scholarly journals Of jugglers, mechanics, communities, and the thyroid gland: how do we achieve good quality data to improve public health?

2001 ◽  
Vol 109 (suppl 6) ◽  
pp. 863-869 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Karmaus
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Thyroid Gland ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Good Quality Data

scholarly journals An in-depth statistical analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic’s initial spread in the WHO African region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ananthu James ◽  
Jyoti Dalal ◽  
Timokleia Kousi ◽  
Daniela Vivacqua ◽  
Daniel Cardoso Portela Câmara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Older People ◽  
Attack Rate ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
List Type ◽  
African Region ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Good Quality Data

AbstractObjectiveTo quantify the initial spread of COVID-19 in the WHO African region, and to investigate the possible drivers responsible for variation in the epidemic among member states.DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingCOVID-19 daily case and death data from the initial case through 29 November 2020.Participants46 countries comprising the WHO African region.Main outcome measuresWe used five pandemic response indicators for each country: speed at which the pandemic reached the country, speed at which the first 50 cases accumulated, maximum monthly attack rate, cumulative attack rate, and crude case fatality ratio (CFR). We studied the effect of 13 predictor variables on the country-level variation in them using a principal component analysis, followed by regression.ResultsCountries with higher tourism activities, GDP per capita, and proportion of older people had higher monthly (p < 0.001) and cumulative attack rates (p < 0.001) and lower CFRs (p = 0.052). Countries having more stringent early COVID-19 response policies experienced greater delay in arrival of the first case (p < 0.001). The speed at which the first 50 cases occurred was slower in countries whose neighbors had higher cumulative attack rates (p = 0.06).ConclusionsWhile global connectivity and tourism could facilitate the spread of airborne infectious agents, the observed differences in attack rates between African countries might also be due to differences in testing capacities or age distribution. Wealthy countries managed to minimize adverse outcomes. Further, careful and early implementation of strict government policies, such as restricting tourism, could be pivotal to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidently, good quality data and sufficient testing capacities are essential to unravel the epidemiology of an outbreak. We thus urge decision-makers to reduce these barriers to ensure rapid responses to future threats to public health and economic stability.Summary BoxWhat is already known on this topicThe diversity in the COVID-19 trajectories across Africa.The heterogeneity in the reporting and testing capacities among countries.What this study addsThe heterogeneities in the attack rates during the first wave of COVID-19 in Africa could have emerged due to tourism and connectivity, the variations in age distribution, and the testing facilities between nations. Although richer countries, having a higher fraction of older people and more tourism activities, documented higher attack rates, they succeeded in reducing mortalities.African countries that had more stringent early COVID-19 response policies managed to delay the onset of the outbreak at the national level. Moreover, the speed at which the first 50 cases occurred was slower in nations whose neighbors had higher cumulative attack rates.Good quality data and timely reporting are essential in understanding and controlling a public health crisis.

scholarly journals Managing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data for Public Health Research

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Van Gaans ◽  
Sarah Ahmed ◽  
Katina D'Onise ◽  
Sean Matthew Taylor ◽  
R McDermott
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Population Group ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Quality Information ◽  
The Status ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
Collection And Management ◽  
Good Quality Data

Good quality data on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are needed to assess the effectiveness of programs and interventions, and to evaluate policies that are designed to improve the status of, and service delivery to, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.  Due to the lack of longitudinal data it is difficult to gain knowledge on the specific causes or consequences of changes in indigenous outcomes.  Variables such as name, date of birth and address variables for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders may be subject to more variation and be less consistently reported among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians than among other Australians.  Improving the collection and management of key identifying variables for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are key to providing more quality information on this population group.

Thermodynamics of Adsorption of Alcohol Dehydrogenase on Gold Nanoparticle Surface: A Model Based Analysis Versus Direct Measurement

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akriti Mishra ◽  
Kamini Mishra ◽  
Dipayan Bose ◽  
Abhijit Chakrabarti ◽  
Puspendu Kumar Das
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Dehydrogenase ◽  
Gold Nanoparticle ◽  
Protein Interaction ◽  
Protein Corona ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Nanoparticle Surface ◽  
Tremendous Importance ◽  
Good Quality Data ◽  
Model Based Analysis

Characterization of nanoparticle protein corona has gained tremendous importance lately. The parameters which quantitatively establish a specific nanoparticle-protein interaction need to be measured accurately since good quality data is necessary...

