scholarly journals The Role of African Nurse Diaspora in Addressing Public Health Priorities in Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 233339362110315
Author(s):  
Mabel Ezeonwu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Priorities ◽  
Collaborative Partnerships ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Global Health Policy ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
Multi Stakeholder ◽  
Global Stakeholders

African countries experience many complex public health challenges that, to tackle, require coordinated, multi-stakeholder, collaborative partnerships at local and global levels. The African nurse diaspora is a strategic stakeholder, contributor, and liaison to public health interventions, given their roots in the continent, their professional connections in the west, and their ability to build an extensive network of global partners. Using a descriptive qualitative approach that amplifies the voices of the Africa nurse diaspora, this study provides an insider view of the continent’s public health priorities and what roles the diaspora can play to improve health and population outcomes. Findings show that Africa’s high disease burden is generally preventable but compounded by enduring socioeconomic challenges. Against this situation, African-born nurses in the diaspora are uniquely positioned to mobilize both local and global stakeholders in coordinated global health policy interventions and actively engage communities in preventive care while earning their trust.

scholarly journals 26.A. Workshop: Assessing the role of policies and actions to address childhood obesity

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Stakeholder Engagement ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Policy Options ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Relevant Evidence ◽  
Multi Stakeholder ◽  
The Impact

Abstract   Childhood obesity has grown to become one of the most dramatic features of the global obesity epidemic, with long-term consequences. The spread of obesity has been fueled by changes in social norms and living environments that have shaped individual behaviours making them conducive to excessive and imbalanced nutrition, sedentary lifestyles, and ultimately obesity and associated diseases. The STOP project will aim to generate scientifically sound, novel and policy-relevant evidence on the factors that have contributed to the spread of childhood obesity in European countries and on the effects of alternative technological and organisational solutions and policy options available to address the problem. STOP will translate the evidence gathered and generated into indicators and measurements, policy briefs and toolkits and multi-stakeholder frameworks. A special focus of STOP is understanding the stakeholders' networks and drivers of stakeholders' action. STOP will establish new ways for policy-relevant evidence to be generated, made available and used in the design and implementation of effective and sustainable solutions for childhood obesity at the EU, national and local levels. Each of the policy work packages will: Produce evidence syntheses and impact simulations for different policy approaches;Assess selected policy approaches and actions in children cohorts and other relevant settings;Devise policy toolkits and policy guidance to support the adoption and implementation of specific actions by relevant actors;Establish a country-based European accountability and monitoring framework in each policy area. The workshop aims to: Showcase the impact of different policy options evaluated throughout the STOP project;Increase participants' understanding and awareness of the opportunities and challenges associated with the implementation of selected policies;Increase awareness of public health professionals of the importance of overcoming siloes in identifying and implementing public health policies;Increase the understanding of multi-stakeholder engagement. The discussion will explore the role of stakeholders across different policy areas. We will explore the different definitions of “stakeholders” and “multi-stakeholders” engagement. This will also be an opportunity to explore some of the benefits, risks and challenges around stakeholder engagement, and explore what are the different types of stakeholders involved in these policies as well as their roles. The workshop will offer an opportunity to: Inform participants about existing physical activity, regulatory and fiscal policies to address childhood obesity;Inform participants about new, innovative EU-level projects that aim to address childhood obesity;Outline preliminary findings of the STOP project with regards to the effectiveness of the evaluated policies;Identify some of the gaps and limitations of existing policies and discuss some of the steps to ensure successful policy implementation. Key messages Present new evidence on what policy approaches work in addressing key determinants of childhood obesity. Showcase findings on the attitudes of different stakeholders towards obesity policies, and debate the benefits, risks and challenges of multi-stakeholder engagement.

scholarly journals A Review of the Public Health Challenges of Salmonella and Turtles

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Hamid Reza Sodagari ◽  
Ihab Habib ◽  
Majedeh Pakzad Shahabi ◽  
Narelle A. Dybing ◽  
Penghao Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Animal Origin ◽  
Indirect Contact ◽  
Children Under Five ◽  
The Public ◽  
Under Five ◽  
Human Salmonellosis ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
Client Education

Non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars are recognized as zoonotic pathogens. Although human salmonellosis is frequently associated with ingestion of contaminated foods of animal origin, contact with animals may also be a significant source of Salmonella infection, especially contact with turtles, which have shown to be an important reservoir of Salmonella, specifically through their intestinal tracts. Turtles are among the most common reptiles kept as house pets that may pose a public health risk associated with Salmonella exposure, especially among infants and young children. This review discusses the literature reporting the link between turtles and Salmonella as well as turtle-associated human salmonellosis in the last ten years. In most outbreaks, a high proportion of patients are children under five years of age, which indicates that children are at the greatest risk of turtle-associated salmonellosis. Therefore, turtles should not be preferred as recommended pets for children under five years of age. Reducing turtle stress to minimise Salmonella shedding as well as providing client education handouts at the points of sale of these animals may reduce the risk of transmitting such significant pathogen to humans. Further studies are required to investigate the role of both direct contact with turtles as well as indirect contact through cross-contamination in the transmission of turtles-associated Salmonella to humans.

