scholarly journals Analyzing the social context of health information and misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic: a case of emerging inequities in Lebanon

2021 ◽  
pp. 175797592098417
Author(s):  
Jihad Makhoul ◽  
Tamar Kabakian-Khasholian ◽  
Lea Chaiban
Keyword(s):  
Information Exchange ◽  
General Public ◽  
Communication Theory ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
World Health ◽  
Reasons For Action ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Low Middle Income Countries ◽  
The World

With the far-reaching COVID-19 pandemic starting in December 2019, a surge of misinformation, now coined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an ‘infodemic’, has also taken the world by storm. False information and variations in interpretations about the pandemic and mitigation interventions/strategies continue to spread at a faster pace than the relevant scientific evidence. The WHO has called for a fight against this infodemic, describing it as the most contagious aspect of the pandemic. In this era of rapid information exchange, public health measures, and state interventions to control the pandemic, a contextual understanding of how information is communicated and shared is important for uncovering possible reasons for action or inaction by the general public. With the Lebanese state scrambling to implement and enforce different measures to control and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, adherence by the general public is not uniform. In this paper, we refer to social science and risk communication theory to discuss how the political, economic and social contexts in the country, and not only the content of the messages that people receive from officials, affect how they interpret and act on information. We highlight how this has played out in Lebanon and identify societal aspects of importance in a low-middle income country fraught with social, economic and political inequalities which continue to undermine the efforts to contain the spread. Implications to inform state response in the context of low-middle income countries are also discussed.

scholarly journals The Need for Dialysis in Haiti: Dream or Reality

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 145-150
Author(s):  
Judith Exantus ◽  
Florence Desrosiers ◽  
Alexandra Ternier ◽  
Audie Métayer ◽  
Gérard Abel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renal Replacement Therapy ◽  
Replacement Therapy ◽  
Kidney Diseases ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
World Health ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Kidney Dialysis ◽  
Low Middle Income Countries ◽  
The World

According to the World Health Organization reports, nowadays burden of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) is well documented. The high prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCD) such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, which are the main causes of CKD, is a big concern in the world health scenario [<citeref rid="ref1">1</citeref>]. These NCD can progress slowly to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and the low-middle income countries (LMIC) like Haiti are not left unscathed by this worldwide scourge. Several well-known public health issues prevalent in Haiti such as acute diarrheal infections, malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), can also impair the function of the kidney. Dialysis, a form of renal replacement therapy (RRT), represents a life-saving therapy for all patients affected with impaired kidney. In Haiti, few patients have access to health insurance or disability financial support. Considering that seventy-two percent (72%) of Haitians live with less than USD 2 per day [<citeref rid="ref2">2</citeref>], survival with CKD can be quite stressful for them. Data on the weight of the dialysis and its management are scarce. Addressing the need for dialysis in Haiti is an important component in decision-making and planning processes in the health sector. This paper is intended to bring forth discussion on the use of this type of renal replacement therapy in Haiti: the past, the present, and the challenges it presents. We will also make some recommendations in order to manage this serious problem.

scholarly journals Tuberculosis and Non-Communicable Disease Multimorbidity: An Analysis of the World Health Survey in 48 Low- and Middle-Income Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2439
Author(s):  
Brendon Stubbs ◽  
Kamran Siddiqi ◽  
Helen Elsey ◽  
Najma Siddiqi ◽  
Ruimin Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Survey ◽  
Low Income ◽  
World Health ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
World Health Survey ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). TB multimorbidity [TB and ≥1 non-communicable diseases (NCDs)] is common, but studies are sparse. Cross-sectional, community-based data including adults from 21 low-income countries and 27 middle-income countries were utilized from the World Health Survey. Associations between 9 NCDs and TB were assessed with multivariable logistic regression analysis. Years lived with disability (YLDs) were calculated using disability weights provided by the 2017 Global Burden of Disease Study. Eight out of 9 NCDs (all except visual impairment) were associated with TB (odds ratio (OR) ranging from 1.38–4.0). Prevalence of self-reported TB increased linearly with increasing numbers of NCDs. Compared to those with no NCDs, those who had 1, 2, 3, 4, and ≥5 NCDs had 2.61 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.14–3.22), 4.71 (95%CI = 3.67–6.11), 6.96 (95%CI = 4.95–9.87), 10.59 (95%CI = 7.10–15.80), and 19.89 (95%CI = 11.13–35.52) times higher odds for TB. Among those with TB, the most prevalent combinations of NCDs were angina and depression, followed by angina and arthritis. For people with TB, the YLDs were three times higher than in people without multimorbidity or TB, and a third of the YLDs were attributable to NCDs. Urgent research to understand, prevent and manage NCDs in people with TB in LMICs is needed.

