scholarly journals Epidemic cholera in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, 2009: the importance of sanitation and soap

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (03) ◽  
pp. 234-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdirahman Sheikh Mahamud ◽  
Jamal A Ahmed ◽  
Raymond Nyoka ◽  
Erick Auko ◽  
Vincet Kahi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Storage ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Refugee Camp ◽  
Case Definition ◽  
World Health ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Potential Risk Factors ◽  
Storage Containers ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Hospital Registry

Introduction: Cholera remains a major public health problem that causes substantial morbidity and mortality in displaced populations due to inadequate or unprotected water supplies, poor sanitation and hygiene, overcrowding, and limited resources. A cholera outbreak with 224 cases and four deaths occurred in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya from September to December 2009. Methodology: We conducted a case-control study to characterize the epidemiology of the outbreak. Cases were identified by reviewing the hospital registry for patients meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) case definition for cholera. For each case a matched control was selected. A questionnaire focusing on potential risk factors was administered to cases and controls. Results: From 18 September to 15 December 2009, a total of 224 cases were identified and were hospitalised at Kakuma IRC hospital.  Three refugees and one Kenyan national died of cholera. V. cholerae O1, serotype Inaba was isolated in 44 (42%) out of 104 stool specimens collected. A total of 93 cases and 93 matched controls were enrolled in the study. In a multivariate model, washing hands with soap was protective against cholera (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =0.25[0.09-0.71]; p < 0.01), while presence of dirty water storage containers was a risk factor (AOR=4.39[1.12-17.14]; p=0.03). Conclusion:  Provision of soap, along with education on hand hygiene and cleaning water storage containers, may be an affordable intervention to prevent cholera.

scholarly journals Trajectories and Determinants of Physical Activity during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Population-Based Study of Middle-Aged and Elderly Individuals in The Netherlands

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 3832
Author(s):  
Amy Hofman ◽  
Marlou A. M. Limpens ◽  
Tosca O. E. de Crom ◽  
Mohammad Arfan Ikram ◽  
Annemarie I. Luik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Population Based ◽  
World Health ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Health Organization

Physical inactivity is a major public health problem, and there are concerns this might have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to identify distinct trajectories of physical activity over a 6-week period after the first restrictive measures and to explore determinants of these trajectories in a population-based cohort of middle-aged and elderly in the Netherlands (n = 5777). We observed that at least 59% of participants did not meet the World Health Organization recommendations for physical activity. Using latent class trajectory analyses over three time points, we identified five distinct trajectories, including four steady trajectories at different levels (very low, low, medium and high) and one increasing trajectory. Using multinomial logistic regression analyses, we observed that, compared to the ‘steadily high’ trajectory, participants in the ‘steadily very low’ trajectory were more often older, lower educated, reporting poorer physical health, more depressive symptoms, consuming a less healthy diet, smoking, and lower alcohol use, and were less often retired. A similar pattern of determinants was seen for those in the increasing trajectory, albeit with smaller effect sizes. Concluding, we observed low levels of physical activity that generally remained during the pandemic. The determinants we described can help identify groups that require additional preventive interventions.

Antidepressants

2012 ◽  
pp. 1185-1198
Author(s):  
Zubin Bhagwagar ◽  
George R. Heninger
Keyword(s):  
Burden Of Disease ◽  
Antidepressant Drugs ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Primary Treatment ◽  
World Health ◽  
Years Of Life Lost ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Treatment Of Depression ◽  
Health Organization

Major depressive disorder is a serious, recurrent illness which levies a crippling toll on individuals, families, and society in general. The importance of depression as a major public health problem is emphasized by findings from the World Health Organization Global Burden of Disease survey in showing that in 1990 it was the fourth largest cause of burden of disease (i.e. years of life lost due either to premature mortality or to years lived with a disability). It has been estimated that by the year 2020 it is expected to be the second largest cause of burden of disease. Depression is underdiagnosed and frequently under-treated, and depressed individuals have a much higher risk for suicide. The primary treatment for depression involves the use of antidepressant drugs, and it is therefore important that clinicians become familiar with and adept in utilizing this important group of compounds. Although primarily used for the treatment of depression, drugs within this category also have a number of other important uses. A thorough understanding of the pharmacology of antidepressants will aid the clinician in the selective use of these drugs for patients with depression as well as patients with a number of other disorders.

