Emergence of New Epidemiological Hepatitis B and C Profiles in High Risk Groups in Latin America

Latin America includes Mexico, the islands of the Caribbean and Central and South America, which possess a rich cultural and natural heritage. A narrative literature review was made to determine epidemiological hepatitis B and C profiles in high risk groups in Latin America, such as, drug users, hemophiliacs, and chronic kidney disease (CKD), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected individuals. Using data from international databases that disseminate published quality studies. All studies with desired information regarding site and study population were included. It was observed that HBV prevalence diminished in several groups, probably due to implementation of HBV vaccination in various Latin America Countries (LACs). On the other hand, HCV prevalence is high among high risk groups compared to general population, but different values were observed in LAC, probably due to different access to education programs, assays evaluated, population size and type of recruitment. Due to chronicity of HBV and HCV, it is important to increase access to diagnosis, HBV vaccination and implementation of education programs to high risk groups to diminish burden of these infections

International Journal of Medical Students - Year 2015 - Volume 3 - Supplement 1

International Journal of Medical Students - Year 2015 - Volume 3 - Supplement

Temas de actualidad en salud pública

La salud pública es una disciplina importante para la salud en el mundo. Se define como la ciencia y el arte de prevenir las enfermedades, prolongar la vida y promover la salud a través de los esfuerzos organizados y decisiones con conocimiento de la sociedad, las organizaciones (públicas y privadas), las comunidades y los individuos, esta disciplina se ha renovado con la incorporación de múltiples actores, profesiones, áreas de conocimiento, además de ser afectados y promovido por múltiples tecnologías, en particular los de información. Como un campo cambiante del conocimiento, la salud pública requiere la información basada en la evidencia y actualizaciones regulares, más aún en el contexto de un mundo en transición epidemiológica. "Temas actuales en la salud pública", presenta información actualizada sobre varios temas relacionados con las áreas reales de interés en esta ciencia médica creciente y emocionante, con la concepción y la filosofía que estamos trabajando para mejorar la salud de la población, en lugar que el tratamiento de las enfermedades de los pacientes individuales, la toma de decisiones sobre el cuidado de la salud colectiva que se basan en la mejor evidencia disponible, actualizada, válida y pertinente, y, finalmente, en el contexto de los recursos disponibles. La salud pública debe ser una ciencia compleja, ayudando en las decisiones, acciones y cambios en la salud del mundo. En una sociedad globalizada esto se hizo hincapié no sólo en una nación en particular, sino en todo el mundo.Public health is a major health discipline in the world. Defined as the science and art of preventing diseases, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of the society, organizations (public and private), communities and individuals, this discipline has been renewed by the incorporation of multiple actors, professions, knowledge areas, as well as being impacted and promoted by multiple technologies, particularly information ones. As a changing field of knowledge, public health requires evidence-based information and regular updates, even more in the context of a world in epidemiological transition. Health impacts of climate change are currently in the quest of the Millennium Development Goals, and most of them are related to the activities of public health. “Current Topics in Public Health” presents updated information on multiple topics related to actual areas of interest in this growing and exciting medical science, with the conception and philosophy that we are working to improve the health of the population, rather than treating diseases of individual patients; taking decisions about collective health care that are based on the best available, current, valid and relevant evidence; and finally within the context of available resources. Public health should be a complex science helping in the decision, actions and changes in the health of the world. In a globalized society this is emphasized not just in a particular nation but in the whole world

The role of migration processes in dengue fever occurrence in Colombia: a mixed study approach

Background: Dengue is the second most important vector-borne disease in tropical regions largely affecting urban areas. Rural-urban migration increases numbers at risk. In particular, Internally Displaced Populations (IDPs) are forced to migrate through violence, conflict, or natural disasters moving to informal settlements in urban areas. IDPs might represent a pool of susceptible and vulnerable people; because of their cultural, socio-economic, and demographic factors that differ from the local people. Colombia has the third highest number of dengue cases in the Americas and the second largest IDPs number in the world. Aim: To examine the relationship between IDPs and Dengue in Colombia. Methods: A mixed methods approach was used including: policy and literature review; analysis of routinely available national-level data sources; quantitative household surveys of knowledge, attitudes, practices and vector counts in IDPs and host population households; focus group interviews with IDPs and host populations, and interviews with public health authorities and those working with IDPs. Results: A range of policies addresses both dengue and IDPs in Colombia but there is no policy addressing both issues. Analyses of national level data showed that areas with high level of IDPs tended to have high levels of dengue. Household surveys showed that despite IDPs being more economically disadvantaged and having less access to education and health services, knowledge, attitudes, and practices were broadly similar, although IDPs households were more likely to obtain their information from community networking. IDPs households were more likely than host populations to have productive breeding sites for the vector in their households despite emptying and cleaning water containers more frequently. Participants were aware of dengue, but had mistaken knowledge about disease severity, treatment, transmission and effective control measures. Conclusions: Dengue control in IDPs can be strengthened through community networking and integrated policies to increase access to health and education services

