scholarly journals Case study: Monitoring and risk management practices of blue–green algae blooms within the regional municipality of Halton

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 93-97
Author(s):  
Ramien Sereshk ◽  
Nicholas Kuchmak
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Cyanobacterial Blooms ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Guidance Document ◽  
Visual Monitoring ◽  
Test Kit ◽  
Public Beaches

Cyanobacteria pose a threat to public health in waters affected by seasonal blooms. There have been sporadic occurrences of cyanobacterial blooms at an increasing number of public beaches in Halton Region, Ontario, Canada. Even though cyanobacteria may not be visibly present, the risk of exposure to cyanotoxins remains and requires consideration for an effective risk management and monitoring program. The objective of this case study is to provide best practices that may aid local Health Departments in setting up a cyanobacteria monitoring program. Public health inspectors are responsible for visual monitoring of public beaches that takes place on a weekly basis while conducting routine surveillance. Currently, when cyanobacteria are visually identified, a beach posting is issued. A complete risk assessment is completed to determine the acceptability of reopening the beach for public use. It is recommended to implement an approach that involves both visual monitoring and toxin testing using a field test kit. For a beach to be considered safe for bathing, surveillance should indicate a visual absence of a bloom and microcystin test results below Health Canada’s recreational water standard of 20 ppb. This case study highlights Halton Region’s response to cyanobacteria blooms in recreational waters in accordance with the prescribed protocol and guidance document.

scholarly journals Integrating animal disease epidemics into disaster risk management

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 506-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheney Shreve ◽  
Belinda Davis ◽  
Maureen Fordham
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
One Health ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Animal Disease ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Disease Epidemics ◽  
Epidemic Risk

Purpose – Holistic approaches to public health such as “One Health” emphasize the interconnectedness between people, animals, ecosystems, and epidemic risk, and many advocate for this philosophy to be adopted within disaster risk management (DRM). Historically, animal and human diseases have been managed separately from each other, and apart from other hazards considered for DRM. Shifts in DRM, however, may complement a One Health approach. The taxonomy of hazards considered under DRM has expanded to include medical and social crises such as epizootics and terrorism. However, there is a gap in understanding how epidemic risk is integrated into DRM at the community-level. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – TACTIC adopts a participatory case study approach examining preparedness for multiple hazard types (floods, epidemics, earthquakes, and terrorism) at the community-level. This paper reports on findings from the epidemic case study which took as its focus the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease epidemic in the UK because of the diverse human, social, and environmental impacts of this “animal” disease. Findings – Epizootic preparedness tends to focus on biosecurity and phytosanitary measures, and is geared towards agriculture and farming. Greater engagement with public health and behavioural sciences to manage public health impacts of animal disease epidemics, and activities for citizen engagement to improve preparedness are discussed. The impermeability of boundaries (hazard, institutional, disciplinary, etc.) is a key constraint to integrating One Health into DRM. Originality/value – This work helps to situate the One Health discussion within the community-level DRM context.

scholarly journals Factors influencing delivery of intersectoral actions to address infant stunting in Bogotá, Colombia – a mixed methods case study.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Botero-Tovar ◽  
Gina Paola Arocha Zuluaga ◽  
Andrea Ramírez Varela
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Systematic Evaluation ◽  
Intersectoral Collaboration ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Local Health Service ◽  
Qualitative Component

Abstract Background Intersectoral actions (ISA) are a recognized relationship between the health sector and other sectors to improve health outcomes. Although a frequent topic in public health, evidence for systematic evaluation of implementation of ISA is scarce. An intersectoral health intervention for infants under one-year-old with, and at risk of, stunting (low height-for-age) was developed by a public-private partnership in Bogotá, Colombia, during 2018 and 2019. Here we report a case study conducted in parallel to the intervention designed to assess factors that influenced implementation of the ISA. Methods The case study was developed using a concurrent mixed-methods design, with the qualitative component giving context to the quantitative results. The qualitative component was obtained from four workshops, three focal groups, and 17 semi-structured interviews with actors involved in the intersectoral intervention. The quantitative component was obtained with two questionnaires that evaluated perceptions on improvement and partnership functioning of the ISA. Results This study collected information from 122 participants. The intervention demanded intersectoral collaboration. Political will, motivated human resources, and recognition that health results from collaboration facilitated intersectoral actions. Intersectoral actions were limited by difficulties in engaging the health sector, communication challenges related to local health service decentralization, and administrative barriers. Conclusions Intersectoral actions have been recently discussed in the literature due to challenges on implementation, idealization, inconsistent demands, and doubts about economic outcomes. The implementation of intersectoral public health interventions can be jeopardized by a lack of coordination and management skills.

