Improving Disease Outbreak Forecasting Models for Efficient Targeting of Public Health Resources

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lasantha Fernando ◽  
Sriganesh Lokanathan ◽  
Amal Shehan Perera ◽  
Azhar Ghouse ◽  
Hasitha Tissera
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Forecasting Models

Improving Disease Outbreak Forecasting Models for Efficient Targeting of Public Health Resources

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuwan Lasantha Fernando ◽  
Sriganesh Lokanathan ◽  
Amal Shehan Perera ◽  
Azhar Ghouse ◽  
Hasitha Tissera
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Forecasting Models

scholarly journals The need for translation and cultural adaptation of audiology questionnaires to enable the development of hearing healthcare policies in the Pacific Islands: a Samoan perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Kaspar ◽  
Sione Pifeleti ◽  
Carlie Driscoll
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Cultural Adaptation ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Hearing Health ◽  
Translation And Cultural Adaptation

Abstract Background Translation and cultural adaptation of health resources is an integral part of good health-policy development and health program implementation. As part of our efforts to address ear disease and hearing loss in the Pacific Islands, we promote the translation an cultural adaptation of hearing-related questionnaires into local languages and cultural contexts. The Pacific Islands have among the highest rates of ear and hearing disorders in the world and, given the scarcity of ear/hearing health professionals in the region, a public health approach that uses appropriately translated ear/hearing health resources is highly recommended to tackle this health issue. Although formal translation and culturally adaption of hearing-related questionnaires may seem a cumbersome process, the aim of this commentary is to illustrate the potential benefits of translating two audiology questionnaires for our use in Samoa. We have carefully selected questionnaires that will serve multiple purposes (i.e., clinical, epidemiology, monitoring and evaluation, evidence-based health policy formulation and implementation), thus making the process ultimately beneficial and worthwhile. Main body The leading cause of preventable hearing loss among Samoan adolescents and young people is excessive noise exposure to recreational and environmental noise. The Youth Attitude to Noise Scale is a validated tool that assess knowledge and attitudes of adolescents towards recreational and environmental noise, and a Samoan version should provide preliminary data to guide health promotion activities for adolescents on noise-induced hearing loss. The leading cause of hearing disability among older adult Samoans is age-related hearing loss. The Revised Hearing Handicap Inventory is a tool that assess the emotional and social/situational impact of hearing difficulty among older adults, and a Samoan version should provide preliminary data to guide the development of auditory rehabilitation services. Conclusion Investment in quality translations and cultural adaptations of hearing-related questionnaires is essential for the development of audiology services that are relevant to their Pacific Island context. The use of formally translated audiology questionnaires in research studies will optimise data quality, leading to improved hearing health promotion activities, as well as provision of evidence for advocacy for public health noise policy legislation.

scholarly journals Design of vaccine efficacy trials during public health emergencies

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (499) ◽  
pp. eaat0360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie E. Dean ◽  
Pierre-Stéphane Gsell ◽  
Ron Brookmeyer ◽  
Victor De Gruttola ◽  
Christl A. Donnelly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Vaccine Efficacy ◽  
Vaccine Trial ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Public Health Emergencies ◽  
Efficacy Trials ◽  
Challenging Environment

Public health emergencies, such as an Ebola disease outbreak, provide a complex and challenging environment for the evaluation of candidate vaccines. Here, we outline the need for flexible and responsive vaccine trial designs to be used in public health emergencies, and we summarize recommendations for their use in this setting.

scholarly journals Fighting a fire versus waiting for a wave: Useful and not-so-useful analogies in times of SARS-CoV-2

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Archer ◽  
Claire Standley ◽  
Péter Molnár
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Spatial Dynamics ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Disease Dynamics ◽  
Epidemiological Models ◽  
Communication Tools ◽  
Regular Feature ◽  
News Headlines

