scholarly journals What agro-input dealers know, sell and say to smallholder farmers about pesticides: a mystery shopping and KAP analysis in Uganda

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Staudacher ◽  
Curdin Brugger ◽  
Mirko S. Winkler ◽  
Christian Stamm ◽  
Andrea Farnham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Safety Information ◽  
World Health ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Mystery Shopping ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Mystery Shoppers ◽  
Western Uganda

Abstract Background Pesticides can have negative effects on human and environmental health, especially when not handled as intended. In many countries, agro-input dealers sell pesticides to smallholder farmers and are supposed to provide recommendations on application and handling. This study investigates the role of agro-input dealers in transmitting safety information from chemical manufacturers to smallholder farmers, assesses the safety of their shops, what products they sell, and how agro-input dealers abide by laws and recommendations on best practices for preventing pesticide risk situations. Methods Applying a mixed-methods approach, we studied agro-input dealers in Central and Western Uganda. Structured questionnaires were applied to understand agro-input dealers’ knowledge, attitude and practices on pesticides (n = 402). Shop layout (n = 392) and sales interaction (n = 236) were assessed through observations. Actual behavior of agro-input dealers when selling pesticides was revealed through mystery shopping with local farmers buying pesticides (n = 94). Results While 97.0% of agro-input dealers considered advising customers their responsibility, only 26.6% of mystery shoppers received any advice from agro-input dealers when buying pesticides. 53.2% of products purchased were officially recommended. Sales interactions focused mainly on product choice and price. Agro-input dealers showed limited understanding of labels and active ingredients. Moreover, 25.0% of shops were selling repackaged products, while 10.5% sold unmarked or unlabeled products. 90.1% of shops were lacking safety equipment. Pesticides of World Health Organization toxicity class I and II were sold most frequently. Awareness of health effects seemed to be high, although agro-input dealers showed incomplete hygiene practices and were lacking infrastructure. One reason for these findings might be that only 55.7% of agro-input dealers held a certificate of competency on safe handling of pesticides and even fewer (5.7%) were able to provide a government-approved up-to-date license. Conclusion The combination of interviews, mystery shopping and observations proved to be useful, allowing the comparison of stated and actual behavior. While agro-input dealers want to sell pesticides and provide the corresponding risk advice, their customers might receive neither the appropriate product nor sufficient advice on proper handling. In light of the expected increase in pesticide use, affordable, accessible and repeated pesticide training and shop inspections are indispensable.

Healthcare Management During a Pandemic: The Other Side of the Coin for the Treatment of Covid-19 Infection

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danila De Vito ◽  
Antonio Fusco ◽  
Caterina Benincasa ◽  
Luca Laghi ◽  
Francesco M. Ceruso
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Systems ◽  
Healthcare Management ◽  
World Health ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Worldwide Population ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health Organization

Background: World Health Organization (WHO) has increasingly improved the guidelines to tackle the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) among the worldwide population. In this context, each country has introduced specific social, healthcare, political and macroeconomic measures to face COVID pandemic locally. Objective: The general aim of this comparative overview is to highlight the most significant effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the main healthcare systems. Also, we critically analyzed the macroeconomic variables and the most promising solutions to improve both healthcare system and its related risk management, taking into specific consideration the most industrialized countries. Method: The main strategy has been built on a renewed concept of the hospital, rebuilding the old concepts of “triage” and “intensive care”. Recently, COVID-19 hospitals have allowed to cater the patients affected by COVID-19. Moreover, the reshaping of several healthcare policies and requirements has led to several positive effects, such as the recruitment of a huge number of human resources in the healthcare systems. Nevertheless, several negative effects have also impacted the communities mostly subjected to infections. Conclusion: Undoubtedly, the national healthcare systems have somehow addressed the people’s needs, trying not to neglect the social, healthcare, economic and political aspects. In our overview, we have reported how the different actions taken in the last months, have resulted in different outcomes.

scholarly journals The health effects of quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic

Work ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 523-527
Author(s):  
Maryam Feiz Arefi ◽  
Amin Babaei-Pouya ◽  
Mohsen Poursadeqiyan
Keyword(s):  
Health Effects ◽  
World Health ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Social Hygiene ◽  
Social Communications ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Made In

