Global partnerships to strengthen the evidence base for nursing

There is a growing emphasis on building the evidence base as governments, health systems, practitioners, and consumers, nationally and globally, search for ways to improve health care outcomes and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of health services. Nurses and midwives constitute the largest group of health service providers in the majority of health systems around the globe. The WHO Global Advisory Group on Nursing and Midwifery recommended that WHO should form strategic alliances with partners to identify uniform core indicators and build a solid body of evidence to inform national health policies, particularly in the area of cost-effective nursing and midwifery services such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Creating an international digital library has the potential to make a significant impact on global health

Doctoral education, advanced practice and research: An analysis by nurse leaders from countries within the six WHO regions

Doctoral education, advanced practice and research are key elements that have shaped the advancement of nursing. Their impact is augmented when they are integrated and synergistic. To date, no publications have examined these elements holistically or through an international lens. Like a three-legged stool they are inter-reliant and interdependent. Research is integral to doctoral education and influential in informing best practice. This significance and originality of this discussion paper stem from an analysis of these three topics, their history, current status and associated challenges. It is undertaken by renowned leaders in 11 countries within the six World Health Organisation (WHO) regions: South Africa, Egypt, Finland, United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, United States, India, Thailand, Australia, and the Republic of Korea. The first two authors used a purposive approach to identify nine recognized nurse leaders in each of the six WHO regions. These individuals have presented and published papers on one or more of the three topics. They have led, or currently lead, large strategic organisations in their countries or elsewhere. All these accomplished scholars agreed to collect relevant data and contribute to the analysis as co-authors. Doctoral education has played a pivotal role in advancing nurse scholarship. Many Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) prepared nurses become faculty who go on to educate and guide future nurse researchers. They generate the evidence base for nursing practice, which contributes to improved health outcomes. In this paper, the development of nursing doctoral programmes is examined. Furthermore, PhDs and professional doctorates, including the Doctor of Nursing Practice, are discussed, and trends, challenges and recommendations are presented. The increasing number of advanced practice nurses worldwide contributes to better health outcomes. Nonetheless, this paper shows that the role remains absent or underdeveloped in many countries. Moreover, role ambiguity and role confusion are commonplace and heterogeneity in definitions and titles, and regulatory and legislatorial inconsistencies limit the role's acceptance and adoption. Globally, nursing research studies continue to increase in number and quality, and nurse researchers are becoming partners and leaders in interdisciplinary investigations. Nonetheless, this paper highlights poor investment in nursing research and a lack of reliable data on the number and amount of funding obtained by nurse researchers. The recommendations offered in this paper aim to address the challenges identified. They have significant implications for policy makers, government legislators and nurse leaders.</p

Causes and differentials of childhood mortality in Iraq

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Limited information is available in Iraq regarding the causes of under-five mortality. The vital registration system is deficient in its coverage, particularly from rural areas where access to health services is limited and most deaths occur at home, i.e. outside the health system, and hence the cause of death goes unreported. Knowledge of patterns and trends in causes of under-five mortality is essential for decision-makers in assessing programmatic needs, prioritizing interventions, and monitoring progress. The aim of this study was to identify causes of under-five children deaths using a simplified verbal autopsy questionnaire.</p> <p>The objective was to define the leading symptoms and cause of death among Iraqi children from all regions of Iraq during 1994–1999.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To determine the cause structure of child deaths, a simplified verbal autopsy questionnaire was used in interviews conducted in the Iraqi Child & Maternal Mortality Survey (ICMMS) 1999 national sample. All the mothers/caregivers of the deceased children were asked open-ended questions about the symptoms within the two weeks preceding death; they could mention more than one symptom.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The leading cause of death among under-five children was found to be childhood illnesses in 81.2%, followed by sudden death in 8.9% and accidents in 3.3%. Among under-five children dying of illnesses, cough and difficulty in breathing were the main symptoms preceding death in 34.0%, followed by diarrhea in 24.4%. Among neonates the leading cause was cough/and or difficulty in breathing in 42.3%, followed by sudden death in 11.9%, congenital abnormalities in 10.3% and prematurity in 10.2%. Diarrhea was the leading cause of death among infants in 49.8%, followed by cough and/or difficulty in breathing in 26.6%. Among children 12–59 months diarrhea was the leading cause of death in 43.4%, followed by accidents, injuries, and poisoning in 19.3%, then cough/difficulty in breathing in 14.8%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In Iraq Under-five child mortality is one of the highest in the Middle East region; deaths during the neonatal period accounted for more than half of under-five children deaths highlighting an urgent need to introduce health interventions to improve essential neonatal care. Priority needs to be given to the prevention, early and effective treatment of neonatal conditions, diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory infections, and accidents. This study points to the need for further standardized assessments of under-5 mortality in Iraq.</p

Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day, The Global Health Association at AUC is honored to receive a very insightful talk from Dr. Naeema Al Gasseer, World Health Organization Representative in Egypt &Head of Mission. In her talk, Dr. Al Gasseer briefly highlights the reasons behind the unfolding climate change crisis, the disastrous implications of this environmental threat and the collective actions that should be taken to mitigate the expected health risks of this crisis

Experience of menstrual symptoms among Bahraini women.

Experience of menstrual symptoms among Bahraini women

World Health Organization and Global Health Policy

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/71577/1/j.1547-5069.2002.00109.x.pd