scholarly journals COVID-19: The Ivermectin African Enigma

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Guerrero ◽  
Luis Eduardo Bravo ◽  
Edgar Muñoz ◽  
Elvia Karina Grillo Ardila ◽  
Esteban Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Human Development Index ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Unusual Behavior ◽  
Death Rates ◽  
Mass Public ◽  
Onchocerciasis Control

Introduction: The low frequency of cases and deaths from the SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 virus in some countries of Africa has called our attention to the unusual behavior of this disease. Aims: Describe SARS-CoV2 infection and death rates in African countries that participated in an intensive Ivermectin mass campaign carried out to control onchocerciasis and compare them with those of countries that did not participate. Methods: Data from 19 countries that participated in the WHO sponsored African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), from 1995 until 2015, intended to treat over 90 million people annually and protect an at-risk population of 115 million, were compared with thirty-five (Non-APOC), countries that were not included. Information was obtained from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ database. Results After controlling for different factors including the Human Development Index, APOC countries, show statistically significant 28% lower mortality (0.72 IC 95% 0,67-0,78) and 8% lower rate of infection (0.92 IC95% 0,91-0,93) due to COVID-19. Conclusions: The incidence in mortality rates and the number of cases is significantly lower among the APOC countries compared to non-APOC countries. That a mass public health preventive campaign against COVID-19 may have taken place, inadvertently, in some African countries with massive community ivermectin use is an attractive hypothesis. Additional studies are needed to confirm it.

scholarly journals A Spatial Analysis of Tuberculosis Related Mortality in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (22) ◽  
pp. 11865
Author(s):  
Dan Kibuuka ◽  
Charles Mpofu ◽  
Penny Neave ◽  
Samuel Manda
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Spatial Epidemiology ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Cold Spot ◽  
The South ◽  
Female Population ◽  
Death Rates

Background: South Africa, with an estimated annual tuberculosis (TB) incidence of 360,000 cases in 2019, remains one of the countries with the largest burden of TB in the world. The identification of highly burdened TB areas could support public health policy planners to optimally target resources and TB control and prevention interventions. Objective: To investigate the spatial epidemiology and distribution of TB mortality in South Africa in 2010 and its association with area-level poverty and HIV burden. Methods: The study analysed a total of 776,176 TB deaths for the period 2005–2015. Local and global and spatial clustering of TB death rates were investigated by Global and Local Moran’s Indices methods (Moran’s I). The spatial regression analysis was employed to assess the effect of poverty and HIV on TB mortality rates. Results: There was a significant decrease in TB mortality rate, from 179 per 100,000 population in 2005 to 60 per 100,000 population in 2015. The annual TB mortality rate was higher among males (161.5 per 100,000 male population; (95% confidence interval (CI) 132.9, 190.0) than among females (123.2 per 100,000 female population; (95% CI 95.6, 150.8)). The 35–44 age group experienced higher TB mortality rates, regardless of gender and time. Hot spot clusters of TB mortality were found in the South-Eastern parts of the country, whereas cold spot clusters were largely in the north-eastern parts. Tuberculosis death rates were positively associated with poverty, as measured by the South African Multidimension Poverty Index (SAMPI) as well TB death rates in the neighbouring districts. Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed a statistically significant decrease in TB deaths and a disproportionate distribution of TB deaths among certain areas and population groups in South Africa. The existence of the identified inequalities in the burden of TB deaths calls for targeted public health interventions, policies, and resources to be directed towards the most vulnerable populations in South Africa.

Fighting Income Inequality in Nigeria and Social Exclusion

2020 ◽  
pp. 170-181
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Income Inequality ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Human Development Index ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Methodical Approach ◽  
Sub Saharan

The chapter examines the income inequality and social exclusion in Nigeria. The gap between the haves and have-nots has become an issue of concern in Nigeria. This chapter, therefore, seeks to examine a methodical approach for measuring inequality in Nigeria; Nigeria's ranking in human development index (between 1990 and 2017); trends in inequality, poverty, unemployment, and life expectancy from 1980 to 2017; and the income inequality in Nigeria relative to other Sub-Saharan African countries along with sex disaggregated HDI relative to other Sub-Saharan African countries and the implications to social policy reforms.

A Comparison Between Selected Noncommunicable Disease Mortality Rates Between 2010 and 2016 Among Selected Southern African Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. Ellapen ◽  
M. Barnard ◽  
G. L. Strydom ◽  
K. M. Masime ◽  
Y. Paul
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Noncommunicable Disease ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Death Rates ◽  
Chronic Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Disease Mortality

Researchers have identified cancer, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases as being the principal pathologies of increased aged standardized death rates (ASDRs) among noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The objective of this study was to compare the change in the ASDR of these principal NCDs between the years 2010 and 2016 in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. ASDR data were collected from the 2016 Global Health Estimate. Among the selected Southern African countries for both 2010 and 2016, the order of prevalence of NCDs linked to increased ASDR was cardiovascular diseases (both cardiac and stroke), cancer, diabetes mellitus, and chronic respiratory diseases. The percentage of the total number of NCDs linked to increased ASDR in relation to total deaths increased from 43.8% (in 2010) to 51.0% (in 2016) from ( p < .0001). The percentage of principal NCDs in relation to total ASDR increased from 33.0% (in 2010) to 38.2% (in 2016; p < .0001).