BACKGROUND: Quarantine is considered as an effective solution in the early stages of an epidemic. In the case of the coronavirus epidemic, quarantine was also recommended and implemented as a significant guideline to prevent the disease. However, despite the benefits of quarantine, there are also complications and problems. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to investigate the health effects of quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This study was conducted as a literature review through searching the databases Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct for papers published before July 2020. The research was conducted based on the keywords “Coronavirus,” “COVID-19,” and “quarantine.” The references of the papers were also reviewed to find the ones not found in the databases. The guidelines published by reputable organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were used in this study. RESULTS: Although quarantine is applied as an important and primary solution in the outbreak of epidemics, in cases of pandemics, it may not be free of negative effects on individuals and public health. However, because of the need to reopen and restart social and economic activities, some changes should be made in lifestyles and work activities. Using cyberspace and telework can be helpful. As the findings showed, COVID-19 bubbles can be used to restore social communications. CONCLUSION: Using masks, avoiding unnecessary gatherings, complying with personal and social hygiene, and respecting social distancing can be valuable solutions that, if implemented properly, can decrease the rate of the disease significantly. It is also emphasized that quarantine is still necessary and important as the best solution for sick people and individuals who are suspected carriers of the disease.

scholarly journals Pathways to clean hands: highlights of successful hand hygiene implementation strategies in Europe

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
A P Magiorakos ◽  
E Leens ◽  
V Drouvot ◽  
L May-Michelangeli ◽  
C Reichardt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
World Health ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Governmental Support ◽  
Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Healthcare Associated

Hand hygiene is the most effective way to stop the spread of microorganisms and to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAI). The World Health Organization launched the First Global Patient Safety Challenge - Clean Care is Safer Care - in 2005 with the goal to prevent HAI globally. This year, on 5 May, the WHO’s initiative SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands, which focuses on increasing awareness of and improving compliance with hand hygiene practices, celebrated its second global day. In this article, four Member States of the European Union describe strategies that were implemented as part of their national hand hygiene campaigns and were found to be noteworthy. The strategies were: governmental support, the use of indicators for hand hygiene benchmarking, developing national surveillance systems for auditing alcohol-based hand rub consumption, ensuring seamless coordination of processes between health regions in countries with regionalised healthcare systems, implementing the WHO's My Five Moments for Hand Hygiene, and auditing of hand hygiene compliance.

scholarly journals ДІАЛЕКТИКА ФОРМИ ТА ЗМІСТУ ЗДОРОВ’ЯЗБЕРЕЖУВАЛЬНОЇ АКТИВНОСТІ СОЦІАЛЬНИХ СУБ’ЄКТІВ В УМОВАХ СУСПІЛЬСТВА СПОЖИВАННЯ

2020 ◽  
pp. 72-79
Author(s):  
Добридень Оксана
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Personal Responsibility ◽  
World Health ◽  
Consumer Society ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Holistic Vision

According to the World Health Organization, the major health threats to the planet’s population are air pollution, non-infection diseases, vaccine refusal, antibiotic resistance, etc. Taking into account the whole complexity of the systemic links in the range of these issues, the discussion intensity on health will continue. That’s why, there’s no wonder the safety of human life as a whole and the philosophical reflection on the phenomenon of health are the subject of critical analysis of many modern researchers.The extent, to which a social subject’s health-preserving activity is effective, depends on a number of factors. The end result of health preserving activity is determined not only by the mental and volitional qualities of the person who puts it into practice. It is also a matter of the dialectical interaction of form and content of a personality’s health preserving culture, without which it is impossible to imagine a holistic vision of this problem under the current conditions.Health preserving activity of a social subject under the contemporary consumerism acquires specific features, the form and content of which are predetermined by traditional social practices that are inherent in a society of over-consumption.It is of utmost importance for every educated person to understand the real state of affairs in the interconnections between the elements of such complex mechanisms as a consumer society and health preservation. It means that the power of negative effects on the individual is being significantly increased, because it is not about demonstrating expenses on unnecessary clothes and accessories, which will harm only the consumer’s wallet, but about expending on health-preservation drugs, products and procedures. That is, the vitality of the human biological organism and the duration of their life are crucial.Personal responsibility to care about your own health will always go hand in hand with critical reflection on the information. Both personal responsibility and critical thinking are based on education. The more educated a person is, the greater his or her vitality and readiness to meet the challenges of today are.Thus, as a result of the lack or the absence of competent information on contents, false origin and consequences of the consumption of preparations, foods, goods and procedures, the content of the health-preserving activity is being distorted, and the form, while preserving external segments, becomes illusory in its essence.

