scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 Among Migrants Recently Arrived in Europe From Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Containment Strategies and Special Features of Management in Reception Centers

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Fabris ◽  
Gabriella d'Ettorre ◽  
Ornella Spagnolello ◽  
Alessandro Russo ◽  
Maurizio Lopalco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Systematic Screening ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Epidemiological Analysis ◽  
Contagious Diseases ◽  
Individual Protection ◽  
Self Protection

Despite the “migrants and COVID-19” topic has been neglected since felt marginal concerning other aspects of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it represents a relevant public health issue in the European countries. This report describes COVID-19 containment strategies adopted in a large Italian reception center hosting recently arrived asylum-seeker migrants. Risk assessment and prevention measures adopted were described. Geo-spatial epidemiological analysis of the outbreak was reported. Significant gaps in the knowledge of self-protection measures from contagious diseases and in the perception of the pandemic risk were observed in migrants; health promotion activities, targeted to remove cultural barriers and improve behaviors appropriate to individual protection, were able to fulfill this gap. In low-resource settings, especially in closed communities, the implementation of social distancing strategies, the systematic use of individual protection devices, and active syndromic surveillance are essential tools to limit the risk of outbreaks. In the event of an outbreak, it is relevant to rapidly activate containment procedures based on systematic screening, isolation, and quarantine, taking into consideration the limits of tracing contacts within a closed community. Not being able to trace certain contacts, the geo-spatial epidemiological analysis of cases distribution could be key in the management of the outbreak. Interestingly, positive cases identified in our facility were all clinically pauci-symptomatic or asymptomatic. Dedicated strategies are needed to minimize the chance of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a limited space such as reception centers and a vulnerable population such as migrants.

3 Estimating the Burden of Dementia in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. i1-i6
Author(s):  
Y Xiang ◽  
K Chan ◽  
I Rudan
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Disease Burden ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Dementia Prevalence ◽  
Pooled Prevalence ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Policy And Planning

Abstract Background and Objectives Rapid increase in life expectancy has resulted in an increase in the global burden of dementia that is expected to become a leading cause of morbidity in the future. Low- and middle-income countries are expected to bear an increasing majority of the burden, but lack data for accurate burden estimates that are key for informing policy and planning. Bayesian methods have recently gained recognition over traditional frequentist approaches for modelling disease burden for their superiority in dealing with severely limited data. This study provides updated estimates of dementia prevalence in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) for the years 2015, 2020 and 2030. Given the paucity of data, estimates were developed using a Bayesian methodology and confirmed by the traditional frequentist approach, with the aim of providing methodological insights for future disease burden estimates. Methods A comprehensive systematic literature search was conducted to identify all relevant primary studies published between the years 2010–2018. The quality of the included studies was critically assessed. A random-effects model (REM) and a Bayesian normal-normal hierarchical model (NNHM) were used to obtain the pooled prevalence estimate of dementia for people aged 60 and above. The latter model was also developed to estimate age-specific dementia prevalence. Using UN population estimates, total and age-specific projections of the burden of dementia were calculated. Results The prevalence of dementia in LAC was found to be 14% (10–21%) in those above age 60 based on REM, and 8% (5–11.5%) based on NNHM. The prevalence increased from 2% (1–4%) in people aged 60–69 to 29% (20–37%) in people above the age of 80. The number of people living with dementia in LAC in 2015 was estimated at 5.68 million, with future projections of 6.86 million in 2020 and 9.94 million in 2030. Conclusions The findings of this review found that burden of dementia in LAC is substantial and continues to rapidly grow. The projected rise in dementia cases in the future should prompt urgent governmental response to address this growing public health issue. We were also able to demonstrate that given the overall paucity of data, a Bayesian approach was superior for estimating disease prevalence and burden.

scholarly journals Using and Explaining Individual Dosimetry Data

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 110S-119S ◽  
Author(s):  
Makoto Miyazaki
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Individual Dose ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Measurement Results ◽  
Individual Dosimetry ◽  
Dose Measurements ◽  
Self Protection