scholarly journals An Uncertain Risk: The World Health Organization's Account of H1N1

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 511-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudeepa Abeysinghe
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
H1n1 Influenza ◽  
World Health ◽  
Scientific Uncertainty ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
The World ◽  
Public Risk ◽  
Health Organization

ArgumentScientific uncertainty is fundamental to the management of contemporary global risks. In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the start of the H1N1 Influenza Pandemic. This declaration signified the risk posed by the spread of the H1N1 virus, and in turn precipitated a range of actions by global public health actors. This article analyzes the WHO's public representation of risk and examines the centrality of scientific uncertainty in the case of H1N1. It argues that the WHO's risk narrative reflected the context of scientific uncertainty in which it was working. The WHO argued that it was attempting to remain faithful to the scientific evidence, and the uncertain nature of the threat. However, as a result, the WHO's public risk narrative was neither consistent nor socially robust, leading to the eventual contestation of the WHO's position by other global public health actors, most notably the Council of Europe. This illustrates both the significance of scientific uncertainty in the investigation of risk, and the difficulty for risk managing institutions in effectively acting in the face of this uncertainty.

scholarly journals EXPLORING COVID-19 VACCINE ACCEPTANCE AND HESITANCY DETERMINANTS

2021 ◽  
Vol 03 (01) ◽  
pp. 80-91
Author(s):  
Tauheed Zahra ◽  
◽  
Farhan Ahmad Faiz ◽  
Farrah Ahmed ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Educational Background ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Social Worlds ◽  
Vaccine Acceptance ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low Middle Income Countries ◽  
Health Organization

The World Health Organization recognizes vaccine related myths and conspiracies as the world's top threat to public health safety, particularly in low middle-income countries. The current study aims to explore the beliefs of the general public towards the vaccine acceptance and the hesitancy. The study explicates the COVID 19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy determinants through an in-depth qualitative approach. A total of 30 male and female millennials from different education backgrounds were interviewed through an interview guide. This study reveals that people have different beliefs related to the vaccine authenticity which plays a vital role in the reluctance towards it. Findings from paper is similar to literature that people from good educational background have similar thoughts towards COVID 19 vaccination. Disregard for the vaccine was caused by various factors, such as misinformation, safety concerns, and personal knowledge. This level of distrust was associated with the social worlds that participants experienced during the pandemic. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is a complex relationship that involves the spread of misinformation. Vaccine programs should provide a focused, localized, and empathetic response to counter misinformation. Keywords: COVID-19, vaccines, myths, hesitancy, vaccines awareness, pandemic, conspiracy, corona virus

scholarly journals Using the ICF-CY to Support Inclusive Education in Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiana Okyere ◽  
Catherine Donnelly ◽  
Heather Michelle Aldersey
Keyword(s):  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Children With Disabilities ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
World Health ◽  
International Classification Of Functioning ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The World ◽  
Education In Ghana ◽  
Health Organization

The international classification of functioning, disability, and health for children and youth (ICF-CY) developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) is a framework for understanding concepts of disability specific to children and youth. This framework has been used in countries around the world to support the education of children with disabilities. In this article, we argue that the ICF-CY has the potential to inform and support Ghana’s education system and to improve the implementation of education for children with disabilities, particularly inclusive education, in Ghana. Specifically, we use children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) as an exemplar to examine how the ICF-CY can support inclusive education for children with disabilities within its main components: Body Functions and Structures, Activities and Participation, Environmental Factors, and Personal Factors. Examining the ICF-CY in these areas is significant, as many similar low- and middle-income contexts have yet to adopt the framework and may draw insights and lessons for its significance in educational contexts.