scholarly journals A National Wastewater Monitoring Program for a better understanding of public health: A case study using the Australian Census

2019 ◽  
Vol 122 ◽  
pp. 400-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jake W. O'Brien ◽  
Sharon Grant ◽  
Andrew P.W. Banks ◽  
Raimondo Bruno ◽  
Stephen Carter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Australian Census

scholarly journals Factors influencing delivery of intersectoral actions to address infant stunting in Bogotá, Colombia – a mixed methods case study.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Botero-Tovar ◽  
Gina Paola Arocha Zuluaga ◽  
Andrea Ramírez Varela
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Systematic Evaluation ◽  
Intersectoral Collaboration ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Local Health Service ◽  
Qualitative Component

Abstract Background Intersectoral actions (ISA) are a recognized relationship between the health sector and other sectors to improve health outcomes. Although a frequent topic in public health, evidence for systematic evaluation of implementation of ISA is scarce. An intersectoral health intervention for infants under one-year-old with, and at risk of, stunting (low height-for-age) was developed by a public-private partnership in Bogotá, Colombia, during 2018 and 2019. Here we report a case study conducted in parallel to the intervention designed to assess factors that influenced implementation of the ISA. Methods The case study was developed using a concurrent mixed-methods design, with the qualitative component giving context to the quantitative results. The qualitative component was obtained from four workshops, three focal groups, and 17 semi-structured interviews with actors involved in the intersectoral intervention. The quantitative component was obtained with two questionnaires that evaluated perceptions on improvement and partnership functioning of the ISA. Results This study collected information from 122 participants. The intervention demanded intersectoral collaboration. Political will, motivated human resources, and recognition that health results from collaboration facilitated intersectoral actions. Intersectoral actions were limited by difficulties in engaging the health sector, communication challenges related to local health service decentralization, and administrative barriers. Conclusions Intersectoral actions have been recently discussed in the literature due to challenges on implementation, idealization, inconsistent demands, and doubts about economic outcomes. The implementation of intersectoral public health interventions can be jeopardized by a lack of coordination and management skills.

Public health implications of waste water reuse for fish production

1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (11) ◽  
pp. 145-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. El-S. Easa ◽  
M. M. Shereif ◽  
A. I. Shaaban ◽  
K. H. Mancy
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Waste Water ◽  
Water Reuse ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Fish Farming ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Fresh Water Fish ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Treated Effluent

Public health and safety concerns have traditionally been the main reasons for resisting waste water reuse for fish farming. Potential adverse health effects in such applications could be avoided if the waste is sufficiently treated before reuse. In a full scale demonstration study in Suez, Egypt, about 400 m3/d of raw sewage were treated using a multi-compartment stabilization pond system, for a total residence time from 21-26 days. The treated effluent conformed to WHO guidelines and was used for rearing two types of local fish (tilapia and gray mullet). The produced fish were subjected to an extensive monitoring program. Bacteriological examination revealed that in all samples the fish muscles were free of bacterial contaminants. Nevertheless, low levels of Escherichia coli andAeromonas hydrophila, were isolated from the surface of the fish. Salmonellae, shigellae and staphylococcus aureus were absent from the surface of all the fish sampled. In addition, toxic metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cd) were found to be at much lower levels than the international advisory limits for human consumption. It is concluded that fish reared in the treated effluent at Suez Experimental Station is (a) suitable for marketing for human consumption, and (b) it's quality is equal or better than fresh water fish in Egypt.

Identifying Public Health Problems

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Burris ◽  
Micah L. Berman ◽  
Matthew Penn, and ◽  
Tara Ramanathan Holiday
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Health Priorities ◽  
Disability Adjusted Life Years ◽  
Quality Adjusted Life Years ◽  
Disability Adjusted Life ◽  
Life Years ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Quality Adjusted Life

Chapter 5 discusses the use of epidemiology to identify the source of public health problems and inform policymaking. It uses a case study to illustrate how researchers, policymakers, and practitioners detect diseases, identify their sources, determine the extent of an outbreak, and prevent new infections. The chapter also defines key measures in epidemiology that can indicate public health priorities, including morbidity and mortality, years of potential life lost, and measures of lifetime impacts, including disability-adjusted life years and quality-adjusted life years. Finally, the chapter reviews epidemiological study designs, differentiating between experimental and observational studies, to show how to interpret data and identify limitations.

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