scholarly journals Rabies Mortality and Morbidity Associated with Animal Bites in Africa: A Case for Integrated Rabies Diseases Surveillance, Prevention and Control - A Scoping Review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Nyasulu ◽  
Jacqueline Weyer ◽  
Rea Tschopp ◽  
Adane Mihret ◽  
Samuel Victor Nuvor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Global Strategy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Human Rabies ◽  
Post Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Rabies Control ◽  
And Control

Abstract Background: Rabies a neglected tropical disease, mostly affecting poor and vulnerable populations living in remote rural areas in developing countries. The disease continues to pose a significant public health a threat with an estimated 59,000 dog-transmitted human deaths, of which an estimated 21,476 human deaths occur in Africa each year. The global strategy has been set by the quartite World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), aiming for "zero human deaths associated with dog transmitted rabies by 2030". African countries, however, face several challenges and there are still gaps in controlling rabies. The aim of this study review is to determine rabies prevalence, mortality and associated risk factors in both human population and animal population and to evaluate the presence or absence of integrated one health surveillance response in African nations.Methods and analysis: We will conduct an electronic literature searches on PubMed, CINAHL, (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Scopus, and Web of Science and other relevant databases. Reference lists from identified published articles or reviews and conference abstracts will also be searched for relevant articles. Published and unpublished literatures (grey) will be included in the search. The findings will be presented graphically in terms of mortality, morbidity, interventions for rabies control in Africa, research gaps identified, available research evidence, rabies surveillance, prevention and control and adverse events.Conclusion: This review will contribute to the coordination of interventions for surveillance, prevention, and control with African countries as country-based gaps and challenges and opportunities will be highlighted. In addition, the scaling up of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP rabies will be evaluated in African countries and the projection to achieve the target of "zero deaths of human rabies by 2030" in Africa.

scholarly journals Rabies mortality and morbidity associated with animal bites in Africa: A case for Integrated Rabies Diseases Surveillance, Prevention and Control - A Scoping review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Nyasulu ◽  
Jacqueline Weyer ◽  
Rea Tschopp ◽  
Adane Mihret ◽  
Abraham Aseffa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Global Strategy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Human Rabies ◽  
Post Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Rabies Control ◽  
And Control

Background: Rabies a neglected tropical disease, mostly affecting poor and vulnerable populations living in remote rural areas in developing countries. The disease continues to pose a significant public health a threat with an estimated 59,000 dog-transmitted human deaths, of which an estimated 21,476 human deaths occur in Africa each year. The global strategy has been set by the quartite World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), aiming for "zero human deaths associated with dog transmitted rabies by 2030". African countries, however, face several challenges and there are still gaps in controlling rabies. The aim of this study review is to determine rabies prevalence, mortality and associated risk factors in both human population and animal population and to evaluate the presence or absence of integrated one health surveillance response in African nations. Methods and analysis: We will conduct an electronic literature searches on PubMed, CINAHL, (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Scopus, and Web of Science and other relevant databases. Reference lists from identified published articles or reviews and conference abstracts will also be searched for relevant articles. Published and unpublished literatures (grey) will be included in the search. The findings will be presented graphically in terms of mortality, morbidity, interventions for rabies control in Africa, research gaps identified, available research evidence, rabies surveillance, prevention and control and adverse events. Conclusion: This review will contribute to the coordination of interventions for surveillance, prevention, and control with African countries as country-based gaps and challenges and opportunities will be highlighted. In addition, the scaling up of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP rabies will be evaluated in African countries and the projection to achieve the target of "zero deaths of human rabies by 2030" in Africa.

scholarly journals Paratuberculosis: The Hidden Killer of Small Ruminants

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Sanaa M. Idris ◽  
Kamal H. Eltom ◽  
Julius B. Okuni ◽  
Lonzy Ojok ◽  
Wisal A. Elmagzoub ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Trade Restrictions ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Diagnostic Assays ◽  
Mycobacterium Avium Subsp Paratuberculosis ◽  
And Control

