Dengue is a significant public health problem. There are four dengue virus serotypes identified; however, its diagnosis is difficult due to the existence of many viruses, bacteria, and parasites producing the same clinical presentation, being present in the same geographical area and even producing
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coinfections. Therefore, determining whether a person has, had, or is infected with dengue virus is of great importance. In order to do so, direct and indirect laboratory tests have been developed to identify the virus or part of its structure that generally detects the antibody response. These techniques are used for diagnosis, epidemiological studies, monitoring, assessment and production of vaccines and antivirals, etc. They range from the use of cell cultures, animal models, inoculation by insects, and serology tests to the use of detection molecular tests and quantification of genetic material that are described in this chapter herein, a brief explanation of this methodology, its strengths and weaknesses, and its application in the dengue research.
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The growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including disability, violence and injuries, has devastating health consequences for individuals, families and communities and threatens to overwhelm health systems. It is recognized that failure to act on noncommunicable diseases in the short t
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erm would lead to massive cumulative output losses.
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Lancet Public Health 2022 Published Online October 25, 2022 https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(22)00197-9
Executive summary
In the past few decades, major public health advances have happened in Europe, with drastic decreases in premature mortality and a life expectancy increase of almost 9 years
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since 1980. European countries have some of the best health-care systems in the world. However,Europe is challenged with unprecedented and overlapping crises that are detrimental to human health and livelihoods and threaten adaptive capacity, including the
COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the fastest-growing migrant crisis since World War 2, population displacement, environmental degradation, and deepening inequalities. Compared with pre-industrial times, the mean average European surface air temperature increase has been almost 1°C higher than the average global temperature increase, and 2022 was the hottest European summer on record.
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Since the launch of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) in 2000, more than 910 million people have received preventive chemotherapy for lymphatic filariasis (LF) and many thousands have received care for chronic manifestations of the disease. To achieve this, millions of c
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ommunity drug distributors (CDDs), community members and health personnel have worked together each year to ensure that at-risk communities receive preventive chemotherapy through mass drug administration (MDA). The successes of 20 y of partnership with communities is celebrated, including the application of community-directed treatment, the use of CDDs and integration with other platforms to improve community access to healthcare. Important challenges facing the GPELF moving forward towards 2030 relate to global demographic, financing and programmatic changes. New innovations in research and practice present opportunities to encourage further community partnership to achieve the elimination of LF as a public health problem. We stress the critical need for community ownership in the current Covid-19 pandemic, to counter concerns in relaunching MDA programmes for LF.
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One in three people globally suffers from at least one form of malnutrition, leading to poor health outcomes and low productivity in the workplace. The workplace offers an important, relatively unexploited opportunity to address malnutrition in all its forms. This narrative literature review aims to
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understand the impact of workforce nutrition programmes on nutrition, health, and business outcomes, based on high-strength-of-evidence studies. We used PubMed as our primary research database, complemented by Google Scholar, to identify systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomised controlled trials published between January 2010 and October 2021. In total, 26 records were included. We found that comprehensive workforce nutrition programmes, including a variety of intervention areas, and/or programmes targeting high-risk categories of workers (overweight/obese or (pre-)diabetic) were more likely to be effective on nutrition, health, and business outcomes. Within comprehensive and targeted programmes, individualised counselling and worksite environmental modifications were often mentioned as the most effective components. However, a high degree of heterogeneity in outcome measures and programme designs made it difficult to draw strong conclusions on the impact of workforce nutrition interventions. Limited evidence was found on business outcomes, longer-term effects of interventions, and programme implementation in LMICs. Therefore, further research is needed to address these evidence gaps.
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The article reviews the impact of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) on global health, emphasizing its significant burden on infants, children, and the elderly. It discusses current and emerging prevention strategies, including the development and implementation of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.
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The review highlights advancements in RSV research, the challenges of creating effective vaccines for different age groups, and the importance of global collaboration to reduce RSV-associated morbidity and mortality. It also calls for increased investment in research and public health measures to enhance prevention and treatment options.
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Designed for healthcare professionals, this six-week course will inform you about – and empower you to provide – safe, high-quality antibiotic use. You’ll interact with colleagues globally, to understand what antibiotic resistance means – and why the World Economic Forum has placed it alongs
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ide terrorism and climate change on its global risk register. You can also join the course in Spanish, Chinese, or Russian.
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Improve your knowledge of the spread of antimicrobial resistance in Africa and how to reduce it - Online Course
Discover approaches and advances in our fight against the malaria mosquito using Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM).
On this three-week course, you’ll examine the rise of insecticide resistant mosquitoes and the resultant need for a new approach in the world’s fight against malaria transmi
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ttance.
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Become familiar with One Health, a promising concept, and the effective solutions it provides for urgent health problems.
Explore best practise in pharmacy, and learn how to start a career as a pharmacist, with these online pharmacy courses from FutureLearn.
Antimicrobials are widely used in food animal production, and use is rapidly increasing.
In an era of growing demand for animal products, there is an increasing trend towards the industrial production of food animals, especially in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). One hallmark of this me
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thod of animal production is the
use of antimicrobial drugs, which in the majority of cases are administered to healthy animals for purposes other than
treating or controlling disease (termed “therapeutic uses”)
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What is COVID-19 and how might the outbreak affect you? Find out more about coronavirus and explore its worldwide implications.
Get the latest recommendations on COVID-19 diagnostics and testing, and how to improve testing capacity in low-income settings.
Discover flexible career development and CPD for nurses with online healthcare and nursing courses from top organisations and universities on FutureLearn.
Antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic resistance are a major threat to public health. How can we tackle them? Get answers with a range of courses.
Trachoma is a neglected tropical disease. It occurs in some of the poorest populations with limited access to clean water, sanitation, and healthcare, and is the leading cause of blindness in the world. Based on 2020 data, it is estimated that 137 million people are at risk of trachoma in 44 endemic
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countries.
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International Perspectives and Future Directions
This Plan envisions a future with the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem as a result of universal access to sexual health and STI prevention services, HPV vaccines, effective screening and precancer treatment services, treatme
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nt of invasive cervical cancer, and palliative care. It foresees that all women and girls, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, HIV status, or disability will have timely access to quality cervical cancer prevention, care, and treatment so that they can live in good health throughout the life course and enjoy the health-related human rights.
The goal is to accelerate progress toward the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem in the Americas by reducing incidence and mortality rates by one-third by 2030.
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