scholarly journals Incidence and Risk Factors for Severe Pneumonia in Children Hospitalized with Pneumonia in Ujjain, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (13) ◽  
pp. 4637
Author(s):  
Sunil Kumar Kasundriya ◽  
Mamta Dhaneria ◽  
Aditya Mathur ◽  
Ashish Pathak
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Severe Pneumonia ◽  
World Health ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Open Defecation ◽  
History Of ◽  
Poor Ventilation ◽  
Acyanotic Congenital Heart Disease ◽  
Health Organization

Childhood pneumonia is a major public health problem. The aim of this prospective hospital-based study is to determine the incidence and risk factors for community-acquired severe pneumonia in children in Ujjain, India. The study includes 270 children, 161 (60%) boys and 109 (40%) girls, aged between 2 months and 5 years with World Health Organization defined and radiologically confirmed severe pneumonia. Considering the 270 children, 64% (95% confidence interval (CI) 57.9–69.4) have severe pneumonia. The following are identified as risk factors for severe pneumonia from the generalized logistic regression model: Born premature (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 7.50; 95% CI 2.22–25.31; p = 0.001); history of measles (AOR 6.35; 95% CI 1.73–23.30; p = 0.005); incomplete vaccination (AOR 2.66; 95% CI 1.09–6.48; p = 0.031); acyanotic congenital heart disease (AOR 9.21; 95% CI 2.29–36.99; p = 0.002); home treatment tried (AOR 3.84; 95% CI 1.42–10.39; p = 0.008); living in a kuchha house (AOR 3.89; 95% CI 1.51–10.01; p = 0.027); overcrowding (AOR 4.50; 95% CI 1.75–11.51; p = 0.002);poor ventilation in living area (AOR 16.37; 95% CI 4.67–57.38; p < 0.001); and practicing open defecation (AOR 16.92; 95% CI 4.95–57.85; p < 0.001). Awareness of these risk factors can reduce mortality due to severe pneumonia.

scholarly journals Attitudes and Practices in the Prevention of Purulent Ophthalmia Neonatal in Senegalese Hospital

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health Workers ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
World Health ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Eye Drops ◽  
Eye Care ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Multicenter Prospective Study ◽  
Health Organization

Introduction: Ophthalmia or neonatal conjunctivitis is a major public health problem in developing countries. Recommendations have been issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health of Senegal for the prevention of this scourge. The objective of the work was to assess the level of knowledge and practice of these recommendations by health workers. Methodology: This was a multicenter, prospective study conducted from March 1st to June 30th, 2013 in nine (9) health structures at the four (4) districts of Dakar. All agents who performed care at birth were included. Results: We interviewed 108 health care workers in the nine targeted structures. More than half of the respondents (54.6%) interviewed were in a maternity ward with midwives (41.7%) who were clearly in the majority. As far as knowledge is concerned, the practice of neonatal eye care was systematic for 88% of the nursing staff at birth. Regarding attitudes and practices, the majority of caregivers cleaned (67.6%) the eyes before instillation of eye drops. More than eighty-four percent (84.3%) of the caregivers surveyed routinely practiced eye care in the newborn at birth. The majority of the agents prescribed Rifamycin (47.2%) as a single dose in each eye. Paediatricians recommended one day of treatment while midwives and general practitioners recommended 7 days. Conclusion: Overall, the recommendations are not well implemented by caregivers. It would then be necessary to improve the level of information for harmonization and application of the recommendations.

scholarly journals Adherence to Immunization: Rebuttal of Vaccine Hesitancy

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Tamar Etzioni-Friedman ◽  
Amos Etzioni
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Near Future ◽  
New Vaccines

