scholarly journals COVID-19 and Dengue: A potentially emerging healthcare challenge for Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
Faiz Ahmed Raza
Keyword(s):  
Malaria Control ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vector Surveillance ◽  
Community Based Interventions ◽  
Health Organization

Pakistan is facing the third wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and could head towards the fourth one. Although the burden of COVID-19 remained significantly low in the country as compared to its neighboring countries despite similar gene pool, health system, and climatic conditions, still Pakistan has dealt with the disease with relative effectiveness. The pandemic imposed immense pressure on the public health systems due to increased demand for specialized isolation wards and intensive care units and disease-related morbidity and mortality. Many of the tertiary care hospitals in the major pandemic-stricken districts have been transformed into specialized centers dedicated to the treatment of COVID-19. This resulted in diverting major hospital resources and manpower to deal with the pandemic at the cost of other medical and surgical conditions. A recent pulse survey conducted by World Health Organization (WHO) in 135 countries demonstrated that the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic severely affected the global health services, while services for endemic tropical diseases (like dengue) were affected in 44% of countries, especially in resource-limited countries. Moreover, large-scale community-based interventions including vector surveillance and control were disrupted in 60% of the countries.1 Another survey by WHO on malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa demonstrated a >20% increase in malaria cases and a doubling of malaria-associated deaths due to a decline in malaria control activities during the pandemic. It is expected that the future catastrophe due to malaria might be much greater than the COVID-19 in endemic regions. Therefore, WHO recommends continuous monitoring, surveillance, and treatment to control the spread of malaria.2

scholarly journals A geo-coded inventory of anophelines in the Afrotropical Region south of the Sahara: 1898-2016

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Kyalo ◽  
Punam Amratia ◽  
Clara W. Mundia ◽  
Charles M. Mbogo ◽  
Maureen Coetzee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Malaria Control ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Reference Source ◽  
Vector Species ◽  
Control Programmes ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Formed Part ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Health Organization

Background: Understanding the distribution of anopheline vectors of malaria is an important prelude to the design of national malaria control and elimination programmes. A single, geo-coded continental inventory of anophelines using all available published and unpublished data has not been undertaken since the 1960s. Methods: We have searched African, European and World Health Organization archives to identify unpublished reports on anopheline surveys in 48 sub-Saharan Africa countries. This search was supplemented by identification of reports that formed part of post-graduate theses, conference abstracts, regional insecticide resistance databases and more traditional bibliographic searches of peer-reviewed literature. Finally, a check was made against two recent repositories of dominant malaria vector species locations (circa 2,500). Each report was used to extract information on the survey dates, village locations (geo-coded to provide a longitude and latitude), sampling methods, species identification methods and all anopheline species found present during the survey. Survey records were collapsed to a single site over time.    Results: The search strategy took years and resulted in 13,331 unique, geo-coded survey locations of anopheline vector occurrence between 1898 and 2016. A total of 12,204 (92%) sites reported the presence of 10 dominant vector species/sibling species; 4,473 (37%) of these sites were sampled since 2005. 4,442 (33%) sites reported at least one of 13 possible secondary vector species; 1,107 (25%) of these sites were sampled since 2005. Distributions of dominant and secondary vectors conform to previous descriptions of the ecological ranges of these vectors. Conclusion: We have assembled the largest ever geo-coded database of anophelines in Africa, representing a legacy dataset for future updating and identification of knowledge gaps at national levels. The geo-coded database is available on Harvard Dataverse as a reference source for African national malaria control programmes planning their future control and elimination strategies.

