208 research outputs found
Transparency and reproducibility: A step forward
At Health Science Reports, we aim to publish scientifically sound and
reproducible research. A key aspect of this is proper reporting and openness in all aspects of scientific communication. There is a growing
demand for transparency, openness, and reproducibility in research, and
several initiatives have been developed to try to address such needs.
In this editorial, we want to highlight some of the policies that the
journal has implemented or that will implement in the coming year to
support these efforts
Predicting the effect of improved socioeconomic health determinants on the tuberculosis epidemic
Two important public health documents have recently established programmatic goals for tuberculosis control. The first is WHO's End TB Strategy, which represents the evolution of previous DOTS (directly observed treatment, short-course) and Stop TB strategies.1 End TB is built around three pillars: pillar 1 focuses on diagnosis, treatment, and prevention; pillar 2 on ways to tackle socioeconomic factors (eg, poverty reduction, social protection, and universal access); and pillar 3 on scientific research
Approaching the Target: the Path Towards an Effective Malaria Vaccine
Developing an effective malaria vaccine has been the goal of the scientific community for many years. A malaria vaccine, added to existing tools and strategies, would further prevent infection and decrease the unacceptable malaria morbidity and mortality burden. Great progress has been made over the last decade and a number of vaccine candidates are in the clinical phases of development. The RTS,S malaria vaccine candidate, based on a recombinant P. falciparum protein, is the most advanced of such candidates, currently undergoing a large phase III trial. RTS,S has consistently shown around 50% efficacy protecting against the first clinical episode of malaria, in some cases extending up to 4 years. It is hoped that RTS,S will eventually become the first licensed malaria vaccine. This first vaccine against a human parasite is a groundbreaking achievement, but improved malaria vaccines conferring higher protection will be needed if the aspiration of malaria eradication is to be achieved
Hepatitis B and A vaccination in HIV-infected adults: A review
Hepatitis B and A account for considerable morbidity and
mortality worldwide. Immunization is the most effective means of
preventing hepatitis B and A. However, the immune response to
both hepatitis vaccines seems to be reduced in HIV-infected
subjects. The aim of this review was to analyze the
immunogenicity, safety, long-term protection and current
recommendations of hepatitis B and A vaccination among
HIV-infected adults. The factors most frequently associated with
a deficient level of anti-HBs or IgG anti-HAV after vaccination
are those related to immunosuppression (CD4 level and HIV RNA
viral load) and to the frequency of administration and/or the
amount of antigenic load per dose. The duration of the response
to both HBV and HAV vaccines is associated with suppression of
the viral load at vaccination and, in the case of HBV
vaccination, with a higher level of antibodies after
vaccination. In terms of safety, there is no evidence of more,
or different, adverse effects compared with HIV-free
individuals. Despite literature-based advice on the
administration of alternative schedules, revaccination after the
failure of primary vaccination, and the need for periodic
re-evaluation of antibody levels, few firm recommendations are
found in the leading guidelines
What is the true tuberculosis mortality burden? Differences in estimates by the World Health Organization and the Global Burden of Disease study
Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Burden of Disease
(GBD) study at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) periodically provide
global estimates of tuberculosis (TB) mortality. We compared the 2015 WHO and GBD
TB mortality estimates and explored which factors might drive the differences.
Methods: We extracted the number of estimated TB-attributable deaths, disaggregated
by age, HIV status, sex and country from publicly available WHO and GBD datasets for
the year 2015. We âstandardizedâ differences between sources by adjusting each countryâs difference in absolute number of deaths by the average number of deaths estimated
by both sources.
Results: For 195 countries with estimates from both institutions, WHO estimated
1 768 482 deaths attributable to TB, whereas GBD estimated 1 322 916 deaths, a difference of 445 566 deaths or 29% of the average of the two estimates. The countries with
the largest absolute differences in deaths were Nigeria (216 621), Bangladesh (49 863)
and Tanzania (38 272). The standardized difference was not associated with HIV prevalence, prevalence of multidrug resistance or global region, but did show correlation with
the case detection rate as estimated by WHO [r Œ 0.37, 95% confidence interval (CI):
049; 0.24] or, inversely, with case detection rate based on GBD data (r Œ 0.44, 95% CI:
0.31; 0.54). Countries with a recent national prevalence survey had higher standardized
differences (higher estimates by WHO) than those without (P Œ 0.006). After exclusion of
countries with recent prevalence surveys, the overall correlation between both estimates
was r Œ 0.991. Conclusions: A few countries account for the large global discrepancy in TB mortality
estimates. The differences are due to the methodological approaches used by WHO and
GBD. The use and interpretation of prevalence survey data and case detection rates
seem to play a role in the observed differences
Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
Background: Efforts to establish the 2015 baseline and monitor early implementation of the UN Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) highlight both great potential for and threats to improving health by 2030. To fully
deliver on the SDG aim of âleaving no one behindâ, it is increasingly important to examine the health-related SDGs
beyond national-level estimates. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017
(GBD 2017), we measured progress on 41 of 52 health-related SDG indicators and estimated the health-related SDG
index for 195 countries and territories for the period 1990â2017, projected indicators to 2030, and analysed global
attainment.