scholarly journals Scientific Certainty in a Time of Uncertainty: Predicting Vulnerability of Canada's First Nations to Pandemic H1N1/09

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Spence ◽  
Jerry P. White
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Indigenous Populations ◽  
World Health ◽  
Director General ◽  
Pandemic H1n1 ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

On June 11, 2009, the Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Margaret Chan, announced that the scientific evidence indicated that the criteria for an influenza pandemic had been met: pandemic H1N1/09 virus, the first in nearly 40 years, was officially upon us. The World Health Organization has estimated that as many as 2 billion or between 15 and 45 percent of the population globally will be infected by the H1N1/09 virus. Scientists and governments have been careful to walk a line between causing mass public fear and ensuring people take the risks seriously. The latest information indicates that the majority of individuals infected with the H1N1/09 virus thus far have suffered mild illness, although very severe and fatal illness have been observed in a small number of cases, even in young and healthy people (World Health Organization 2009c). There is no evidence to date that the virus has mutated to a more virulent or lethal form; however, as we enter the second wave of the pandemic, a significant number of people in countries across the world are susceptible to infection. Most importantly, certain subgroups have been categorized as high risk given the clinical evidence to date. One of these subgroups is Indigenous populations (World Health Organization 2009c).

scholarly journals Edukasi dan Deteksi Dini Komplikasi Kehamilan dengan Pemeriksaan Laboratorium

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-49
Author(s):  
Rochany Septiyaningsih ◽  
Dhiah Dwi Kusumawati ◽  
Frisca Dewi Yunadi ◽  
Septiana Indratmoko
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
World Health ◽  
Maternal Deaths ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Pregnancy And Childbirth ◽  
Delivery Assistance ◽  
The World ◽  
Laboratory Examinations ◽  
Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that maternal mortality worldwide due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth in 2017 is estimated at around 810 cases. Between 2000 and 2017 there was a decline in the ratio of MMR around the world by 38%. WHO also states that 94% of global maternal deaths occur in low and middle income countries. In Indonesia, maternal deaths due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth every year are estimated at 20,000 mothers died from five million births. Delivery assistance by trained health workers in health facilities can be an effort to reduce MMR and IMR. In addition, awareness of pregnant women is also important for the importance of having a pregnancy with a health worker. This community service aims to increase the knowledge of pregnant women about anemia and to detect early pregnancy complications by laboratory examinations. The target of this activity is 15 pregnant women. The dedication activity is conducting educational activities, laboratory examinations in Tambakreja Village, Cilacap Regency. Based on the results of this activity it was concluded that there was an increase in knowledge of pregnant women about anemia and found 2 pregnant women experiencing anemia from 15 pregnant women and urine examination found all negative pregnant women

scholarly journals Simple and adaptable R implementation of WHO/ISH cardiovascular risk charts for all epidemiological subregions of the world

F1000Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 2522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dylan Collins ◽  
Joseph Lee ◽  
Niklas Bobrovitz ◽  
Constantinos Koshiaris ◽  
Alison Ward ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cvd Risk ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
Risk Charts ◽  
Free Open Source

The World Health Organisation and International Society of Hypertension (WHO/ISH) cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment charts have been implemented in many low- and middle-income countries as part of the WHO Package of Essential Non-Communicable Disease (PEN) Interventions for Primary Health Care in Low-Resource settings. Evaluation of the WHO/ISH cardiovascular risk charts and their use is a key priority and since they only exist in paper or PDF formats, we developed a simple R implementation of the charts for all epidemiological subregions of the world. The main strengths of this implementation are that it is built in a free, open-source, coding language with simple syntax, can be modified by the user, and can be used with a standard computer.

