scholarly journals Intellectual disability in India: the evolving patterns of care

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 29-31
Author(s):  
Satish Chandra Girimaji
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
World Health ◽  
Indian Literature ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Past ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Government Benefits

Intellectual disability was recognised in ancient Indian literature, but organised services have a history of just five decades. India shares many features of low- and middle-income (LAMI) countries regarding intellectual disability. There is a low level of awareness about its nature, causes and interventions. One can come across many superstitions, myths and misconceptions about intellectual disability. In general, services are inadequate, being concentrated in big cities and urban areas. There is generally limited access to support services and few government benefits, and these, in any case, are often of little value (World Health Organization, 2007). Locally and nationally, there are few relevant and reliable epidemiological data on the prevalence of intellectual disability. However, there have been some positive developments within the past three decades, and they are the focus of this paper.

scholarly journals Tobacco Control in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Changing the Present to Help the Future

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 187-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethany Hipple Walters ◽  
Ionela Petrea ◽  
Harry Lando
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
Second Hand Smoke ◽  
Vulnerable Children ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The Past ◽  
Second Hand Smoke Exposure ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Low And Middle Income

While the global smoking rate has dropped in the past 30 years (from 41.2% of men in 1980 to 31.1% in 2012 and from 10.6% of women in 1980 to 6.2% in 2012), the number of tobacco smokers has increased due to population growth (Ng et al., 2014). This tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure continue to harm people worldwide. Those harmed are often vulnerable: children, those living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), those with existing diseases, etc. As noted by the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 80% of those who smoke live in a LMIC (World Health Organization, 2017). Furthermore, it is often those who are more socio-economically disadvantaged or less educated in LMICs that are exposed to second-hand smoke at home and work (Nazar, Lee, Arora, & Millett, 2015).

Safe Reopening Following Generalized Lockdowns: A Strategy Based on Evidence from 24 Worldwide Countries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abu S. Shonchoy ◽  
Khandker S. Ishtiaq ◽  
Sajedul Talukder ◽  
Nasar U. Ahmed ◽  
Rajiv Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Simulation Analysis ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
World Health ◽  
Optimal Timing ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Capacity Limits ◽  
Positive Rate ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract While the effectiveness of lockdowns to reduce Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) transmission is well established, uncertainties remain on the lifting principles of these restrictive interventions. World Health Organization recommends case positive rate of 5% or lower as a threshold for safe reopening. However, inadequate testing capacity limits the applicability of this recommendation, especially in the low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). To develop a practical reopening strategy for LMICs, in this study, we first identify the optimal timing of safe reopening by exploring accessible epidemiological data of 24 countries during the initial COVID-19 surge. We find that safely reopening requires a two-week waiting period, after the crossover of daily infection and recovery rates – coupled with a post-crossover continuous negative trend in daily new cases. Epidemiologic SIRM model-based simulation analysis validates our findings. Finally, we develop an easily interpretable large-scale reopening (LSR) index, which is an evidence-based toolkit – to guide/inform the reopening decisions for LMICs.

The global neurosurgical workforce: a mixed-methods assessment of density and growth

2019 ◽  
Vol 130 (4) ◽  
pp. 1142-1148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Swagoto Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Maria Punchak ◽  
Abbas Rattani ◽  
Ya-Ching Hung ◽  
James Dahm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surgical Procedures ◽  
World Health ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Past ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Life Years ◽  
Recent Estimate ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Key Steps ◽  
Workforce Density

OBJECTIVEIn 2000, the global density of neurosurgeons was estimated at 1 per 230,000 population, which remains the most recent estimate of the global neurosurgeon workforce density. In 2004, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that there were 33,193 neurosurgeons worldwide, including trainees. There have been no updates to this estimate in the past decade. Moreover, only WHO region–level granularity regarding neurosurgeon distribution exists; country-level estimates are limited. The neurosurgery workforce is a crucial component to meeting the growing burden of neurosurgical diseases, which not only represent high absolute incidences and prevalences, but also represent correspondingly high disability-adjusted life years affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Combining the lack of knowledge about the availability of the neurosurgical workforce and the increasing demand for neurosurgical services underscores the need for a system of neurosurgical workforce density surveillance.METHODSThis study involved 3 key steps: 1) global survey/literature review to obtain the number of working neurosurgeons per WHO-recognized country, 2) regression to interpolate any missing data, and 3) calculation of workforce densities and comparison to available historical data by WHO region.RESULTSData for 198 countries were collected (158) or interpolated (40). The global total number of neurosurgeons was estimated at 49,940. Overall, neurosurgeon density ranged from 0 to 58.95 (standardized to per 1,000,000 population) with a median of 3.56 (IQR 0.29–8.26). Thirty-three countries were found to have no neurosurgeons (zero). The highest density, 58.95, was in Japan, where 7495 neurosurgeons are taking care of a population of 127,131,800.CONCLUSIONSIn 2015, the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery estimated that 143 million additional surgical procedures are needed in low- and middle-income countries each year, and a subsequent study revealed that approximately 15% of those surgical procedures are neurosurgical. Based on our results, we can conclude that there are approximately 49,940 neurosurgeons currently, worldwide. The availability of neurosurgeons appears to have increased in all geographic regions over the past decade, with Southeast Asia experiencing the greatest growth. Such remarkable expansion should be assessed to determine factors that could play a role in other regions where the acceleration of growth would be beneficial.