scholarly journals ROLE OF MANSIK BHAVAS ON IMMUNITY W.S.R. TO COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1322-1327
Author(s):  
Sanjay Kumar Bhatnagar ◽  
Rajesh Kumar Sharma ◽  
Dinesh Chandra Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
The World ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

The world was confronted with an illness 'COVID-19', caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. This novel coronavirus is highly contagious and in just a few months has become a serious threat to human health all over the world. It was declared as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the end of January 2020 and a pandemic in March 2020. In addition to the public health challenges, this pandemic has created another parallel pandemic of mental health problems. There are many relations of doing panic and getting the disease and the pos- sibility of Mansik Bhavas like fear (Bhaya), anger (Krodha), grief (Shoka) and not follow Sadvrutta can be the cause or precipitating factor of infection to any person. Ayurveda and modern point of view agree to the statement that different Mansik Bhavas like Bhaya, Krodha, Shoka and not follow Sadvrutta etc. can lead to or can act as Hetu for many diseases like COVID-19 etc. and hence there is the existence of a relation between these Mansik Bhavas and Vyadhi Utpatti. Furthermore, the existing mental health problems have also been seen to exacerbate owing to this pandemic. The mental health problems are both seen among the community members and the healthcare pro- viders who are at the continuous forefront of service provision in healthcare settings. The best way of preventing COVID-19 infection is by enhancing an individual's body immunity. Some of the principles could be useful in mitigating the mental health issues that the current world is grappling with owing to COVID‐19. In this review article, we will understand the Role of Mansik Bhavas on immunity to COVID-19 with different references given in Ayurvedic texts, modern texts and articles. Keywords: Ayurveda, COVID-19, Mansik bhavas (Bhaya, Krodha, Shoka and Sadvrutta), Immunity.

scholarly journals ROLE OF MANSIK BHAVAS ON IMMUNITY W.S.R. TO COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol p5 (5) ◽  
pp. 2976-2981
Author(s):  
Sanjay Kumar Bhatnagar ◽  
Rajesh Kumar Sharma ◽  
Dinesh Chandra Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
The World ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

The world was confronted with an illness 'COVID-19', caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. This novel coronavirus is highly contagious and in just a few months has become a serious threat to human health all over the world. It was declared as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the end of January 2020 and a pandemic in March 2020. In addition to the public health challenges, this pandemic has created another parallel pandemic of mental health problems. There are many relations of doing panic and getting the disease and the pos- sibility of Mansik Bhavas like fear (Bhaya), anger (Krodha), grief (Shoka) and not follow Sadvrutta can be the cause or precipitating factor of infection to any person. Ayurveda and modern point of view agree to the statement that different Mansik Bhavas like Bhaya, Krodha, Shoka and not follow Sadvrutta etc. can lead to or can act as Hetu for many diseases like COVID-19 etc. and hence there is the existence of a relation between these Mansik Bhavas and Vyadhi Utpatti. Furthermore, the existing mental health problems have also been seen to exacerbate owing to this pandemic. The mental health problems are both seen among the community members and the healthcare pro- viders who are at the continuous forefront of service provision in healthcare settings. The best way of preventing COVID-19 infection is by enhancing an individual's body immunity. Some of the principles could be useful in mitigating the mental health issues that the current world is grappling with owing to COVID‐19. In this review article, we will understand the Role of Mansik Bhavas on immunity to COVID-19 with different references given in Ayurvedic texts, modern texts and articles. Keywords: Ayurveda, COVID-19, Mansik bhavas (Bhaya, Krodha, Shoka and Sadvrutta), Immunity.

scholarly journals African countries established COVID-19 testing in one month: Here’s how they did it

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Amukele ◽  
Ryland N. Spence
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Success Story ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Health Organization

Background: As a novel and deadly acute respiratory syndrome, which later became known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), spread beyond China in late January 2020, there were no laboratories in Africa that could test for the disease. However, in early March, just over a month later, 42 African countries had developed the expertise and resources to perform COVID-19 testing. Our goal was to document this public health success story, learn from it, and use it to inform future public health action.Intervention: Three groups were primarily responsible for establishing COVID-19 testing capacity in Africa. The first group comprised early test manufacturers who reacted with incredible speed and ingenuity early in the pandemic, such as the German company TIB MolBiol that developed a molecular test for COVID-19 before the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence was available. The second group included private and public donors such as the Jack Ma Foundation, and the last were the coordinators of the rollout, such as the World Health Organization and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Lessons learnt: The first lesson was that speed is critical, especially during a crisis. It was also demonstrated that being a predictable and transparent trusted institution opens doors and improves effectiveness. Africa CDC, which was only three years old, was able to secure significant resources from external partners and rapidly build substantial testing capacity within Africa because it is a trusted institution.Recommendations: Low- and middle-income countries must build local trusted institutions to better prepare for public health challenges.

