Spatial distribution and populations at risk of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura co-infections and infection intensity classes: an ecological study.

BACKGROUND: Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are highly prevalent in the Philippines. Mapping the prevalence and high-intensity of STH co-infections can help guide targeted intervention programmes to reduce morbidity, especially among vulnerable school-aged children. In this study, we aimed to predict the spatial distribution of the prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura co-infection and infection intensity classes in the Philippines to identify populations most in need of interventions. METHODS: Data on STH infections from 29,919 individuals during the nationwide parasitological survey in 2005 to 2007 were included in the analysis. To geographically predict the prevalence of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura co-infections and infection intensity classes, Bayesian multinomial geostatistical models were built including age, sex, environmental variables and a geostatistical random effect. The number of individuals co-infected and belonging to each of the infection intensity classes in 2017 was forecast by combining our predictive prevalence maps with population density maps. RESULTS: Our models showed that school-aged children (5-19 years) are most at risk of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura co-infections and of moderate/high infection intensity compared to other age groups. We identified target provinces where the likelihood of STH-associated morbidity was highest: Luzon (Bulacan, Benguet, Cavite, Sorsogon, Metropolitan Manila, Pampanga and Rizal), the Visayas (Cebu, Iloilo, Leyte and Negros Occidental), and in Mindanao (Agusan Del Norte, Davao Del Sur, Davao Oriental, Lanao Del Sur, Maguindanao, Misamis Oriental, Sulu and Zamboanga Del Sur). Luzon had the highest estimated number of school-aged children with A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura co-infections (estimated total 89,400), followed by the Visayas (38,300) and Mindanao (20,200). CONCLUSIONS: Our study provided epidemiological evidence to highlight national priority areas for controlling co-infections and high intensity infections in the Philippines. Our maps could assist more geographically targeted interventions to reduce the risk of STH-associated morbidity in the Philippines

Nuevas vistas y visitas al estridentismo

Los textos que integran este libro tienen en común el interés por instaurar el diálogo en el tiempo y en la diversidad sobre las expresiones literarias y artísticas del México de la primera mitad del siglo xx. Es una realidad que el estridentismo regresa con ímpetu, y en él el lector y el crítico pueden leer a detalle los nuevos significados con los que se nos presenta la vieja vanguardia mexicana a la luz de los estudios literarios. Los autores aquí glosados son un claro ejemplo de cómo la investigación académica ha emprendido la reinterpretación de los signos y de los usos de una generación de artistas que sorprendió por la pluralidad de su discurso, por la naturalidad de su expresión artística.Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Méxic

CURRÍCULO INTEGRADO EM SAÚDE: CONSTRUÇÃO COLETIVA A PARTIR DE FÓRUNS DE QUALIFICAÇÃO DOCENTE

Descrever o processo de reformulação dos Projetos Pedagógicos dos Cursos de graduação que integram o Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde da Universidade do Vale do Taquari – Univates, Lajeado/RS, no decorrer dos fóruns de discussão: “Currículo Integrado em Saúde” e “(Re)pensando a Formação em Saúde, Metodologias Ativas de Ensino e de Aprendizagem e o Perfil do Egresso”. Metodologia: Os fóruns ocorreram consecutivamente, no decorrer de seis semestres, com início em 2014 B, com participação final de 40 docentes e mediação do Núcleo de Apoio Pedagógico da Instituição. Resultados: A partir de discussões acerca de novas metodologias de ensino e de aprendizagem e perfil do egresso previstos nas Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais para os cursos da área da Saúde, houve a (re)construção dos Projetos Pedagógicos, com vistas a uma formação interdisciplinar, compartilhada e integral, de forte relação com a rede regional de saúde. Conclusão: Problematizar a formação tradicional, disciplinar e fragmentada exige estudo, reflexões e mudança de paradigmas. A discussão coletiva possibilitou um olhar global sobre o futuro profissional, onde as áreas biológica, social e do trabalho são transversais, desde o início da formação acadêmica

A National Baseline Prevalence Survey of Schistosomiasis in the Philippines Using Stratified Two-Step Systematic Cluster Sampling Design