Immunizations have been saving the lives of millions of people since they were first used by Edward Jenner in 1796, and new vaccines are being developed all the time. Hopefully, a new vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will be developed in the near future, and perhaps even one for human immunodeficiency virus. Although the effectiveness of vaccinations has been proven over the years and adverse effects to currently available vaccinations are extremely rare, many people continue to defer immunizations for themselves and their families. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this phenomenon, known as “vaccine hesitancy,” is a major public health problem globally. This review summarizes the unproven adverse effects of various vaccines and stresses the importance of enforcing vaccination policies to minimize vaccine hesitancy. Every effort should be made to improve existing vaccines and to produce new ones, according to carefully designed scientific preclinical and clinical trials. This is particularly important in today’s era, in light of the global transparency regarding vaccination development, and the potential for future pandemics such as COVID-19.

scholarly journals Food behaviors and youth obesity in Pakistan - doi: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v35i2.11885

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anjum Hashmi ◽  
Jamil Ahmed Soomro ◽  
Khalid Saleem
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
World Health ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Important Public Health Problem ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Organization

The epidemic of obesity took off from about 1980 and in almost all countries has been rising inexorably ever since. Only in 1997 did world health organization accept that this was a major public health problem. It is also becoming an important public health problem among Pakistani children due to changes in life style and other factors. The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity and its concomitant health risks justify widespread efforts toward prevention. A Cross-sectional study was conducted to elaborate the various types of foods and change in eating behavior leading to abnormal weight gain among the youth. A total of 504 male and female students of class six to ten were selected through simple random sampling. Anthropometric measurements were done with calibrated instruments using the age and sex specific BMI cut off points according to World Health Organization growth reference. Results showed significant proportion of girls (86%) and boys (85%) had abnormal waist to hip ratio. The determinants of the obesity lie within the rapid changes in food intake behavior and lifestyle patterns which had a clear and significant impact on the prevalence of obesity in youth of Pakistan.

scholarly journals Nonpharmacological Self-Management of Migraine Across Social Locations: An Equity-Oriented, Qualitative Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 216495611985803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deanna R Befus ◽  
Sharon Hull ◽  
Justine Strand de Oliveira ◽  
Gillian Sanders Schmidler ◽  
Morris Weinberger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Term Treatment ◽  
World Health ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Long Term Treatment ◽  
Health Organization

Background Migraine is a disabling neurological disorder and the sixth biggest cause of disability worldwide. The World Health Organization has declared migraine a major public health problem due to a paucity of knowledge about cause and effective treatment options. Both in incidence and severity, migraine disproportionately affects people occupying marginalized social locations (SL). Managed pharmacologically, migraine is treated with daily preventive and as-needed abortive medications. Both come with high literal and figurative costs: intolerable side effects, medication interactions, and prohibitive prices. Cost prohibitive, ineffective, and unsustainable pharmacological treatment options have contributed to high levels of interest in complementary approaches by people with migraine, but little is known about their motivations, patterns of use or access, or how these may vary by SL. Method We conducted focus groups with 30 people with migraine to explore their desires and recommendations for migraine clinicians and researchers. We used qualitative content analysis to identify themes. Outcomes: We identified 4 themes: a more holistic, collaborative, long-term treatment approach; medication as a short-term solution; high personal and economic costs of medication; and desire for more information and access to natural approaches. Across SL, participants expressed keen interest in integrative approaches and wanted better access to complementary modalities. Participants in marginalized SL described reliance on traditional/folk remedies, including engagement with family and community healers, who they described as more affordable and culturally accessible. Conclusions Holistic and integrative approaches were preferred over medication as long-term migraine management strategies. However, people in marginalized SL, while disproportionately disabled by migraine, did not feel as comfortable accessing integrative approaches through currently available channels. Engaging with these communities and using a critical lens to explore barriers to access can develop options to make complementary modalities more approachable, while also attending to systemic blind spots that may unintentionally alienate socially marginalized groups.

scholarly journals EPIDEMIOLOGY OF MALARIA IN ENDEMIC AREAS

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. e2012060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrice Autino ◽  
Alice Noris ◽  
Rosario Russo ◽  
Francesco Castelli
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Species ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
System Capacity ◽  
World Health ◽  
Bed Nets ◽  
Effective Vaccine ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Social Burden ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
And Control

