scholarly journals Bacterial contamination of reusable bottled drinking water in Ecuador

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Mills ◽  
James Golden ◽  
Alyssa Bilinski ◽  
Adam L. Beckman ◽  
Katherine McDaniel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Bacterial Contamination ◽  
Bottled Water ◽  
Coliform Bacteria ◽  
Alternative Source ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
Treatment Facilities ◽  
Water Companies

Abstract In northern coastal Ecuador, water is routinely sold in 20 L reusable bottles for household consumption. These bottles are filled at central treatment facilities and distributed by private water companies. Similar bottled water markets are found in countries around the world. Commercially available bottled water offers an alternative source of drinking water in locations where piped infrastructure may be unsafe or non-existent. In this study we found that 73% (n = 94/128) of water sold in reusable containers in the Esmeraldas province of Ecuador was contaminated with coliform bacteria. In comparison, 25% (n = 9/36) of non-reusable bottles and 9% (n = 2/22) of water samples taken directly from the water treatment system contained coliform, suggesting that most observed bacterial contamination occurred due to inadequate cleaning of reusable bottles between use. The coliform contamination may pose a health risk to the Esmeraldas population. The present study may be indicative of similar situations in low- and middle-income countries around the world, given the widespread use of reusable bottles for water.

Choosing bottled over tapped: drinking water in the Dominican Republic

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. McLennan
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Bottled Water ◽  
Drinking Water Source ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Head Of Household ◽  
Piped Water ◽  
Nationally Representative

While not designated as an improved drinking water source, bottled water is increasingly used by households in low- and middle-income countries as families strive to obtain perceived safer drinking water. The Dominican Republic has high levels of bottled water use despite high levels of piped water access. This study aimed to identify household characteristics that are associated with choosing bottled over tapped drinking water in the Dominican Republic through further examination of data available from a nationally representative Demographic and Healthy Survey from 2007. Among households reporting tapped water as their primary non-drinking water source, 59.6% identified bottled water as their principal drinking water source in comparison with 24.7% identifying tapped water. Greater wealth explained the largest amount of variance in bottled over tapped drinking water. Other hypothesized variables related to choosing bottled over tapped included residence in more urban settings, having a young child in the household, having fewer persons in the household, and a head of household who is female, younger and with higher education. Nationally, representative data which include components investigating perceptions about drinking water and actual quality of drinking water are required to further understand this phenomenon and its impact.

scholarly journals Climate drivers of plague epidemiology in British India, 1898–1949

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1928) ◽  
pp. 20200538
Author(s):  
Warren S. D. Tennant ◽  
Mike J. Tildesley ◽  
Simon E. F. Spencer ◽  
Matt J. Keeling
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Models ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
British India ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
The World ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Plague, caused by Yersinia pestis infection, continues to threaten low- and middle-income countries throughout the world. The complex interactions between rodents and fleas with their respective environments challenge our understanding of human plague epidemiology. Historical long-term datasets of reported plague cases offer a unique opportunity to elucidate the effects of climate on plague outbreaks in detail. Here, we analyse monthly plague deaths and climate data from 25 provinces in British India from 1898 to 1949 to generate insights into the influence of temperature, rainfall and humidity on the occurrence, severity and timing of plague outbreaks. We find that moderate relative humidity levels of between 60% and 80% were strongly associated with outbreaks. Using wavelet analysis, we determine that the nationwide spread of plague was driven by changes in humidity, where, on average, a one-month delay in the onset of rising humidity translated into a one-month delay in the timing of plague outbreaks. This work can inform modern spatio-temporal predictive models for the disease and aid in the development of early-warning strategies for the deployment of prophylactic treatments and other control measures.

scholarly journals Tuberculosis and Non-Communicable Disease Multimorbidity: An Analysis of the World Health Survey in 48 Low- and Middle-Income Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2439
Author(s):  
Brendon Stubbs ◽  
Kamran Siddiqi ◽  
Helen Elsey ◽  
Najma Siddiqi ◽  
Ruimin Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Survey ◽  
Low Income ◽  
World Health ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
World Health Survey ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). TB multimorbidity [TB and ≥1 non-communicable diseases (NCDs)] is common, but studies are sparse. Cross-sectional, community-based data including adults from 21 low-income countries and 27 middle-income countries were utilized from the World Health Survey. Associations between 9 NCDs and TB were assessed with multivariable logistic regression analysis. Years lived with disability (YLDs) were calculated using disability weights provided by the 2017 Global Burden of Disease Study. Eight out of 9 NCDs (all except visual impairment) were associated with TB (odds ratio (OR) ranging from 1.38–4.0). Prevalence of self-reported TB increased linearly with increasing numbers of NCDs. Compared to those with no NCDs, those who had 1, 2, 3, 4, and ≥5 NCDs had 2.61 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.14–3.22), 4.71 (95%CI = 3.67–6.11), 6.96 (95%CI = 4.95–9.87), 10.59 (95%CI = 7.10–15.80), and 19.89 (95%CI = 11.13–35.52) times higher odds for TB. Among those with TB, the most prevalent combinations of NCDs were angina and depression, followed by angina and arthritis. For people with TB, the YLDs were three times higher than in people without multimorbidity or TB, and a third of the YLDs were attributable to NCDs. Urgent research to understand, prevent and manage NCDs in people with TB in LMICs is needed.