Aerosol Assimilation of lidar data from Satellite (AEOLUS) and Ground-based (EARLINET) instruments in COMPO-IFS.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Letertre-Danczak ◽  
Angela Benedetti ◽  
Drasko Vasiljevic ◽  
Alain Dabas ◽  
Thomas Flament ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Data ◽  
Lidar Data ◽  
Operational Model ◽  
Weather Forecasts ◽  
The Past ◽  
Medium Range ◽  
First Results ◽  
Monitoring Service ◽  
The Vertical Distribution ◽  
Good Quality Data

&lt;p&gt;Since several years, the number of aerosol data coming from lidar has grown and improved in quality. These new datasets are providing a valuable information on the vertical distribution of aerosols which is missing in the AOD (Aerosol Optical Depth), which has been used so far in aerosols analysis. The launch of AEOLUS in 2018 has increased the interest in the assimilation of the aerosol lidar information. In parallel, the ground-based network EARLINET (European Aerosol Research LIdar NETwork) has grown to cover the Europe with good quality data. Assimilation of these data in the ECMWF/CAMS (European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts / Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) system is expected to provide improvements in the aerosol analyses and forecasts.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Three preliminary studies have been done in the past four years using AEOLUS data (A3S-ESA funded) and EARLINET data (ACTRIS-2 and EUNADIC-AV, EU-funded). These studies have allowed the full development of the tangent linear and adjoint code for lidar backscatter in the ECMWF's 4D-VAR system. These developments are now in the operational model version in research mode. The first results are promising and open the path to more intake of aerosol lidar data for assimilation purposes. The future launch of EARTHCARE (Earth-Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer) and later ACCP (Aerosol Cloud, Convention and Precipitation) might even upgrade the use of aerosol lidar data in COMPO-IFS (Composition-Integrated Forecast system).&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The most recent results using AEOLUS data (for October 2019 and April 2020) and using EARLINET data (October 2020) will be shown in this presentation. The output will be compared to the CAMS operational aerosol forecast as well as to independent data from AERONET (AErosol Robotic NETwork).&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals The prevalence of scabies in Monrovia, Liberia: a population-based survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelui Collinson ◽  
Joseph Timothy ◽  
Samuel K Zayay ◽  
Karsor K Kollie ◽  
Eglantine Lebas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

AbstractBackgroundScabies is known to be a public health problem in many settings but the majority of recent data is from rural settings in the Pacific. There is a need for high quality data from sub-Saharan Africa and peri-Urban settings to inform scale up of scabies control efforts. There have been anecdotal reports of scabies being a public health problem in Liberia but robust data are lacking.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional cluster-randomised prevalence survey for scabies in a peri-urban community in Monrovia, Liberia in February-March 2020. Participants underwent a standardised examination conducted by trained local health care workers. Health related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed using age-appropriate dermatology life quality indices (DLQIs). Prevalence estimates were calculated accounting for clustering at community and household levels and associations with key demographic variables assessed through multivariable random-effects logistic regression.Results1,318 participants from 477 households were surveyed. The prevalence of scabies prevalence was 9.3% (95% CI: 6.5-13.2%), across 75 (19.7%) households; impetigo or infected scabies prevalence was 0.8% (95% CI: 0.4-1.9%). The majority (52%) of scabies cases were classified as severe. Scabies prevalence was lower in females and higher in the youngest age group; no associations were found with other collected demographic or socio-economic variables. DLQI scores indicated a very or extremely large effect on HRQoL in 29% of adults and 18% of children diagnosed with scabies.ConclusionsOur study indicates a substantial burden of scabies in this peri-Urban population in Liberia. This was associated with significant impact on quality of life, highlighting the need for action to control scabies in this population. Further work is needed to assess the impact of interventions in this context on both the prevalence of scabies and quality of life.Plain English summaryScabies is an infestation with a microscopic mite which affects many people living in low-resource tropical countries. It causes intense itching, which can lead to complications through bacterial infection and poor quality of life. To help develop global scabies control programmes, we need a better understanding of how common it is across different tropical settings. We conducted a survey to assess the burden of scabies and bacterial skin infection in a random sample of people living in a community in Monrovia, Liberia. Information about participants and their household were collected and their skin was examined; those with skin conditions were asked about its impact on quality of life.We examined 1,318 participants and found that almost 10% of people had scanies. Scabies was more common in young children, and was more common in male children than female children. We found that there was a large impact on quality of life due mostly to the itching that scabies causes and to people feeling embarrassed or sad because of their skin condition. This scabies survey is one of the first conducted across all age groups in recent years in sub-Saharan Africa and indicates a substantial burden and impact on quality of life. More work is needed to understand how common scabies is in different settings and the impact that different treatment strategies may have.

