India may be the world’s second largest producer of food, but it has its second largest undernourished population. Further, more than half of women in India suffer from anaemia, which is one of the reasons for the high rate of low-birth weight babies. An unbalanced diet and lack of food is directl...y linked to high rates of stunting, excessive weight, and death in children under five years of age. The Government of India has
implemented programmes for providing food security and ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food. There is a need to look at multiple strategies to combat the issue of food security. Community and nutrition gardens can play an important role in enhancing national food security and dietary diversity to combat
malnutrition.
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Obesity is a global health problem. Its worldwide prevalence has tripled between 1975 and 2016, reaching a prevalence in Chile of 34.4%, according to the National Health Survey 2016-2017. If this condition corresponds to a risk factor or primary disease is a widely discussed issue. It is recognized ...as a disease by the American Medical Association and World Health Organization,
based on its metabolic and hormonal features, such as dysregulation of appetite, abnormal energy balance and endocrine dysfunction, among others. Its main environmental risk factors are the consumption of ultra-processed foods and sedentariness. Preventive measures at the population level are fundamental, emphasizing promotion and prevention using a transdisciplinary approach. The individual approach in the management of obesity should improve the quality of life, avoid early mortality, reduce cardiovascular risk, and reduce the progression to type 2 diabetes and incidence of cancer. Thus, an adequate management and
control of obesity would have a great impact in our society.
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A total of 18 laboratories from 13 countries participated in the four rounds of EQA: 10 laboratories from eight African endemic countries, four of which participated in all four rounds and three in three rounds. The overall results showed that the median performance of these laboratories improved ov...er the four rounds. However, the proportion of laboratories reporting false–positive cases remains high and indicates a problem of specificity probably due to contamination. The proportion of laboratories reporting both false–positive and false–negative results raises the issue of the quality of the data reported by WHO in Africa as well as the results of the studies carried out in these different laboratories in various countries.
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The WHO webpage on cholera provides an overview of the disease, its causes, and prevention strategies. Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, typically spread through contaminated food or water. It remains a significant global health issue, particularly in a...reas with poor water and sanitation infrastructure.
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Lancet, Published:February 21, 2019DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30424-6.
This article announce the establishment of Countdown Global Mental Health, an independent, multistakeholder monitoring and accountability collaboration for mental health, within an initial timeframe of the UN Sust...ainable Development Goals (SDGs). The scope of the Countdown will be global since mental health is an issue relevant to all countries. The unit of analysis will be countries or states or provinces within large federated countries. Given the huge disparities between and within countries, we expect the Countdown to be a strong instrument for accountability to decrease population-level disparities for mental health.
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The article "The burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its attributable risk factors in the Middle East and North Africa region, 1990–2019" provides an analysis of the prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to COPD in the MENA region from 1990 to 2019. ...The study uses data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 and shows that while age-standardized death and DALY rates have decreased over 30 years, COPD remains a significant health issue, especially among older populations. The main risk factors identified are smoking, ambient particulate pollution, and occupational exposure. The research underscores the impact of socioeconomic factors and recommends targeted public health initiatives to reduce the burden.
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The video titled "Personalizing Selection of Inhaled Delivery Systems in COPD" discusses the complexities healthcare professionals face when prescribing inhaled therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It highlights the diverse range of available medications and delivery systems, ...noting that while medication categorization has been extensively studied, guidance on selecting appropriate inhaler devices remains limited and lacks consensus in COPD guidelines. The video proposes a novel strategy to address this issue, aiming to enhance the personalization of inhaled therapy for COPD patients.
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PLoS Neglected Tropical diseases August 16, 2021 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009697
Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a neglected tropical disease transmitted by triatomine insects, first identified in 1909. Chagas disease affects approximately 6–7 million peop...le globally and is highly prevalent in Latin America where most cases are reported. However, there is increasing evidence that Chagas disease is now an important public health issue outside the “classical” endemic countries due to population migration. Our understanding of Chagas disease, including its pathologies and factors relating to progression, remains to date limited, and is also challenged by lack of diagnosis and highly effective treatment. This systematic review aims to describe studies with Chagas patients receiving antiparasitic treatment. Databases were searched for relevant studies published after 1997, and the results of these searches were screened.
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Community health workers (CHWs) play a significant role in Primary health Care due to their proximity to households, communities and the health care system. Many studies focus on CHWs and the work they do. However, few have examined their experiences and identity and how that might influence how the...y view and perform their roles. The objectives of the study were to: Describe the role of CHWs in community-based health care in Northern Cape, Identify the perceived barriers and enablers to CHWs role performance, Explore CHWs views regarding the support from the communities and the formal healthcare system in Northern Cape. An exploratory qualitative design using focus groups was adopted. Forty-six (46) CHWs were purposively selected using the critical case sampling approach. Data were collected through three focus group interviews in three regions. Analysis followed the Graneheim & Lundman thematic analysis. Three themes emerged from data: perceived contribution to Primary Health Care, recognition of CHWs role, measures to improve working conditions. Findings showed that CHWs were engaged in various health and social care roles, they believed that they made a significant contribution to PHC, and that the health system persistently relied on their services. The enabler for finding meaning in their work was the positive community response and the good relations they had with the team leaders. The major barrier was the structure of the CHWs programme and the perceived lack of support by the government. The complex issues CHWs address in the community call for a review of their roles and workload as well as the support they receive from the formal healthcare system.
