Atherosclerotic lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) is increasingly recognized as an important cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality that affects more than 230 million people worldwide. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors, ...including advanced age, smoking, and diabetes, are strongly linked to an increase risk of PAD. Although PAD has been historically underappreciated compared to coronary artery disease and stroke, greater attention on PAD in recent years has led to important new epidemiologic insights in the areas of thrombosis, inflammation, dyslipidemia, and microvascular disease. In addition, the concept of polyvascular disease, or clinically-evident atherosclerosis in multiple arterial beds, is increasingly identified as a particularly malignant cardiovascular disease worthy of special clinical attention and further study. It is noteworthy that PAD may increase the risk of adverse outcomes in similar or even greater magnitude than coronary disease or stroke. In this review, we highlight important new advances in the epidemiology of PAD with a particular focus on polyvascular disease, emerging biomarkers, and differential risk pathways for PAD compared to other atherosclerotic diseases.
more
Background: COVID-19 is a global public health crisis that affects all sectors; studying the impact of this pandemic on the delivery of cardiology services in Africa is crucial as COVID-19-related c...ardiovascular complications may worsen the CVD burden in this already highly affected and resource-limited continent
Methods: This was a cross-sectional e-survey study conducted amongst cardiologists in African countries. The primary outcome was the change in service delivery in African cardiology units during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. The secondary outcomes were the satisfaction of cardiologists with regards to the workload and factors associated with this satisfaction.
Results: There was a significant reduction in working time and the number of patients consulted by week during this pandemic (p<0.001). In general, there was a decrease in the overall activities in cardiovascular care delivery. The majority of cardiology services (76.5%) and consulting programs (85%) were adjusted to the pandemic. Only half of the participants were satisfied with their workload. Reconfiguration of the consultation schedule was associated with a reduced satisfaction of participants (p=0.02).
Conclusions: COVID-19 is associated with an overall reduction in cardiology services rendered in Africa. Since the cardiovascular burdens continue to increase in this part of the World and the risk of cardiovascular complications linked to SARS COV2 remains unchanged cardiology, departments in Africa should anticipate a significant surge of cardiology services demanded by patients after the COVID-19 pandemic.
more
Background: The impacts of air pollutants on health range from short-term health impairments to hospital admissions
and deaths. Climate change is leading to an increase in air pollution.
The article discusses the significant impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as a global health issue, with cigarette smoking as the main risk factor. However, in developing countries, the causes ...edbox">of COPD are often multifactorial, involving environmental tobacco smoke, biomass fuel smoke, dust, fumes, childhood illnesses, and tuberculosis (TB). Up to half of COPD patients in these regions are non-smokers. The article emphasizes that while smoking is crucial, other risk factors contribute significantly to COPD, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. It highlights the need for targeted research and public health strategies to address these diverse contributors to COPD, especially in Africa.
more
This publication is an updated version of the Management of Tuberculosis and HIV Coinfection clinical protocol released in 2007 by the WHO Regional Office for Europe. It is intended for all health c...are workers involved in preventing, diagnosing, treating and caring for people living with TB and HIV in the specific settings of the WHO European Region.
more
Background: Understanding the natural course of child and adolescent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has significant implications for the identification of, and intervention for, at-risk youth.... We used a meta-analytic approach to examine longitudinal changes in youth PTSD prevalence and symptoms over the first 12 months posttrauma.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry57:8 (2016), pp 884–898
more
Journal of Tuberculosis Research, 2016, 4, 1-8
Published Online March 2016 in SciRes. http://www.scirp.org/journal/jtr
http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jtr.2016.41001
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of illness and death among people living with HIV. TB can be cured.
In the wake of the Covid‑19 Pandemic, parts of the public health system at increased risk of reduced efficiency include health...care services for women and children. This in turn could reverse all the progress achieved over the years in reducing maternal and child mortality. In this study, an attempt has been made to assess the indirect effect of the pandemic on maternal and child health services in public health facilities.
more
Surveys are needed to guide trachoma control efforts in Mozambique, with WHO guidelines for intervention based on the prevalence of trachomatous inflammation–follicular (TF) in children aged 1–9 years and the prevalence ...-highlight medbox">of trichiasis in adults aged 15 years and above. We conducted surveys to complete the map of trachoma prevalence in Mozambique, concluding that it still represents a significant public health problem in many areas of Mozambique.
more
International Journal of Mental Health Systems December 2011, 5:3
Community mental health programs in low-income countries face a number of challenges. Using a case study methodology developed for ...this purpose, it is possible to compare programs and begin to assess the effectiveness of diverse service delivery models
more
PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210937
February 5, 2019
More than 40% of the world population is 24 years old or younger, the vast majority of whom live in low- and lower middle–income countries. Globally, a quarter ...medbox">of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for mental disorders and substance abuse is borne by this age group and about 75% of mental disorders diagnosed in adulthood have their onset before the age of
24 years . Most children and young people in developing countries, however, do not have access to mental health care.
more
Lunsar, Port Loko District, Sierra Leone
Research
BMJ 2014;349:g4643 doi: 10.1136/bmj.g4643 (Published 5 August 2014), 1-11
Researchers focused on mental health of conflict-affected children are increasingly interested in the concept of resilience. Knowledge on resilience may assist in developing interventions aimed at i...mproving positive outcomes or reducing negative outcomes, termed promotive or protective interventions.
more
Position Statement
Diabetes Care2018;42(Suppl. 1):S1–S194.