scholarly journals Zoonotic disease preparedness in sub-Saharan African countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Linzy Elton ◽  
◽  
Najmul Haider ◽  
Richard Kock ◽  
Margaret J. Thomason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Zoonotic Disease ◽  
Zoonotic Diseases ◽  
World Health ◽  
Neglected Diseases ◽  
Response Team ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Ssa Countries

Abstract Background The emergence of high consequence pathogens such as Ebola and SARS-CoV-2, along with the continued burden of neglected diseases such as rabies, has highlighted the need for preparedness for emerging and endemic infectious diseases of zoonotic origin in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) using a One Health approach. To identify trends in SSA preparedness, the World Health Organization (WHO) Joint External Evaluation (JEE) reports were analysed. JEEs are voluntary, collaborative processes to assess country’s capacities to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to public health risks. This report aimed to analyse the JEE zoonotic disease preparedness data as a whole and identify strengths and weaknesses. Methods JEE zoonotic disease preparedness scores for 44 SSA countries who had completed JEEs were analysed. An overall zoonotic disease preparedness score was calculated as an average of the sum of all the SSA country zoonotic disease preparedness scores and compared to the overall mean JEE score. Zoonotic disease preparedness indicators were analysed and data were collated into regions to identify key areas of strength. Results The mean ‘Zoonotic disease’ preparedness score (2.35, range 1.00–4.00) was 7% higher compared to the mean overall JEE preparedness score (2.19, range 1.55–3.30), putting ‘Zoonotic Diseases’ 5th out of 19 JEE sub-areas for preparedness. The average scores for each ‘Zoonotic Disease’ category were 2.45 for ‘Surveillance Systems’, 2.76 for ‘Veterinary Workforce’ and 1.84 for ‘Response Mechanisms’. The Southern African region scored highest across the ‘Zoonotic disease’ categories (2.87). A multisectoral priority zoonotic pathogens list is in place for 43% of SSA countries and 70% reported undertaking national surveillance on 1–5 zoonotic diseases. 70% of SSA countries reported having public health training courses in place for veterinarians and 30% had veterinarians in all districts (reported as sufficient staffing). A multisectoral action plan for zoonotic outbreaks was in place for 14% countries and 32% reported having an established inter-agency response team for zoonotic outbreaks. The zoonotic diseases that appeared most in reported country priority lists were rabies and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) (both 89%), anthrax (83%), and brucellosis (78%). Conclusions With ‘Zoonotic Diseases’ ranking 5th in the JEE sub-areas and a mean SSA score 7% greater than the overall mean JEE score, zoonotic disease preparedness appears to have the attention of most SSA countries. However, the considerable range suggests that some countries have more measures in place than others, which may perhaps reflect the geography and types of pathogens that commonly occur. The category ‘Response Mechanisms’ had the lowest mean score across SSA, suggesting that implementing a multisectoral action plan and response team could provide the greatest gains.

scholarly journals Vaccination Coverage for Routine Vaccines and Herd Immunity Levels against Measles and Pertussis in the World in 2019

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 256
Author(s):  
Pedro Plans-Rubió
Keyword(s):  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
World Health ◽  
Immunization Programs ◽  
National Immunization ◽  
The World ◽  
Measles Vaccination ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Health Organization

In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) established the Global Vaccine Action Plan with the objective to promote essential vaccinations in all countries and achieve at least 90% vaccination coverage for all routine vaccines by 2020. The study assessed the mean percentages of vaccination coverage in 2019 for 13 routine vaccines, vaccination coverage variation from 2015 to 2019, and herd immunity levels against measles and pertussis in 2019 in countries and regions of WHO. In 2019, the mean percentages of vaccination coverage were lower than 90% for 10 (78.9%) routine vaccines. The mean percentages of vaccination coverage also decreased from 2015 to 2019 for six (46.2%) routine vaccines. The prevalence of individuals with vaccine-induced measles immunity in the target measles vaccination population was 88.1%, and the prevalence of individuals with vaccine-induced pertussis immunity in the target pertussis vaccination population was 81.1%. Herd immunity against measles viruses with Ro = 18 was established in 63 (32.5%) countries but not established in any region. Herd immunity against pertussis agents was not established in any country and in any region of WHO. National immunization programs must be improved to achieve ≥90% vaccination coverage in all countries and regions. Likewise, it is necessary to achieve ≥95% vaccination coverage with two doses of measles vaccines and three doses of pertussis vaccines in all countries and regions.