As SARS-CoV-2 has swept the planet, intermittent “lockdowns” have become a regular feature to control transmission. References to so-called recurring “waves” of infections remain pervasive among news headlines, political messaging, and public health sources. Here, we consider the power of analogies as a tool for facilitating effective understanding of biological processes by reviewing the successes and limitations of various analogies in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also consider how, when analogies fall short, their ability to persuade can mislead public opinion and behaviour, even if unintentionally. While waves can be effective in conveying patterns of disease outbreak retrospectively, we suggest that process-based analogies might be more effective communication tools, given that they are easily mapped to underlying epidemiological concepts and can be extended to include more complex (e.g., spatial) dynamics. Though no single analogy perfectly captures disease dynamics, fire is particularly suitable for visualizing the epidemiological models that are used to understand disease trajectories, underscoring the importance of and reasoning behind control strategies, and, above all, conveying a sense of urgency to galvanise collective action.

scholarly journals Epidemiological Characteristics and Spatiotemporal Analysis of Mumps from 2004 to 2018 in Chongqing, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (17) ◽  
pp. 3052 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhu ◽  
Zhao ◽  
Ou ◽  
Xiang ◽  
Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Spatial Autocorrelation ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Scan Statistics ◽  
Time Space ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Mumps vaccines have been widely used in recent years, but frequent mumps outbreaks and re-emergence around the world have not stopped. Mumps still remains a serious public health problem with a high incidence in China. The status of mumps epidemics in Chongqing, the largest city in China, is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological and spatiotemporal characteristics of mumps and to provide a scientific basis for formulating effective strategies for its prevention and control. Surveillance data of mumps in Chongqing from January 2004 to December 2018 were collected from the National Notifiable Diseases Reporting Information System. A descriptive analysis was conducted to understand the epidemiological characteristics. Hot spots and spatiotemporal patterns were identified by performing a spatial autocorrelation analysis, a purely spatial scan, and a spatiotemporal scan at the county level based on geographic information systems. A total of 895,429 mumps cases were reported in Chongqing, with an annual average incidence of 36.34 per 100,000. The yearly incidence of mumps decreased markedly from 2004 to 2007, increased sharply from 2007 to 2011, and then tapered with a two-year cyclical peak after 2011. The onset of mumps showed an obvious bimodal seasonal distribution, with a higher peak of mumps observed from April to July of each year. Children aged 5–9 years old, males, and students were the prime high-risk groups. The spatial distribution of mumps did not exhibit significant global autocorrelation in most years, but local indicators of spatial autocorrelation and scan statistics detected high-incidence clusters which were mainly located in the midwestern, western, northeastern, and southwestern parts of Chongqing. The aggregation time frame detected by the purely temporal scan was between March 2009 and July 2013. The incidence of mumps in Chongqing from 2004 to 2018 featured significant spatial heterogeneity and spatiotemporal clustering. The findings of this study might assist public health agencies to develop real-time space monitoring, especially in the clustering regions and at peak periods; to improve immunization strategies for long-term prevention; and to deploy health resources reasonably.

Narratives of death: Systemic determinants of the coverage of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adaobi Vivian Duru
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
International News ◽  
The Public ◽  
Media System ◽  
Health Expert ◽  
Media Systems

This study used the 2014 Ebola outbreak as a case study to compare news coverage of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) between the Polarized Pluralist media system and the Liberal media system. This investigation revealed that partisan frames, emphasis on local and international efforts and use of health expert sources all differed across the two media systems. These differences suggest that social, political and economic attributes of media systems affect how news is shaped. When an event of international significance occurs, such as a disease outbreak, the characteristics that make up a media system will influence how issues are covered and presented to the public. Giving the current globalized nature of news, the findings in this study has implications for international news flow.

Public health resources for smart-home scenario development: A methodological approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-170
Author(s):  
Michiel Brink ◽  
Remy D. van der Vlies ◽  
Adriana Schalkwijk Ribeiro ◽  
Ignacio González Alonso ◽  
Johanna E.M.H. van Bronswijk
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Scenario Development
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