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 on Tourism: A Case Study of Lumbini, Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-43
Author(s):  
Bhim Bahadur Kunwar
Keyword(s):  
Tourism Industry ◽  
World Health ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
The World ◽  
Global Tourism ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

This research aims to discover and present the impacts of COVID-19 in tourism in the context of Lumbini and its premises. As COVID-19 spread globally, it has created many challenges in health and security, daily lives, the national economy, and the global tourism industry. The COVID-19 outbreak has been considered as the most challenging tragedy that occurred in the world after the 2nd world war. The World Health Organization (WHO) had listed Nepal also as a country with a high-risk zone of COVID-19.The travel restriction and nationwide lock-down implemented by many countries including Nepal have resulted in a stranded traveler’s movement. As the consequences ticket reservation, flight services, transportation, hotel, and restaurants were closed and several job losses were registered in the tourism sector. The negative effects like fear, threat, frustration, and losing the confidence of tourism entrepreneurs appeared. This has brought changes in the tourists’ behavior and their motivation to travel for the next few years. In Lumbini businesses like lodges, hotels, restaurants, and travel offices were also severely affected by the pandemic. Thus, the tourism sector has been facing serious threats due to the prolonged lockdown and closing of tourism activities than the terror of COVID-19 itself.

scholarly journals Coronavirus disease 2019 and future pandemics: Impacts on livestock health and production and possible mitigation measures

2021 ◽  
pp. 2434-2443
Author(s):  
Md. Hakimul Haque ◽  
Md. Aminul Islam ◽  
Md. Rezaul Karim ◽  
Mohammad Enamul Hoque Kayesh ◽  
Subir Sarker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Car Industry ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Integrated Pest Control

The World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic on March 11, 2020. COVID-19, the current global health emergency, is wreaking havoc on human health systems and, to a lesser degree, on animals globally. The outbreak has continued since the first report of COVID-19 in China in December 2019, and the second and third waves of the outbreak have already begun in several countries. COVID-19 is expected to have adverse effects on crop production, food security, integrated pest control, tourism, the car industry, and other sectors of the global economy. COVID-19 induces a range of effects in livestock that is reflected economically since human health and livelihood are intertwined with animal health. We summarize the potentially harmful effects of COVID-19 on livestock and possible mitigation steps in response to this global outbreak. Mitigation of the negative effects of COVID-19 and future pandemics on livestock requires the implementation of current guidelines.

scholarly journals Breast Medical Oncology in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (S1) ◽  
pp. 187-190
Author(s):  
Rania Chacha ◽  
Said Afqir
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
World Health ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Infected People ◽  
Cancer Management ◽  
Breast Cancer Management ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Working Groups ◽  
Health Organization

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread over the majority of countries and it was declared as a pandemic on March 11th, 2020 by The World Health Organization. The number of infected people worldwide is still in progress. Patients diagnosed with cancer are a fragile population because of their chronic disease and related treatments, and therefore, requiring a particular management. Several international initiatives from scientific societies and working groups have provided updated guidance to improve the medical treatments of breast cancer. These recommendations aimed to mitigate the negative effects of this outbreak on prevention, diagnosis, and treatments. Notably, this should be used for prioritizing the various aspects of cancer care particularly breast cancer patients’ safety. In this editorial, we shortly review the current guidelines for breast cancer management during this pandemic and illustrate the available treatments that should be prioritized. We believe this paper will be useful for young oncologists and physicians dealing with this emerging life-threatening disease.