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A century after its discovery, Chagas' disease still represents a major public health challenge in Latin America. Moreover, because of growing population movements, an increasing number of cases of imported Chagas' disease have now been detected in non-endemic areas, such as North America and some E...uropean countries. This parasitic zoonosis, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is transmitted to humans by infected Triatominae insects, or occasionally by non-vectorial mechanisms, such as blood transfusion, mother to fetus, or oral ingestion of materials contaminated with parasites. Following the acute phase of the infection, untreated individuals enter a chronic phase that is initially asymptomatic or clinically unapparent. Usually, a few decades later, 40-50% of patients develop progressive cardiomyopathy and/or motility disturbances of the oesophagus and colon. In the last decades several interventions targeting primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of Chagas' disease have been attempted. While control of both vectorial and blood transfusion transmission of T cruzi (primary prevention) has been successful in many regions of Latin America, early detection and aetiological treatment of asymptomatic subjects with Chagas' disease (secondary prevention) have been largely underutilised. At the same time, in patients with established chronic disease, several pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions are currently available and have been increasingly used with the intention of preventing or delaying complications of the disease (tertiary prevention). In this review we discuss in detail each of these issues.
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The burden of diabetes is high and increasing globally, and in developing economies like India, mainly fueled by the increasing prevalence of overweight/obesity and unhealthy lifestyles. The estimates in 2019 showed that 77 million individuals had diabetes in India, which is expected to rise to over... 134 million by 2045. Approximately 57% of these individuals remain undiagnosed. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for majority of the cases, can lead to multiorgan complications, broadly divided into microvascular and macrovascular complications. These complications are a significant cause for increased premature morbidity and mortality among individuals with diabetes, leading to reduced life expectancy and financial and other costs of diabetes leading to profound economic burden on the Indian health care system. The risk for diabetes is largely influence by ethnicity, age, obesity and physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and behavioral habits in addition to genetics and family history. Good control of blood sugar blood pressure and blood lipid levels can prevent and/or delay the onset of diabetes complications. The prevention and management of diabetes and associated complications is a huge challenge in India due to several issues and barriers, including lack of multisectoral approach, surveillance data, awareness regarding diabetes, its risk factors and complications, access to health care settings, access to affordable medicines, etc. Thus, effective health promotion and primary prevention, at both, individual and population levels are the need of the hour to curb the diabetes epidemic and reduce diabetes-related complications in India
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The goal of asthma treatment is to obtain clinical control and reduce future risks to the patient. To reach this goal in children with asthma, ongoing monitoring is essential. While all components of asthma, such as symptoms, lung function, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and inflammation, may exist i...n various combinations in different individuals, to date there is limited evidence on how to integrate these for optimal monitoring of children with asthma. The aims of this ERS Task Force were to describe the current practise and give an overview of the best available evidence on how to monitor children with asthma.
22 clinical and research experts reviewed the literature. A modified Delphi method and four Task Force meetings were used to reach a consensus.
This statement summarises the literature on monitoring children with asthma. Available tools for monitoring children with asthma, such as clinical tools, lung function, bronchial responsiveness and inflammatory markers, are described as are the ways in which they may be used in children with asthma. Management-related issues, comorbidities and environmental factors are summarised.
Despite considerable interest in monitoring asthma in children, for many aspects of monitoring asthma in children there is a substantial lack of evidence.
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Tuberculosis continues to represent a severe public health problem in the Region of the Americas, even more so in the case of indigenous peoples, whose TB incidence is much higher than that of the general population. To achieve tuberculosis control in these communities, it is necessary to respond t...o communities’ diverse needs from an intercultural perspective that allows the application of a holistic approach—from a standpoint of equality and mutual respect—and considers the value of their cultural practices. In the Region of the Americas, although there has been progress toward recognizing the need for an intercultural approach to health services, obstacles rooted in discrimination, racism, and the exclusion of indigenous peoples and other ethnic groups persist. To respond to this situation, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) prepared this guidance which––based on an intercultural approach in accordance with the priority lines of the current PAHO Policy on Ethnicity and Health and its practical development in the Region’s indigenous populations––represent a support tool for implementing the End TB Strategy. This publication integrates PAHO’s accumulated experience and best practices developed by its Member States in recent years, including discussions and experiences shared in regional meetings on the issue, and emphasizes innovation and social inclusion. This requires an urgent shift away from traditional paradigms, taking specific actions that gradually reduce TB incidence and moving toward effective multisectoral actions that have proven effective in quickly containing the epidemic. This publication integrates PAHO’s accumulated experience and best practices developed by its Member States in recent years, including discussions and experiences shared in regional meetings on the issue, and emphasizes innovation and social inclusion. This requires an urgent shift away from traditional paradigms, taking specific actions that gradually reduce TB incidence and moving toward effective multisectoral actions that have proven effective in quickly containing the epidemic.
