusion, health promotion in Namibia has the potential to improve the health of the populace.

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (08) ◽  
pp. 798-805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han-Yang Chen ◽  
Suneet P. Chauhan

Objective To compare neonatal and infant mortality rates stratified by gestational age (GA) between singletons and twins and examine the three leading causes of death among them. Study Design This was a retrospective cohort study using the U.S. vital statistics datasets. The study was restricted to nonanomalous live births at 24 to 40 weeks delivered in 2005 to 2014. We used multivariable Poisson regression models with robust error variance to examine the association between birth plurality (singleton vs. twin) and mortality outcomes within each GA, while adjusting for confounders. The results were presented as adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Of 26,292,747 live births, 96.6% were singletons and 3.4% were twins. At 29 to 36 weeks of GA, compared with singletons, twins had a lower risk of neonatal mortality (aRR: 0.37–0.78) and infant mortality (aRR: 0.54–0.86). When examined by GA, the three leading causes of neonatal and infant mortality varied between singletons and twins. Conclusion When stratified by GA, the risk of neonatal and infant mortality was lower at 29 to 36 weeks in twins than in singletons, though the cause of death varied.


2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (suppl 2) ◽  
pp. s298-s308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz Antonio Chaves Viana ◽  
Maria da Conceição Nascimento Costa ◽  
Jairnilson Silva Paim ◽  
Ligia Maria Vieira-da-Silva

An ecological study was carried out using information zones as units of analysis in order to assess the evolution of socio-spatial inequalities in mortality due to external causes and homicides in Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil, in 2000 and 2006. The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística - IBGE) and the City Health Department (Secretaria Municipal de Saúde) provided the data sources, and causes of death were reviewed and reclassified based on reports from the Institute of Legal Medicine (Instituto Médico Legal). The information zones were classified into four social strata according to income and schooling. The ratio between mortality rates (inequality ratio) was calculated and confirmed a rise of 98.5% in the homicide rate. In 2000, the risk of death due to external causes and murders in the stratum with the worst living conditions was respectively 1.40 and 1.94 times greater than in the reference stratum. In 2006 these figures were 2.02 and 2.24. The authors discuss the implications for inter-sectoral public policies, based on evidence from the study's findings.


2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 283-293
Author(s):  
M. Legnain ◽  
R. Singh ◽  
M. O. Busarira

We conducted a clinicoepidemiological study of 14 maternal deaths out of 79 981 live births at Al-Jamahiriya Hospital, Benghazi between 1993 and 1997. The maternal mortality rate per 100 000 live births was 17.5. The reproductive profile of these women was: mean age 31.5 +/- 6.9 years, mean parity 4.5, mean birth interval 14.6 +/- 7.0 months, mean gestation 27.7 +/- 14.6 weeks and mean haemoglobin 9.3 +/- 2.1 g/dL. None of the women had prebooked their delivery, 50% had preconceptional medical or obstetric risk factors, around 70% were anaemic, almost all were admitted with serious medical conditions and > 50% required surgical intervention. The main underlying medical causes of death were: hypertensive disease of pregnancy [28.6%], haemorrhage [14.3%], pulmonary embolism [14.3%]and brain tumour [14.3%]


Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4373 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARCO A. BOLOGNA ◽  
VALENTINA AMORE ◽  
MONICA PITZALIS

The blister beetle (Coleoptera: Meloidae) fauna of Namibia is studied. The species are arranged within a catalogue containing information on their general distribution, including a list of localities and brief taxonomic remarks. Zoogeographic and ecological analyses were carried out and a photographic appendix, with images and maps of almost all Namibian species, is included. According to a chorological analysis, the Namibian blister beetle fauna appears to be zoogeographically distinct because of the dominance of western southern African elements. The faunistic levels of similarity among distinct areas in Namibia are also analysed. Several of the endemic species are related to the xeric ecosystems referable to the Namib Desert, Succulent Karoo and Nama Karoo biomes, but the highest diversity is related to the ecosystems referable to the Savannah biome. A total of 148 species belonging to 28 genera, eight tribes and three subfamilies (Eleticinae,  Meloinae, Nemognathinae) are recorded from this southern African country. Five new genera (Namibeletica gen. nov., Eleticinae Eleticini; Dilatilydus gen. nov. and Desertilydus gen. nov., Meloinae Lyttini; Paramimesthes gen. nov. and Namylabris gen. nov, Meloinae Mylabrini) and a total of 13 new species are described: 11 new species from Namibia (Psalydolytta gessi sp.nov., Paramimesthes namibicus sp.nov., Namylabris adamantifera sp.nov., Hycleus arlecchinus sp.nov., H. planitiei sp.nov., H. dvoraki sp.nov., H. aridus sp.nov., H. san sp.nov., Nemognatha fluviatilis sp.nov., “Zonitoschema” deserticola sp.nov., Zonitoschema dunalis sp.nov.); a new Namibeletica from the Angolan Namib (N. angolana) and a new Afrolytta Kaszab, 1959 from the S African Namaqualand (A. namaqua), both close to Namibian borders. Fourty-eight species and the genus Apalus Fabricius, 1775 are recorded for the first time from Namibia, and a few other species from South Africa (1), Zambia (1), Botswana (1) and Congo (1). The following new synonymies are proposed: Lytta pleuralis var. inpleuralis Pic, 1911 = Lydomorphus (Lydomorphus) thoracicus (Erichson, 1843), syn. nov.; Lytta benguellana Pic, 1911 = Prionotolytta melanura (Erichson, 1843), syn. nov.; Actenodia amoena ssp.anthicoides Kaszab, 1955b = Hycleus amoenus (Marseul, 1872), syn. nov.; Decapotoma csikii Kaszab, 1953 = Hycleus benguellanus (Marseul, 1879), syn. nov.; Nemognatha capensis Péringuey, 1909 = Nemognatha peringueyi Fairmaire, 1883, syn. nov. Several new combinations in the genus Hycleus Latreille, 1817 are also established. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Ettamba Agborndip ◽  
Benjamin Momo Kadia ◽  
Domin Sone Majunda Ekaney ◽  
Lawrence Tanyi Mbuagbaw ◽  
Marie Therese Obama ◽  
...  

