Evaluation of a Health Care System for Children under Five Years of Age in Africa

The system of health care known as the Under Fives Clinic has been in existence in some African countries for the past ten years. The present study endeavours to evaluate this system of health care. An epidemiological study was undertaken in four areas of Africa each with an established Under Fives Clinic. These areas were Ilesha and Esa Oke in Western Nigeria, Namitambo in the Southern Province of Malawi and Mansa in the Luapula Province of Zambia. The method used was a point prevalence study that involved a stratified sample of approximately 200 dwellings in which lived children under the age of five years, for each area. In Ilesha there were 434 children, in Esa Oke 405, in Namitambo 261, and in Mansa 314 children who were taken into the survey. Data were collected from the families of these children using a questionnaire administered by an interviewer, that sought information on family and domestic circumstances and the health of the child. From this approach children who attended the clinic and those who did not were identified. A comparison between clinic attenders and non attenders has been made to discover whether there are any differences in the health of the two groups; and also what factors might influence health in these two groups. In general there were no major differences in health. Differences were found between the Under Fives Clinics in their activities, and this was reflected for example in the immunisation status of the children attending. The present study was the first of its kind to undertake a comparative evaluation of Under Fives Clinics in Africa. The methodology used in this study, with some modifications could be used in further evaluation studies where instead of doctors, medical auxiliaries, lay workers and even secondary school children could, perform the field work

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Site suitability analysis for water harvesting structures in Suriyawewa, Hambantota district using GIS techniques

Sri Lanka receives an average annual rainfall varying from 900mm to 6000mm. However, the rainfall is not distributed equally over the island. Hence, traditionally, the country is divided into three main climatic zones as wet zone, dry zone and intermediate zone. Two thirds of the island is occupied by the dry zone, which receives less than 1750mm of average annual rainfall. The dry zone periodically has faced water stress conditions from the past, and Hambantota District appears to be a severely affected area, on the basis of surface water availability. With the ongoing development projects, the demand for water in the district will increase in the next few years. Therefore, implementation of a proper water management system as well as preservation of existing surface and groundwater resources is essential to overcome this problem. A methodology is developed to find the most suitable locations for water harvesting structures in Hambantota District by using Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. Suriyawewa Divisional Secretariat area is selected as the research area considering its average climatic conditions and location within Hambantota District. This methodology can be generalized to the whole District in the first instance. The research area is hydrologically analyzed to discretize the area into catchments and the preferred catchments to harvest the runoff based on surface area, slope and rainfall are found by using GIS techniques. The selected catchments are then analyzed with geological data and drainage characteristics to find the most suitable catchments to construct reservoirs to store rainwater. The analysis yields four such locations, which were subsequently field verified for spatial accuracy. However detailed local investigations are necessary before proceeding to actual construction of the reservoirs. Groundwater recharging also plays an important role in water management, as groundwater represents 30.1% of the world’s fresh water resources. GIS techniques are employed to integrate data on land use, climate, soil, stream pattern and ground slopes, and consequently to find potential areas for groundwater recharging. Here also, detailed local investigation must precede any construction work in the selected areas. Also, potential areas to implement roof water harvesting projects in Suriyawewa are found by analyzing the rainfall and building cover by using GIS techniques. These areas are recommended to be used as project areas when implementing efficient roof water harvesting methods. The methodology adopted here for Hambantota District can be used for water management in other Districts of the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka such as Monaragala, Puttalam, Ampara, Badulla and Kurunegala, as a solution for water stress conditions in those areas. An increment in water harvesting can significantly increase the crop yields in these areas and improve the economy as most of the Districts in the Dry Zone are agriculture-based. Also, a proper water management system is a must for the industrial development of the area under focus, while it gives a solution to the problems regarding drinking water. Proper water supply plays a major role in infrastructure development of these areas and would form the foundation for the overall development of the country

Anticipated prospects and civilian applications of Indian satellite navigation services in Sri Lanka.

AbstractThe government of Sri Lanka has embarked on a massive development programme of the country in all spheres of the economy, with the conclusion of war in May 2009. Sri Lanka is witnessing a new era with a rapid increase especially in infrastructure development projects. With the annihilation of the threats of terrorism, new prospects in satellite and space related technologies and their applications are flourishing. Navigation satellite (NAVSAT) technology plays the core role in a majority of the modern location based services (LBS) and consequent applications can be productively utilized for the development of the country. Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and related services are currently utilized in numerous location based applications in the country.India has launched navigation service providing satellite programmes, including a regional navigational satellite system. Whilst being covered under the footprint of Indian navigational satellite programmes, neighbouring countries of India can positively use their services for the benefit of the country through collaborative approaches.In this paper, positive impacts of 3 Indian Navigational Satellite programmes (GAGAN, IRNSS and INSAT-MSS reporting system) for the civilian applications over Sri Lanka are discussed. Other neighbouring countries covered under the footprint of Indian navigational satellite programmes can also employ these services for the location based applications productively

Remote sensing based analysis of urban heat islands with vegetation cover in Colombo city, Sri Lanka using landsat-7 ETM+ data.