Paratuberculosis (PTB) is a contagious and chronic enteric disease of ruminants and many non-ruminants caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), and is characterised by diarrhoea and progressive emaciation with consequent serious economic losses due to death, early culling, and reduced productivity. In addition, indirect economic losses may arise from trade restrictions. Besides being a production limiting disease, PTB is a potential zoonosis; MAP has been isolated from Crohn’s disease patients and was associated with other human diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. Paratuberculosis in sheep and goats may be globally distributed though information on the prevalence and economic impact in many developing countries seem to be scanty. Goats are more susceptible to infection than sheep and both species are likely to develop the clinical disease. Ingestion of feed and water contaminated with faeces of MAP-positive animals is the common route of infection, which then spreads horizontally and vertically. In African countries, PTB has been described as a “neglected disease”, and in small ruminants, which support the livelihood of people in rural areas and poor communities, the disease was rarely reported. Prevention and control of small ruminants’ PTB is difficult because diagnostic assays demonstrate poor sensitivity early in the disease process, in addition to the difficulties in identifying subclinically infected animals. Further studies are needed to provide more insight on molecular epidemiology, transmission, and impact on other animals or humans, socio-economic aspects, prevention and control of small ruminant PTB.

scholarly journals History, evolution and newer perspectives of rabies vaccines

2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Human Rabies ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
The Public ◽  
History Evolution ◽  
Health Communities ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

Rabies continues to be one of the most deadly infectious diseases known to human race since antiquity, with a case fatality rate almost 100 per cent after the onset of clinical disease. The disease still has a significant impact on human and animal living all over the globe. It is found on all continents where terrestrial animals exist, with the bulk of animal and human cases documented in resource-constrained African and Asian countries, where thousands of human deaths are being recorded annually. The disease produces one of the most agonising deaths in humans and it is likely that the global statistic of roughly 59,000 human rabies fatalities per year is an underestimate. Scientific innovations that led to the successful development of several vaccines and immunisation policies in identified ‘at risk’human and animal populationshave gained a great reputation in minimising the impact of disease across wide portions of the globe.Vaccines continue to be the most significant triumphs of the combined global efforts of the public and animal health communities and has achieved significant strides in the treatment, prevention, and control of disease. This paper describes the history, evolution, and accomplishments of human ingenuity, scientific endeavour, and the joint global efforts of the public and animal health communities that resulted in evolving an effective prevention and control strategies.

scholarly journals Renewed Global Partnerships and Redesigned Roadmaps for Rabies Prevention and Control

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiziana Lembo ◽  
Michaël Attlan ◽  
Hervé Bourhy ◽  
Sarah Cleaveland ◽  
Peter Costa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Human Rabies ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Canine Rabies ◽  
And Control ◽  
Rabies Prevention

Canine rabies, responsible for most human rabies deaths, is a serious global public health concern. This zoonosis is entirely preventable, but by focusing solely upon rabies prevention in humans, this “incurable wound” persists at high costs. Although preventing human deaths through canine rabies elimination is feasible, dog rabies control is often neglected, because dogs are not considered typical economic commodities by the animal health sector. Here, we demonstrate that the responsibility of managing rabies falls upon multiple sectors, that a truly integrated approach is the key to rabies elimination, and that considerable progress has been made to this effect. Achievements include the construction of global rabies networks and organizational partnerships; development of road maps, operational toolkits, and a blueprint for rabies prevention and control; and opportunities for scaling up and replication of successful programs. Progress must continue towards overcoming the remaining challenges preventing the ultimate goal of rabies elimination.

scholarly journals COVID-19 case management strategies: what are the options for Africa?

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy Luba Lomole Waya ◽  
David Ameh ◽  
Joseph Lou K. Mogga ◽  
Joseph F. Wamala ◽  
Olushayo Oluseun Olu
Keyword(s):  
Case Management ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Care Facility ◽  
System Capacity ◽  
World Health ◽  
African Countries ◽  
And Control