scholarly journals The cross-national epidemiology of specific phobia in the World Mental Health Surveys

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
pp. 1744-1760 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. J. Wardenaar ◽  
C. C. W. Lim ◽  
A. O. Al-Hamzawi ◽  
J. Alonso ◽  
L. H. Andrade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Specific Phobia ◽  
World Health ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Cross National

BackgroundAlthough specific phobia is highly prevalent, associated with impairment, and an important risk factor for the development of other mental disorders, cross-national epidemiological data are scarce, especially from low- and middle-income countries. This paper presents epidemiological data from 22 low-, lower-middle-, upper-middle- and high-income countries.MethodData came from 25 representative population-based surveys conducted in 22 countries (2001–2011) as part of the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys initiative (n = 124 902). The presence of specific phobia as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition was evaluated using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview.ResultsThe cross-national lifetime and 12-month prevalence rates of specific phobia were, respectively, 7.4% and 5.5%, being higher in females (9.8 and 7.7%) than in males (4.9% and 3.3%) and higher in high- and higher-middle-income countries than in low-/lower-middle-income countries. The median age of onset was young (8 years). Of the 12-month patients, 18.7% reported severe role impairment (13.3–21.9% across income groups) and 23.1% reported any treatment (9.6–30.1% across income groups). Lifetime co-morbidity was observed in 60.5% of those with lifetime specific phobia, with the onset of specific phobia preceding the other disorder in most cases (72.6%). Interestingly, rates of impairment, treatment use and co-morbidity increased with the number of fear subtypes.ConclusionsSpecific phobia is common and associated with impairment in a considerable percentage of cases. Importantly, specific phobia often precedes the onset of other mental disorders, making it a possible early-life indicator of psychopathology vulnerability.

The New World Health Organization

1947 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 509-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter R. Sharp
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
Entire Family ◽  
New Approach ◽  
The Past ◽  
Health Action ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
And Function

The signing of the Constitution for a World Health Organization, on 22 July 1946 in New York City, is likely to be a landmark in the history of international cooperation for public health and medicine. At this ceremony the representatives of sixty-one nations affirmed their intention of bringing all inter-governmental health action under the aegis of a single agency which, it is hoped, will soon embrace the entire family of states. The new “Magna Carta” of health envisages an organization far wider in scope and function than any previous undertaking in this sphere of international collaboration. Still more significant is the new approach to the problem of disease embodied in the WHO Constitution—an approach which takes full cognizance of the revolutionary advances of the past decade in preventive and curative medicine.

scholarly journals Estimation of the prevalence of diabetes and study of some socio-demographic determinants among the diabetic population in Salé, Morocco-2021

2021 ◽  
Vol 319 ◽  
pp. 01049
Author(s):  
Abdelghani Asraoui ◽  
Abdelmajid Soulaymani ◽  
Chems Eddouha Khassouani
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
World Health ◽  
P Value ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Probabilistic Sampling ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Average Household Income ◽  
Diabetic Population ◽  
Health Organization

According to the World Health Organization, diabetes is the cause of 1.5 million deaths each year, 80% of which occur in low- and middle-income countries. It will become the principal cause of death by 2030. In Morocco, the situation is as alarming as at the global level. However, the prevalence of diabetes at the provincial level is unknown. This paper aims to present partial results obtained from a statistical study, carried out in February 2021, where we estimated the prevalence of diabetes and studied some socio-demographic determinants among the diabetic population living in Salé, Morocco. The investigation included a sample of 488 households selected according to a two-stage stratified probabilistic sampling plan (466 of which were surveyed (i.e. 1868 individuals) with a response rate of 466/488 =95.5%). The results showed that, in 2021, diabetes was affecting 5.5% (95% CI 4.5%, 6.6%) of the studied population (5.8% of women and 5.1% of men, 5.6% in urban areas and 4.5% in rural areas). The proportion of diabetics increases significantly with age (p-value=0.0001<0.05). It was 0.1% among young people (<18 years), 3.9% among individuals aged 18-59, and 26.9% among those aged 60 and above. A logistic model, making it possible to predict, with an accuracy of 91.7%, the risk of contracting diabetes among the population aged 18 and above (1,308 subjects, 7.8% of which were diabetic), was performed. The model included several socio-demographic determinants. Age, educational level, economic activity, average household income and smoking were significantly associated with diabetes.

