ESTIMATION OF VERTICAL DUST EMISSION FLUX AT A SITE IN THE MONGOLIAN GOBI DURING A DUST STORM PERIOD

A meteorological and dust monitoring tower with 20 m height set up at a Nomgon site in Umnugobi Aimag in the Mongolian Gobi in 2010. The Nomgon monitoring tower equipped with wind speed sensors at 2, 4, 10 and 20 m height above the ground level (AGL), a wind direction sensor at 10 m height, a sonic anemometer to measure turbulent momentum flux at 8 m height and a soil moisture sensor at 5 cm depth. We had a purpose to measure dust concentration of PM10 at two levels using Dust-Trak instruments during an intensive observation period (IOP) of a dust event in spring. A dust storm was expected in the Mongolian Gobi from 30 April to 1 May 2016 and two Dust-Traks were set at 0.9 and 2.95 m heights in the tower during this IOP for measuring PM10. Wind data at 2 and 10 m height, three wind components at 8 m height by a sonic anemometer, soil moisture (volumetric water content) data in 5 cm depth and dust concentrations of PM10 at two levels are used in this study. These data from the sensors and instruments in the tower were used for estimation friction velocity and vertical dust flux at the Nomgon site. In association with a surface cyclone, its frontal system and a trough aloft, the expected dust storm occurred in the Mongolian Gobi during the IOP period. Dust concentrations of PM10 increased during the dust storm period due to raised wind speed in the dry conditions of air and soil. The present study aimed to estimate friction velocity (u*) and vertical dust flux (F) around Nomgon site in the Mongolian Gobi desert during the dust storm period. The estimation results were presented in this paper

The potential cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccination among girls in Mongolia.

INTRODUCTION: Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer among women in Mongolia with an age-standardized incidence rate of 23.5 per 100,000. HPV vaccination has not been introduced nationally and Gavi co-financing support is not available in Mongolia. Extended Gavi pricing for HPV vaccine may be available from vaccine manufacturers for a number of years. To inform introduction decision-making, we evaluated the potential cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccination among girls and young women in Mongolia. METHODS: We used UNIVAC (version 1.4), a static decision model, to evaluate the health and economic outcomes of single-cohort vaccination among females from the government perspective compared to no vaccination. We modeled vaccine introduction over 10 birth cohorts starting in 2022 comparing quadrivalent or bivalent vaccine selection and vaccine pricing variations. We used locally-specific data for cancer incidence, mortality, treatment and costs. Model outcomes included cancer cases, hospitalizations, deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALY), and costs presented in 2018 USD. Incremental costs and health outcomes were discounted at 3% and aggregated into an Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER). RESULTS: The base-case scenario of HPV vaccination among 9 year-old girls was projected to avert 5,692 cervical cancer cases, 3,240 deaths, and 11,886 DALYs and incur $2.4-3.1M more costs compared to no vaccination. At prices of ($4.50-$4.60/dose), we estimated an ICER of$166-$265/DALY averted among 9-year-olds. When price per dose was increased to reported mean vaccine purchase price for non-Gavi LMICs ($14.17/dose), the ICER ranged from $556-820/DALY averted. CONCLUSION: HPV vaccination among girls is highly likely to be a cost-effective investment in Mongolia compared to no vaccination with projected ICERs less than 20$3,735