scholarly journals Assessing Violence and Injury Surveillance in the Caribbean

2018 ◽  
pp. 328-333
Author(s):  
GM Andall-Brereton ◽  
WA Mueller
Keyword(s):  
Support Services ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Health Agency ◽  
Injury Surveillance ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Injury Data ◽  
Victim Support ◽  
The Caribbean

Objective: To determine the status of existing violence and injury prevention (VIP) efforts and surveillance systems in the Caribbean. Methods: The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) undertook a survey to gather evidence of VIP in 24 CARPHA member states. The survey was administered to national epidemiologists and non-communicable disease focal points in October 2015 using an online tool, ‘Survey Monkey’. Questions were asked about the availability in each country of VIP representative surveys, policies, action plans, laws, victim support services, and surveillance systems. Results: Nineteen (79%) countries completed the VIP survey. Only three (16%) countries indicated having conducted a nationally representative survey. Twelve (63%) had not developed a national policy, and 14 (74%) had not implemented an action plan on VIP. Each country reported the existence of VIP laws and offered victim support services, though average law enforcement ranged from 40% to 79%. Nine (47%) countries indicated using an injury registry, and 15 (79%) reported collecting injury data using in-patient records, mainly from public hospitals. All 19 countries confirmed that records of reported violent incidents were maintained by the police. Unique identifiers were generally lacking in registries and data collected by the police. Only four (44%) countries with registries, 10 (67%) countries with in-patient injury data, and 12 (63%) countries with police records indicated that the data were shared with other organizations. Conclusion: Each country reported some level of injury surveillance system. However, such systems should be harmonized to produce more complete baseline data. The use of unique identifiers is required to reduce duplication and effectively link surveillance systems available in countries.

Battery-Related Injuries in Children and Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 1665-1670
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Zimmermann ◽  
Danielle King ◽  
Caroline Crump
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Room ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Rechargeable Batteries ◽  
Injury Surveillance ◽  
Consumer Product ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Injury Surveillance System ◽  
Probability Sample ◽  
Injury Data ◽  
Button Cell

The aim of the current study was to analyze the circumstances behind battery injuries, including the mode of injuries experienced (e.g., a shock or consumption), as well as the battery types and products most frequently involved in battery injuries. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a probability sample of US hospitals that collects information from emergency room (ER) visits related to a consumer product, was utilized. Injury data from the NEISS database was coded to identify a) the accident mode that led to the injury, b) the battery type involved, and c) the product that was powered by the battery or charger, if available. The data revealed that battery-related injuries were most often associated with (1) children consuming button cell batteries associated with toys and other household objects, and (2) adults becoming burned when handling vehicle batteries. Surprisingly, injuries associated with rechargeable batteries were the least frequent; however, when burns occurred, they were predominantly related to e- cigarettes, as well as vehicles. Results are discussed in terms of general exposure to specific battery types and products analyzing these battery types within each age group.

scholarly journals Is over-reporting a problem in mandatory communicable disease reporting? The taiwanese experience on Enterovirus 71

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 1294-1300
Author(s):  
Tseng Chu-Chun ◽  
Yang Che-Ming
Keyword(s):  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Enterovirus 71 ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Accuracy Rate ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Systems Methodology ◽  
Disease Reporting ◽  
Enteroviral Infection ◽  
District Hospitals ◽  
The Government

Introduction: In Taiwan, severe enteroviral infections must be reported to the government within 24 hours to ensure that severe enterovirus 71 (EV71) infections can be detected early. The objective of this research was to ascertain whether over-reporting is a problem in mandatory disease-reporting systems. Methodology: A multiyear cross-sectional study methodology was applied based on secondary data analyses. Data from the national notifiable communicable disease surveillance system of Taiwan Centers for Disease Control were analyzed to assess the trends and factors influencing reporting accuracy. Results: From July 1999 to December 2008, 2,611 cases of severe enteroviral infection were reported in Taiwan. Among these cases, 1,516 were confirmed to be EV71 cases, and the remaining 1,095 were confirmed to be non-EV71 infections. The overall accuracy rate was 58%. The accuracy rate was 60%–70% higher during epidemics (2000–2002, 2005, and 2008) and high seasons than it was in other seasons. The accuracy rate was highest among medical centers and lowest among district hospitals. Conclusions: The results indicated that reports are more accurate during high seasons and peak years than during other periods. This might be attributable to the adequate level of specific educational programs for professionals when more cases occur, which could facilitate identification. Based on experiences in Taiwan, optimal training can ensure that surveillance systems are not inundated by false-positive reports.

scholarly journals Laboratory capacity of Greek hospitals for diagnosis of salmonellosis and surveillance systems’ performance in the years of economic crisis, 2010–2016