To explore the barriers to and facilitators of adolescents in Low-Middle-Income- Countries (LMICs) seeking mental health care: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudha Subhadra Kallakuri ◽  
Pallab K Maulik ◽  
Prachi Kaistha ◽  
Maree Hackett
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Critical Appraisal ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
World Health ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low Middle Income Countries

Abstract Background: Adolescence is a very important transitional phase for an individual as they move from childhood to adulthood. In 2007, the World Health Organization reported that 16% of the global burden of disease and injuries occur among adolescents i.e. those aged between 10 and 19 years, most of them starting by the age of 14 years and usually become serious; if left unrecognised or unattended at that point in time. Several risk factors are associated with increases in the mental health disorders. It is pertinent to promote interventions which teach life skills like regulating one’s emotions, building resilience, and dealing with difficult situations with confidence and strength. This mixed-methods systematic review aims to synthesise best available evidence on the barriers and facilitators to help seeking for mental illnesses among adolescents in Low-Middle-Income Countries Methods and Analyses: The systematic review will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Systematic searches will be carried out in electronic databases like PubMed,EMBASE, PsychINFO, Sociofile, CINAHL to identify studies relevant to the review question. At the first stage, titles and abstracts of articles retrieved through the searches will be examined against the eligibility criteria. The second stage will involve independent full-text screening of included articles by two reviewers. All qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method research studies which explicitly answer the research questions will be considered in this review. Methodological appraisal (Risk of Bias) will be conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute's standardized critical appraisal tools or other standardized critical appraisal tools contingent on the study design by two reviewers. Data will be extracted on the aims/purpose, study design, geographical location, study population, study duration, interventions (if applicable) outcomes, and results of included studies. Data analyses will be conducted using the convergent approach to analysis of mixed methods research using JBI guidance. Discussion: The research will help to identify gaps in knowledge and generate evidence for health departments to look more specifically at the mental health of adolescents and challenges of addressing them. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO: CRD42020214349

scholarly journals Functional gender differences in autism: An international, multidisciplinary expert survey using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health model

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 136236132097531
Author(s):  
Karl Lundin ◽  
Soheil Mahdi ◽  
Johan Isaksson ◽  
Sven Bölte
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
High Income ◽  
International Classification ◽  
World Health ◽  
International Classification Of Functioning ◽  
Disability And Health ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Few studies have addressed gender differences in autism in relation to functioning and across cultures. We aimed to explore functional gender differences in autism from a multidisciplinary, global perspective using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Perceptions among professionals in high-income countries and middle-income countries were examined based on qualitative survey data from N = 225 professionals. Of these, n = 131 professionals provided information on functional gender differences in autism. Thirty-two professionals reported perceiving no gender differences. Remaining respondents ( n = 99)—representing 31 countries, all World Health Organization regions, and 10 different professions—were included in a content analysis on functional gender differences, which generated three main categories and 13 subcategories. The subcategories were subsequently linked to International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health categories. Autistic males were described as displaying more externalizing behaviors, and females as having more internalizing problems and being more socially motivated. Thirty-two International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health categories were identified, of which 31 were covered by the comprehensive Core Set for autism. Gender differences in core symptoms and co-existing problems were acknowledged by professionals from both high-income countries and middle-income countries, while differences in social behaviors, including camouflaging, were more frequently described by experts from high-income countries. Lay abstract In this study, we explored if professionals working with autistic people in different regions of the world perceive differences between females and males diagnosed with the condition. A total of 131 professionals responded to a survey that included an open question about gender differences in autism. Of these, 32 responded that they do not perceive gender differences in autism. The information provided by the other 99 experts was analyzed to identify common patterns. Three main differences were found, (1) Matching the clinical conceptualization of autism where professionals described differences in core symptoms of autism, and that autistic females were less similar to the conceptualization of autism. In (2) Co-existing problems, professionals described that autistic males display more apparent problems including hyperactivity, while autistic females were perceived as having more internalizing issues such as anxiety and eating disorders. In the last category, (3) Navigating the social environment, experts perceived autistic females as more socially motivated, and more inclined to camouflage social difficulties, making their challenges less evident. Professionals also perceived differences in the social environment, for example, that autistic girls receive more support from their peers while autistic boys are more often bullied. Our results suggest that professionals working in different parts of the world acknowledge gender differences in autism, but also that there might be some regional differences. Finally, we found that gender differences reported by the international professionals could largely be assessed with a shortened version of the International Classification of Functioning by the World Health Organization, specifically developed for autism.

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