scholarly journals Oral health for healthy aging

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shyh Poh Teo
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Global Strategy ◽  
Oral Disease ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Oral Diseases ◽  
Primary Care Settings

During the 74th World Health Assembly, a resolution was passed aiming to achieve better oral health as part of universal health coverage, with plans to draft a global strategy and action plan. Oral diseases are a significant problem globally, with implications for older people’s health and quality of life. Oral health is important for healthy aging. Integration of oral health into primary care settings and use of a life-course approach have been shown to be effective in the 8020 campaign in Japan. Accurate data on prevalence of oral disease is required to monitor effectiveness of public health approaches, which should be segregated based on setting, sociodemographic status, and comorbidities. These public health approaches should also be adapted and tailored for implementation during the current COVID-19 pandemic. These considerations are essential to progress the agenda of oral health for healthy aging.

scholarly journals Global Governance of Anti-microbial Resistance: A Legal and Regulatory Toolkit

2020 ◽  
pp. 401-420
Author(s):  
Calvin W. L. Ho ◽  
Tsung-Ling Lee
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
System Approach ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Agricultural Industry ◽  
Treatment And Prevention ◽  
Global Action ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Recognizing that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a serious threat to global public health, the World Health Organization (WHO) has adopted a Global Action Plan (GAP) at the May 2015 World Health Assembly. Underscoring that systematic misuse and overuse of drugs in human medicine and food production is a global public health concern, the GAP-AMR urges concerted efforts across governments and private sectors, including pharmaceutical industry, medical professionals, agricultural industry, among others. The GAP has a threefold aim: (1) to ensure a continuous use of effective and safe medicines for treatment and prevention of infectious diseases; (2) to encourage a responsible use of medicines; and (3) to engage countries to develop their national actions on AMR in keeping with the recommendations. While the GAP is a necessary step to enable multilateral actions, it must be supported by effective governance in order to realize the proposed aims. This chapter has a threefold purpose: (1) To identify regulatory principles embedded in key WHO documents relating to AMR and the GAP-AMR; (2) To consider the legal and regulatory actions or interventions that countries could use to strengthen their regulatory lever for AMR containment; and (3) To highlight the crucial role of the regulatory lever in enabling other levers under a whole-of-system approach. Effective AMR containment requires a clearer understanding of how the regulatory lever could be implemented or enabled within health systems, as well as how it underscores and interacts with other levers within a whole-of-system approach.

scholarly journals Current status and future trends in Cryptosporidium and Giardia epidemiology in Malaysia

2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. A. L. Lim ◽  
R. A. Ahmad ◽  
H. V. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Health Agency ◽  
World Health ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Neglected Diseases ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Shared Resources ◽  
Public Health Professionals

Cryptosporidium and Giardia are major causes of diarrhoeal diseases of humans worldwide, and are included in the World Health Organisation's ‘Neglected Diseases Initiative’. Cryptosporidium and Giardia occur commonly in Malaysian human and non-human populations, but their impact on disease, morbidity and cost of illness is not known. The commonness of contributions from human (STW effluents, indiscriminate defaecation) and non-human (calving, lambing, muck spreading, slurry spraying, pasturing/grazing of domestic animals, infected wild animals) hosts indicate that many Malaysian environments, particularly water and soil, are sufficiently contaminated to act as potential vehicles for the transmission of disease. To gain insight into the morbidity and mortality caused by human cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis, they should be included into differential diagnoses, and routine laboratory testing should be performed and (as for many infectious diseases) reported to a centralised public health agency. To understand transmission routes and the significance of environmental contamination better will require further multidisciplinary approaches and shared resources, including raising national perceptions of the parasitological quality of drinking water. Here, the detection of Cryptosporidium and Giardia should be an integral part of the water quality requirement. A multidisciplinary approach among public health professionals in the water industry and other relevant health- and environment-associated agencies is also required in order to determine the significance of Cryptosporidium and Giardia contamination of Malaysian drinking water. Lastly, adoption of validated methods to determine the species, genotype and subgenotype of Cryptosporidium and Giardia present in Malaysia will assist in developing effective risk assessment, management and communication models.

