scholarly journals War Breaks Out

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 4-12
Author(s):  
Xavier Crombé ◽  
Joanna Kuper

Abstract This article seeks to document and analyse violence affecting the provision of healthcare by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and its intended beneficiaries in the early stage of the current civil war in South Sudan. Most NGO accounts and quantitative studies of violent attacks on healthcare tend to limit interpretation of their prime motives to the violation of international norms and deprivation of access to health services. Instead, we provide a detailed narrative, which contextualises violent incidents affecting healthcare, with regard for the dynamics of conflict in South Sudan as well as MSF’s operational decisions, and which combines and contrasts institutional and academic sources with direct testimonies from local MSF personnel and other residents. This approach offers greater insight not only into the circumstances and logics of violence but also into the concrete ways in which healthcare practices adapt in the face of attacks and how these may reveal and put to the test the reciprocal expectations binding international and local health practitioners in crisis situations.

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (suppl 2) ◽  
pp. 39-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Xavier de Santiago ◽  
Ivana Cristina de Holanda Cunha Barreto ◽  
Ana Cecília Silveira Lins Sucupira ◽  
José Wellington de Oliveira Lima ◽  
Luiz Odorico Monteiro de Andrade

INTRODUCTION: The Brazilian National Health System may reduce inequalities in access to health services through strategies that can reach those most in need with no access to care services. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with the use of health service by children aged 5 to 9 years in the city of Sobral, Ceará, northeastern Brazil. RESULTS: Only 558 (17.0%) children used health care services in the 30 days preceding this survey. Children with any health condition (OR = 3.90) who were frequent attenders of primary care strategy of organization (the Family Health Strategy, FHS) (OR = 1.81) and living in the city's urban area (OR = 1.51) were more likely to use health services. Almost 80% of children used FHS as their referral care service. Children from poorer families and with easier access to services were more likely to be FHS users. CONCLUSION: The study showed that access to health services has been relatively equitable through the FHS, a point of entry to the local health system.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e029059
Author(s):  
Philippe Bocquier ◽  
Abdramane Bassiahi Soura ◽  
Souleymane Sanogo ◽  
Sara Randall

BackgroundSelective migration may affect health indicators in both urban and rural areas. Sub-Saharan African urban areas show evidence of both negative and positive selection on health status at outmigration. Health outcomes as measured in urban populations may not reflect local health risks and access to health services.MethodsUsing the Ouagadougou Health and Demographic Surveillance System and a migrant follow-up survey, we measured differences in health between matched non-migrants and outmigrants. We applied Cox and competing risks models on migration and death.ResultsControlling for premigration health status, migrants who moved out of Ouagadougou have higher mortality (HR 3.24, 95% CI 1.23 to 8.58) than non-migrants and migrants moving to other Ouagadougou areas. However, these effects vanish in the matched sample controlling for all interactions between death determinants. These and other results show little evidence that migration led to higher mortality or worse health.ConclusionsHealth outcomes as measured in Ouagadougou population do reflect local health risks and access to health services despite high migration intensity. However, neither the hypothesis of effect of health on migration nor the hypothesis of negative effect of migration on health or survival was confirmed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (03) ◽  
pp. 511-518
Author(s):  
Mehdi Esfandyari ◽  
Elnaz Vaghef-Mehrabany ◽  
Mehrangiz Ebrahimi-Mameghani

ABSTRACTObjectiveWe aimed to compare the pregnancy status of the pregnant women and birth status of their newborns, socioeconomic status, and access to health services, between high- and low-damage areas in Heris, affected by the Varzaghan Earthquake, 2012.MethodsThe study was conducted on pregnant women at any trimester of pregnancy (with complete medical profiles in local health centers) in August 2012 (time of the earthquake) who lived in Heris and delivered up to March 2013. Data were obtained on pregnancy- and infant-related variables, housing, socioeconomic status, and access to health services, including food supplies, before and after the earthquake.ResultsFamily income and mothers’ education were lower in highly damaged areas. Among these women, underweight at first trimester of pregnancy was higher, and weight gain during the last trimester was lower, compared with low-damage regions. Preterm delivery was higher in low-damage areas. Birth indices of the infants were not significantly different between the 2 areas; however, in highly damaged areas, moderate malnutrition was more prevalent among children under 1 year (weight-for-age) and under 2 years (height-for-age).ConclusionsSocioeconomic status of mothers was lower in highly damaged areas and might have played a role in their own and newborns’ health status. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13: 511-518)