Preventive Measures and Treatment of Drug Resistant Malaria

1970 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 3083-3089
Author(s):  
Dilip Kumar Gupta ◽  
B. K. Razdan ◽  
Meenakshi Bajpai
Keyword(s):  
Malaria Control ◽  
Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Current Treatment ◽  
Antimalarial Drugs ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Combination Therapies ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Health Organization

Malaria is mostly a preventable but devastating parasite disease widely prevalent in underdeveloped countries. Malaria is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by the protozoan Plasmodium parasites. The annual incidence of malaria is about 515 million people and malaria mortality accounts for nearly 3 million people, the majority of whom are young children in sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, including parts of the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Due to climate change and the gradual warming of the temperate regions the future distribution of the malaria disease might include regions which are today seen as safe. Currently, malaria control requires an integrated approach comprising of mainly prevention, including vector control and the use of effective prophylactic medicines, and treatment of infected patients with antimalarial drugs. The antimalarial chloroquine, which was in the past a mainstay of malaria control, is now ineffective in most malaria areas and resistance to other antimalarial drugs is also increasing rapidly. Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs) are now generally considered as the best current treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Such combination therapies are currently recommend by the World Health Organization because of widespread resistance of the disease to conventional drug therapies, such as chloroquine, sulfadoxine, pyrimethamine and amodiaquine, has increased. ACTs are the most effective drug treatments currently. ACTs produce a very rapid therapeutic response to malaria and should be adopted worldwide

INTERNATIONAL NEWS AND REPORTS

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1948 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 499-504
Keyword(s):  
Child Health ◽  
Malaria Control ◽  
Venereal Disease ◽  
World Health ◽  
International News ◽  
World Health Assembly ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
First World ◽  
And Child Health

The First World Health Assembly convened in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 24, 1948, and remained in session until July 24. Fifty-four nations sent delegates. The work of this First Assembly centered around the development of a program of action for the World Health Organization. After discussions of a long list of possible activities, the Assembly adopted a program which established certain priorities for the work of the Organization during the coming year. Malaria control, maternal and child health, tuberculosis and venereal disease control, nutrition and environmental sanitation were placed in the top priority. To carry out these priority programs the WHO authorized the appointment of expert committees and the establishment of appropriate sections of work in the secretariat of the Organization.

scholarly journals A pilot study comparing pattern of damage sustained among instruments from different surgical units in a tertiary care centre in Nepal – reappraising the role of instrument reprocessing in retaining their value

F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
Sunil Munakomi ◽  
Roshan Shah ◽  
Sangam Shrestha
Keyword(s):  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Health Spending ◽  
Pivotal Role ◽  
World Health ◽  
Tertiary Care Centre ◽  
Surgical Equipment ◽  
Surgical Units ◽  
Wear And Tear ◽  
Health Organization

Background: The quality of instruments plays a pivotal role in governing safe operating room culture. The reprocessing system followed in the institution determines their durability thereby ensuring patient safety as well as minimizing health spending. Rigorous reprocessing in a centralized instrument reprocessing department by well trained staff following formulated guidelines helps to achieve the target of “safe surgery saves lives” as formulated by the World Health Organization. Methods: We sought to determine the patterns of wear and tear sustained among sets of surgical equipment from two surgical units that had been sent to the repair department within a year of their purchase. Analysis of similar changes in the joints of the instrument, as well as pattern of fractures sustained was performed. Results: All patterns of wear and tear were common in both the general surgical arm and neurosurgical counterpart, with the exception of fractures and mal-alignments. Similar study was performed examining changes in the joints. Stains were the most commonly observed change pattern in both sets of instruments. Fractures were most frequent in the working ends in both sets of instruments. Conclusion: There is an alarming incidence of wear and tear patterns in the instruments used in the surgical units, even within the first year of their use. This supports the strict implementation of reprocessing guidelines by well trained workers and their quality assessments via audit checks. The quality of the purchased instruments also plays a pivotal role.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between the Global Burden of Influenza From 2017 to 2019 and COVID-19: Descriptive Epidemiological Assessment (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan David Baral ◽  
Katherine Blair Rucinski ◽  
Jean Olivier Twahirwa Rwema ◽  
Amrita Rao ◽  
Neia Prata Menezes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Respiratory Pathogens ◽  
Modes Of Transmission ◽  
The World ◽  
Influenza Activity ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Health Organization