Battle and Beating, Water and Waste: Micro-Level Impact Evaluation in Developing and Emerging Economies

Die Dissertation mit dem Titel “Battle and Beating, Water and Waste: Micro-Level Impact Evaluation in Developing and Emerging Economies” beinhaltet die Ergebnisse ökonometrischer Wirkungsevaluierungen, die innerhalb zwei verschiedener Themengebieten des täglichen Lebens in Entwicklungs- und Schwellenländern durchgeführt wurden: Gewalt und Wasser. Im ersten dieser Themengebiete konzentriert sich die Analyse auf die Verhaltens-Reaktionen der Bevölkerung, die in räumlicher Nähe zu gewaltsamem Konflikt lebt. Detailliert die Wirkung solcher Exponierung auf das Auftreten häuslicher Gewalt untersuchend, trägt das erste Kapitel – gemeinsam verfasst mit Dominik Noe – dazu bei, die gesellschaftlichen Kosten kriegsähnlicher Auseinandersetzungen abzuschätzen. Insbesondere die Nachwirkungen auf zwischenmenschliche Beziehungen und soziales Verhalten gegenüber Familie und Freunden werden betrachtet. Wir formulieren die Theorie, dass das Leben in Haushalten in der Nähe zu Orten von extrem gewaltsamen Zwischenfällen die Wahrscheinlichkeit von Frauen in diesen Haushalten erhöht, Opfer häuslicher Gewalt zu werden. Diese Theorie überprüfen wir dann anhand von Daten aus Kolumbien; einem Land, in dem sowohl reichhaltige Daten zu Gefechten als auch zu häuslicher Gewalt vorliegen. Die Kernerkenntnis lautet, dass eine höhere Intensität der gewaltsamen Konflikte mutmaßlich die Wahrscheinlichkeit der Frauen, Opfer häuslicher Gewalt zu werden, deutlich erhöht. Das zweite und dritte Kapitel dieser Dissertation sind dem zweiten Themengebiet gewidmet, und hier insbesondere Aspekten des Anschlusses von Haushalten an Leitungswasser und moderne Abwasser-Entsorgung. Das zweite Kapitel – gemeinsam verfasst mit Stephan Klasen, Tobias Lechtenfeld und Kristina Meier – untersucht die Wirkung des Anschlusses von Haushalten an Leitungswasser und Abwasser-entsorgung auf Gesundheit sowie Schul- und Arbeitsplatz-Anwesenheit. Es trägt zu der derzeit noch überschaubaren Anzahl von Wirkungsevaluierungen im Wasser- und Abwasserbereich bei, und ist nach Kenntnis der Autoren die erste rigorose Wirkungsevaluierung im städtischen Umfeld. Quasi-experimentelle Methoden und Wasserqualitäts-Tests unter Berücksichtigung von ungleichmäßiger Infrastruktur-Ausbreitung erlauben es, die Wirkungen separat einerseits für Anschluss lediglich an Leitungswasser, als auch andererseits für zusätzlichen Anschluss an Abwasserentsorgung, zu schätzen. Die Kernerkenntnis lautet, dass Anschluss an Leitungswasser in jemenitischen Städten schädlich sein kann, wenn die Wasserversorgung unregelmäßig ist; und die Wirkung bei regelmäßiger Versorgung im Vergleich zu traditionellen und alternativen Wasserquellen sehr gering ist. Anschluss an Abwasserentsorgung scheint dagegen bei regelmäßiger Wasserversorgung zu gesundheitlichem Nutzen zu führen. Es ist regelmäßig zu beobachten, dass in Aufbereitungsanlagen entkeimtes Leitungswasser innerhalb des Haushaltes rekontaminiert wird. Wasserqualitäts-Tests an Testpunkten entlang der Versorgungskette innerhalb des Haushaltes erlaubt Rückschlüsse auf Ort und Quelle der Kontaminierung. Der Löwenanteil dieser Verschlechterung der Wasserqualität ist auf Verhalten im Zusammenhang mit Wasser-Handhabung und Hygiene zurückzuführen. Das in Alleinautorschaft verfasste dritte Kapitel baut auf dem zweiten auf und untersucht, welche treibenden Faktoren hinter Verhaltensaspekten stehen, die Rekontaminierung verhindern würden. Spezifisch die Determinanten von Wasserbehandlung und Hygiene werden untersucht, und vor dem Hintergrund der Erkenntnisse aus dem zweiten Kapitel interpretiert. Die Kernerkenntnis lautet, dass Hygiene-Training, Zugang zu Informations- und Kommunikations-Technologie sowie Schulbildung mutmaßlich zu den relevanten, beeinflussbaren Determinanten zählen. Anschluss an Leitungswasser und Abwasserentsorgung – welche üblicherweise bestenfalls mittelfristig ausgebaut werden können – haben scheinbar ebenfalls wünschenswerte Effekte, allerdings in geringerem Maße, und in höherem Maße bei Leitungswasser als bei zusätzlicher Abwasserentsorgung

