This report summarizes the findings of the Health Financing Progress Matrix assessment for Zambia. Recognizing the remarkable progress towards UHC made by the country over the past twenty years, the report also highlights weaknesses in the current health financing system and, extending from this, th...ose priority issues to be addressed in order to further accelerate Zambia’s progress towards universal health coverage (UHC).
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Mejorar el cuidado y la atención de niñas y niños pequeños
asthma is a chronic inflammatory and a heterogeneous condition of respiratory system whose pathogenesis is linked with variable structural changes. The clinical manifestation of asthma includes attacks of breathlessness, cough, chest tightness and wheezing. Provision of basic equipment and test for ...asthma diagnosis and access to essential medicines by asthmatic patients reduces morbidity and mortality rates. Significant progress has been made in the diagnosis and management of asthma in other countries but not in the health care delivery system in Zimbabwe. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop algorithm for asthma diagnosis and management for Zimbabwe.
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Air pollution from road traffic is a serious health hazard, and people with preexisting respiratory disease may be at increased risk. We investigated the effects of short-term exposure to diesel traffic in people with asthma in an urban, roadside environment.
Health economics is receiving more attention as decisionmakers — including purchasers, physicians and patients seek a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of adopting new health care strategies in developed and developing countries. Formal economic evaluation is playing an increasingly i...mportant role in health care decision-making, including that related to asthma.
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Pollution (dirty air) is a big trigger for asthma as it makes it difficult to breathe and affects the health of humans, animals, and plants. Avoiding pollution helps prevent asthma symptoms!
Asthma is a heterogeneous condition characterised by chronic inflammation and variable expiratory airflow limitation, with airway reversibility. Management of chronic inflammation with anti-asthma medication improves asthma control and quality of life. The aim of this journal is to provide an eviden...ce-based approach for chronic asthma management in young children and adolescents and provide guidance on the use of new asthma drugs in children.
For that, the South African Childhood Asthma Working Group (SACAWG) convened in January 2017. The asthma treatment task group reviewed the available scientific literature and international asthma treatment guidelines. The evidence was then graded according to the Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system and recommendations were made based on scientific evidence and local context. Asthma management recommendations were made for children ˂6 years of age and older children and adolescents, as well as for stepping up and stepping down of therapy. This review does not include biologics or novel asthma drugs, which are covered in another CME article in this edition of SAMJ.
The final conclusions are that it is important to ensure good response, treatment and adherence, type of medication, device and checking of technique are all critical. Stepping up of therapy should be done only after ensuring good adherence and technique. Once therapeutic response is achieved, medication administration has to be stepped down to improve ease of use and avoid unnecessary side-effects.
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Diagnosing asthma in children represents an important clinical challenge. There is no single gold-standard test to confirm the diagnosis. Consequently, over- and under-diagnosis of asthma is frequent in children. A task force supported by the European Respiratory Society has developed these evidence...-based clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis of asthma in children aged 5–16 years using nine Population, Intervention, Comparator and Outcome (PICO) questions. The task force conducted systematic literature searches for all PICO questions and screened the outputs from these, including relevant full-text articles. All task force members approved the final decision for inclusion of research papers. The task force assessed the quality of the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.
The task force then developed a diagnostic algorithm based on the critical appraisal of the PICO questions, preferences expressed by lay members and test availability. Proposed cut-offs were determined based on the best available evidence. The task force formulated recommendations using the GRADE Evidence to Decision framework.
Based on the critical appraisal of the evidence and the Evidence to Decision framework, the task force recommends spirometry, bronchodilator reversibility testing and exhaled nitric oxide fraction as first-line diagnostic tests in children under investigation for asthma. The task force recommends against diagnosing asthma in children based on clinical history alone or following a single abnormal objective test. Finally, this guideline also proposes a set of research priorities to improve asthma diagnosis in children in the future.
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Although asthma is very common, affecting 5–10% of the population, the diagnosis of asthma in adults remains a challenge in the real world, which results in both over- and under-diagnosis. A taskforce was set up by the European Respiratory Society to systematically review the literature on the dia...gnostic accuracy of tests used to diagnose asthma in adult patients and provide recommendations for clinical practice.
