scholarly journals Institute of medicine publishes new report on microbial threats to health

2003 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  

“Microbial Threats to health: emergence, detection, and response”, published this week by the Institute of Medicine focuses on the need for renewed commitment faced with the increased impact of infectious diseases in the United States since publication of the landmark report, “Emerging Infections: Microbial Threats to Health in the United States” in 1992. The report’s authors, the Committee on Emerging Microbial Threats to Health in the 21st century, recommend enhanced global capacity for response to infectious diseases and stresses the importance of a robust public health system in responding to any disease outbreak.

2012 ◽  
Vol 102 (8) ◽  
pp. 1482-1497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl J. Caspersen ◽  
G. Darlene Thomas ◽  
Letia A. Boseman ◽  
Gloria L. A. Beckles ◽  
Ann L. Albright

Author(s):  
Debra DeBruin ◽  
Jonathon P. Leider

The public health enterprise is responsible for the protection and promotion of population health across the United States. Approximately 2,800 local health departments join state and territorial health agencies, federal agencies, and other government organizations in constituting the core of the governmental public health system in the United States. Spending on governmental public health accounts for less than 3 percent of the nation’s multi-trillion-dollar health budget. Yet it is responsible for health improvement, infectious disease control, pandemic planning, chronic disease control, environmental health, maternal and child health, and more. This chapter reviews the genesis and structure of the public health system. It examines the implications of that organizational structure for the many and varied ethical considerations that arise in the practice of public health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Rousset ◽  
G Voglino ◽  
E Boietti ◽  
A Corradi ◽  
M R Gualano ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Infectious diseases are more common and severe in patients with HIV, which show different response to vaccines and a diminished protection. It is therefore very important to assess knowledge and attitudes towards vaccination in people with HIV, since precise vaccination coverage and vaccine hesitancy are not well established in this subgroup of patients. Methods A sample of 119 patients with HIV completed a cross-sectional survey. Patients were recruited during their routine medical examination at the infectious diseases clinic in Turin. The survey explored these main areas: demographics and history of HIV infection, vaccination history, attitudes towards vaccination, confidence in the public health system, contagion risk and disease seriousness perception. In this preliminary phase descriptive analysis were conducted. Results Preliminary data show that mean age of the participants was 49.51 years, 80% were males. The median of HIV infection duration was 10 years, while the median of the lymphocyte count was 762.50 cells/mm3. The disease with the highest vaccination coverage was tetanus (88.7%), considered a serious or very serious disease by 85.6% of the participants, despite low or very low contagion risk perception (84.1%). The disease with the lowest vaccination coverage was Herpes Zoster (7.3%), despite high or very high seriousness perception (70%). Furthermore, 99.1% of the participants showed high or very high confidence toward public health system professionals, and the majority of them (59.5%) stated that vaccines are more useful for the community than for the single person. Conclusions Vaccination coverage is still not fully satisfactory regarding diseases considered infrequent or mild. Considering the high level of confidence toward the public health system that has emerged, it is necessary to implement informative and operative strategies about vaccination for European HIV patients, which are particularly at risk regarding infectious diseases. Key messages Vaccination coverage and risk perception in HIV patients is not satisfactory for many diseases and an effort to implement informative strategies in Europe is needed. The role of vaccination in preventing infectious diseases in HIV patients should be recognized and strengthened by relying on the high level of confidence toward European public health systems.


2021 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-131
Author(s):  
Bob Oram

For the UK struggling to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, the experience of Cuba’s Ministry of Public Health over the past six decades provides the clearest case for a single, universal health system constituting an underlying national grid dedicated to prevention and care; an abundance of health professionals, accessible everywhere; a world-renowned science and biotech capability; and an educated public schooled in public health. All this was achieved despite being under a vicious blockade by the United States for all of that time.


2021 ◽  
pp. 01-04
Author(s):  
Jagriti Gangopadhyay

With the recent Black Lives Matter movement, existing racial inequalities in various sectors of the United States have regained prominence. Due to the pandemic, statistics on racial disparities in the health sector have been aggravated. On a related note, while the #Black Lives Matter movement received substantial support from India’s online community, deeply entrenched inequalities in terms of caste, community and gender in India’s health sector need to be critically evaluated as well. This paper is an attempt to understand how the awareness generated by the Black Lives Matter movement could be an opportunity to address structural inequalities in India’s own public health system.


Author(s):  
Evgeniya Vladimirovna Zhilina

This article explores the factors for conducting administrative reforms in the United States in the area of public health. For detailed consideration, the author selected New York City as an example the largest metropolitan area that faced aggravation of social problems due to the shortcomings in the existing public health system. Rapid increase in the number of resident in the conditions of significant growth of population density led to proliferation of the dangerous infectious diseases, for elimination of which local authorities had to take prompt actions of state regulation, including creation of the new administrative branches. Special attention is given to the treatment of tuberculosis and preventive measures thereof, namely the importance of tracking all new cases. In studying public health system of New York City, the author applied interdisciplinary approach that ensured comprehensive and objective outlook upon the problems of poorest population groups of the city. Comparative-historical method was used juxtapose the situation in New York and typologically similar US metropolises. Chronological method allowed tracing the patterns in evolution of administrative innovations, and assessing them in a single historical perspective. The main conclusion consists in the statement that private medicine appeared to be insufficient due to the drastic changes of social conditions in the densely populated metropolises, as the constantly growing population of poor immigrant neighborhoods was capable of paying for medical services. At the same time, namely the residents of such ghettos were most vulnerable category of population from the standpoint of epidemiology. Taking preventive measures by the municipal authorities, which included mass vaccination and clearing New York streets from dirt and trash, became an effective way to alleviate the situation. The administrative reforms in the city significantly improved the situation, which laid the foundation for sweeping changes in the future.


2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (5) ◽  
pp. 552-558
Author(s):  
Royal Kai Yee Law ◽  
Hannah Kisselburgh ◽  
Douglas Roblin ◽  
Ekta Choudhary ◽  
Joshua Schier ◽  
...  

Objectives: Foodborne disease is a pervasive problem caused by consuming food or drink contaminated by infectious or noninfectious agents. The 55 US poison centers receive telephone calls for advice on foodborne disease cases that may be related to a foodborne disease outbreak (FBDO). Our objective was to assess whether poison center call records uploaded to the National Poison Data System (NPDS) can be used for surveillance of noninfectious FBDOs in the United States. Methods: We matched NPDS records on noninfectious FBDO agents in the United States with records in the Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System (FDOSS) for 2000-2010. We conducted multivariable logistic regression analysis comparing NPDS matched and unmatched records to assess features of NPDS records that may indicate a confirmed noninfectious FBDO. Results: During 2000-2010, FDOSS recorded 491 noninfectious FBDOs of known etiology and NPDS recorded 8773 calls for noninfectious foodborne disease exposures. Of 8773 NPDS calls, 469 (5.3%) were matched to a noninfectious FBDO reported to FDOSS. Multivariable logistic regression indicated severity of medical outcome, whether the call was made by a health care professional, and etiology as significant predictors of NPDS records matching an FDOSS noninfectious FBDO. Conclusions: NPDS may complement existing surveillance systems and response activities by providing timely information about single cases of foodborne diseases or about a known or emerging FBDO. Prioritizing NPDS records by certain call features could help guide public health departments in the types of noninfectious foodborne records that most warrant public health follow-up.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document