scholarly journals Analysis and simulation of a mathematical model of tuberculosis transmission in Democratic Republic of the Congo

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Selain Kasereka Kabunga ◽  
Emile F. Doungmo Goufo ◽  
Vinh Ho Tuong
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
World Health ◽  
Tuberculosis Transmission ◽  
Modeling Analysis ◽  
The World ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Lost To Follow Up

AbstractAccording to the World Health Organization reports, tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the top 10 deadly diseases of recent decades in the world. In this paper, we present the modeling, analysis and simulation of a mathematical model of TB transmission in a population incorporating several factors and study their impact on the disease dynamics. The spread of TB is modeled by eight compartments including different groups, which are too often not taken into account in the projections of tuberculosis incidence. The rigorous mathematical analysis of this model is provided, the basic reproduction number ($\mathcal{R}_{0}$ R 0 ) is obtained and used for TB dynamics control. The results obtained show that lost to follow-up and transferred individuals constitute a risk, but less than the cases carrying germs. Rapidly evolving latent/exposed cases are responsible for the incidence increasing in the short and medium term, while slower evolving latent/exposed cases will be responsible for the persistent long-term incidence and maintenance of TB and delay elimination in the population. The numerical simulations of the model show that, with certain parameters, TB will die out or sensibly reduce in the entire Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) population. The strategies on which the DRC’s health system is currently based to fight this disease show their weaknesses because the TB situation in the DRC remains endemic. But monitoring contact, detection of latent individuals and their treatment are actions to be taken to reduce the incidence of the disease and thus effectively control it in the population.

scholarly journals Psychometric validation of the Chinese version of the PaArticular Scales among elderly residents in long-term care facilities with joint contractures

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-chang Chen ◽  
Keh-chung Lin ◽  
Chen-Jung Chen ◽  
Shu-Hui Yeh ◽  
Ay-Woan Pan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Chinese Version ◽  
World Health ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Joint Contractures ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Background Joint contractures, which affect activity, participation, and quality of life, are common complications of neurological conditions among elderly residents in long-term care facilities. This study examined the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the PaArticular Scales in a population with joint contractures. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used. The sample included elderly residents older than 64 years with joint contractures in an important joint who had lived at one of 12 long-term care facilities in Taiwan for more than 6 months (N = 243). The Chinese version of the PaArticular Scales for joint contractures was generated from the English version through five stages: translation, review, back-translation, review by a panel of specialists, and a pretest. Test-retest reliability, internal consistency reliability, construct validity, and criterion validity were evaluated, and the results were compared with those for the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule. Results The Chinese version of the PaArticular Scales had excellent reliability, with a Cronbach α coefficient of 0.975 (mean score, 28.98; standard deviation, 17.34). An exploratory factor analysis showed three factors and one factor with an eigenvalue > 1 that explained 75.176 and 62.83 % of the total variance in the Activity subscale and Participation subscale, respectively. The subscale-to-total scale correlation analysis showed Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.881 for the Activity subscale and 0.843 for the Participation subscale. Pearson’s product-moment correlation revealed that the correlation coefficient (r) between the Chinese version of the PaArticular Scales and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule was 0.770, whereas that for the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale was − 0.553; these values were interpreted as large coefficients. Conclusions The underlying theoretical model of the Chinese version of the PaArticular Scales functions well in Taiwan and has acceptable levels of reliability and validity. However, the Chinese version must be further tested for applicability and generalizability in future studies, preferably with a larger sample and in different clinical domains.

scholarly journals Coronavirus Pandemic: Coping with the Psychological Outcomes, Mental Changes, and the “New Normal” During and After COVID-19

2020 ◽  
pp. 07-19
Author(s):  
Hiba Takieddine ◽  
Samaa AL Tabbah
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
New Normal ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly infectious disease that has rapidly swept across the world, inducing a considerable degree of fear, worry and concern in the population at large and among certain groups in particular, such as older adults, healthcare providers and people with underlying health conditions. Authorities around the world tried to prevent the virus spread by imposing social distancing measures, quarantining citizens and isolating infected persons. Apart from its physical impact, COVID-19 pandemic has brought numerous changes to people’s lives. It changed daily routines, caused worldwide economic crisis, increased unemployment, and placed people under emotional and financial pressures. It affected people psychologically and mentally especially in terms of emotions and cognition. During the acute crisis, everyone to varying degrees experienced fear of infection, somatic concerns, worries about the pandemic’s consequences, loneliness, depression, stress, as well as increased alcohol and drug use. As part of its public health response, the World Health Organization (WHO) has worked with partners to develop a set of new guidelines and messages that can be used to prevent, manage, and support mental and psychological well-being in different vulnerable target groups during the outbreak. Whether people like it or not, the psychological sequela of this pandemic will emerge and persist for months and years to come leading to long-term consequences. New lifestyles and “New Normals” will surely emerge. The main purpose of this review is to summarize the impact of coronavirus pandemic on the psychological and mental health of people around the world especially vulnerable groups. It also presents the relevant intervention actions and recommendations to cope efficiently and effectively with the psychological short-term and long-term outcomes, mental changes, and the “New Normal” during and after COVID-19. Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus, Psychological; Mental; New Normal

scholarly journals A review of post infectious pulmonary fibrosis in the era of COVID-19 and potential treatment options