BACKGROUND SARS-CoV-2 and influenza are lipid-enveloped viruses with differential morbidity and mortality but shared modes of transmission. OBJECTIVE With a descriptive epidemiological framing, we assessed whether recent historical patterns of regional influenza burden are reflected in the observed heterogeneity in COVID-19 cases across regions of the world. METHODS Weekly surveillance data reported by the World Health Organization from January 2017 to December 2019 for influenza and from January 1, 2020 through October 31, 2020, for COVID-19 were used to assess seasonal and temporal trends for influenza and COVID-19 cases across the seven World Bank regions. RESULTS In regions with more pronounced influenza seasonality, COVID-19 epidemics have largely followed trends similar to those seen for influenza from 2017 to 2019. COVID-19 epidemics in countries across Europe, Central Asia, and North America have been marked by a first peak during the spring, followed by significant reductions in COVID-19 cases in the summer months and a second wave in the fall. In Latin America and the Caribbean, COVID-19 epidemics in several countries peaked in the summer, corresponding to months with the highest influenza activity in the region. Countries from regions with less pronounced influenza activity, including South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, showed more heterogeneity in COVID-19 epidemics seen to date. However, similarities in COVID-19 and influenza trends were evident within select countries irrespective of region. CONCLUSIONS Ecological consistency in COVID-19 trends seen to date with influenza trends suggests the potential for shared individual, structural, and environmental determinants of transmission. Using a descriptive epidemiological framework to assess shared regional trends for rapidly emerging respiratory pathogens with better studied respiratory infections may provide further insights into the differential impacts of nonpharmacologic interventions and intersections with environmental conditions. Ultimately, forecasting trends and informing interventions for novel respiratory pathogens like COVID-19 should leverage epidemiologic patterns in the relative burden of past respiratory pathogens as prior information.

Developing Medicines in Line with Global Public Health Needs: The Role of the World Health Organization

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 290-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
TIKKI PANG
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Gender Violence ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Director General ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Absolute Poverty ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

“I want my leadership to be judged by the impact of our work on the health of two populations: women and the people of Africa.” This is how Dr. Margaret Chan, the current Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), described her leadership mission. The reason behind this mission is evident. Women and girls constitute 70% of the world’s poor and 80% of the world’s refugees. Gender violence against women aged 15–44 is responsible for more deaths and disability than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents, and war. An estimated 350,000 to 500,000 women still die in childbirth every year. The negative health implications of absolute poverty are worst in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Hence, Chan aims to have the biggest impact on the world’s poorest people.

Pregnancy intention and gestational age at first antenatal care visit in Lesotho

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Paul Mkandawire ◽  
Joseph Kangmennaang ◽  
Chad Walker ◽  
Roger Antabe ◽  
Kilian Atuoye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Gestational Age ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Universal Coverage ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Antenatal Visit ◽  
Life Saving ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Health Organization

Background/aims With coverage of antenatal care in sub-Saharan Africa approaching a universal level, attention is now turning to maximising the life-saving potential of antenatal care. This study assessed the gestational age at which pregnant mothers make their first antenatal visit in the context of high antenatal coverage in Lesotho. Methods For the purposes of this study, secondary data from the Demographic and Health Survey of 2014 was analysed. These data were collected in 2014, via an interviewer administered questionnaire. Survival analysis was applied to the data, using Stata SE 15 to compute time ratios that estimate time to first antenatal visit in Lesotho. Results Despite near universal coverage, only 24% of mothers start antenatal care before 12 weeks of gestation, as recommended by the World Health Organization. In addition, mothers with unwanted pregnancies are most likely to delay antenatal care until later in gestation, followed by mothers with mistimed pregnancies. Education, but not wealth, correlates with the start of antenatal care. Conclusions Having achieved near universal coverage, emphasising a prompt start and adherence to recommended visits could optimise the life-saving potential of antenatal care in Lesotho.

