Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease of global medical and veterinary importance. As efforts to eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem and interrupt transmission gather momentum, the potential zoonotic risk posed by livestock Schistosoma species via viable hybridisation in s
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ub-Saharan Africa have been largely overlooked. We aimed to investigate the prevalence, distribution, and multi-host, multiparasite transmission cycle of Haematobium group schistosomiasis in Senegal, West Africa.
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Background
Asthma remains highly prevalent, with more severe symptoms in low-income to middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with high-income countries. Identifying risk factors for severe asthma symptoms can assist with improving outcomes. We aimed to determine the
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prevalence, severity and risk factors for asthma in adolescents in an LMIC.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey using the Global Asthma Network written and video questionnaires was conducted in adolescents aged 13 and 14 from randomly selected schools in Durban, South Africa, between May 2019 and June 2021.
Results
A total of 3957 adolescents (51.9% female) were included. The prevalence of lifetime, current and severe asthma was 24.6%, 13.7% and 9.1%, respectively. Of those with current and severe asthma symptoms; 38.9% (n=211/543) and 40.7% (n=147/361) had doctor-diagnosed asthma; of these, 72.0% (n=152/211) and 70.7% (n=104/147), respectively, reported using inhaled medication in the last 12 months. Short-acting beta agonists (80.4%) were more commonly used than inhaled corticosteroids (13.7%). Severe asthma was associated with: fee-paying school quintile (adjusted OR (CI)): 1.78 (1.27 to 2.48), overweight (1.60 (1.15 to 2.22)), exposure to traffic pollution (1.42 (1.11 to 1.82)), tobacco smoking (2.06 (1.15 to 3.68)), rhinoconjunctivitis (3.62 (2.80 to 4.67)) and eczema (2.24 (1.59 to 3.14)), all p<0.01.
Conclusion
Asthma prevalence in this population (13.7%) is higher than the global average (10.4%). Although common, severe asthma symptoms are underdiagnosed and associated with atopy, environmental and lifestyle factors. Equitable access to affordable essential controller inhaled medicines addressing the disproportionate burden of asthma is needed in this setting.
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Given the intimate association between silicosis and tuberculosis, understanding the epidemiology of the South African gold mining industry silicosis epidemic is essential to current initiatives to control both silicosis and tuberculosis in this population, one of the most heavily affected globally.
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The study’s objectives were to compare the prevalence of silicosis among working black gold miners in South Africa during 2004–2009 to that of previous studies, including autopsy series, and to analyse the influence of silicosis and/or tuberculosis on exiting employment.
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HIV Prevalence: Data from the 2010 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey.
Background: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) develops following some stressful events. There has been increasing recognition that children who have been exposed to traumatic events like child sexual abuse can develop post-traumatic stress disorder just like adults.
Objective: To determine
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prevalence of PTSD in sexually abused children seen at the Gender Based Violence Recovery Centre at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Design: A cross sectional descriptive study.
Setting: Gender Based Violence Recovery Centre – Kenyatta National Hospital. Subjects One hundred and forty-nine (n = 149) sexually abused children were recruited in the study.
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PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210937
February 5, 2019
PLoS ONE 12(7): e0180996. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180996
Annals of Global Health, 87(1), p.43. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.3269;
The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, and stress) in Bangladesh and the factors associated with these sympto
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ms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They found that about 64%, 87%, and 61% of the respondents in Bangladesh reported high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively and this varied between divisions (regions), more in women, those who self-quarantined, and those that experienced classical symptoms of COVID-19. We think there is a need for mental health support in this population to minimise the long term effects.
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British Journal of Medicine & Medical Research
11(4): 1-6, 2016, Article no.BJMMR.21444
ISSN: 2231-0614, NLM ID: 101570965
Published 27th September 2015
Clinical Infectious Diseases
1586 - 1594 • CID 2016:62 (15 June) • HIV/AIDS
The Global Status Report on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) 2014 by the World Health Organization outlines the global impact of NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, which are responsible for a significant portion of global mortality, particular
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ly in low- and middle-income countries.
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Most of the global burden of sepsis occurs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but the prevalence and etiology of sepsis in LMICs are not well understood. In particular, the lack of laboratory infrastructure in many LMICs has historically p
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recluded an assessment of the pathogens leading to sepsis. A recent systematic review found that data describing antimicrobial resistance were absent for 43% of countries in Africa, and only two countries have national antimicrobial resistance plans. In addition, small studies have identified indiscriminate antibiotic use both in and out of hospital settings in sub-Saharan Africa. The absence of microbiological data and lack of antibiotic stewardship complicate sepsis management and almost certainly worsens outcomes, particularly in low-resource systems. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence, etiology, and outcomes of sepsis among a cohort of critically ill patients in a referral hospital of Malawi, with a focus on the prevalence of culture-confirmed bacteremia and urinary tract infections.
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Since 2001, several Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) include HIV
testing. For many countries, in particular in sub-Saharan Africa, DHS are
the only national source of data in general population. Several DHS collect
latitude and longitude of surveyed clusters but the sampling method is not
ap
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propriate to derive local estimates: sample size is not large enough for a
direct spatial interpolation.
We developed a generic approach to map spatial regional trends of HIV
prevalence from DHS. We present how our results from Burkina Faso 2003
DHS shed new light on HIV epidemics.
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Tokar A, et al. Sex Transm Infect 2019;95:193–200. doi:10.1136/sextrans-2018-053684
WHO REPORT ON THE GLOBAL TOBACCO EPIDEMIC, 2017
DHS Working Papers No. 106
Rev Esp Sanid Penit 2012; 14: 11-16 11
The Open Infectious Diseases Journal, 2010, 4, 33-37