The Impact of State and Territorial Public Health Policy: Interventions to Prevent Opioid Misuse and Addiction

2019 ◽  
pp. 425-444
Author(s):  
Michael R. Fraser ◽  
Philicia Tucker ◽  
Jay C. Butler
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Primary Prevention ◽  
Public Health Policy ◽  
Collaborative Approach ◽  
Opioid Misuse ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
The Impact

This chapter outlines the powerful role of state health officials in the policy process, illustrated by the collaborative approach to the complex opioids epidemic. The opioid misuse and addiction epidemic has left no segment of the American population untouched. It is important to note that multiple factors have led to the explosive scale and spread of addiction to prescription and illicit opioids. The combination of tertiary, secondary, and primary prevention programs and the policies that support them are critical. No single policy will comprehensively address the complex issues involved in the current crisis, the chapter argues, but more work in the area of primary prevention is greatly needed. A comprehensive approach that utilizes evidence-based approaches to primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention are critical. The chapter concludes that the complexity of the opioid crisis requires strong clinical and community partnerships to scale and spread successful policy interventions. State and territorial public health officials are committed and well-positioned to lead such efforts in their jurisdictions.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Public Health Priorities and Accountability Among US Mayors

2020 ◽  
pp. 003335492096605
Author(s):  
Luisa Godinez Puig ◽  
Katharine Lusk ◽  
David Glick ◽  
Katherine L. Einstein ◽  
Maxwell Palmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Health Priorities ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Survey Responses

Objective Mayors have considerable and often direct influence over health policy in their cities, yet little is known about mayors’ general perceptions of current public health challenges. The objective of this study was to assess perceptions, attitudes, and priorities related to public health among US mayors. Methods We collected survey data from a nationally representative sample of US mayors (N = 110) in 2018 and matched survey responses with city-level health surveillance data. We conducted descriptive analyses and multivariable regression modeling to estimate associations of interest. Results Mayors in our sample most frequently cited obesity/chronic diseases (23.6%; 26 of 110), opioid abuse/drug addiction (22.7%; 25 of 110), and health care access (13.6%; 15 of 110) as the top health challenges facing their cities. However, mayors identified a different set of health issues for which they believed constituents hold them accountable. With the exception of opioid-related deaths, prevalence of a health concern was not associated with perceived accountability for that particular issue, whereas partisanship and sex predicted patterns in perceived accountability. Conclusions Mayors recognized critical health challenges at the city level but varied widely in their perceived accountability for such challenges. Findings can inform strategies to engage local policy makers in cross-sector collaborations to improve the health and overall well-being of people in cities across the United States.

scholarly journals Lead, Mercury and Cadmium in Fish and Shellfish from the Indian Ocean and Red Sea (African Countries): Public Health Challenges

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isidro José Tamele ◽  
Patricia Vázquez Loureiro
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Quality Control ◽  
Red Sea ◽  
Monitoring And Control ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
The Indian Ocean ◽  
And Control ◽  
Fish And Shellfish

The main aim of this review was to assess the incidence of Pb, Hg and Cd in seafood from African countries on the Indian and the Red Sea coasts and the level of their monitoring and control, where the direct consumption of seafood without quality control are frequently due to the poverty in many African countries. Some seafood from African Indian and the Red Sea coasts such as mollusks and fishes have presented Cd, Pb and Hg concentrations higher than permitted limit by FAOUN/EU regulations, indicating a possible threat to public health. Thus, the operationalization of the heavy metals (HM) monitoring and control is strongly recommended since these countries have laboratories with minimal conditions for HM analysis.

scholarly journals EHealth Investment Appraisal in Africa: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 004695802110599
Author(s):  
Sean C. Broomhead ◽  
Maurice Mars ◽  
Richard E. Scott ◽  
Tom Jones
Keyword(s):  
Digital Health ◽  
Health Priorities ◽  
Economic Evaluations ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Investment Appraisal ◽  
The Face ◽  
Probable Impact

eHealth is an opportunity cost, competing for limited available funds with other health priorities such as clinics, vaccinations, medicines and even salaries. As such, it should be appraised for probable impact prior to allocation of funds. This is especially pertinent as recognition grows for the role of eHealth in attaining Universal Health Coverage. Despite optimism about eHealth’s potential role, in Africa there remain insufficient data and skills for adequate economic appraisals to select optimal investments from numerous competing initiatives. The aim of this review is to identify eHealth investment appraisal approaches and tools that have been used in African countries, describe their characteristics and make recommendations regarding African eHealth investment appraisal in the face of limited data and expertise. Methods: Literature on eHealth investment appraisals conducted in African countries and published between January 1, 2010 and June 30, 2020 was reviewed. Selected papers’ investment appraisal characteristics were assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for economic evaluations and a newly developed Five-Case Model for Digital Health (FCM-DH) checklist for investment appraisal. 5 papers met inclusion criteria. Their assessments revealed important appraisal gaps. In particular, none of the papers addressed risk exposure, affordability, adjustment for optimism bias, clear delivery milestones, practical plans for implementation, change management or procurement, and only 1 paper described plans for building partnerships. Discussion: Using this insight, an extended 5-Case Model is proposed as the foundation of an African eHealth investment appraisal framework. This, combined with building local eHealth appraisal capabilities, may promote optimal eHealth investment decisions, strengthen implementations and improve the number and quality of related publications.

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