scholarly journals Chronic Care for Neglected Infectious Diseases: Leprosy/Hansen's Disease, Lymphatic Filariasis, Trachoma, and Chagas Disease

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Lymphatic Filariasis ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Disability Prevention ◽  
Care Level ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Primary Health Care Level

In 2016, PAHO's Directing Council, through Resolution CD55.R9, approved the “Plan of Action for Elimination of Neglected Infectious Diseases (NID) and Post-Elimination Actions, 2016-2022.” This Resolution urges Member States to implement a set of interventions to reduce the burden of disease by NID in the Americas by 2022, including  “…support promotion of treatment, rehabilitation, and related support services through an approach focused on integrated morbidity management and disability prevention for individuals and families afflicted by those neglected infectious diseases that cause disability and generate stigma.” NIDs can have devastating chronic sequelae for patients, such as disability, visible change or loss in body structure, loss of tissue, and impairment of proper tissue and organ function, among others. All of these can in turn lead to unjustified discrimination, stigmatization, mental health problems, and partial or total incapacity to work, perpetuating the vicious cycle of neglected diseases as both a consequence and a cause of poverty. Patients with chronic conditions caused by NIDs require proper health care in order to prevent further damage and improve their living and social conditions. This should be provided at the primary health care level, as patients suffering from NIDs are often unable to travel to or afford to pay for specialized care services. Care for patients suffering from chronic morbidity caused by NID should be integrated into care for other chronic conditions caused by non-communicable diseases. This manual provides a framework for morbidity management and disability prevention of patients affected by NIDs and gives specific guidance for the proper care of patients suffering from chronic conditions caused by lymphatic filariasis, leprosy, trachoma, and Chagas disease. It is intended to be used mainly by health care workers at the primary health care level, but health workers at more complex and specialized levels may also find it useful.

scholarly journals Video-otoscopy recordings for diagnosis of childhood ear disease using telehealth at primary health care level

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 300-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leigh Biagio ◽  
De Wet Swanepoel ◽  
Claude Laurent ◽  
Thorbjörn Lundberg
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Care Level ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Primary Health Care Level

scholarly journals Injection safety at primary health care level in south-western Saudi Arabia

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 443-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.A. Mahfouz ◽  
I. Abdel Moneim ◽  
M.Y. Khan ◽  
A.A. Daffalla ◽  
M.M. Diab ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Care Level ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Primary Health Care Level ◽  
Injection Safety

scholarly journals Minimizing Delays in the Breast Cancer Pathway by Integrating Breast Specialty Care Services at the Primary Health Care Level in Zambia

2020 ◽  
pp. 859-865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mutumba Songiso ◽  
Leeya F. Pinder ◽  
Jabulani Munalula ◽  
Anna Cabanes ◽  
Sarah Rayne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Ultrasound Guided ◽  
Care Level ◽  
Pathologic Diagnosis ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Primary Health Care Level ◽  
Breast Care

PURPOSE In Zambia, more than two-thirds of female patients with breast cancer present with late-stage disease, leading to high mortality rates. Most of the underlying causes are associated with delays in symptom recognition and diagnosis. By implementing breast care specialty services at the primary health care level, we hypothesized that some of the delays could be minimized. METHODS In March 2018, we established a breast care specialty clinic for women with symptomatic disease within 1 of the 5 district hospitals in Lusaka. The clinic offers breast self-awareness education, clinical breast examination, breast ultrasound, ultrasound-guided breast biopsy, surgery, referral for chemoradiation, follow-up care, and electronic medical records. RESULTS Between March 2018 and April 2019, of 1,790 symptomatic women who presented to the clinic, 176 (10%) had clinical and/or ultrasound indications for histologic evaluation. Biopsy specimens were obtained using ultrasound-guided core-needle procedures, all of which were performed on the same day as the initial visit. Of the 176 women who underwent biopsy, 112 (64%) had pathologic findings compatible with a primary breast cancer, and of these, 42 (37%) were early-stage (stage I/II) disease. Surgery for early-stage cancers was performed at the district hospital within 2 weeks of the time of definitive pathologic diagnosis. Patients with advanced disease were referred to the national cancer center for multimodality therapy, within a similar time frame. CONCLUSION Breast care specialty services for symptomatic women were established in a district-level hospital in a resource-constrained setting in Africa. As a result, the following time intervals were minimized: initial presentation and performance of clinical diagnostics; receipt of a definitive pathologic diagnosis and initiation of surgery; receipt of a definitive pathologic diagnosis and referral.

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