Background. Updating the knowledge base on the causes and patterns of under-five mortality (U5M) is crucial for the design of suitable interventions to improve survival of children under five. Objectives. To assess the rate, causes, and age-specific patterns of U5M in Buea Health District, Cameroon. Methods. A retrospective cohort study involving 2000 randomly selected households was conducted. Live births registered between September 2004 and September 2009 were recorded. The under-five mortality rate (U5MR) was defined by the number of deaths that occurred on or before 5 years of age per 1000 live births. Causes of death were assigned using the InterVA-4 software. Results. A total of 2210 live births were recorded. There were 92 deaths, and the U5MR was 42 per 1000 live births. The mean age at death was 11±15.9 months. The most frequent causes of death were neonatal causes (37%), malaria (28%), and pneumonia (15%). Deaths during infancy accounted for 64.1% of U5M, with 43.5% neonatal (86% occurring within the first 24 hours of life) and 20.7% postneonatal. The main causes of death in infancy were birth asphyxia (37.5%), pneumonia (17.5%), complications of prematurity (10%), and malaria (10%). Child deaths accounted for 35.8% of U5M. Malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoeal illnesses accounted for the majority of child deaths. Conclusions. Almost half of U5M occurred during the neonatal period. Improvements in intrapartum care and the prevention and effective treatment of neonatal conditions, malaria, and pneumonia could considerably reduce U5M in Buea.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
V Saaristo ◽  
P E S Hakamäki ◽  
J K Ikonen ◽  
N S Saukko ◽  
K K Wiss ◽  
...  

Abstract Issue In Finland, municipalities are responsible for promoting public health on local level. However, there hasn’t been comparable nationwide information on health promotion processes and resources in different municipalities available. In order to enhance evidence-based management, a nationwide online database and user interface called TEAviisari (http://teaviisari.fi/en/) was released in 2010. Description TEAviisari is based on a generic health promotion capacity-building framework consisting of seven dimensions: commitment, management, monitoring and needs assessment, resources, common practices, participation, and other core functions. Each dimension consists of several indicators. TEAviisari aims to make measures taken by local authorities visible and to provide comparable and objective indicators for the management, planning, and evaluation of health promotion activities in different sectors of administration in all municipalities. Results Most of the data are collected biennially with an electronic form by municipal informants, and complemented with register data. Sectors covered are primary health care; comprehensive, upper secondary and vocational education; sport and physical activity; culture; and municipal management. Exceptionally high coverage (76%-97%) supports the quality of the follow-up data. In order to simplify the interpretation, all data are displayed as summary scores ranging from zero to 100, where 100 stands for a desirable quality. It is possible to drill down into more detailed information, all the way down to single indicators. Lessons Our work shows that it is possible to collect comparable data on health promotion practices and resources in municipalities. TEAviisari offers access to relevant, interpreted information for decision-makers on all levels, serving as an assessment and planning tool for the local government, making their actions transparent to the residents, and providing information for national policy-making.


Author(s):  
Rahman Sabri

<p><em>Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) is one of the most infectious diseases and causes of death in children in developing countries. This type of research is an analytical survey method with cross sectional approach with the aim to find out the factors that influence the high ARI in infants with the study population as many as 218 mothers of toddlers and samples taken by random sampling are 69 people. The results showed that knowledge had sig-p 0.016 &lt;0.05, sig-p attitude 0.610&gt; 0.05, exclusive breastfeeding sig-p 0.004 &lt;0.05, ventilation sig-p 0.040 &lt;0.05 and dwelling density of sig -p 0.014 &lt;0.05. The conclusion is the influence of knowledge, exclusive breastfeeding, ventilation and density of occupancy of the high ARI in toddlers, while the attitude has no influence on the high ARI in toddlers. It is hoped that this research can be used as a source of explanations and input for the Deleng Pokhkisen Health Center to improve information provision to mothers and the community in the form of counseling or health promotion.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><strong><em>Keywords : Influencing Factors, High ARI Disease</em></strong>


2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-157
Author(s):  
João Borges-Costa ◽  
Jorge Seixas ◽  
Luís Soares de Almeida ◽  
Heinz Kutzner

The differential diagnosis of long-lasting erythematous skin nodules in patients living in Africa is broad. We report a clinical case of a 65-year-old Caucasian male, living in a Southern African Country, presenting to our department with an eight- -month history of erythematous skin nodules on the trunk and limbs. The diagnosis was B-pseudolymphoma and we discuss its aetiology and differential diagnosis.


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