Service User and Service Provider Perceptions of Enablers and Barriers for Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Women Accessing and Engaging with Perinatal Mental Health Care Services in the WHO European Region: A Scoping Review Protocol

There is a need to understand the specific perinatal mental health care needs of migrant subgroups who often have differing health care needs and specific barriers to accessing and engaging with health care services. It is important to have evidence about the WHO European context given the rising numbers of refugees and asylum seekers in the region. The aim of this scoping review is to map the factors that enable and prevent access and engagement of refugee and asylum-seeking women with perinatal mental health care services in the WHO European Region, from the perspectives of service providers and service users. The database search will include PsycINFO, Cochrane, Web of Science, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL complete, Scopus, Academic Search Complete, and Maternity and Infant Care (OVID). Search results will be exported to an online tool that provides a platform to help manage the review process, including title, abstract, and full-text screening and voting by reviewers independently. Data concerning access and engagement with health care services will be mapped on to the candidacy framework. Systematically searching evidence within the WHO European region and examining this evidence through the candidacy lens will help develop a more comprehensive and a deeper conceptual understanding of the barriers and levers of access and engagement with perinatal mental health care services, whilst identifying gaps in existing evidence. Exploring factors that influence access and engagement for refugee and asylum-seeking women from the perspective of key stakeholders in the service provision and/or service utilisation of perinatal mental health care services will add a more comprehensive understanding of the recursive relationship between service provision and use.

Model Types of Crowdfunding: a Comparative Analysis of the Russian and European Experience

The article is devoted to the analysis of modern European model types of crowdfunding and the Russian practice of crowdfunding. The methodological component of the work was made up of general scientific and special methods, which include statistical and comparative analysis. The purpose of this study is to compare the modern European crowdfunding market with the Russian alternative finance market. At the first stage, the process of transformation of model types of crowdfunding in the European region and the UK from 2015 to the present has been studied. At the second stage, the situation on the Russian crowdfunding market is considered. As a result of the comparison of the European and Russian alternative finance markets, the latter has revealed a huge lag in terms of the variety of model types of crowdfunding offered, available and used on the market, as well as the volume of resources attracted through crowdfunding platforms.

Exploring Cultural Factors Impacting Female Digital Entrepreneurs in Underdeveloped Countries

This chapter aims at understanding the cultural influence on female digital entrepreneurs in underdeveloped countries and the possible effects of cyberostracism by integrating the significance of culture and its influence on females providing a holistic view of how women with entrepreneurial desires experience challenges due to the identified existing gaps in underdeveloped countries. Besides sociocultural dynamics, education is a factor observed to be extremely impactful. Basic and digital literacy are considered essential to progress in conducting businesses across borders. From a digital perspective, “cyberostracism” is identified as a potential issue women could encounter due to lack of education. In this study, a comparative analysis on female digital entrepreneurs of the Asian and European region is conducted based on the view of a collectivistic and individualistic society concluded by providing a framework to minimize gaps and establish an environment for women to pursue digital entrepreneurship in their societies, mitigating the possible effects of cyberostracism.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies prior to the widespread introduction of vaccine programmes in the WHO European Region, January - December 2020: a systematic review

ABSTRACTBackgroundSeroprevalence surveys are essential to assess the age-specific prevalence of pre-existing cross-reactive antibodies in the population with the emergence of a novel pathogen; to measure population cumulative seroincidence of infection, and to contribute to estimating infection severity. With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, ECDC and WHO Regional Office for Europe have supported Member States in undertaking standardized population-based SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence surveys across the WHO European Region.ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to undertake a systematic literature review of SARS-CoV-2 population seroprevalence studies undertaken in the WHO European Region to measure pre-existing and cumulative seropositivity prior to the roll out of vaccination programmes.MethodsWe systematically searched MEDLINE, ELSEVIER and the pre-print servers medRxiv and bioRxiv within the “COVID-19 Global literature on coronavirus disease” database using a predefined search strategy. We included seroepidemiology studies published before the widespread implementation of COVID-19 vaccination programmes in January 2021 among the general population and blood donors, at national and regional levels. Study risk of bias was assessed using a quality scoring system based on sample size, sampling and testing methodologies. Articles were supplemented with unpublished WHO-supported Unity-aligned seroprevalence studies and other studies reported directly to WHO Regional Office for Europe and ECDC.ResultsIn total, 111 studies from 26 countries published or conducted between 01/01/2020 and 31/12/2020 across the WHO European Region were included. A significant heterogeneity in implementation was noted across the studies, with a paucity of studies from the east of the Region. Eighty-one (73%) studies were assessed to be of low to medium risk of bias. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity prior to widespread community circulation was very low. National seroprevalence estimates after circulation started ranged from 0% to 51.3% (median 2.2% (IQR 0.7-5.2%); n=124), while sub-national estimates ranged from 0% to 52% (median 5.8% (IQR 2.3-12%); n=101), with the highest estimates in areas following widespread local transmission.ConclusionsThe review found evidence of low national SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence (<10%) across the WHO European Region in 2020. The low levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibody in most populations prior to the start of vaccine programmes highlights the critical importance of vaccinating priority groups at risk of severe disease while maintaining reduced levels of transmission to minimize population morbidity and mortality.

Trends in the transformation of primary health care in the WHO European Region during the pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic in the WHO European Region, primary care underwent continuous transformation that proved the important role of this medical fi eld. In diff erent countries, the transformation process has gone diff erently and diff erent goals and objectives were determned. Th e narrative review was conducted using a number of 15 publications, pragmatic and action-oriented, describing the policy instruments that countries have implemented to strengthen the role of primary health care during the pandemic response, as well as to maintain essential health. Th e case studies, published in series by WHO, were analyzed and evaluated in terms of common and country-specifi c trends in the WHO European region. Interventions described in WHO publications focused on the following areas: Strengthening governance and legislative frameworks; Strengthening the workforce, multidisciplinary team; Community and distance services; E-health and digital solutions; and Prevention, health promotion and education programs. Regardless of the results obtained, the continuous transformation of primary health care in different countries in the WHO European Region during the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed the adjustment of medical services provided to the situation created and contextual to the health system. Th is transition period allowed the learning of a number of lessons, both general and specifi c to specifi c countries. By presenting the crucial role of primary health care during the pandemic and beyond, the cases described by WHO have enabled the exchange of experience between countries to inspire policy action and accelerate long-term reforms in primary health care

Estimated number of deaths directly averted in people 60 years and older as a result of COVID-19 vaccination in the WHO European Region, December 2020 to November 2021

Since December 2019, over 1.5 million SARS-CoV-2-related fatalities have been recorded in the World Health Organization European Region - 90.2% in people ≥ 60 years. We calculated lives saved in this age group by COVID-19 vaccination in 33 countries from December 2020 to November 2021, using weekly reported deaths and vaccination coverage. We estimated that vaccination averted 469,186 deaths (51% of 911,302 expected deaths; sensitivity range: 129,851–733,744; 23–62%). Impact by country ranged 6–93%, largest when implementation was early.