scholarly journals Physicochemical and Microbiological Assessment of Drinking Water in Kari Estate Bauchi Nigeria

2020 ◽  
pp. 12-17
Author(s):  
Muhammad M Abubakar ◽  
Ibrahim Khalil Abubakar
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Physicochemical Analysis ◽  
World Health ◽  
Total Hardness ◽  
Faecal Coliforms ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Industrial Standards

Some sources of drinking water in Kari Estate in Bauchi Metropolis were analyzed for physicochemical contents and coliform contamination. A total of five samples were collected from different sources as follows: 2 sachets water, 2 wells, and tap water. The physicochemical analysis included the determinations of temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, turbidity, colour, suspended solids, odour, taste, total hardness, iron, nitrate, nitirite, manganese, ammonia, fluoride and cyanide. The two wells had total coliforms of 6 and 10 and faecal coliforms of 4 and 5 respectively. Tap water had total and faecal coliforms of 7 and 3 respectively. E. coli were identified in the samples from wells while Bacillus sp. were found in the tap water. Although the physicochemical contents of the samples were normal range, coliform counts of the wells and tap water were above those set by the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Presence coliforms above the standards indicates contamination and that the water may be unsafe for drinking. The presence of E. coli suggests that improvement in monitoring and water hygiene practices should be employed to improve the drinking water quality.

scholarly journals Adverse ocular events on miltefosine treatment for post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis in India

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suman Saurabh ◽  
Manish Mahabir
Keyword(s):  
Safety Information ◽  
Corneal Transplantation ◽  
Case Series ◽  
World Health ◽  
Uppsala Monitoring Centre ◽  
Corneal Ulceration ◽  
Monitoring Centre ◽  
Kala Azar ◽  
Primary Health Centres ◽  
Health Organization

A 12-week course of miltefosine (MF) is recommended in India for the treatment of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL). We report a case series of four patients with PKDL, across three districts of Bihar state, who developed eye complications during treatment. They presented with acute scleritis and corneal infiltration with or without corneal ulceration. One patient solely with corneal infiltration recovered completely. The three others with corneal ulceration healed with corneal opacificity. One patient with bilateral eye involvement underwent corneal transplantation to prevent blindness. All adverse events were graded as certain using the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre causality assessment scale. There is need to counsel patients regarding possible adverse ocular events during MF treatment, to expand pharmacovigilance to all primary health centres in kala-azar endemic areas, and to update drug safety information considering the emerging evidence.

scholarly journals Pyrethroids: How They Affect Human and Animal Health?

Medicina ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 582
Author(s):  
Iga Hołyńska-Iwan ◽  
Karolina Szewczyk-Golec
Keyword(s):  
Public Awareness ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
The Body ◽  
World Health ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Voltage Gated Sodium Channels ◽  
Influence Activities ◽  
Virus Zika ◽  
Health Organization

Pyrethroids are pesticides commonly used in crop protection; in the forestry, wood, and textile industries; as well as in medicine and veterinary medicine to treat parasitic crustacean infestations. They have been found to be relatively safe for humans and animals. Pyrethroids are recommended for personal protection against malaria and virus Zika by the World Health Organization. Pyrethroids act on voltage-gated sodium channels, which cause an influx of sodium ions into the nerve cells and permanent depolarization. They also influence activities of enzymes, especially in nerve and liver cells. Contact of pyrethroids with the skin, digestive tract, and respiratory tract results in their penetration into the body. Due to the importance of the subject, a summary of the current state of knowledge on the toxic effects of pyrethroids was presented in the comprehensive review by Chrustek et al, published in journal Medicina. Particular attention was paid to nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, cardiotoxic, immunotoxic, neurotoxic, and behavioral effects of pyrethroids on human and animal bodies. It could be added that pyrethroids generate oxidative stress, which modifies DNA, RNA, protein, lipid and carbohydrate molecules. However, public awareness of the possible negative effects of the use of insecticides is still low. Further research should be carried out to clarify the molecular basis of the pathomechanism of pyrethroid detrimental action. Proper dissemination of the results seems to be of first importance for public health.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document