scholarly journals Convergence in public health expenditure across the Sub-Saharan African countries: does club convergence matter?

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ousmane Traoré
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Equilibrium State ◽  
Health Expenditure ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Club Convergence ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Public Health Expenditure ◽  
Convergence Clubs ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Ssa Countries

Abstract Background Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries that currently face enormous healthcare challenges have implemented national health policies focusing on regional or international health commitments. These health commitments generally promote new healthcare financing policies (e.g., health insurance, user fee exemption and results-based financing) with the objective of providing ever-larger population cohorts with human capital and better health in particular. To achieve this, governments must involve themselves more fully in their respective healthcare sectors through the mobilisation of public funding. Objective This paper aims to examine convergence in health expenditure throughout SSA. The findings of club convergence will allow a robust comparison of health indicators between countries and will be suitable for the adjustment of health policies to foster the efficiency of such policies at the regional and/or country level. Such findings could also help with the conception and implementation of health policies at the regional level. Methods We used the methodology of convergence analysis based on dynamic factor modelling leading to the logt regression to test for full convergence, club convergence and club clustering of health expenditure on a balanced panel of 44 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa spanning the period from 2000 to 2016. Results Overall, our results do not support the hypothesis that all SSA countries converge to a single equilibrium state regarding public health expenditure. When testing for club convergence, the results highlight eight convergence clubs and one group of diverging countries. Indeed, performing the club clustering algorithm reveals the existence of three convergence clubs and the diverging group. The three clubs consist of 12, 14 and 14 members, respectively, where convergence is found to occur among different regional economic organisations. Conclusion Our findings indicate that SSA governments should increase spending on healthcare in order to align their healthcare systems with a global convergence model. To foster the convergence to a single equilibrium state in public health expenditure, attention could be paid to strengthening integration within the various regional economic organisations and to the coordination and integration of healthcare policies within and across convergence clubs throughout SSA.

scholarly journals “Person with disabilities” and their “social determinants of health”- the neglected paradigm of public health

2018 ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Mohammad Monjurul Karim
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Determinants Of Health ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Transverse Myelitis ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Preventive Program ◽  
Predisposing Factor

This study was conducted to aware the audience to be more concern about “person with disabilities” and their “social determinants of health” as an emerging area in public health. WHO mentioned, 15% of the global populations are suffering from some form of disabilities and the number is higher comparing the report of 1970s. Public health aim to prevent mortality, morbidity and disability in different sectors (Donald, Lollar & John, 2003). But its alarming that disability preventive program often neglected in public health programs. Even the link between diseases and disability is often overlooked in several cases like GBS, encephalitis, transverse myelitis etc. Reduced inflow and increased outflow of finance and social determinants of health impact negatively on the life of the person with disabilities. Continuous effort to improve the social determinants of health worked tremendously over the last few decades to improve the life of human being globally, which is unfortunately sometimes worked as predisposing factor to the increased number of disabilities. But effort to reduce burden of disability and to improve SDH is just negligible. The 67th World Health Assembly adopted a resolution endorsing the WHO global disability action plan 2014–2021: Better health for all people with disability. It reflects the major shift in global understanding and responses towards disability. It could be concluded that it’s the high time to look more precisely in this neglected area whiting various discourse of SDH which will be a big burden of the public health in coming days. More research is required to minimize number of disability as well the after math of disability.