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Asthma is a heterogeneous condition characterised by chronic inflammation and variable expiratory airflow limitation, as well as airway reversibility. The diagnosis of asthma in young children is limited by the inability to perform objective lung function testing in this group of patients and the wi...de variety of conditions that can phenotypically present with asthma-like symptoms.
This article provides an evidence-based approach for clinicians to accurately diagnose asthma in young children and to assess the level of control to guide therapeutic decisions.
The South African Childhood Asthma Working Group (SACAWG) convened in January 2017 with task groups, each headed by a section leader, constituting the editorial committee on assessment of asthma epidemiology, diagnosis, control, treatments, novel treatments and self-management plans. The asthma diagnosis and control task groups reviewed the available scientific literature and assigned evidence according to the Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system, providing recommendations based on current evidence.
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Asthma is the most common chronic illness of childhood. The prevalence is rising and the mortality and morbidity from asthma are unacceptably high in South Africa. This article emphasizes the importance to make a correct diagnosis based, most importantly, on the clinical history and supported by inv...estigations. Further, the appropriate drug and device must be chosen to achieve good asthma control. It explains that patients must be followed up regularly and their asthma control must be assessed so that the treatment can then be adjusted according to the level of control. Additionally, Asthma education and adherence are important components of management of the condition.
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Flyer about 10 Steps for Mental Health
Листовка о 10 шагах к душевному равновесию
Flyer 10 Steps to Mental Health
Flyer 10 Steps to Mental Health
This American Thoracic Society Statement was prepared by a Committee of the Scientific Assembly on Environmental and Occupational Health at the request of the American Lung Association Occupational Health Expert Advisory Group to emphasize the continuing importance of silicosis as a major lung disea...se worldwide and the need for increasing efforts in prevention. Emphasis is placed on public health issues of silicosis rather than on important current research in pathologic mechanisms.
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The increasing prevalence of childhood asthma in the developed world is a cause for concern. A so-called Western lifestyle has been the factor most commonly cited to explain this worrying increase in asthma prevalence. Early studies in a limited number of African countries showed a very low rural pr...evalence of childhood asthma, especially where children lived according to a traditional lifestyle. These same studies showed that asthma was not uncommon in urbanized African children. There has been an
increasing tendency over the past 20 years for those in rural communities to move to the large urban centers. This article analyses the urban-rural differences and factors that influence the development of asthma in susceptible children.
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This guideline covers diagnosing, monitoring and managing asthma in adults, young people and children. It aims to improve the accuracy of diagnosis, help people to control their asthma and reduce the risk of asthma attacks. It does not cover managing severe asthma or acute asthma attacks. It emphasi...zes the importance to include advice in the personalised
action plan on minimising indoor air pollution and reducing exposure to outdoor air pollution.
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The Malawi National Strategic Plan (NSP) for HIV and AIDS 2020–2025 is the guiding document for the multi-sectoral response to the HIV epidemic for the next five years. It succeeds the 2015-2020 HIV NSP, building on previous achievements and addressing areas that need improvement with the goal of ...meeting 95:95:95 targets and eliminating HIV as a public health threat by 2030. Implementation of the previous NSP contributed to the dramatic decline in the number of new infections from 111,000 in 1992 to 33,000 in 2019 and the decline in AIDS deaths from 71,000 in 2004 to 13,000 in 2019.1 As of September 2019, progress on the 90:90:90 UNAIDS Fast-Track targets was 93:84:92.
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The third Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS III) has been formulated following the expire of its predecessor strategy, MGDS II, in June 2016. The strategy has been prepared at a time when Malawi has been experiencing multiple shocks including floods, drought and financial crises. While fo...od production improved in 2017, the cycle of food deficit and surplus has kept the country preoccupied with fighting disasters instead of pursuing its development agenda. It is for this reason that the theme of the MGDS III is "Building a Productive, Competitive and Resilient Nation". With this nation competing on the global stage while ensuring that the nation builds systems that deal with natural shocks and disasters.
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