The Lancet ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 379 (9818) ◽  
pp. 805-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qun Meng ◽  
Ling Xu ◽  
Yaoguang Zhang ◽  
Juncheng Qian ◽  
Min Cai ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 319
Author(s):  
Del Lovett ◽  
Bodil Rasmussen ◽  
Carol Holden ◽  
Patricia M. Livingston

Meeting men’s health needs by improving healthcare service access is a key objective of comprehensive primary health care. The aims of this qualitative study were to explore the perception of nurses in men’s health services and to describe men’s expectation of the nurse. The comparative component identifies the barriers and facilitators to improved access to health services. A purposive sample of 19 nurses and 20 men was recruited from metropolitan and regional settings in the state of Victoria, Australia, and each participant was interviewed individually or as part of three focus groups. The main findings were: nurses and men were unclear on the role of the nurse in men’s health; and health promotion provided by nurses was predominantly opportunistic. Both participant groups indicated barriers to healthcare access related to: the culture and environment in general practice; limitation of Australia’s Medicare healthcare financing system; out-of-pocket costs, waiting time and lack of extended hours; and men not wanting to be perceived as complainers. Facilitators related to: positive inter-professional relations; effective communication; personal qualities; and level of preparedness of nurse education. The findings demonstrate a need for the role to be better understood by both men and nurses in order to develop alternative approaches to meeting men’s healthcare needs.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manisha Poudel ◽  
Nanda Bahadur Singh

The present study focuses on traditional usages of animals and plants species for medicinal purpose and indigenous knowledge system existent in Darai ethnic group of Mangalpur VDC, Chitwan, Nepal. A total of 28 animal species and 76 plant species were found to be used by Darai people to treat 22 and 36 different ailments, respectively. Darai people have their own indigenous knowledge for making various bamboo products and fishing equipments and local drink (moat/muna). The existence of knowledge associated with animals and plants and their medicinal utility is currently threatened mainly due to modernization, easy access to health services, lack of interest of youngsters, few local healers and fading of ethnic characters of Darai ethnic group. Thus, documentation of such knowledge has become an urgent need.Journal of Institute of Science and TechnologyVolume 21, Issue 1, August 2016, page: 103-111


Author(s):  
Janelle Hippe ◽  
Victor Maddalena ◽  
Sara Heath ◽  
Beulah Jesso ◽  
Marion McCahon ◽  
...  

Research indicates that people living in rural and remote areas of Canada face challenges to accessing health services. This article reports on a community-engaged research project conducted by investigators at Memorial University of Newfoundland in collaboration with the Rural Secretariat Regional Councils and Regional Partnership Planners for the Corner Brook–Rocky Harbour and Stephenville–Port aux Basques Rural Secretariat Regions of Newfoundland and Labrador. The aim of this research was to gather information on barriers to accessing health services, to identify solutions to health services’ access issues and to inform policy advice to government on enhancing access to health services. Data was collected through: (1) targeted distribution of a survey to communities throughout the region, and (2) informal ‘kitchen table’ discussions to discuss health services’ access issues. A total of 1049 surveys were collected and 10 kitchen table discussions were held. Overall, the main barriers to care listed in the survey included long wait times, services not available in the area and services not available at time required. Other barriers noted by survey respondents included transportation problems, financial concerns, no medical insurance coverage, distance to travel and weather conditions. Some respondents reported poorer access to maternal/child health and breast and cervical screening services and a lack of access to general practitioners, pharmacy services, dentists and nurse practitioners. Recommendations that emerged from this research included improving the recruitment of rural physicians, exploring the use of nurse practitioners, assisting individuals with travel costs,  developing specialist outreach services, increasing use of telehealth services and initiating additional rural and remote health research.Keywords: rural, remote, healthcare, health services, social determinants of health


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