scholarly journals Prioritization of zoonotic diseases of public health significance in Vietnam

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1315-1322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Do Thuy Trang ◽  
Jennifer Siembieda ◽  
Nguyen Thi Huong ◽  
Pham Hung ◽  
Van Dang Ky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Zoonotic Disease ◽  
Zoonotic Diseases ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Bacterial Diseases ◽  
Public Health Significance ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Health Significance

Introduction: Prioritization of zoonotic diseases is critical as it facilitates optimization of resources, greater understanding of zoonotic diseases and implementation of policies promoting multisectoral collaboration. This study aimed to establish strategic priorities for zoonotic diseases in Vietnam taking a key stakeholder approach. Methodology: Two weeks prior to a workshop on zoonotic diseases a questionnaire was developed and posted to key professionals involved in different areas of zoonotic disease management in Vietnam. Respondents were asked to assess the relative priority of 12 zoonotic diseases using a number of evidence-based criteria, and to provide suggestions to strengthen multisectoral collaboration. Results: A response rate of 69% (51/74) was obtained, and 75% (38/51) respondents worked in non-international Vietnamese organizations. Respondents identified the top five diseases for prioritization in Vietnam as: avian influenza, rabies, Streptococcus suis infection, pandemic influenza and foodborne bacterial diseases. The three criteria most used to rank diseases were severity of disease, outbreak potential and public attention. Avian influenza was ranked as the number one priority zoonotic disease in Vietnam by 57% of the respondents, followed by rabies (18%). Respondents identified coordination mechanisms, information sharing and capacity building as the most important areas for strengthening to enhance multisectoral collaboration. Conclusions: This study is the first systematic and broad-based attempt to prioritize zoonotic diseases of public health significance in Vietnam using key stakeholders, and a comparative and transparent method. There is limited literature for policy makers and planners on this topic and the results of this study can be used to guide decision-making.

scholarly journals Surveillance data for human leishmaniasis indicate the need for a sustainable action plan for its management and control, Greece, 2004 to 2018

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Myrsini Tzani ◽  
Alicia Barrasa ◽  
Annita Vakali ◽  
Theano Georgakopoulou ◽  
Kassiani Mellou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Plan ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Surveillance Data ◽  
World Health ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Notification Rate ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Human Leishmaniasis ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Sustainable Action

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) lists human leishmaniasis as a neglected tropical disease; it is not under surveillance at European level. Aim We present surveillance data for visceral (VL) and cutaneous (CL) leishmaniasis for the period 2004 to 2018 in Greece to assess their public health importance. Methods We extracted data from the mandatory notification system to analyse separately imported and domestic cases of VL and CL. A case was defined by clinical manifestations compatible with VL or CL and laboratory confirmation. Results Between 2004 and 2018, 881 VL (862 domestic, 19 imported) and 58 CL cases (24 domestic, 34 imported) were recorded. The mean annual notification rate of domestic VL was 0.5 per 100,000 (range: 0.12–1.43/100,000) with a statistically significant increasing trend (p = 0.013). Cases were reported by all regions. The highest notification rate occurred in the age group 0–4 years (1.3/100,000). Overall 24% (164/680) of the cases were immunocompromised and their proportion increased after 2010 (p < 0.001). The mean annual notification rate of domestic CL was 0.05 per 100,000 (range: 0.01–0.19/100,000) with the highest rate in the age group 5–14 years (0.03/100,000). Cases were recorded in six of the 13 regions. Among 34 imported CL cases, 29 were foreign nationals. Conclusion VL is endemic in Greece, with an increasing trend and a considerable burden of severe disease and young children being most affected. CL is rarely reported. A sustainable action plan is needed to reduce the burden of VL and prevent local transmission of CL.