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Climate change is one of the biggest crises of our time. Climate threats range from higher temperatures, heavy rainfalls and floods, erratic precipitation, droughts, desertification, and land degradation. This has negative implications on the quality and quantity of natural resources, such as land a...nd water, agricultural productivity, rural livelihood options, food prices, and nutrition security, particularly when there is a lack of adaptation capacities and preparedness measures (Pacillo, 2024). Farmers are at the forefront of the climate crisis where their livelihoods are being jeopardized, and they are faced with many challenges to secure water, energy, and agriculture inputs, and maintain agriculture productivity. This heightens the risk of competition over natural resources and aggravates grievances and structural inequalities related to land rights and ownership as well as land access, management, and governance. In Africa, land-related issues are among the triggers of many violent disputes (Medina et al, 2024). For instance, communal violence in Nigeria and Sudan is tied to competition over scarce fertile land and poor resource governance (Bruce and Bourdeaux, 2013).
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Mental health problems are common and cause great suffering to individuals and communities around the world. They have a significant impact not only on the physical and mental health of those affected but also on their families and the communities they live in. At the same time, all communities have... their own traditional mechanisms for support and contain a range wide of resources that can be helpful in preventing mental health conditions from developing, promoting positive mental health and supporting the recovery of people that are struggling with a mental health condition.
In the wider context, people living with a mental health condition are often excluded from their communities and experience various violations to their basic human rights (discrimination, violence, exclusion from employment opportunities). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the mean prevalence of global mental health disorders is 10.8% while the prevalence in emergency settings is 22.1% in any conflict-affected population.
During emergencies and crisis, the stigma, exclusion and discrimination towards people living with mental health conditions is often higher, which can cause isolation and protection issues. Communities can play a crucial role in promoting mental health as well as enhancing primary care and access. Their role is to help reduce mental health inequalities by providing community resources that connect people to community-based resources and by providing mental health education. This also helps to reduce the massive mental health treatment gap.
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Climate change, increasing population densities, and intensified globalisation in trade, travel and migration are among the most important factors shaping the 21st century. Each impacts upon population health and the risk of infectious disease, particularly those originating at the human-animal-envi...ronmental interface. The recognition that many risk drivers of infectious disease fall outside of the typical domain of the health sector creates the challenge of identifying and pursuing priorities for cross-sectoral action aimed at strengthening global health security. In response, the One Health concept has emerged, as have related initiatives addressing Planetary Health and Biodiversity and Human Health. From a public health perspective and operationally speaking, the One Health approach offers great potential, emphasising as it does cooperation and coordination between multiple sectors. Yet despite having been a focal point for discussion for over a decade, numerous challenges facing the implementation of One Health preparedness strategies remain. While some are technical, related to the requirement for innovative early warning systems or new vaccines, for example, others are institutional and cultural in nature, given the transdisciplinary nature of the topic. There have thus been calls to address One Health from multiple perspectives, from ecology to the social sciences. In order to further explore this issue and to identify priority areas for action for strengthening One Health preparedness in Europe, ECDC convened an expert consultation on 11–12 December 2017.
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Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 9313. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159313. A mixed-methods study, using an online survey and in-depth interviews, was conducted. Participants included Mental Health Focal Points at the Ministries of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) country ...and regional offices, and civil society representatives. Responses were received from 28 countries out of 55 contacted. The implementation level, based on standard guidelines, of MHPSS activities was below 50% in most countries. The most implemented MHPSS activities were establishing coordination groups (57%) and developing MHPSS strategy (45%), while the least implemented activities included implementing the developed MHPSS strategy (32%) and establishing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms (21%). Key factors that hindered implementing MHPSS activities included lack of political commitment and low prioritisation of mental health during emergencies, as it was seen as a “less important” issue during the COVID-19 pandemic, when more importance was given to infection prevention and control (IPC)
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A Practical Guide for Mental Health Service Providers
World Vision’s Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) approach actively strives to examine, question, and change harmful social norms and power imbalances as a means of reaching gender equality and social inclusion objectives in a programme area.
This reference guide is designed to help WASH... practitioners implement GESI-transformative WASH programmes by supporting change across all five GESI domains – access, decision-making, participation, systems, and well-being. It provides information on how to design, implement, monitor and evaluate a WASH project or programme to address GESI.
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Understanding Cultural Diversity in Mental Health