Measurement of individual radiation dose is crucial for planning protective measures after nuclear accidents. The purpose of this article is to explain the various initiatives taken after the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, including the D-shuttle project wherein residents from affected areas wore a personal dosimeter to measure their own external exposure. The experience in Fukushima revealed several issues such as gaining residents’ trust and ensuring appropriate communication of the measured data. The D-shuttle project also revealed that obtaining individual dose measurement data had 2 purposes, as the information obtained was to be utilized by the residents for self-protection and by the authorities for deriving the dose distribution of the population to aid in designing large-scale protection measures. The lessons learned are that both the residents and the authorities need to understand and share the meaning of individual dose measurements and the measurement results must be used with due respect for the residents’ privacy and other concerns.

Ship Collision with Bridges

1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ole Damgaard Larsen
Keyword(s):  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Collision Risk ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Planning And Design ◽  
Federal Highway ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Ship Collision ◽  
Average Size ◽  
Existing Bridges ◽  
Vessel Impact

<p>Any struoture in navigable waters constitutes a hazard to shipping and is itself vulnerable to damage or destruction in the event of vessel collision. Worldwide vessel traffic and the average size of vessels continue to lncrease. At the same time, ever more bridges crossing navigable waterways are being planned and constructed, sometimes with inadequate navigation clearance and/or lnadequate protection. <p> The objective of this publication is to provide information and guidelinesfor engineers charged with the planning and design of new bridges, navlgation channels, and prevention and protection measures. Lt offers advice on up­grading and retrofrtting existing bridges and navigation channels. And lt provides the means to evaluate the safety of bridges, vessels, persons and the environment. <p>After reviewing some basics o! navigatlon and vessel traffic, and consider­ing risk acceptance and collision risk, the publication examines vessel impact forces on bridges and proposes appropriate bridge design criteria. Prevention measures, such as regulations and management systems. And protectlon measures and systems are also described. Major international research projects have provided the analytical basis for the publication, including the development of vessel collision guide specifi­c-atrons for the Federal Highway Administration in the USA and the vessel colllsion design crrteria developed for the Great Bell Crossing in Oenmark. <p>Prepared by Ole Damgaard LARSEN, Chairman of the IABSE Working Group "Ship Collision with Bridges'', lhis 132 page publlcation is a must for any engineer dealing with structures in navigable waters.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Cancer Treatment in Low-Middle Income Countries: The Watson for Oncology (WfO) Experience (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Rui ◽  
Srinivas Emani ◽  
Hermano Alexandre Lima Rocha ◽  
Rubina F. Rizvi ◽  
Sergio Ferreira Juaçaba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Clinical Decision Support Systems ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Cancer Management ◽  
Low Middle Income Countries

UNSTRUCTURED As technology continues to improve, healthcare systems have the opportunity to utilize a variety of innovative tools for decision making that extend beyond traditional clinical decision support systems (CDSSs). The feasibility and efficacy integrating artificial intelligence (AI) systems into medical practice has shown variable success, especially in resource-poor areas. In this paper, we cover the existing challenges surrounding cancer treatment in low-middle income countries (LMICs). By focusing on the implementation of an AI-based CDSS for oncology, we aim to demonstrate how AI can be both beneficial and challenging for cancer management globally. Additionally, we summarize current physician perspectives from China, India, Brazil, Thailand, and Mexico in regard to their experiences and recommendations for improving the system. By doing so, we hope to highlight the need for additional research on user experience and unique cultural barriers for the successful implementation of AI in LMICs.

scholarly journals OC 8521 PRELIMINARY REPORT ON SAFETY OF CO-ADMINISTERED HUMAN HOOKWORM VACCINE CANDIDATES NA-APR-1 (M74)/ALHYDROGEL® AND NA-GST-1/ALHYDROGEL® IN GABONESE CHILDREN