For the first time in the country, a national baseline prevalence survey using a well-defined sampling design such as a stratified two-step systematic cluster sampling was conducted in 2005 to 2008. The purpose of the survey was to stratify the provinces according to prevalence of schistosomiasis such as high, moderate, and low prevalence which in turn would be used as basis for the intervention program to be implemented. The national survey was divided into four phases. Results of the first two phases conducted in Mindanao and the Visayas were published in 2008. Data from the last two phases showed three provinces with prevalence rates higher than endemic provinces surveyed in the first two phases thus changing the overall ranking of endemic provinces at the national level. Age and sex distribution of schistosomiasis remained the same in Luzon and Maguindanao. Soil-transmitted and food-borne helminthes were also recorded in these surveys. This paper deals with the results of the last 2 phases done in Luzon and Maguindanao and integrates all four phases in the discussion

Determinants of Spatial Heterogeneity of Functional Illiteracy among School-Aged Children in the Philippines: An Ecological Study.

Functional literacy is one of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. Functional literacy indicators are likely to vary between locations given the geographical variability of its major determinants. This property poses a challenge to decisions around efficient allocation of population services and resources to mitigate the impact of functional literacy in populations most in need. Using functional literacy indicators of 11,313 school-aged children collected in 2008 during the nationwide survey, the current study examined the association between functional literacy and geographical disparities in socioeconomic status (SES), water supply, sanitation and hygiene, household education stimuli, and environmental variables in all three regions of the Philippines (Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao). Three nested fixed-effects multinomial regression models were built to determine associations between functional literacy and a wide array of variables. Our results showed the general prevalence rate of functional illiteracy as being 4.7%, with the highest prevalence rate in the Visayas, followed by Mindanao and Luzon (7.5%, 6.9%, and 3.0%, respectively. Our results indicated that in Luzon prevalence of functional illiteracy was explained by variation in household education stimuli scores, sources of drinking water, and type of toilet facility. In Mindanao and the Visayas prevalence of functional illiteracy was primarily explained by geographical variation in SES, and natural environmental conditions. Our study highlights region-specific determinants of functional literacy and the need for geographically targeted, integrated interventions

Spatial distribution and populations at risk of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura co-infections and infection intensity classes: an ecological study

Background Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are highly prevalent in the Philippines. Mapping the prevalence and high-intensity of STH co-infections can help guide targeted intervention programmes to reduce morbidity, especially among vulnerable school-aged children. In this study, we aimed to predict the spatial distribution of the prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura co-infection and infection intensity classes in the Philippines to identify populations most in need of interventions. Methods Data on STH infections from 29,919 individuals during the nationwide parasitological survey in 2005 to 2007 were included in the analysis. To geographically predict the prevalence of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura co-infections and infection intensity classes, Bayesian multinomial geostatistical models were built including age, sex, environmental variables and a geostatistical random effect. The number of individuals co-infected and belonging to each of the infection intensity classes in 2017 was forecast by combining our predictive prevalence maps with population density maps. Results Our models showed that school-aged children (5–19 years) are most at risk of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura co-infections and of moderate/high infection intensity compared to other age groups. We identified target provinces where the likelihood of STH-associated morbidity was highest: Luzon (Bulacan, Benguet, Cavite, Sorsogon, Metropolitan Manila, Pampanga and Rizal), the Visayas (Cebu, Iloilo, Leyte and Negros Occidental), and in Mindanao (Agusan Del Norte, Davao Del Sur, Davao Oriental, Lanao Del Sur, Maguindanao, Misamis Oriental, Sulu and Zamboanga Del Sur). Luzon had the highest estimated number of school-aged children with A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura co-infections (estimated total 89,400), followed by the Visayas (38,300) and Mindanao (20,200). Conclusions Our study provided epidemiological evidence to highlight national priority areas for controlling co-infections and high intensity infections in the Philippines. Our maps could assist more geographically targeted interventions to reduce the risk of STH-associated morbidity in the Philippines.KO is a PhD candidate supported by an Australian Government Research Training Programme Scholarship from the University of Queensland;MN isfunded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Project Grant (DP140101410); CLL is funded by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career Fellowship (1109035); ACAC is supported by a NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship; LY is funded by the Medical Research Council UK, the Newton Fund, the Wellcome Trust and the European Union

Functional illiteracy burden in soil-transmitted helminth (STH) endemic regions of the Philippines: An ecological study and geographical prediction for 2017.