Malaria infection is still to be considered a major public health problem in those 106 countries where the risk of contracting the infection with one or more of the Plasmodium species exists. According to estimates from the World Health Organization, over 200 million cases and about 655.000 deaths have occurred in 2010. Estimating the real health and social burden of the disease is a difficult task, because many of the malaria endemic countries have limited diagnostic resources, especially in rural settings where conditions with similar clinical picture may coexist in the same geographical areas. Moreover, asymptomatic parasitaemia may occur in high transmission areas after childhood, when anti-malaria semi-immunity occurs. Malaria endemicity and control activities are very complex issues, that are influenced by factors related to the host, to the parasite, to the vector, to the environment and to the health system capacity to fully implement available anti-malaria weapons such as rapid diagnostic tests, artemisinin-based combination treatment, impregnated bed-nets and insecticide residual spraying while waiting for an effective vaccine to be made available.

scholarly journals Prevalence and awareness of osteopenia in perimenopausal women in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 519
Author(s):  
Ajay Dodeja ◽  
Anushka Makhija ◽  
Ashita Rane ◽  
Meeta Dodeja
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
World Health ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Level Of Significance ◽  
Health Organization

Background: Osteopenia is considered as precursor of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a major public health problem associated with substantial morbidity and socio-economic burden worldwide. Osteopenia occurs more frequently in most menopausal women. Early detection of the same can be beneficial to control prevalence of osteoporosis and also to reduce the fracture rates.Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study using DEXA (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) was conducted on 80 women. A self-structured questionnaire was used to evaluate the level of awareness among the study subjects. The data was analyzed using statistical tests such as Chi-Square test for association. The level of significance was set at 5%.Results: The prevalence of osteopenia in the studied population was 63.75%. The mean age was recorded to be 40.35 years. The mean age of women with menopause in this study is 50.62 years. Out of the 51(63.75%) women diagnosed with osteopenia, 5.9% were underweight, 33.3% were normal and 49% were obese. Of the diseased, 37.3% experienced adequate amount sunlight exposure required while 62.7% did not. Out of the 80 women interviewed 43.75% were aware about osteopenia, its causes and complications; which 56.25% were unaware about the same.Conclusions: Women were screened for osteopenia with the help of DEXA scan according to the (World Health Organization) WHO, T-Score criteria-which may go undiagnosed otherwise and may experience the risk and complications of osteoporosis.

scholarly journals Development and validation of an electroanalytical methodology for determination of isoniazid and rifampicin content in pharmaceutical formulations

2009 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katia Christina Leandro ◽  
Juliana Machado de Carvalho ◽  
Luiz Fernando Giovanelli ◽  
Josino Costa Moreira
Keyword(s):  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Pharmaceutical Formulations ◽  
Differential Pulse ◽  
World Health ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Limits Of Detection ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Detection And Quantification

Tuberculosis remains a major public health problem, especially in developing countries. Brazil presents the largest number of cases in Latin America and is among the 22 countries considered priorities by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Rio de Janeiro state has the largest number of cases registered in the country. The treatment of patients, commonly, makes use of the drugs isoniazid and rifampicin for six months. This study aimed to develop and validate an electroanalytical methodology, using the technique of differential pulse voltammetry for the determination of these drugs in the associated form, in order to evaluate the quality of medicines distributed in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The potential reduction for the isoniazid and rifampicin were -1.10 and -0.90 V. The developed and validated electroanalytical method presented a linear range of 0.25 to 1.25 mg/L to isoniazid, limits of detection and quantification of 0.05 and 0.14 mg/L, and recovery of 98.2 ± 0.4%; a tracking linear of 0.40 to 2.00 mg/L for rifampicin, with limits of detection and quantification of 0.07 and 0.19 mg/L and recovery of 95.8 ± 0.6%. Six lots of medicines from two pharmaceutical companies were analyzed. Only one of the samples showed unsatisfactory levels of rifampicin.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document