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A12.1-A12
Author(s):  
Jeannot Fréjus Zinsou ◽  
Josiane Honpkehedji ◽  
Dejon Agobe Jean Claude ◽  
Bayodé R Adegbite ◽  
Jean Ronald Edoa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Events ◽  
Phase I ◽  
Clinical Laboratory ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Vaccine Candidates ◽  
Grade 3 ◽  
Randomised Controlled

BackgroundHuman hookworm infection is a major public health issue in tropical low and middle-income countries with severe consequences. To date, improvement of water supply, sanitation, and hygiene is the major contributor to disease control, and additional control tools are needed. Here, we assess a phase I trial of a new hookworm vaccine candidate Na-APR-1 (M74)/Alhydrogel and Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel in Gabonese school-age children.MethodsA double-blind, randomised, controlled, dose-escalation phase I clinical trial that aims to evaluate safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of Na-APR-1 (M74)/Alhydrogel co-administered with Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel hookworm vaccines in children aged 6 to 10 years living in hookworm-endemic area of Lambaréné, compared to the hepatitis B vaccine (ENGERIX-B). Children received three doses of assigned vaccines, delivered intramuscularly (deltoid) on Days 0, 56, and 112 or 180. Safety is measured from Day 0 through Day 14 by the occurrence of solicited injection site and systemic reactogenicity events. Clinical laboratory evaluations were performed approximately 14 days after each immunisation. Unsolicited adverse events were collected from Day 0 through approximately 1 month after each vaccination.ResultsA total of 135 children were screened, and 60, aged 6 to 10 years old, were randomised into 3 groups and received 10 µg, 30 µg or 100 µg of Na-APR-1 (M74)/Alhydrogel and Na-GST-1 Alhydrogel, respectively, compared to ENGERIX-B. At baseline, the mean age of the study population was 7.4 years and the sex ratio 1.3 (male: female). From Day 0 up to Day 14 after vaccination, the main solicited adverse events were pain and swelling at injection sites with 135 (26 of grade 2 and 1 of grade 3) and 9 events, respectively. Regarding systemic adverse events, 3 occurrences of grade 1 headache were recorded. Immunogenicity analyses are underway.ConclusionThe preliminary results confirm that co-administration of the two hookworm vaccine candidates is safe and well-tolerated in Gabonese children.

scholarly journals Scientific Productivity and Cancer-Related Mortality: A Case Study of a Positive Association in Colombia

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
David Bravo-Linares ◽  
Andrés M. Acevedo-Melo ◽  
Alejandro Ruiz-Patiño ◽  
Luisa Ricaurte ◽  
Diana Lucio-Arias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Output ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Scientific Productivity ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Steady Growth ◽  
Worldwide Phenomenon ◽  
Linear Regression Modeling ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Related Mortality

PURPOSE Cancer morbidity represents an increasing public health issue; this worldwide phenomenon also is true for emerging upper-middle-income countries, such as Colombia. The main purpose of this study was to uncover the relationship between scientific productivity and cancer-related mortality in our setting. METHODS We conducted a temporal-trend ecologic study by means of bibliometric analysis from records of publications from SCOPUS database with Colombian institutional affiliations between 2000 and 2015. Productivity and overall mortality were estimated and compared using econometric modeling to identify potential correlations. Additional exploratory analyses per six most frequent cancer sites were performed. RESULTS Of 2,645 publication records retrieved, 1,464 (55.3%) met selection criteria to be classified as Colombian scientific production (interobserver agreement, 92.96%; κ = 0.859; 95% CI, 0.800 to 0.918). Overall, 79.6% of the records corresponded to original or in-press articles; furthermore, almost half (49.7%) embodied descriptive study designs. Selected records reported a median of five authors and three different affiliations per publication; 66% had been cited at least once up to September 2017. The most-studied cancer-specific locations were cervix (16.1%), breast (11.5%), and stomach (9.8%), but nonspecific locations had the largest combined participation (23.4%). An increasing trend in scientific productivity was correlated to decreasing trend in overall cancer mortality, which was reported as an inverse proportional relationship in the linear regression modeling ( r = −0.958; P < .001). Graphic analyses per cancer-specific sites revealed heterogeneous behaviors of this relationship. CONCLUSION Colombian cancer-specific scientific productivity demonstrated a steady growth as opposed to a decreasing mortality trend in the recent years. The research output is predominantly descriptive with relatively low interinstitutional partnership and low impact in the international scientific community.