Urbanisation leads to rapid constructions, which use low albedo materials leading to high heat absorption in urban centres. In addition, removal of vegetation cover and emissions of waste heat from various sources contribute to the accumulation of heat energy, leading to formation of urban heat islands (UHIs). UHIs have many adverse socio-environmental impacts. Therefore, spatial identification of UHIs is a necessity to take appropriate remedial measures to minimise their adverse impacts. Satellite remote sensing provides a cost-effective and time-saving methodology for spatio-temporal analyses of land surface temperature (LST) distribution. In this study, thermal bands (10.40–12.50 μm) of Landsat-7 ETM+ imagery acquired in 3 distinct dates covering Colombo city of Sri Lanka were analysed for the spatio-temporal identification of UHIs. Vegetation cover of Colombo city was extracted by using NDVI method and subsequently examined with the distribution of LST. A deductive index was defined to identify the environmentally critical areas in Colombo city based on the distribution of LST and availability of vegetation cover. Accordingly, Colombo harbour and surrounding areas were identified as the most critical areas. Remedial measures can be taken in future urban planning endeavours based on the results of this study

Assessment of green space requirement and site analysis in Colombo, Sri Lanka : a remote sensing and GIS approach

Green space distribution plays a vital role in urban planning since they contribute significantly in enhancing environmental quality of metropolitan areas by improving air quality, urban health, conserving biodiversity, reducing noise, etc. Migration of rural population into urban areas and widespread industrialization lead to the rapid growth of urban population, consequently expanding urban sprawls. Removal of vegetation cover can be identified as one of the most adverse effects of urbanization. Proper distribution of green spaces in urban environments is therefore a necessity for the sustainable development and healthy living. Hence, it is essential to identify the green space requirement quantitatively and spatially. In this endeavour, integration of remote sensing and GIS techniques can provide a time and cost effective methodology.Colombo city of Sri Lanka has been identified as one of the most polluted cities in South Asian region. Rapid urbanization and the population growth are the main causes for the degradation of environmental quality in Colombo. Unplanned constructions and settlements in Colombo have contributed to significant reduction of green spaces. Therefore, special consideration has to be made for the proper distribution of green spaces in future development and planning projects in Colombo. In this study, available green spaces in Colombo are extracted through NDVI method using THEOS satellite imagery. Subsequently, green spaces required to be created are calculated with respect to WHO standards of green spaces per capita for healthy living (9.5 m2/ person) and a methodology is developed to spatially define appropriate areas to establish them

Site suitability analysis for groundwater recharging structures in Hambantota district by using remote sensing and GIS techniques

The dry zone of Sri Lanka faces drought conditions periodically, due to the rainfall variations over the island. Hambantota District in Sri Lanka appears to be a highly affected area from these drought conditions on the basis of surface water availability. This situation can be worse in the future, with the climatic changes in the world and human interference with the nature. Hence, a proper water management system, including preservation of existing surface and groundwater resources as well as recycling, is a must to overcome this problem. Rainwater harvesting is practiced throughout the world, as a solution to this problem. Groundwater consists of 30.}% of the freshwater resources in the earth, while surface water consists of only 1.3%. Hence recharging the runoff to the groundwater table is an effective method in rainwater harvesting. Integrating remote sensing and GIS techniques with relevant data can provide an updated, reliable database which is a pre-requisite for designing a proper water management system with dramatic saving of time. In this work, Suriyawewa District Secretariat Division was selected as the project area, considering its location within Hambantota District and its average climatic conditions. The suitable locations to recharge the runoff into groundwater table were found out by integrating land use, climatic, soil, stream and slope data of Suriyawewa with Remote Sensing and GIS techniques. This methodology can be generalized to Hambantota District and can be applied to other areas in the dry zone of the island

Integrated Remote Sensing and GIS Approach for Demarcation of Groundwater Potential Zones in Ambalantota Divisional Secretariat

Demand for water in Hambantota district is increasing rapidly due to agricultural activities, massive on-going development projects, industrialization and consequent population growth. Implementation of a proper water management system is essential in facing predicted water stress conditions where groundwater resources can play an important role. Delineation of groundwater potential zones, recharge zones and groundwater quality assessment can be identified as the three main segments of groundwater management. Geospatial technologies can be successfully utilized in such endeavours due to the cost and time effectiveness. Ambalantota Divisional Secretariat was selected as the study area in this research work. Rainfall, contour, geology, geomorphology, soil and drainage network data along with Landsat 7 ETM+ image were utilized to develop relevant thematic layers in delineating groundwater potential zones and recharging sites through a weighted overlay model on a GIS platform. Field studies were carried out to collect samples for water quality analysis and to verify the results. Groundwater quality map of the area was generated based on the results of laboratory analysis, depicting suitability level for drinking. The results indicate that Ambalantota DS has significant groundwater potential and recharge potential, hence can be effectively utilized as a hub for a water management system in Hambantota district