scholarly journals Psychological Treatments for the World: Lessons from Low- and Middle-Income Countries

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy R. Singla ◽  
Brandon A. Kohrt ◽  
Laura K. Murray ◽  
Arpita Anand ◽  
Bruce F. Chorpita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle Income ◽  
Psychological Treatments ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
Low And Middle Income

scholarly journals Simple and adaptable R implementation of WHO/ISH cardiovascular risk charts for all epidemiological subregions of the world

F1000Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 2522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dylan Collins ◽  
Joseph Lee ◽  
Niklas Bobrovitz ◽  
Constantinos Koshiaris ◽  
Alison Ward ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cvd Risk ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
Risk Charts ◽  
Free Open Source

The World Health Organisation and International Society of Hypertension (WHO/ISH) cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment charts have been implemented in many low- and middle-income countries as part of the WHO Package of Essential Non-Communicable Disease (PEN) Interventions for Primary Health Care in Low-Resource settings. Evaluation of the WHO/ISH cardiovascular risk charts and their use is a key priority and since they only exist in paper or PDF formats, we developed a simple R implementation of the charts for all epidemiological subregions of the world. The main strengths of this implementation are that it is built in a free, open-source, coding language with simple syntax, can be modified by the user, and can be used with a standard computer.

scholarly journals Global competitiveness divide and the middle-income-trap

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Yaw Acheampong
Keyword(s):  
High Income ◽  
World Economic Forum ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Income Levels ◽  
Global Competitiveness ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Income Status ◽  
The World ◽  
World Economic ◽  
Middle Income Trap

In recent times, the middle-income trap (MIT) has become a pertinent issue as economists, researchers and development practitioners continue seek answers to why the majority of middle-income countries find it difficult to advance to high-income status. There is still no consensus in literature as to the exact cause(s) and the solution to the MIT. The World Economic Forum posits that, the score of countries on the Global Competitive Index (GCI) 4.0 accounts for over 80% of the variation in income levels of countries. This suggests that the extent of global competitiveness of countries could potentially help them to escape the MIT. However, some competitiveness literature have identified an apparent competitiveness divide among countries. This paper therefore seeks to answer the following questions: how does middle-income countries differ from the high-income countries in terms of global competitiveness. The study utilises an independent samples t-test and effect size measures to examine the GCI 4.0 scores of 140 countries. The study finds a very large and significant competitiveness divide between the high and middle-income countries.

Universal healthcare in our lifetime? All teach, all learn

2019 ◽  
pp. 144-152
Author(s):  
Mark Britnell
Keyword(s):  
Health Coverage ◽  
National Elections ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Universal Healthcare ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
Global Movement ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Universal Health

The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals of achieving universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030 have energized many governments to devise bold strategies and make big investments in their health systems. The global movement around UHC has gathered momentum at blistering speed. Within a few years it has transformed the focus of healthcare in low- and middle-income countries from a few diseases to a comprehensive vision of affordable, accessible, and acceptable care for all. In this chapter, Mark Britnell looks at how Philippines, Vietnam, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Panama, Nigeria, South Africa, Cyprus, islands across the Caribbean, and many others have announced significant UHC reforms since the development goals were passed in 2014, and UHC has been a headline issue in a number of national elections. He analyses UHC across the world, and looks to at the future of healthcare globally.

scholarly journals Unpacking piped water consumption subsidies: Who benefits? New evidence from 10 countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 691-715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Abramovsky ◽  
Luis Andrés ◽  
George Joseph ◽  
Juan Pablo Rud ◽  
Germán Sember ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Consumption ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Piped Water ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
The World ◽  
Tariff Structures ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Abstract This paper provides new evidence on the recent performance of piped water consumption subsidies in terms of pro-poor targeting for 10 low- and middle-income countries around the world. Our results suggest that in these countries, existing tariff structures fall well short of recovering the costs of service provision, and that, moreover, the resulting subsidies largely fail to achieve the goal of improving the accessibility and affordability of piped water among the poor. Instead, the majority of subsidies in all 10 countries are captured by the richest households. On average, across the 10 low- and middle-income countries examined, 56% of subsidies end up in the pockets of the richest 20%, but only 6% of subsidies find their way to the poorest 20%. This is predominantly due to the most vulnerable segments of the population facing challenges in access and connection to piped water services. Shortcomings in the design of the subsidy, conditional on poor households being connected, exist but are less important.

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