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (40) ◽  
pp. 37-46
Author(s):  
Medha Ghose ◽  
Maehali Patel
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
World Health ◽  
Potential Treatment ◽  
Pulmonary Injury ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Post Infectious

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement characterizing COVID-19 as a pandemic that has, as of October 2020, caused almost 36 million confirmed global cases and over 1 million deaths. One of the long-term complications suggested by researchers is fibrosis. It has been hypothesized that the combination of ongoing pulmonary injury caused by COVID-19 and the inability to promptly repair damage results in interstitial matrix widening and eventual compression and destruction of alveoli and capillaries. Here we focus on pathogenesis, risk factors, different infectious causes of fibrosis along with COVID-19, and potential treatment options that might reduce its effects. Key words: COVID-19, pulmonary fibrosis, mechanism, treatment

scholarly journals Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Gabon and the Republic of Congo

2002 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A C de Benoist
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
Haemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
The World ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Health Organization

As of 1 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 32 cases of Ebola haemorrhagic fever, including 23 deaths, in Gabon and the Republic of the Congo (1). Fifteen cases have been laboratory confirmed, and 17 have been linked epidemiologically. Twenty of the cases were detected in Gabon and 12 in the neighbouring villages of the Republic of Congo. An additional seven suspected cases in Gabon and two suspected cases in the Republic of Congo are under investigation.

scholarly journals Neonatal COVID-19: a clinical case report from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serge ZIGABE ◽  
Etienne Kajibwami ◽  
Guy-Quesney Mateso ◽  
Benjamin Ntaligeza
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Clinical Case ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
World Health ◽  
Wuhan City ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract COVID-19 started as a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan City, the Province of Hubei, China, in December 2019. It spread to many regions of China, outside of China and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11th, 2020. Initially Africa had no case and now the continent is reporting an increasing number of confirmed cases in an exponential manner (1,2).

scholarly journals Beyond the List: Bioagent-Agnostic Signatures Could Enable a More Flexible and Resilient Biodefense Posture Than an Approach Based on Priority Agent Lists Alone

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1497
Author(s):  
Owen P. Leiser ◽  
Errett C. Hobbs ◽  
Amy C. Sims ◽  
George W. Korch ◽  
Karen L. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Research Community ◽  
Interdisciplinary Teams ◽  
World Health ◽  
Biological Warfare ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Data Analytic ◽  
Current List ◽  
Great Harm

As of 2021, the biothreat policy and research communities organize their efforts around lists of priority agents, which elides consideration of novel pathogens and biotoxins. For example, the Select Agents and Toxins list is composed of agents that historic biological warfare programs had weaponized or that have previously caused great harm during natural outbreaks. Similarly, lists of priority agents promulgated by the World Health Organization and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases are composed of previously known pathogens and biotoxins. To fill this gap, we argue that the research/scientific and biodefense/biosecurity communities should categorize agents based on how they impact their hosts to augment current list-based paradigms. Specifically, we propose integrating the results of multi-omics studies to identify bioagent-agnostic signatures (BASs) of disease—namely, patterns of biomarkers that accurately and reproducibly predict the impacts of infection or intoxication without prior knowledge of the causative agent. Here, we highlight three pathways that investigators might exploit as sources of signals to construct BASs and their applicability to this framework. The research community will need to forge robust interdisciplinary teams to surmount substantial experimental, technical, and data analytic challenges that stand in the way of our long-term vision. However, if successful, our functionality-based BAS model could present a means to more effectively surveil for and treat known and novel agents alike.

The Ebola Outbreak inthe DRC

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 3-4
Author(s):  
Paulo Jose Lumicao ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
World Health ◽  
Director General ◽  
Local Response ◽  
Global Response ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Recent Outbreak ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
North Kivu

A recent outbreak of Ebola starting in August 2018 has spread rapidly in North Kivu and Ituri, north-eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This is the tenth outbreak in forty years. Nevertheless, Tedros Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), recently stated that the outbreak is not yet a “public health emergency of inter- national concern.” Declaring such an emergency would trigger “a response across the United Nations, mobilizing multiple agencies, funding, and personnel . . . the sort of global response that belatedly resolved the [Ebola] epidemics in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea in 2014 and 2015.” Instead, the WHO and its partners are working with the DRC Ministry of Health to mount a more local response.

Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup (GCIG) Consensus Review for Ovarian Small Cell Cancers

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (Supp 3) ◽  
pp. S30-S34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Simon Reed ◽  
Patricia Pautier ◽  
Elizabeth Åvall-Lundqvist ◽  
Chel-Hun Choi ◽  
Andreas du Bois ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Poor Prognosis ◽  
Gynecologic Cancer ◽  
Small Cell ◽  
World Health ◽  
Ovarian Cancers ◽  
The World ◽  
Aggressive Tumors ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Long Term Survivors

AbstractSmall cell carcinomas of the ovary are uncommon and account for less than 1% of ovarian cancers. They were first recognized in 1979, and a number of reports appeared during the next 2 decades. They are highly aggressive tumors and usually carry a poor prognosis, although this may reflect that most are diagnosed at advanced stage; however, those diagnosed as stage 1A have only 30% to 40% of long-term survivors. More reports followed extending our experience in the diagnosis and management of these rare cancers. The classification is described below and shown in Table 1, but a revision is expected to be published from the World Health Organization in 2014.

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