The Growing Epidemic of Diabetes Mellitus

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dragan Lovic ◽  
Alexia Piperidou ◽  
Ioanna Zografou ◽  
Haralambos Grassos ◽  
Andreas Pittaras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
World Health ◽  
Prevalence Studies ◽  
The Past ◽  
Income Status ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
Public Health Strategies

Background: During the past decades, the prevalence of diabetes (DM) has increased significantly, mainly as a result of continuous rise in the incidence of type 2 DM. According to World Health Organization statistics, >422 million adults globally were suffering from DM in 2014 and a continuous rise in DM prevalence is expected. Objective: The present review considers recent epidemiological data providing worldwide estimates regarding the incidence of DM. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify available data from epidemiological studies evaluating the current burden of DM. Results: Over the past few decades the prevalence of DM has risen significantly in nearly all countries and may be considered as a growing epidemic. Urbanization and income status are major factors which influence current rates in the prevalence studies introducing interesting differences between several population groups. Conclusion: Having recognized the global burden of DM, we now realize the urgent need for effective interventions. In order to monitor the public-health strategies and design effective future interventions we need reliable global estimates regarding the prevalence of DM.

scholarly journals A novel index-based decision support toolkit for safe reopening following a generalized lockdown in low and middle-income countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abu S. Shonchoy ◽  
Khandker S. Ishtiaq ◽  
Sajedul Talukder ◽  
Nasar U. Ahmed ◽  
Rajiv Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
World Health ◽  
Optimal Timing ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Capacity Limits ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Positive Rate ◽  
Health Organization

AbstractWhile the effectiveness of lockdowns to reduce Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) transmission is well established, uncertainties remain on the lifting principles of these restrictive interventions. World Health Organization recommends case positive rate of 5% or lower as a threshold for safe reopening. However, inadequate testing capacity limits the applicability of this recommendation, especially in the low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). To develop a practical reopening strategy for LMICs, in this study, we first identify the optimal timing of safe reopening by exploring accessible epidemiological data of 24 countries during the initial COVID-19 surge. We find that a safe opening can occur two weeks after the crossover of daily infection and recovery rates while maintaining a negative trend in daily new cases. Epidemiologic SIRM model-based example simulation supports our findings. Finally, we develop an easily interpretable large-scale reopening (LSR) index, which is an evidence-based toolkit—to guide/inform reopening decision for LMICs.

scholarly journals Antibody response following smallpox vaccination and revaccination

1969 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 603-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. W. Downie ◽  
L. St Vincent ◽  
A. R. Rao ◽  
C. H. Kempe
Keyword(s):  
Public Health Service ◽  
Complement Fixation ◽  
Past History ◽  
World Health ◽  
Smallpox Vaccination ◽  
Post Vaccination ◽  
The Past ◽  
Antibody Titres ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health Organization

SUMMARYThree groups of post-vaccination sera were studied for vaccinial antibody by precipitation, haemagglutinin-inhibition, complement-fixation and neutralization tests. All sera were negative by precipitation and many by haemagglutinin-inhibition and complement-fixation tests, but most showed neutralizing activity at serum dilutions of 1/10 or higher. The differences in antibody titres between the three groups of sera were most probably related to the past history of revaccination.This investigation was supported in part by Public Health Service Grant AI–1632–16 VR from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, by the World Health Organization and by the Marcus T. Reynolds III Fund.

Organization of restrictive quarantine measures to prevent especially dangerous infections

2020 ◽  
pp. 6-11
Author(s):  
Petr Ilyin
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
International Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of ◽  
Entire History ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Former Ussr ◽  
Health Regulations

Especially dangerous infections (EDIs) belong to the conditionally labelled group of infectious diseases that pose an exceptional epidemic threat. They are highly contagious, rapidly spreading and capable of affecting wide sections of the population in the shortest possible time, they are characterized by the severity of clinical symptoms and high mortality rates. At the present stage, the term "especially dangerous infections" is used only in the territory of the countries of the former USSR, all over the world this concept is defined as "infectious diseases that pose an extreme threat to public health on an international scale." Over the entire history of human development, more people have died as a result of epidemics and pandemics than in all wars combined. The list of especially dangerous infections and measures to prevent their spread were fixed in the International Health Regulations (IHR), adopted at the 22nd session of the WHO's World Health Assembly on July 26, 1969. In 1970, at the 23rd session of the WHO's Assembly, typhus and relapsing fever were excluded from the list of quarantine infections. As amended in 1981, the list included only three diseases represented by plague, cholera and anthrax. However, now annual additions of new infections endemic to different parts of the earth to this list take place. To date, the World Health Organization (WHO) has already included more than 100 diseases in the list of especially dangerous infections.

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