Recent Breakthroughs in Various Antimicrobial Resistance Induced Quorum Sensing Biosynthetic Pathway Mediated Targets and Design of their Inhibitors

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 458-476
Author(s):  
Mohit Kumar ◽  
Mridula Saxena ◽  
Anil K. Saxena ◽  
Sisir Nandi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Quorum Sensing ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
World Health ◽  
Action Plans ◽  
The World

Objective: The world is under the grasp of dangerous post-antibiotics and antimicrobials attack where common infections may become untreatable, leading to premature deaths due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). While an estimated 7,00,000 people die annually due to AMR, which is a public health threat to all communities in different parts of the world regardless of their economic status; however, this threat is serious in low- and middle-income countries having lack of sanitation and health infrastructure. The 68th World Health Assembly endorsed the Global Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance. Consequently, many countries started drafting and committing to National Action Plans against AMR. As strong as National Action Plans are in terms of prescribing rational use of antimicrobials, infection control practices, and related public health measures, without strong healthcare systems, these measures will have a limited impact on AMR in developing countries. Methods: The major reason for AMR is microbial quorum sensing (QS) that may strengthen the microbial community to generate inter-communication and virulence effects via quorum sensing mechanisms. Global stewardship to combat antimicrobial resistance aims to develop anti-quorum sensing compounds that can inhibit the biosynthetic pathway mediated different quorum sensing targets. Results: It may pave an effective attempt to minimize microbial quorum sensing mediated antimicrobial resistance. The present review describes QS mediated various potential target enzymes, their connection to AMR, and finds out the corresponding QS biosynthetic target inhibitors. Conclusion: These potential inhibitors can be derivatized to design and develop next-generation antimicrobial agents.

Global Public Health Impact of Vaccines in Children

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter McIntyre ◽  
Tony Walls
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Pneumococcal Infection ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
World Health ◽  
Public Health Impact ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Age Cohorts ◽  
Broader Impacts

From the first vaccine (cowpox, developed by Edward Jenner in 1796), more than 100 years elapsed before additional vaccines for broad population use (diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid, and whole cell pertussis) became available between 1920 and 1940. Then followed inactivated polio vaccine in the 1950s, and live attenuated vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, and polio in the 1960s. In 1979, global elimination of smallpox was formally certified, with the last human case occurring in Somalia, almost 200 years after Jenner administered cowpox vaccine to James Phipps. In 2019, global elimination is tantalizingly close for maternal and neonatal tetanus and polio. Despite recent outbreaks, elimination has also been achieved at country and regional levels for measles and rubella and, if achieved globally, will offer, as it has for smallpox, large reductions in child mortality and morbidity and in health system costs. Short of elimination, it is important to define the public health impact of vaccines broadly and at the population level. These broader impacts include benefits to families flowing from prevention of long-term sequelae of infection in children, and to populations and health systems from reduced transmission of infection. Importantly, well-delivered vaccination programs will have a substantial impact by improving equality in health outcomes across populations. Broader impacts include reductions in syndromic disease beyond laboratory-proven infection (e.g., diarrhea and pneumonia), indirect reductions in disease in those not immunized (within and beyond age cohorts targeted by vaccine programs), and improvements in other health services driven by the infrastructure for vaccine delivery. Measurement of these broader impacts can be challenging and must also acknowledge the potential for trade-offs, such as replacement disease due to non-vaccine strains, as documented for pneumococcal infection. The realization of the benefits of vaccines globally for all children began with the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1974. The EPI focused on improving coverage of six already available but grossly underutilized vaccines—diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis (DTP), polio, measles, and Bacille Calmette–Guerin (BCG). Through the EPI, estimated global coverage for 3 doses of DTP increased from around 20% to over 85%. Subsequent to the EPI, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the Global Immunization Vision and Strategy (GIVS), and, most recently, the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) have aimed to improve access to additional vaccines in the poorest countries. These include Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), hepatitis B, pneumococcal conjugate, rotavirus, and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, all introduced in high-income countries from the 1990s. In this chapter, the scope and methodological issues in measuring public health impact are reviewed, and estimates of the global public health impact of individual vaccines in children summarized, concluding with potential future benefits to global child health from expanded maternal vaccination and vaccines under development.

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