scholarly journals A MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR EBOLA EPIDEMIC WITH SELF-PROTECTION MEASURES

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (01) ◽  
pp. 107-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. BERGE ◽  
M. CHAPWANYA ◽  
J. M.-S. LUBUMA ◽  
Y. A. TEREFE
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Mass Action ◽  
Transmission Dynamics ◽  
Asymptotically Stable ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Globally Asymptotically Stable ◽  
New Formulation ◽  
Self Protection

A mathematical model presented in Berge T, Lubuma JM-S, Moremedi GM, Morris N Shava RK, A simple mathematical model for Ebola in Africa, J Biol Dyn 11(1): 42–74 (2016) for the transmission dynamics of Ebola virus is extended to incorporate vaccination and change of behavior for self-protection of susceptible individuals. In the new setting, it is shown that the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable when the basic reproduction number [Formula: see text] is less than or equal to unity and unstable when [Formula: see text]. In the latter case, the model system admits at least one endemic equilibrium point, which is locally asymptotically stable. Using the parameters relevant to the transmission dynamics of the Ebola virus disease, we give sensitivity analysis of the model. We show that the number of infectious individuals is much smaller than that obtained in the absence of any intervention. In the case of the mass action formulation with vaccination and education, we establish that the number of infectious individuals decreases as the intervention efforts increase. In the new formulation, apart from supporting the theory, numerical simulations of a nonstandard finite difference scheme that we have constructed suggests that the results on the decrease of the number of infectious individuals is valid.

Letter to the Editor: Cultural Barriers for Women in Surgery: How Thick is the Glass Ceiling? An Analysis from a Low-/Middle-Income Country

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (9) ◽  
pp. 3186-3187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliana E. Kim ◽  
Lotta Velin ◽  
Adelina Mazhiqi ◽  
Kathryn Wall ◽  
Dominique Vervoort ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Glass Ceiling ◽  
Middle Income Country ◽  
Income Country ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Letter To The Editor

scholarly journals Socio-Cultural Reasons and Community Perceptions Regarding Indoor Cooking Using Biomass Fuel and Traditional Stoves in Rural Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 2035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mulugeta Tamire ◽  
Adamu Addissie ◽  
Susann Skovbjerg ◽  
Rune Andersson ◽  
Mona Lärstad
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Wood Smoke ◽  
Fuel Wood ◽  
Health Extension Workers ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Security Issues ◽  
Rural Ethiopia

Around three billion people in the world and 90% of the rural households in low-and middle-income countries are exposed to wood smoke with varying exposure levels and resulting health risks. We aimed to explore perceptions of the community towards indoor cooking and the socio-cultural barriers to bring change in Butajira, rural Ethiopia. We conducted a qualitative study involving ten separate focus group discussions with purposively selected members of the community and two key informant interviews with health extension workers. Content analysis was carried out using ATLAS.ti software. Participants reported the use of fuel wood and traditional three-stone cook stove to cook food. Economic status, lack of commitment, cultural views and concern along with safety and security issues were found to be barriers to change from traditional to cleaner methods of cooking. The community perceived wood smoke to have effects on their eyes and respiratory health, though they culturally viewed it as beneficial for postpartum mothers and newborns, avoiding bad smell and insects and in order to strengthen the fabric of their houses. Health education at community level is essential in order to bring about change in the cultural views and cooking behaviors focusing on opening windows and keeping young children away during cooking.

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