2018 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Mellou ◽  
E. Saranti-Papasaranti ◽  
G. Mandilara ◽  
T. Georgakopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Geographical Region ◽  
Reference Laboratory ◽  
Laboratory System ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
National Reference Laboratory ◽  
Notification System ◽  
National Reference ◽  
Laboratory Capacity ◽  
Mandatory Notification

AbstractAusterity might have affected the capacity of public hospitals in Greece to diagnose salmonellosis (laboratory capacity) over the period 2010–2016, as well as the performance of the existing surveillance systems. The scope of this paper is to present data on laboratory capacity over these years, as well as the results of a two-source capture-recapture study (data from Mandatory Notification System and National Reference Laboratory System for Salmonella). The main findings were that: (a) laboratory capacity was high and steady besides the financial crisis, (b) the estimated number of laboratory-confirmed cases (n = 6017, 95% CI 5892–6142) resulted in an incidence rate (7.9 cases/100 000 population) almost twice than that reported by the two systems Mandatory Notification System (MNS); 4.1 and National Reference Laboratory System (NRLS); 4.5 cases/100 000 population, (c) underreporting was high for both systems (MNS; 47.5% and NRLS; 42.8%) and (d) differences by geographical region, size and type of hospital were identified. We suggest that (a) specific interventions are needed to increase completeness of the systems by type of hospital and geographical region, (b) record linkage can help in estimating the disease burden in a more valid way than each system separately and (c) a common electronic database in order to feed one system to the other could significantly increase completeness of both systems.

scholarly journals Mayaro virus in Latin America and the Caribbean

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niloofar Ganjian ◽  
Ana Riviere-Cinnamond
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Imported Cases ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Mayaro Virus ◽  
Health Organization

Objectives. To assess the distribution of Mayaro virus (MAYV) in Latin America and the Caribbean and evaluate existing country-level MAYV surveillance mechanisms. Methods. Research was conducted from May 2018 through May 2019 to collect data from academic literature on Mayaro fever in Latin America and the Caribbean. PubMed, ClinicalKey, Scopus, Nature, SciELO, LILACS, and Google Scholar were searched for peer-reviewed journal articles, and data from health authorities, including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and ministries of health, was also sought. MAYV-related publications published from 1954 through 2019 were screened. Publications that added to the overall understanding of MAYV, including its geographical and epidemiological distribution, were included in this report. Results. A total of 901 MAYV cases have been reported in humans in countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Since its discovery in 1954 in Trinidad and Tobago, MAYV has been isolated from individuals living in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Of those 901 cases, 42 of them were reported exclusively by health authorities. In contrast, 843 confirmed and presumptive autochthonous cases and an additional 16 imported cases were identified in academic literature. No country-level surveillance mechanisms for MAYV were recorded in academic literature or by health authorities. Conclusions. This report demonstrates that MAYV surveillance efforts are limited in comparison to the virus’s presence in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting the importance of enhancing arboviral surveillance systems in the affected countries.

scholarly journals Helpful tools for criminal prosecution in domestic violence cases: Some ideas from the United States of America

Temida ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-71
Author(s):  
Katie Zoglin
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Justice System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Criminal Prosecution ◽  
Restraining Orders ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Victim Support

In this paper author presents three instruments that have been proven helpful in domestic violence prosecutions in the United States, particularly in California: (1) laws, (2) inter-agency protocols, and (3) victim support services. Prosecutors have found that certain laws have been helpful in domestic violence prosecutions. These include restraining orders, criminal penalties for violations of restraining orders, and evidence code provisions permitting certain kinds of testimony. Second, many jurisdictions in California have drafted inter-agency protocols. The purpose of these protocols is to help law enforcement, health care workers, and social workers in gathering evidence relating to domestic violence cases. Finally, most victims are not familiar with the criminal justice system many are nervous about going to court for domestic violence cases, for a variety of reasons. As a result, many jurisdictions have established victim support services.

scholarly journals Establishment of the South Korean national antimicrobial resistance surveillance system, Kor-GLASS, in 2016

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (42) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyukmin Lee ◽  
Eun-Jeong Yoon ◽  
Dokyun Kim ◽  
Seok Hoon Jeong ◽  
Jong Hee Shin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
World Health ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
The South ◽  
South Korean ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance ◽  
The Status ◽  
Health Organization

Surveillance plays a pivotal role in overcoming antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacterial pathogens, and a variety of surveillance systems have been set up and employed in many countries. In 2015, the World Health Organization launched the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS) as a part of the global action plan to enhance national and global surveillance and research. The aims of GLASS are to foster development of national surveillance systems and to enable collection, analysis and sharing of standardised, comparable and validated data on AMR between different countries. The South Korean AMR surveillance system, Kor-GLASS, is compatible with the GLASS platform and was established in 2016 and based on the principles of representativeness, specialisation, harmonisation and localisation. In this report, we summarise principles and processes in order to share our experiences with other countries planning to establish a national AMR surveillance system. The pilot operation of Kor-GLASS allowed us to understand the national burden of specific infectious diseases and the status of bacterial AMR. Issues pertaining to high costs and labour-intensive operation were raised during the pilot, and improvements are being made.