scholarly journals Global AgeWatch Index and Insights

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gibran Cruz-Martinez ◽  
Gokce Cerev
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Composite Index ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Transformative Change ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Good Quality Data ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Global AgeWatch Index and Insights by HelpAge International aim to contribute to achievement of long-term transformative change in respect to ageing and the lives of older people by advocating for better production of timely and good quality data to inform policy and program response.The Global AgeWatch Index is a composite index that measures quality of life of older people, and ranks countries based on four domains – income security, health status, enabling environment and capability. The index was developed in partnership with Professor Asghar Zaidi. The index was published during 2013-2015.The Global AgeWatch Insights is a research-based advocacy tool that examines situation of older people in low- and middle-income countries, assesses availability of relevant data and evidence to support the analysis, and identification of policy actions. The Insights are produced in partnership with AARP. The reports were launched in 2018 are planned to be released every three years with a different thematic focus. The first report focuses on the inequities of the health systems in twelve low- and middle-income countries.

AHEAD: a data resource to support the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the US Initiative (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Sullivan ◽  
Cory R Woodyatt ◽  
Oskian Kouzouian ◽  
Kristen Parrish ◽  
Jennifer Taussig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Data Visualization ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Data Systems ◽  
Data Resource ◽  
Hiv Epidemic ◽  
Indicator Data ◽  
The U.S

UNSTRUCTURED Objectives: America’s HIV Epidemic Analysis Dashboard (AHEAD) is a data visualization tool that displays relevant data on the 6 HIV indicators provided by CDC that can be used to monitor progress towards ending the HIV epidemic in local communities across the U.S. The objective of AHEAD is to make data available to stakeholders that can be used to measure national and local progress towards 2025 and 2030 Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) goals and to help jurisdictions make local decisions that are grounded in high-quality data. Methods: AHEAD displays data from public health data systems (e.g., surveillance systems, Census data), organized around the six EHE indicators (incidence, knowledge of status, diagnoses, linkage to HIV medical care, viral suppression, and PrEP coverage). Data are displayed for each of the EHE priority areas (48 counties Washington, D.C. and San Juan, PR) which accounted for more than 50% of all U.S. HIV diagnoses in 2016 and 2017 and seven primarily Southern states with high rates of HIV in rural communities. AHEAD also displays data for the 43 remaining states for which data are available. Data features prioritize interactive data-visualization tools that allow users to compare indicator data stratified by sex at birth, race, age, and transmission category within a jurisdiction (when available) or compare data on EHE indicators between jurisdictions. Results: AHEAD was launched on August 14, 2020. In the 11 months since its launch, the Dashboard has been visited 26,591 times by 17,600 unique users. About a third of all users returned to the Dashboard at least once. On average, users engaged with 2.4 pages during their visit to the Dashboard, indicating that the average user goes beyond the informational landing page to engage with one or more pages of data and content. The most frequently visited content pages are the Jurisdictions webpages. Conclusions: The Ending the HIV Epidemic plan is described as a “whole of society” effort. Societal public health initiatives require objective indicators and require that all societal stakeholders have transparent access to indicator data at the level of the health jurisdictions responsible for meeting the goals of the plan. Data transparency empowers local stakeholders to track movement towards EHE goals, identify areas with needs for improvement, make data-informed adjustments to deploy the expertise and resources required to locally tailor and implement strategies to end the HIV epidemic in their jurisdiction.

Quality of Routine Health Information System Data and Associated Factors Among Departments in Public Health Facilities of Harari Region, Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adisu Tafari Shama ◽  
Hirbo Shore Roba ◽  
Admas Abera ◽  
Negga Baraki
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Information System ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Information System ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Public Health Facilities ◽  
System Data

Abstract Background: Despite the improvements in the knowledge and understanding of the role of health information in the global health system, the quality of data generated by a routine health information system is still very poor in low and middle-income countries. There is a paucity of studies as to what determines data quality in health facilities in the study area. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the quality of routine health information system data and associated factors in public health facilities of Harari region, Ethiopia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in all public health facilities in Harari region of Ethiopia. The department-level data were collected from respective department heads through document reviews, interviews, and observation check-lists. Descriptive statistics were used to data quality and multivariate logistic regression was run to identify factors influencing data quality. The level of significance was declared at P-value <0.05. Result: The study found a good quality data in 51.35% (95% CI, 44.6-58.1) of the departments in public health facilities in Harari Region. Departments found in the health centers were 2.5 times more likely to have good quality data as compared to departments found in the health posts. The presence of trained staffs able to fill reporting formats (AOR=2.474; 95%CI: 1.124-5.445) and provision of feedback (AOR=3.083; 95%CI: 1.549-6.135) were also significantly associated with data quality. Conclusion: The level of good data quality in the public health facilities was less than the expected national level. Training should be provided to increase the knowledge and skills of the health workers.

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