AbstractThe ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put a strain on health systems globally. Although Africa is the least affected region to date, it has the weakest health systems and an exponential rise in cases as has been observed in other regions, is bound to overwhelm its health systems. Early detection and isolation of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases are pivotal to the prevention and control of the pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that all laboratory-confirmed cases should be isolated and treated in a health care facility; however, where this is not possible due to the health system capacity, patients can be isolated in re-purposed facilities or at home. An already very apparent future challenge for Africa is facility-based isolation of COVID-19 cases, given the already limited health infrastructure and health workforce, and the risk of nosocomial transmission. Use of repurposed facilities requires additional resources, including health workers. Home isolation, on the other hand, would be a challenge given the poor housing, overcrowding, inadequate access to water and sanitation, and stigma related to infectious disease that is prevalent in many African societies. Conflict settings on the continent pose an additional challenge to the prevention and control of COVID-19 with the resultant population displacements in overcrowded camps where access to social services is limited. These unique cultural, social, economic and developmental differences on the continent, call for a tailored approach to COVID-19 case management strategies. This article proposes three broad case management strategies based on the transmission scenarios defined by WHO, and the criteria and package of care for each option, for consideration by policy makers and governments in African countries. Moving forward, African countries should generate local evidence to guide the development of realistic home-grown strategies, protocol and equipment for the management of COVID-19 cases on the continent "Image missing" .

scholarly journals Challenges to the Fight against Rabies—The Landscape of Policy and Prevention Strategies in Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1736
Author(s):  
Andrea Haekyung Haselbeck ◽  
Sylvie Rietmann ◽  
Birkneh Tilahun Tadesse ◽  
Kerstin Kling ◽  
Maria Elena Kaschubat-Dieudonné ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Prevention Strategy ◽  
Human Rabies ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Rabies Control ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
And Control

Nearly 59,000 human deaths worldwide are attributable to rabies annually, of which more than a third occur in Africa. In recent years, progress has been made in both action and collaboration including implementation of surveillance and prevention measures. In this review we assess the scale of surveillance, preventive, and control efforts of canine-transmitted human rabies in African countries. We reviewed literature published from 2014 to 2018, retrieved from electronic databases including MEDLINE, Global Index Medicus, BIOSIS, Science Citation Index, and EMBASE. WHO reports, national disease control program reports, and conference proceedings were also reviewed. The database search was conducted using keywords including rabies, control, and prevention. In forty countries (40/54), some level of rabies control and prevention strategy was available while in fourteen (14/54) countries, no specific national control and prevention strategy for human rabies could be retrieved. Thirty-four (34/54) countries utilized the Stepwise Approach towards Rabies Elimination (SARE) tool to monitor the national rabies control efforts—five of these countries were at the lowest tier (0/5) of the SARE scoring system while no country had achieved the highest score (5/5). High burden countries need to step up the implementation of context specific national rabies control, prevention, and monitoring strategies. As a zoonosis, rabies control and elimination require coordination between human and veterinarian health sectors under the “One Health” umbrella and with national master plans on the prevention and control of neglected tropical diseases ending in 2020, the time to act is now.

scholarly journals A health worker knowledge, attitudes and practices survey of SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention and control in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saiendhra Vasudevan Moodley ◽  
Muzimkhulu Zungu ◽  
Molebogeng Malotle ◽  
Kuku Voyi ◽  
Nico Claassen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Worker ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
World Health ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
And Control

Abstract Background Health workers are crucial to the successful implementation of infection prevention and control strategies to limit the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at healthcare facilities. The aim of our study was to determine SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention and control knowledge and attitudes of frontline health workers in four provinces of South Africa as well as explore some elements of health worker and health facility infection prevention and control practices. Methods A cross-sectional study design was utilised. The study population comprised both clinical and non-clinical staff working in casualty departments, outpatient departments, and entrance points of health facilities. A structured self-administered questionnaire was developed using the World Health Organization guidance as the basis for the knowledge questions. COVID-19 protocols were observed during data collection. Results A total of 286 health workers from 47 health facilities at different levels of care participated in the survey. The mean score on the 10 knowledge items was 6.3 (SD = 1.6). Approximately two-thirds of participants (67.4%) answered six or more questions correctly while less than a quarter of all participants (24.1%) managed to score eight or more. A knowledge score of 8 or more was significantly associated with occupational category (being either a medical doctor or nurse), age (< 40 years) and level of hospital (tertiary level). Only half of participants (50.7%) felt adequately prepared to deal with patients with COVD-19 at the time of the survey. The health workers displaying attitudes that would put themselves or others at risk were in the minority. Only 55.6% of participants had received infection prevention and control training. Some participants indicated they did not have access to medical masks (11.8%) and gloves (9.9%) in their departments. Conclusions The attitudes of participants reflected a willingness to engage in appropriate SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention and control practices as well as a commitment to be involved in COVID-19 patient care. Ensuring adequate infection prevention and control training for all staff and universal access to appropriate PPE were identified as key areas that needed to be addressed. Interim and final reports which identified key shortcomings that needed to be addressed were provided to the relevant provincial departments of health.