Increment in Phototherapy After Adopting Delayed Cord Clamping Practice

2021 ◽  
pp. 097321792110607
Author(s):  
Chinmay Chetan ◽  
Nishant Banait ◽  
Vikramaditya Athelli ◽  
Bhvya Gupta ◽  
Prince Pareek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tertiary Care ◽  
World Health ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Delayed Cord Clamping ◽  
Term Infants ◽  
Cord Clamping ◽  
Early Cord Clamping ◽  
Baseline Characteristics ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Larger Sample

Introduction: World Health Organization (WHO) in 2014 recommended delayed cord clamping (DCC) in all babies who cry immediately after birth. Despite many benefits, there are concerns of increased rate of phototherapy in babies receiving DCC. This study was done to determine the increment in the rate of phototherapy required in infants managed with DCC vs infants managed with early cord clamping (ECC). Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Pune, India. All the infants born between January 2018 and July 2018, for whom ECC was done, were compared with infants who were born between January 2019 and July 2019, after DCC policy was adopted. All the infants with birth weight ≥2 kg and gestation ≥35 weeks, who were with their mother, were included. Baseline characteristics were compared for both the groups. American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for treatment of neonatal jaundice were used to determine the need for phototherapy. Number of infants in both the groups who required phototherapy were compared. Results: The ECC group had 565 infants while DCC group had 731 infants. There was no difference in the baseline characteristics of the 2 groups. Jaundice requiring phototherapy was noted in 31% of infants in the ECC group, compared to 45% in infants in the DCC group (relative risk: 1.47 [1.27-1.71] [ P < .001]). Conclusion: In this study, DCC increased the need for phototherapy by 47% in late preterm and term infants. Randomized control trials with larger sample size are required to confirm this finding.

Development of Herbal Ayurvedic Formulation as Digestive Tablets, Evaluation of it’s Pharmaceutical, Pharmacognostic Parameters and Screening of its Antioxidant Potential

2021 ◽  
pp. 5849-5855
Author(s):  
Vikas Sharma ◽  
Chandana Majee ◽  
Rahul Kaushik ◽  
Shivani Saxena ◽  
Salahuddin Salahuddin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Volatile Oil ◽  
Antioxidant Potential ◽  
World Health ◽  
Wet Granulation ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Weight Variation ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Average Size

Herbal digestive tablets are meant for treating indigestion problems. The indigestion problem is one of the major problems of all (the) ages of human beings. As trends for eating fast foods is increasing, simultaneously the improper digestion also tends to increase. There are a number of digestive tablets in the market but in attempt to improve their taste the actual motto behind their use is masked. To combat the indigestion problems, in the present study an attempt has been made to formulate, develop and evaluate herbal digestive tablets. The formula of the digestive tablet has been decided after deep review of Ayurvedic formulary of India. The ingredients of this formulation have been procured from authentic sources. The wet granulation method was used to prepare the granules for punching the tablets. After preparation, the herbal digestive tablets were subjected to various pharmaceutical evaluations and quality control evaluations as per the guidelines from World Health Organization (WHO). The formulation was also subjected to antioxidant screening using Phosphomolybdenum method. The digestive tablets are obtained as light brown-colored round tablets with pleasant odour and spicy taste with an average size of 8mm and smooth edges. Maximum extractive value was observed as 34% in methanol with a total ash value of 10.16%. Other parameters reported as bitterness value- 0.69 units, volatile oil content-8%, loss on drying- 12.3%, swelling and foaming index of 0.27 and less than 100 respectively. The tablets showed a total antioxidant potential of 0.51mg/mg as Ascorbic acid equivalent. Tablets also pass various pharmaceutical evaluation parameters like hardness, friability, weight variation, and disintegration test. Herbal digestive tablets have very excellent taste due to less bitter drugs. The tablet formula can be applied to prepare large scale production of digestive tablets.

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