Tropical Data: Approach and Methodology as Applied to Trachoma Prevalence Surveys

PURPOSE: Population-based prevalence surveys are essential for decision-making on interventions to achieve trachoma elimination as a public health problem. This paper outlines the methodologies of Tropical Data, which supports work to undertake those surveys. METHODS: Tropical Data is a consortium of partners that supports health ministries worldwide to conduct globally standardised prevalence surveys that conform to World Health Organization recommendations. Founding principles are health ministry ownership, partnership and collaboration, and quality assurance and quality control at every step of the survey process. Support covers survey planning, survey design, training, electronic data collection and fieldwork, and data management, analysis and dissemination. Methods are adapted to meet local context and needs. Customisations, operational research and integration of other diseases into routine trachoma surveys have also been supported. RESULTS: Between 29th February 2016 and 24th April 2023, 3373 trachoma surveys across 50 countries have been supported, resulting in 10,818,502 people being examined for trachoma. CONCLUSION: This health ministry-led, standardised approach, with support from the start to the end of the survey process, has helped all trachoma elimination stakeholders to know where interventions are needed, where interventions can be stopped, and when elimination as a public health problem has been achieved. Flexibility to meet specific country contexts, adaptation to changes in global guidance and adjustments in response to user feedback have facilitated innovation in evidence-based methodologies, and supported health ministries to strive for global disease control targets

Pregnancy outcomes in COVID positive patients

Background and Objective: A new pathogen of high contagious abilities named Corona virus was seen to target pregnant women due to physiologic changes in their immune system, cardiopulmonary and coagulation system leading to poor fetus-maternal outcome. Thus, to determine maternal and fetal outcome in pregnant women affected with COVID-19 and its frequency of vertical transmission is the main objective of the study. Methods: This is a prospective study of 50 pregnant women with RTPCR confirmed COVID-19 infection between 1st March 2021 and 1st August 2021. The foetal and maternal outcome, frequency of vertical transmission, mode of delivery, presenting symptoms and Level of serum markers such as LDH and CRP were noted. Results: Among 50 patients, 68% delivered through Caesarean section 34% delivered vaginally. The most common presenting symptom was fever in 50% patients. Other symptoms were running nose, headache, myalgia, loss of smell and taste.68% patients had raised Serum LDH level and 26% patient had raised Serum CRP level. The maternal condition was taken into account based on source of oxygen saturation by monitoring Spo2 level

Changes in the menstruation pattern after COVID infection: A questionnaire based study

The pandemic of COVID 19  had  tremendous impact on the physical, mental as well as the social well being of the people. It has affected the respiratory, cardiovascular as well as endocrine system. Menstruation which is a regular cyclical phenomenon seem in females of reproductive age group has also been affected because of COVID-19. A study was conducted in Dhiraj hospital to know about the affect of COVID on menstrual patterns of the women who were affected . At the end of the study we observed that the women who recovered from covid infection suffered from altered menstrual pattern in form of scanty menstrual blood flow and, prolonged cycles, few women experienced menorrhagia with excessive amount of blood loss. When followed up for 4 months almost all women regained their normal pattern of menstrual cycle suggesting that the covid 19 infection had  transitory effect on menstrual pattern

Tropical Data: Approach and Methodology as Applied to Trachoma Prevalence Surveys

Population-based prevalence surveys are essential for decision-making on interventions to achieve trachoma elimination as a public health problem. This paper outlines the methodologies of Tropical Data, which supports work to undertake those surveys. Tropical Data is a consortium of partners that supports health ministries worldwide to conduct globally standardised prevalence surveys that conform to World Health Organization recommendations. Founding principles are health ministry ownership, partnership and collaboration, and quality assurance and quality control at every step of the survey process. Support covers survey planning, survey design, training, electronic data collection and fieldwork, and data management, analysis and dissemination. Methods are adapted to meet local context and needs. Customisations, operational research and integration of other diseases into routine trachoma surveys have also been supported. Between 29 February 2016 and 24 April 2023, 3373 trachoma surveys across 50 countries have been supported, resulting in 10,818,502 people being examined for trachoma. This health ministry-led, standardised approach, with support from the start to the end of the survey process, has helped all trachoma elimination stakeholders to know where interventions are needed, where interventions can be stopped, and when elimination as a public health problem has been achieved. Flexibility to meet specific country contexts, adaptation to changes in global guidance and adjustments in response to user feedback have facilitated innovation in evidence-based methodologies, and supported health ministries to strive for global disease control targets

Tropical Data: Approach and Methodology as Applied to Trachoma Prevalence Surveys

Population-based prevalence surveys are essential for decision-making on interventions to achieve trachoma elimination as a public health problem. This paper outlines the methodologies of Tropical Data, which supports work to undertake those surveys. Tropical Data is a consortium of partners that supports health ministries worldwide to conduct globally standardised prevalence surveys that conform to World Health Organization recommendations. Founding principles are health ministry ownership, partnership and collaboration, and quality assurance and quality control at every step of the survey process. Support covers survey planning, survey design, training, electronic data collection and fieldwork, and data management, analysis and dissemination. Methods are adapted to meet local context and needs. Customisations, operational research and integration of other diseases into routine trachoma surveys have also been supported. Between 29th February 2016 and 24th April 2023, 3373 trachoma surveys across 50 countries have been supported, resulting in 10,818,502 people being examined for trachoma. This health ministry-led, standardised approach, with support from the start to the end of the survey process, has helped all trachoma elimination stakeholders to know where interventions are needed, where interventions can be stopped, and when elimination as a public health problem has been achieved. Flexibility to meet specific country contexts, adaptation to changes in global guidance and adjustments in response to user feedback have facilitated innovation in evidence-based methodologies, and supported health ministries to strive for global disease control targets.</p