BACKGROUND: Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections remain highly endemic across the Philippines, and are believed to be important contributors to delayed cognitive development of school-aged children. Identification of communities where children are at risk of functional illiteracy is important for the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals target for literacy. We aimed to quantify the associations between the spatial variation of STH infections and functional literacy indicators adjusting for other important contributors, and identify priority areas in the Philippines in need of interventions. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We used data from 11,313 school-aged children on functional literacy indicators collected in 2008. Nested fixed-effects multinomial regression models were built to determine associations between STH endemicity and geographical distribution of functional literacy, adjusting for demographics, household level variables, and the prevalence of malaria. Bayesian multinomial geostatistical models were built to geographically predict the prevalence of each level of functional literacy. The number of school-aged children belonging to each of the functional literacy indicator classes was forecast for 2017. We estimated 4.20% of functional illiteracy burden among school-aged children in Mindanao might be averted by preventing T. trichiura infections. Areas predicted with the highest prevalence of functional illiteracy were observed in localised areas of the eastern region of the Visayas, and the south-eastern portion of Mindanao. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The study demonstrates significant geographical variation in burden of functional illiteracy in school-aged children associated with STH infections suggesting that targeted helminth control could potentially promote the development of cognitive function of school-aged children in the Philippines. The benefits of a spatially targeted strategy should be tested by future studies

A Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal of the Quality of Studies Looking into the Economic Evaluation of Control Strategies for Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis and Schistosomiasis

Objectives. This research study aims to conduct a systematic review and critical appraisal of the quality of the existing peer-reviewed journal literature looking into the economic evaluation of control strategies used in parasitic diseases (i.e., STH and schistosomiasis). Methods. Database searches were conducted in Embase, Science Direct, Medline, CINAHL, Econ Lit, and Academic Search Elite, by using search keywords or phrases. Using the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, a review of published online articles between January 1990 and December 2012 was conducted. Aside from the set of good practice guidelines in conducting economic evaluations, assessment of the quality of economic evaluations was also carried out following the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) checklist. Results. Given the inclusion and exclusion criteria set by this review, we systematically reviewed thirteen shortlisted samples of economic analysis studies. The current systematic review shows a wide variety of methodological approaches across studies, including differences in the type of economic evaluation, perspective, time horizon, approach, and adjustments for timing and certainty used. Conclusions. In general, the economic evaluation studies that have been examined in this review have complied with the set of criteria of good practice in conducting an economic evaluation and that it can be considered helpful in making decisions and in understanding the economics of controlling these parasitic diseasesThis paper was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Australia

Currículo integrado em saúde: construção coletiva a partir de fóruns de qualificação docente / Health integrated curriculum: collective construction from teacher qualification forums

O objetivodeste artigoé descrever o processo de reformulação dos Projetos Pedagógicos dos Cursos de graduação que integram o Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde da Universidade do Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado/RS/Brasil, no decorrer dos fóruns de discussão: “Currículo Integrado em Saúde” e “(Re)pensando a formação em saúde, metodologias ativas de ensino e de aprendizagem e o perfil do egresso”. Os fóruns ocorreram consecutivamente, no decorrer de seis semestres, com início em 2014 B, com participação final de 40 docentes e mediação do Núcleo de Apoio Pedagógico da Instituição. A partir de discussões acerca de novas metodologias de ensino e de aprendizagem e perfil do egresso previstos nas Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais para os cursos da área da Saúde, houve a (re)construção dos Projetos Pedagógicos, com vistas a uma formação interdisciplinar, compartilhada e integral, de forte relação com a rede regional de saúde

Currículo integrado em saúde: construção coletiva a partir de fóruns de qualificação docente / Health integrated curriculum: collective construction from teacher qualification forums

O objetivodeste artigoé descrever o processo de reformulação dos Projetos Pedagógicos dos Cursos de graduação que integram o Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde da Universidade do Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado/RS/Brasil, no decorrer dos fóruns de discussão: “Currículo Integrado em Saúde” e “(Re)pensando a formação em saúde, metodologias ativas de ensino e de aprendizagem e o perfil do egresso”. Os fóruns ocorreram consecutivamente, no decorrer de seis semestres, com início em 2014 B, com participação final de 40 docentes e mediação do Núcleo de Apoio Pedagógico da Instituição. A partir de discussões acerca de novas metodologias de ensino e de aprendizagem e perfil do egresso previstos nas Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais para os cursos da área da Saúde, houve a (re)construção dos Projetos Pedagógicos, com vistas a uma formação interdisciplinar, compartilhada e integral, de forte relação com a rede regional de saúde