scholarly journals Post-exposure prophylaxis vaccination rate and risk factors of human rabies in mainland China: a meta-analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Wang ◽  
X. F. Zhang ◽  
H. Jin ◽  
X. Q. Cheng ◽  
C. X. Duan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Vaccination Rate ◽  
Human Rabies ◽  
Post Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Post Exposure ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

AbstractRabies is one of the major public health problems in China, and the mortality rate of rabies remains the highest among all notifiable infectious diseases. A meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) vaccination rate and risk factors for human rabies in mainland China. The PubMed, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical and Wanfang databases were searched for articles on rabies vaccination status (published between 2007 and 2017). In total, 10 174 human rabies cases from 136 studies were included in this meta-analysis. Approximately 97.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) 95.1–98.7%) of rabies cases occurred in rural areas and 72.6% (95% CI 70.0–75.1%) occurred in farmers. Overall, the vaccination rate in the reported human rabies cases was 15.4% (95% CI 13.7–17.4%). However, among vaccinated individuals, 85.5% (95% CI 79.8%–83.4%) did not complete the vaccination regimen. In a subgroup analysis, the PEP vaccination rate in the eastern region (18.8%, 95% CI 15.9–22.1%) was higher than that in the western region (13.3%, 95% CI 11.1–15.8%) and this rate decreased after 2007. Approximately 68.9% (95% CI 63.6–73.8%) of rabies cases experienced category-III exposures, but their PEP vaccination rate was 27.0% (95% CI 14.4–44.9%) and only 6.1% (95% CI 4.4–8.4%) received rabies immunoglobulin. Together, these results suggested that the PEP vaccination rate among human rabies cases was low in mainland China. Therefore, standardised treatment and vaccination programs of dog bites need to be further strengthened, particularly in rural areas.

scholarly journals A Scoping Review of Policies Related to the Prevention and Control of Overweight and Obesity in Africa

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 4028
Author(s):  
Theodosia Adom ◽  
Anniza De Villiers ◽  
Thandi Puoane ◽  
André Pascal Kengne
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
World Health ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Food Industries ◽  
Nutrition And Diet ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
And Control

To address the issue of obesity, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a set of comprehensive programmes aimed at changing the obesogenic environments to provide opportunities for healthy food options and increased physical activity in the school, home, and at the population level. The objectives of this study were to examine the nature and range of policies related to overweight and obesity prevention in Africa, and to assess how they align with international guidelines. An existing methodological framework was adapted for this scoping review. A search of publicly available national documents on overweight/obesity, general health, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) was undertaken from relevant websites, including WHO, ministries, and Google Scholar. Additional requests were sent to key contacts at relevant ministries about existing policy documents. The documents were reviewed, and the policies were categorised, using the Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity (ANGELO) framework. The framework categorises the environmental drivers of obesity into four domains (physical, economic, legislative, and socio-cultural) and two scales: macro (national, regional, sectors, food industries, media, etc.) and micro (household, institutional, and community). This review included documents from 41 African countries. The policy initiatives to prevent overweight/obesity target the school, family and community settings, and macro environments, and broadly align with global recommendations. The NCD documents were in the majority, with only two on obesity. The majority of the documents detailed strategies and key interventions on unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. The physical, legislative, and sociocultural domains were largely featured, with less emphasis on the economic domain. Additionally, nutrition- and diet-related policies were in the majority. Overlaps and interactions of policies were observed in the application of the ANGELO framework. This study has provided information on national policies and programmes in Africa and can be useful as a first point of call for policymakers. The overlapping and interaction in the initiatives demonstrate the importance of multi-sectoral partnerships in providing supportive environments for healthy behaviours.

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