scholarly journals Tobacco Control in Hospitals in Jordan: Policy Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Maha Alkaid Albqoor, RN, MPH, MSN, PhD
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Smoking Prevention ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Tobacco Control Policies ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Tobacco Epidemic ◽  
Effective Public Health

<p><em>Despite the concerns about very high rates of smoking in Jordanian population and the growing efforts to combat the tobacco epidemic, smoking at hospitals in Jordan and the poor complying with smoking prevention policies are important aspects of the problem. The paper examined the scope </em><em>and the progress </em><em>of smoking problem in Jordanian hospitals, </em><em>recognized public health policies on tobacco control </em><em>in hospitals in Jordan, and explored the obstacles in applying tobacco control policies in hospitals. The paper also proposed some recommendations for effective public health policies that regulate tobacco smoking in hospitals and other health care facilities in Jordan.</em></p>

New models and taxonomies to understand and address the commercial determinants of health

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
A B Gilmore ◽  
L Robertson ◽  
M Petticrew ◽  
N Maani Hessari
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Health It ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Problems And Solutions ◽  
Transnational Companies ◽  
Risk Framing ◽  
Effective Public Health

Abstract Current models of the determinants of health risk framing public health problems and solutions in ways that obscure the role that the private sector, in particular large transnational companies, play in shaping population health. This presentation will propose a new conceptual model of the commercial determinants of health which recognises the commercial sector's direct, indirect, upstream and downstream influences on health. It will also present emerging evidence-based taxonomies that draw together evidence on the key corporate practices which stymie the implementation of effective public health policies. In so doing, the presentation will explore how we move from understanding to addressing the commercial determinants of health.

scholarly journals Epidemiological observations on breaking COVID-19 transmission: from the experience of Taiwan

2021 ◽  
pp. jech-2020-216240
Author(s):  
Iona MacDonald ◽  
Jye-Lin Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Minimal Impact ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Government ◽  
Effective Public Health ◽  
Ongoing Monitoring

With almost no community-transmitted cases and without any complete lockdown throughout 2020, Taiwan is one of very few countries worldwide that has recorded minimal impact from the COVID-19 pandemic attack. This is despite being only 130 km from China and having frequent business communications with that country, where COVID-19 first emerged. At the end of December 2020, Taiwan had recorded just 873 cases and 7 deaths, in a country of around 24 million people. How to determine the effectiveness of public health policies is an important issue that must be resolved, especially in those countries that have experienced few cases of community-transmitted COVID-19. Our analysis of epidemiological data in Taiwan relating to influenza-like illness (ILI), enterovirus and diarrhoea from the past 3 years reveals dramatic reductions in the incidence of ILI and enterovirus in 2020, compared with 2018 and 2019. These reductions occurred within 2 weeks of the government issuing public health policies for COVID-19 and indicate that such policies can effectively reduce infectious diseases overall. In contrast, no such reduction in ILI activity was observed in 2020 after the first COVID-19 case was reported in the USA. We suggest that infectious diseases data can be used to inform effective public health policies needed to break the transmission chain of COVID-19 and that ongoing monitoring of infectious diseases data can provide confidence about nationwide health.

scholarly journals How did we get here: what are droplets and aerosols and how far do they go? A historical perspective on the transmission of respiratory infectious diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Randall ◽  
E. T. Ewing ◽  
L. C. Marr ◽  
J. L. Jimenez ◽  
L. Bourouiba
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Complex Interplay ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
The Past ◽  
Respiratory Infectious Diseases ◽  
Scientific Results ◽  
Effective Public Health

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed major gaps in our understanding of the transmission of viruses through the air. These gaps slowed recognition of airborne transmission of the disease, contributed to muddled public health policies and impeded clear messaging on how best to slow transmission of COVID-19. In particular, current recommendations have been based on four tenets: (i) respiratory disease transmission routes can be viewed mostly in a binary manner of ‘droplets’ versus ‘aerosols’; (ii) this dichotomy depends on droplet size alone; (iii) the cut-off size between these routes of transmission is 5 µm; and (iv) there is a dichotomy in the distance at which transmission by each route is relevant. Yet, a relationship between these assertions is not supported by current scientific knowledge. Here, we revisit the historical foundation of these notions, and how they became entangled from the 1800s to today, with a complex interplay among various fields of science and medicine. This journey into the past highlights potential solutions for better collaboration and integration of scientific results into practice for building a more resilient society with more sound, far-sighted and effective public health policies.

Country-wide genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 strains

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kishan Kalia ◽  
Gayatri Saberwal ◽  
Gaurav Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Emerging Infections ◽  
Timely Manner ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Strain Collection ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Effective Public Health

Genomic surveillance has enabled the identification of several SARS-CoV-2 variants, allowing the formulation of appropriate public health policies. However, surveillance could be made more effective. We have determined that the time taken from strain collection to genome submission for over 1.7 million SARS-CoV-2 strains available at GISAID. We find that strain-wise, time lag in this process ranges from one day to over a year. Country-wise, the UK has taken a median of 16 days (for 417,287 genomes), India took 57 days (for 15,614 genomes), whereas Qatar spent 289 days (for 2298 genomes). We strongly emphasize that along with increasing the number of genomes of COVID-19 positive cases sequenced, their accelerated submission to GISAID should also be strongly encouraged and facilitated. This will enable researchers across the globe to track the spreading of variants in a timely manner; analyse their biology, epidemiology, and re-emerging infections; and define effective public health policies.

Tactics of the tobacco industry in an Arab nation: a review of tobacco documents in Oman

2021 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2021-056623
Author(s):  
Jawad A Al-Lawati ◽  
Stella A Bialous
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Health Warnings ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Control Policies ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Tobacco Control Policies ◽  
Tobacco Epidemic

BackgroundFew studies have investigated tobacco industry interference in the tobacco control policies of Arab nations. This paper explores the tactics used by the industry to subvert tobacco control policies in Oman and offers lessons on how to prevent such interference in the future.MethodsWe searched the Truth Tobacco Industry Documents Archive using the word ‘Oman’, names of government institutions, policymakers and local tobacco distributors. Extracted data were noted chronologically by key elements of tobacco control measures. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Health Ministers’ Council resolutions on tobacco control were also reviewed.ResultsOut of 1020 tobacco documents located, 327 were closely related to policy interference. Documents revealed that the industry met key government officials, offered in-kind services, used local diplomatic missions to influence Omani policymakers, opposed smoking bans, delayed regulations to lower tar and nicotine content of cigarettes, and to require effective health warnings, circumvented a tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship ban and provided voluntary codes as an alternative to effective regulations. Additionally, industry representatives lobbied individual countries in the GCC to veto tax increments and defeat consensus on agreed resolutions of the Health Ministers’ Council.ConclusionThe tobacco industry interfered in all key public health policies aimed to reduce tobacco use in Oman. There is an urgent need for the Omani government to enforce the Civil Code of Conduct and develop guidelines for all policymakers through implementing Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to curb the tobacco epidemic.

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