Scabies as a part of the World Health Organization roadmap for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030: what we know and what we need to do for global control

Background Scabies is an under-recognized global health problem with an unacceptably high prevalence in many settings worldwide. Fortunately, the World Health Organization (WHO) has formally designated scabies as a neglected tropical disease in 2017, in the hope of increasing awareness and encouraging efforts to eradicate it. Also, scabies has recently been included as part of the WHO roadmap for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030, aimed at ending the neglect to attain the Sustainable Development Goals. Main abstract body This review article places scabies in focus. The literature was reviewed to explore discussions on controversial issues in scabies control, with the aim of clarifying whether global control of scabies is a feasible and worthwhile objective. The existing status of scabies and its burden are discussed along with future prospects for its global control. The article investigates the feasibility of scabies control and provides updates on the various impediments to this goal, such as challenges related to transmission, diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine development. Also examined are relevant research needs, success factors, and reasons for failure. This article aims to increase the global awareness of scabies and promote discussion, enhance coordinated international efforts, and ultimately, enact change at the national and worldwide levels toward the control of this preventable disease of the poor. Conclusion Despite the current challenges, scabies control is now within reach. With sustained interventions, continuous resources, and sincere commitment and support, scabies global control appears to be a worthwhile, realistic goal that is potentially achievable in the not so distant future.

Global Control of African swine fever. A GF-TADs initiative – 2020 annual report

The current African swine fever epizootic is a major global crisis, directly and indirectly impacting the pig industry and rural communities worldwide. In 2019, FAO and the OIE designated ASF as a global priority transboundary animal disease under the GF-TADs, and in July 2020 they released a jointly developed programme to control the disease worldwide – ‘Global Control of African Swine Fever: A GF-TADs Initiative’ (The Global Initiative). In 2020, ASF virus continued to spread and the COVID-19 pandemic impacted field activities. However, global, regional and national stakeholders strove to maintain momentum in the control of ASF, in line with the objectives of the Global Initiative. Despite difficulties, some countries managed to eliminate the disease from their territories, indicating that ASF control is feasible with current tools. The Global Initiative identifies coordination at regional and global levels as key to enhancing national control programmes. It allows countries with similar socio-economic and epidemiological situations to share information, challenges and best practices, and to discuss regional solutions and approaches to enhancing control.

Trends and Patterns in the Economic History of the Energy Complex

The age-old history of capitalist countries includes the fact that many of these metropolitan countries, which, unlike their colonies, were producers, used various methods to gain global control over energy resources, as they were concentrated in the colonies. Control over strategic resources allows control over the national economy of any country as a whole. The article describes a broad-scale conflict in which resource dependence is directly proportional to the intensity of social production required for the effective functioning of the national economy as a whole.

Changes in Patients’ Desired Control of Their Deep Brain Stimulation and Subjective Global Control Over the Course of Deep Brain Stimulation

Objective: To examine changes in patients’ desired control of the deep brain stimulator (DBS) and perception of global life control throughout DBS.Methods: A consecutive cohort of 52 patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) was recruited to participate in a prospective longitudinal study over three assessment points (pre-surgery, post-surgery months 3 and 6). Semi-structured interviews assessing participants’ desire for stimulation control and perception of global control were conducted at all three points. Qualitative data were coded using content analysis. Visual analog scales were embedded in the interviews to quantify participants’ perceptions of control over time.Results: Participants reported significant increases in their perception of global control over time and significant declines in their desired control of the stimulation. These changes were unrelated to improvements in motor symptoms. Improvements in global control were negatively correlated with a decline in desired stimulation control. Qualitative data indicate that participants have changed, nuanced levels of desired control over their stimulators. Increased global life control following DBS may be attributed to increased control over PD symptoms, increased ability to engage in valued activities, and increased overall self-regulation, while other domains related to global control remained unaffected by DBS.Conclusions: There are few empirical data documenting patients’ desire for stimulation control throughout neuromodulation and how stimulation control is related to other aspects of control despite the growing application of neuromodulation devices to treat a variety of disorders. Our data highlight distinctions in different types of control and have implications for the development of patient-controlled neurostimulation devices.