Ultrasensitive detection of toxocara canis excretory-secretory antigens by a nanobody electrochemical magnetosensor assay.

peer reviewedHuman Toxocariasis (HT) is a zoonotic disease caused by the migration of the larval stage of the roundworm Toxocara canis in the human host. Despite of being the most cosmopolitan helminthiasis worldwide, its diagnosis is elusive. Currently, the detection of specific immunoglobulins IgG against the Toxocara Excretory-Secretory Antigens (TES), combined with clinical and epidemiological criteria is the only strategy to diagnose HT. Cross-reactivity with other parasites and the inability to distinguish between past and active infections are the main limitations of this approach. Here, we present a sensitive and specific novel strategy to detect and quantify TES, aiming to identify active cases of HT. High specificity is achieved by making use of nanobodies (Nbs), recombinant single variable domain antibodies obtained from camelids, that due to their small molecular size (15kDa) can recognize hidden epitopes not accessible to conventional antibodies. High sensitivity is attained by the design of an electrochemical magnetosensor with an amperometric readout with all components of the assay mixed in one single step. Through this strategy, 10-fold higher sensitivity than a conventional sandwich ELISA was achieved. The assay reached a limit of detection of 2 and15 pg/ml in PBST20 0.05% or serum, spiked with TES, respectively. These limits of detection are sufficient to detect clinically relevant toxocaral infections. Furthermore, our nanobodies showed no cross-reactivity with antigens from Ascaris lumbricoides or Ascaris suum. This is to our knowledge, the most sensitive method to detect and quantify TES so far, and has great potential to significantly improve diagnosis of HT. Moreover, the characteristics of our electrochemical assay are promising for the development of point of care diagnostic systems using nanobodies as a versatile and innovative alternative to antibodies. The next step will be the validation of the assay in clinical and epidemiological contexts

A Global Perspective on Addressing Inclusion through the SDGs

The future of our world over the next decade is being shaped by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that seek to uphold children’s wellbeing and, by their call to leave no one behind and to reach the furthest behind first, shine a spotlight on the world’s most vulnerable populations including children and adolescents living in poverty and exclusion. The transformative steps promised in the SDGs to ‘shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path’ assumes greater significance in the post-COVID-19 world where structural exclusions are starkly exposed and deep societal inequalities thickly underlined. This volume seeks to address the main drivers of poverty, exclusion, urbanization, and violence against children and adolescents and investigates how knowledge, information, data collection, measurement, and monitoring can support strategies and innovations to effectively implement the SDGs by drawing on data and experience from several countries across the world including Bangladesh, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Malawi, MENA countries, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Suriname, and Thailand. As a result, it contributes to revealing the politics of social inclusion, offering policy proposals towards overcoming inequality and exclusion among children and adolescents.publishedVersio

B-Complex Vitamins

This book provides the most current information on the effects of vitamin B deficiency as well as the roles of niacin (vitamin B3), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), folate (vitamin B9), and vitamin B12 in numerous disorders. Chapters discuss novel applications of B-complex vitamins, such as thiamin in patients with critical conditions, dietary supplements in the prevention of renal stones, and treatment of COVID-19. Throughout, the authors discuss the effects of vitamin B deficiency from retrospective, perspective, and prospective points of view