Methods: We measured progress on 41 health-related SDG indicators from 1990 to 2017, an increase of four
indicators since GBD 2016 (new indicators were health worker density, sexual violence by non-intimate partners,
population census status, and prevalence of physical and sexual violence [reported separately]). We also improved
the measurement of several previously reported indicators. We constructed national-level estimates and, for a
subset of health-related SDGs, examined indicator-level differences by sex and Socio-demographic Index (SDI)
quintile. We also did subnational assessments of performance for selected countries. To construct the healthrelated SDG index, we transformed the value for each indicator on a scale of 0â100, with 0 as the 2·5th percentile
and 100 as the 97·5th percentile of 1000 draws calculated from 1990 to 2030, and took the geometric mean of the
scaled indicators by target. To generate projections through 2030, we used a forecasting framework that drew
estimates from the broader GBD study and used weighted averages of indicator-specific and country-specific
annualised rates of change from 1990 to 2017 to inform future estimates. We assessed attainment of indicators
with defined targets in two ways: first, using mean values projected for 2030, and then using the probability of
attainment in 2030 calculated from 1000 draws. We also did a global attainment analysis of the feasibility of
attaining SDG targets on the basis of past trends. Using 2015 global averages of indicators with defined SDG
targets, we calculated the global annualised rates of change required from 2015 to 2030 to meet these targets, and
then identified in what percentiles the required global annualised rates of change fell in the distribution of
country-level rates of change from 1990 to 2015. We took the mean of these global percentile values across
indicators and applied the past rate of change at this mean global percentile to all health-related SDG indicators,
irrespective of target definition, to estimate the equivalent 2030 global average value and percentage change from
2015 to 2030 for each indicator.
Findings: The global median health-related SDG index in 2017 was 59·4 (IQR 35·4â67·3), ranging from a low of 11·6
(95% uncertainty interval 9·6â14·0) to a high of 84·9 (83·1â86·7). SDG index values in countries assessed at the
subnational level varied substantially, particularly in China and India, although scores in Japan and the UK were
more homogeneous. Indicators also varied by SDI quintile and sex, with males having worse outcomes than females
for non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality, alcohol use, and smoking, among others. Most countries were
projected to have a higher health-related SDG index in 2030 than in 2017, while country-level probabilities of
attainment by 2030 varied widely by indicator. Under-5 mortality, neonatal mortality, maternal mortality ratio, and
malaria indicators had the most countries with at least 95% probability of target attainment. Other indicators,
including NCD mortality and suicide mortality, had no countries projected to meet corresponding SDG targets on the
basis of projected mean values for 2030 but showed some probability of attainment by 2030. For some indicators,
including child malnutrition, several infectious diseases, and most violence measures, the annualised rates of change
required to meet SDG targets far exceeded the pace of progress achieved by any country in the recent past. We found
that applying the mean global annualised rate of change to indicators without defined targets would equate to about
19% and 22% reductions in global smoking and alcohol consumption, respectively; a 47% decline in adolescent birth
rates; and a more than 85% increase in health worker density per 1000 population by 2030
The burden of latent multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
In the past 10 years, there has been renewed interest in the early phases of the natural history of tuberculosis.1 Estimates suggest that around 25% of the world's population could have latent tuberculosis infection,2 5â10% of whom will develop active disease during their lifetime3 (10% annually among people with HIV).4 Failure to implement effective tuberculosis control measures to manage latent infection threatens elimination goals
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
The ideal number of drugs needed and treatment duration are crucial issues in the management of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Thus, we read with interest the Article by the Collaborative Group for the Meta-Analysis of Individual Patient Data in MDR-TB treatmentâ2017,1 the results of which support our proposal,2 from 2015, to classify anti-tuberculosis drugs on the basis of their toxicity, and sterilising or bactericidal activity
Vaccinations in prisons: A shot in the arm for community health
From the first day of imprisonment, prisoners are exposed to and
expose other prisoners to various communicable diseases, many of
which are vaccine-preventable. The risk of acquiring these
diseases during the prison sentence exceeds that of the general
population. This excess risk may be explained by various causes;
some due to the structural and logistical problems of prisons
and others to habitual or acquired behaviors during
imprisonment. Prison is, for many inmates, an opportunity to
access health care, and is therefore an ideal opportunity to
update adult vaccination schedules. The traditional idea that
prisons are intended to ensure public safety should be
complemented by the contribution they can make in improving
community health, providing a more comprehensive vision of
safety that includes public health
Monitoring the COVID-19 epidemic in the context of widespread local transmission.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel viral disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December, 2019.1 Given the fast spread, the severity of disease, the increasing number of cases outside China, and the number of affected countries, WHO declared the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 a pandemic on March 11, 2020.2 The availability of reliable surveillance platforms is crucial to monitor the COVID-19 epidemic in a timely manner and to respond with adequate control measures. Since the beginning of the outbreak, different countries have used different testing approaches and criteria, depending on their resources and capacity
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