scholarly journals Implementation of Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to Dementia (GAPD) in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Comprehensive reviews

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (S8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac Ddumba
2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. P1450-P1451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarun Dua ◽  
Katrin M. Seeher ◽  
Saskia Sivananthan ◽  
Neerja Chowdhary ◽  
Anne Margriet Pot ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
C. Scerri

In 2017, the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched the global action plan on the public health response to dementia. Among its many aims, the plan recommends the need to create a knowledge-based healthcare profession that delivers evidence-based, culturally-appropriate and human rights-orientated health and social care, including long-term services for individuals with dementia.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID BELL ◽  
Kristian Schultz Hansen

Objectives: While the COVID-19 pandemic has had considerable global impact, recorded mortality in sub-Saharan Africa has been relatively low. Ensuring the public health response creates overall benefit is therefore critical. However, the highly age-dependent nature of COVID-19 mortality makes comparisons of disease burden challenging unless considered in terms of metrics that incorporate life years lost and time lived in adverse health. We therefore assessed the relative disease burdens of COVID-19 and the three major epidemic-causing pathogens; malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, in sub-Saharan Africa. Design: We compared estimates of 2020 disease burdens in sub-Saharan African populations in terms of mortality and Disability-Adjusted Life Years lost (DALYs) for COVID-19, malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, applying known age-related mortality to UN estimates of sub-Saharan population age structure. We further compared exacerbations of these diseases predicted to occur through the COVID-19 public health response. Data was derived from public sources, predicted disease exacerbations from those published by international agencies. Main outcome measures: Mortality and DALYs lost Results: For sub-Saharan African populations north of South Africa, recorded COVID-19 DALYs lost in 2020 was 2.0%, 1.2% and 1.3% of those estimated for tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria respectively. The predicted exacerbations alone of each of these comparator diseases were greater than the estimated COVID-19 burden. Including South Africa and Lesotho, COVID-19 DALYs lost were ≤6% of each of these predicted disease burdens and dominated by them in all age groups below 70 years. Conclusions: The analysis here suggests a relatively low impact from COVID-19. While all four epidemics continue, concentration on COVID-19 runs a high risk of increasing the overall health burden, further increasing global inequities in health and life expectancy, and needs to be guided by clear economic evaluation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Yijie Huang ◽  
Tao Ai ◽  
Jun Luo ◽  
Hanmin Liu

Abstract Background Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a change in the incidence and transmission of respiratory pathogens was observed. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the impact of COVID-19 on the epidemiologic characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection among children in Chengdu, one of the largest cities of western China. Method M. pneumoniae infection was diagnosed in 33,345 pediatric patients with respiratory symptoms at the Chengdu Women’s & Children’s Central Hospital between January 2017 and December 2020, based on a serum antibody titer of ≥1:160 measured by the passive agglutination assay. Differences in infection rates were examined by sex, age, and temporal distribution. Results Two epidemic outbreaks occurred between October-December 2017 and April-December 2019, and two infection peaks were detected in the second and fourth quarters of 2017, 2018, and 2019. Due to the public health response to COVID-19, the number of positive M. pneumoniae cases significantly decreased in the second quarter of 2020. The number of M. pneumoniae infection among children aged 3–6 years was higher than that in other age groups. Conclusions Preschool children are more susceptible to M. pneumoniae infection and close contact appears to be the predominant factor favoring pathogen transmission. The public health response to COVID-19 can effectively control the transmission of M. pneumoniae.


2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 461-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Schnitzler ◽  
Justus Benzler ◽  
Doris Altmann ◽  
Inge Mücke ◽  
Gérard Krause

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin E. Schneider ◽  
Glenna J. Urquhart ◽  
Saba Rouhani ◽  
Ju Nyeong Park ◽  
Miles Morris ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Naloxone distribution programs have been a cornerstone of the public health response to the overdose crisis in the USA. Yet people who use opioids (PWUO) continue to face a number of barriers accessing naloxone, including not knowing where it is available. Methods We used data from 173 PWUO from Anne Arundel County, Maryland, which is located between Baltimore City and Washington, DC. We assessed the prevalence of recently (past 6 months) receiving naloxone and currently having naloxone, the type(s) of the naloxone kits received, and the perceived ease/difficultly of accessing naloxone. We also assessed participants knowledge of where naloxone was available in the community. Results One third (35.7%) of participants had recently received naloxone. Most who had received naloxone received two doses (72.1%), nasal naloxone (86.9%), and education about naloxone use (72.1%). Most currently had naloxone in their possession (either on their person or at home; 78.7%). One third (34.4%) believed naloxone was difficult to obtain in their community. Only half (56.7%) knew of multiple locations where they could get naloxone. The health department was the most commonly identified naloxone source (58.0%). Identifying multiple sources of naloxone was associated with being more likely to perceive that naloxone is easy to access. Discussion Our results suggest that additional public health efforts are needed to make PWUO aware of the range of sources of naloxone in their communities in order to ensure easy and continued naloxone access to PWUO.


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