scholarly journals The association between the initial outcomes of COVID-19 and the human development index: An ecological study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Mohamed Buheji ◽  
Amer AlDerazi ◽  
Dunya Ahmed ◽  
Nicola Luigi Bragazzi ◽  
Haitham Jahrami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Development ◽  
Human Development Index ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Development Index ◽  
Mortality Outcome ◽  
Objective Outcomes ◽  
Male To Female

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Outcomes of the pandemic COVID-19 varied from one country to another. We aimed to describe the association between the global recovery and mortality rates of COVID-19 cases in different countries and the Human Development Index (HDI) as a socioeconomic indicator. METHODS: A correlational (ecological) study design is used. The analysis used data from 173 countries. Poisson regression models were applied to study the relationship between HDI and pandemic recovery and mortality rates, adjusting for country median age and country male to female sex ratio. RESULTS: During the first three months, the global pooled recovery rate was 32.4%(95%CI 32.3%–32.5%), and the pooled mortality rate was 6.95%(95%CI 6.94%–6.99%). Regression models revealed that HDI was positively associated with recovery β= 1.37, p = 0.016. HDI was also positively associated with the mortality outcome β= 1.79, p = 0.016. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings imply that the positive association between the HDI and recovery rates is reflective of the pandemics’ preparedness. The positive association between the HDI and mortality rates points to vulnerabilities in approaches to tackle health crises. It is critical to better understand the connection between nations’ socioeconomic factors and their readiness for future pandemics in order to strengthen public health policies.

scholarly journals CORRELATION BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX IN EAST JAVA IN 2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
Nadiyah Firdaus ◽  
Airil Haimi Mohd Adnan
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Human Development Index ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
P Value ◽  
Development Index ◽  
The Relationship

Public health is influenced by environmental factors. The success of public health development can be seen from the Human Development Index (HDI). This research aims to analyze the relationship between environmental factors and the HDI in East Java in 2019. This research analyzed secondary data obtained from the East Java Provincial Health Office and published on the website of the Central Bureau of Statistics. Health Profile data in 2018 and the Human Development Index data in 2019 were used. This study used total sampling and selected all districts/cities in East Java (38 districts/cities). The Shapiro Wilk test (a sample of less than 50) was chosen to analyze the normality of the data and a Pearson correlation test was conducted to investigate the relationship between each variable. Based on our Pearson correlation analysis, we found several relationships between each variable. This study found that there is a relationship between access to decent drinking water and the HDI, as well as qualified latrines with the HDI, both with p-values of 0.000. Relationships were also found for healthy homes with the HDI with the p-value of 0.004, as well as qualified public places with the HDI with the p-value of 0.003. Finally, we found that there was no relationship between decent drinking water quality the HDI with a p-value of 0.821.

scholarly journals Trend analysis of cardiovascular disease mortality, incidence, and mortality-to-incidence ratio: results from global burden of disease study 2017

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maedeh Amini ◽  
Farid Zayeri ◽  
Masoud Salehi
Keyword(s):  
Survival Rate ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Human Development Index ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Global Burden ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
Mean Trend ◽  
Global Mean

Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are one of the global leading causes of concern due to the rising prevalence and consequence of mortality and disability with a heavy economic burden. The objective of the current study was to analyze the trend in CVD incidence, mortality, and mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) across the world over 28 years. Methods The age-standardized CVD mortality and incidence rates were retrieved from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2017 for both genders and different world super regions with available data every year during the period 1990–2017. Additionally, the Human Development Index was sourced from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) database for all countries at the same time interval. The marginal modeling approach was implemented to evaluate the mean trend of CVD incidence, mortality, and MIR for 195 countries and separately for developing and developed countries and also clarify the relationship between the indices and Human Development Index (HDI) from 1990 to 2017. Results The obtained estimates identified that the global mean trend of CVD incidence had an ascending trend until 1996 followed by a descending trend after this year. Nearly all of the countries experienced a significant declining mortality trend from 1990 to 2017. Likewise, the global mean MIR rate had a significant trivial decrement trend with a gentle slope of 0.004 over the time interval. As such, the reduction in incidence and mortality rates for developed countries was significantly faster than developing counterparts in the period 1990–2017 (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, the developing nations had a more rather shallow decrease in MIR compared to developed ones. Conclusions Generally, the findings of this study revealed that there was an overall downward trend in CVD incidence and mortality rates, while the survival rate of CVD patients was rather stable. These results send a satisfactory message that global effort for controlling the CVD burden was quite successful. Nonetheless, there is an urgent need for more efforts to improve the survival rate of patients and lower the burden of this disease in some areas with an increasing trend of either incidence or mortality.

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