scholarly journals Progress in infections, reproductive health and non-communicable diseases

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
James K Tumwine
Author(s):  
Paola Manduca ◽  
Nabil Al Baraquni ◽  
Stefano Parodi

Introduction: High levels of environmental contaminants with long term effects and teratogenic and carcinogenic potential, such as heavy metals, were introduced by weaponry in war areas in the last decades. Poorer reproductive health and increases in non-communicable diseases were reported after wars and are the suspected long term effects of contamination by stable war remnants. Although potentially affecting millions of people, this is still an understudied issue of public health. Background: Gaza, Palestine since 2006 has been an object of repeated severe military attacks that left heavy metals remnants in the environment, in wound tissues and that were assumed by the population. Retrospective studies showed a progressive increase in birth defects since the 2006 attacks. In 2011 we started surveillance at birth alongside analysis of the heavy metals load carried by pregnant women and their babies. Methods: We used protocols for birth registration which also document the extent of exposures to attacks, war remnants and to other environmental risks that allow comparison of 3 data sets—2011, 2016 and 2018–2019 (4000–6000 women in each set). By ICP/MS analysis we determined the content of 23 metals in mothers’ hair. Appropriate statistical analysis was performed. Results: Comparison of data in birth registers showed a major increase in the prevalence in birth defects and preterm babies between 2011 and 2016, respectively from 1.1 to 1.8% and from 1.1 to 7.9%, values remaining stable in 2019. Negative outcomes at birth in 2016 up to 2019 were associated with exposure of the mothers to the attacks in 2014 and/or to hot spots of heavy metals contamination. Metal loads since the attacks in 2014 were consistently high until 2018–2019 for barium, arsenic, cobalt, cadmium, chrome, vanadium and uranium, pointing to these metals as potential inducers for the increased prevalence of negative health outcomes at birth since 2016. Conclusions: Bodily accumulation of metals following exposure whilst residing in attacked buildings predispose women to negative birth outcomes. We do not know if the metals act in synergy. Trial for mitigation of the documented negative effects of high metal load on reproductive health, and ensuing perinatal deaths, could now be done in Gaza, based on this documentary record. High load of heavy metals may explain recent increases in non-communicable diseases and cancers at all ages in Gaza. Modern war’s legacy of diseases and deaths extends in time to populations and demands monitoring.


2012 ◽  
Vol 06 (04) ◽  
pp. 249-251
Author(s):  
M. Braun ◽  
J. Ried

ZusammenfassungDie 65. World Health Assembly hat die Bekämpfung nicht-übertragbarer Krankheiten in den Mittelpunkt globaler Aufmerksamkeit und Aktivität gerückt. Da Übergewicht bzw. Adipositas wesentliche Risikofaktoren für einen erheblichen Teil dieser Erkrankungen darstellen, kommt damit der Prävention (aber auch der Therapie) erhöhten Körpergewichtes in der Programmatik der WHO besondere Bedeutung zu. Gleichzeitig führen die hochgesteckten Ziele der WHO in das fundamentale Dilemma, dass es keine Instrumente gibt, die angestrebten Prävalenz- und Reduktionsraten im vorgegebenen Zeitrahmen zu erreichen. Daraus ergeben sich eine Reihe ethischer und sozialer Fragen, unter anderem nach dem zu Grunde gelegten Modell der Adipositas und den impliziten und expliziten Verantwortlichkeiten für ihre Bekämpfung.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Oliver Hoon Leh Ling ◽  
Siti Nur Afiqah Mohamed Musthafa ◽  
Muhammad Solahuddin Hamzah ◽  
Marlyana Azyyati Marzukhi ◽  
Nurul Ashikin Mabahwi

Environmental health is referring to the health of people in relation to environmental quality. Due to rapid urbanisation, more people are living in urban neighbourhoods. Urban planning and design aspects including the neighbourhood environment are potentially affecting the human healthy lifestyle and health condition. Thus, the relationship between Malaysian neighbourhood environmental aspects and human health has become the concern of this research. One of the neighbourhood units in Shah Alam city had been chosen as the study area for this purpose. Questionnaire survey had been carried out to examine the health condition and physical activeness of residents. Besides, the perception of residents on the quality of neighbourhood environmental aspects also had been collected in the questionnaire survey. The health condition of residents was measured by non-communicable diseases (NCD) and the physical activeness was measured in duration as well as the frequency of physical exercise activities. The study found that the quality of neighbourhood environmental aspects significantly increased the physical activeness of respondents. The physical activeness was positively associated with human health as measured in NCD (heart diseases and high blood pressure, HBP). It shows that neighbourhood environmental (physical and social) aspects are potentially affecting the healthy life of people living in the neighbourhood.Keywords: Healthy life, Neighbourhood environment, Non-communicable diseases (NCD), Physical activeness, Quality.


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