scholarly journals Investigating the Impact of Asymptomatic Carriers on COVID-19 Transmission

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob B. Aguilar ◽  
Jeremy Samuel Faust ◽  
Lauren M. Westafer ◽  
Juan B. Gutierrez
Keyword(s):  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Reproduction Number ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
Point Estimate ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Average Case ◽  
Asymptomatic Carriers ◽  
The Impact

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel human respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Asymptomatic carriers of the virus display no clinical symptoms but are known to be contagious. Recent evidence reveals that this sub-population, as well as persons with mild disease, are a major contributor in the propagation of COVID-19. The asymptomatic sub-population frequently escapes detection by public health surveillance systems. Because of this, the currently accepted estimates of the basic reproduction number (ℛ0) of the disease are inaccurate. It is unlikely that a pathogen can blanket the planet in three months with an ℛ0 in the vicinity of 3, as reported in the literature (1–6). In this manuscript, we present a mathematical model taking into account asymptomatic carriers. Our results indicate that an initial value of the effective reproduction number could range from 5.5 to 25.4, with a point estimate of 15.4, assuming mean parameters. The first three weeks of the model exhibit exponential growth, which is in agreement with average case data collected from thirteen countries with universal health care and robust communicable disease surveillance systems; the average rate of growth in the number of reported cases is 23.3% per day during this period.

scholarly journals Potential for establishing an injury surveillance system in India: a review of data sources and reporting systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jagnoor Jagnoor ◽  
Manickam Ponnaiah ◽  
Matthew Varghese ◽  
Rebecca Ivers ◽  
Rajesh Kumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Unintentional Injury ◽  
Injury Surveillance ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Unintentional Injuries ◽  
Injury Surveillance System ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Morbidity Data

Abstract Background Unintentional injuries account for 10% of deaths worldwide; the majority due to road traffic injuries, falls, drowning, poisoning and burns. Effective surveillance systems provide evidence for informed injury prevention and treatment and improve recovery outcomes. Our objectives were to review existing sources of unintentional injury data, and quality of the data on the burden, distribution, risk factors and trends of unintentional injuries in India and to describe strengths and limitations of health facility-based data for potential use in injury surveillance systems. Methods We searched national and international organisations’ websites to identify unintentional injury-related mortality and morbidity data sources in India. We reviewed and evaluated data collection methods for surveillance attributes recommended by World Health Organization (WHO). We visited health facilities at all levels from public and private sectors, emergency transport centres, insurance offices and police stations in settings reporting significant number of injuries. In these sites, we interviewed key stakeholders using an explorative approach on current data collection processes and challenges to establishing an injury surveillance system based on WHO guidelines. Results Major gaps were highlighted in injury mortality and morbidity data in India, including ill-defined causes of injury deaths and lack of standardisation in classification and coding. Site visits revealed that reporting standards of injuries varied, with issues around clarity of definitions, accountability, time points and lack of reporter/coder training. Major challenges were lack of dedicated staff and training. Conclusions There is an important need to build human resource capacity, integrate data sources, standardise and streamline data collected, ensure accountability and capitalise on digital health information systems including insurance databases.

scholarly journals Essential Medicines at the National Level: The Global Asthma Network’s Essential Asthma Medicines Survey 2014

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Bissell ◽  
Philippa Ellwood ◽  
Eamon Ellwood ◽  
Chen-Yuan Chiang ◽  
Guy Marks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inhaled Corticosteroids ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
National Level ◽  
Essential Medicines ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Poor Access

Patients with asthma need uninterrupted supplies of affordable, quality-assured essential medicines. However, access in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited. The World Health Organization (WHO) Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Global Action Plan 2013–2020 sets an 80% target for essential NCD medicines’ availability. Poor access is partly due to medicines not being included on the national Essential Medicines Lists (EML) and/or National Reimbursement Lists (NRL) which guide the provision of free/subsidised medicines. We aimed to determine how many countries have essential asthma medicines on their EML and NRL, which essential asthma medicines, and whether surveys might monitor progress. A cross-sectional survey in 2013–2015 of Global Asthma Network principal investigators generated 111/120 (93%) responses—41 high-income countries and territories (HICs); 70 LMICs. Patients in HICs with NRL are best served (91% HICs included ICS (inhaled corticosteroids) and salbutamol). Patients in the 24 (34%) LMICs with no NRL and the 14 (30%) LMICs with an NRL, however no ICS are likely to have very poor access to affordable, quality-assured ICS. Many LMICs do not have essential asthma medicines on their EML or NRL. Technical guidance and advocacy for policy change is required. Improving access to these medicines will improve the health system’s capacity to address NCDs.

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