Infectious diseases in children and adolescents in the Republic of Korea; Past & recent status

Compared to the past decades, in recent decades, environmental and hygienic conditions in the Republic of Korea have improved along with socioeconomic developments, and the incidence of most infectious diseases, especially vaccine-preventable diseases, has greatly decreased due to active immunization with the developed level of health care. However, the incidence of some diseases has been increasing, and new diseases have been emerging. To cope with such changes actively, the government put the "Law for Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases" into effect; this law was entirely revised on December 30, 2010. In this report, I review the past and recent status of infectious diseases in the Republic of Korea, following the introduction of this law, on the basis of data in the "National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System", which had been accumulated between the years 1960 and 2010

9 things you can do to manage your COVID-19 symptoms at home

Stay home from work and school. And stay away from other public places. If you must go out, avoid using any kind of public transportation, ridesharing, or taxis

Science of optimizing HIV prevention

This session of Grand Rounds will explore a High-Impact Prevention approach to prevent HIV in the United States. Because HIV incidence is stable and effective treatment exists to prevent illness and death, a growing number of persons--over 1.1 million--are living with HIV. Nearly one in five of those are not aware that they are infected. Continued growth in the number of people living with HIV--especially those unaware of their infection--ultimately may lead to more infections, if prevention, care and treatment are not targeted to those at greatest risk. At the same time, recent scientific breakthroughs in treatment, prevention, and monitoring of this disease have equipped us with an unprecedented number of effective tools to prevent infection. To maximize reductions in HIV infections, High-Impact Prevention seeks to effectively distribute limited resources and combine prevention strategies in the smartest and most effective way possible for the populations and areas most affected by the HIV epidemic.High-impact HIV prevention [streaming video] -- Science of optimizing HIV prevention [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Jonathan Mermin, p. 1-16] -- HIV surveillance in action [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Irene Hall, p. 17-28] -- Modeling to identify optimal allocation of HIV prevention resources in a city health department [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Stephanie Sansom, p. 29-44] -- Overview of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy implementation [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Grant Colfax, p. 45-61]Streaming video (1:04:45 . : sd., col.).Presented by: Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH, Director, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC ["Science of optimizing HIV prevention"]; Irene Hall, PhD, FACE, Chief, HIV Incidence and Case Surveillance Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC ["HIV surveillance in action"]; Stephanie Sansom, MPP, MPH, Commander, U.S. Public Health Service, Lead, Prevention Economics Team, Quantitative Sciences and Data Management Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC ["Modeling to identify optimal allocation of HIV prevention resources in a city health department"]; Grant Colfax, MD, MPH, Director, Office of National AIDS Policy, The White House ["Overview of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy implementation"]Facilitated by: Tanja Popovic, MD, PhD, Scientific Director, Public Health Grand Rounds, John Iskander, MD, MPH, Deputy Scientific Director, Public Health Grand Rounds, Susan Laird, MSN, RN, Communications Manager, Public Health Grand RoundsRecorded Tuesday, August 21, 2012.Mode of access: World Wide Web as streaming video (403 MB, total time: 1:04:45) and as an Acrobat .pdf file (3.28 MB, 61 p.) containing PowerPoint slides for the speakers' talks.Open-captioned

Malaria : past, present, and future

Approximately half of the world's population is at risk of malaria. In 2008, malaria caused an estimated 243 million cases of malaria and 863,000 deaths. Although cases occur across the globe, 85% of the world's malaria deaths occur in Africa, where the disease accounts for up to 40% of public health expenditures. The global malaria eradication campaign of the mid-20th century was successful in eliminating disease in subtropical zones; however, decreased funding and support have led to resurgence. To make matters worse, growing resistance to anti-malarial medicines further undermined efforts to control the disease. Fortunately, in the last decade interest in controlling the world's malaria burden has led to substantial increases in financial commitments. These increased resources have resulted in scaling up malaria control programs, especially in Africa, and subsequent reductions in malaria morbidity and mortality, prompting discussion of the possibility of elimination and eventual eradication. This session of Public Health Grand Rounds reviewed the history of the eradication campaign, current malaria control efforts, and strategies to eliminate this deadly disease.Malaria eradication : back to the future. [streaming video] -- Malaria elimination : a global partnership perspective [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Laurence Slutsker (3.78 MB, 53 p.)] -- Malaria : past, present, and future [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Richard W. Steketee (1.4 MB, 2 p.)]Title from title screen (viewed November 30, 2010).Streaming video (1 hr., 17 min. : sd., col.).Presented by: Laurence Slutsker, MP, MPH, Associate Director of Science, Center for Global Health (CGH); S. Patrick Kachur, MD, MPH, Chief, Strategic and Applied Science Unit, Malaria Branch, CGH; John R. MacArthur, MD, MPH, Chief, Program Implementation Unit, Malaria Branch, CGH; Richard W. Steketee, MD, MPH, Science Director, Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), PATH.Facilitated by: Dr. Tanja Popovic, Scientific Director, Public Health Grand Rounds; Shane Joiner, Communication Manager, Public Health Grand Rounds.Recorded Nov. 18, 2010.Mode of access: World Wide Web as streaming video (181 MB, total time: 1:17:08) and as two Acrobat .pdf files: Malaria elimination : a global partnership perspective [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Laurence Slutsker (3.78 MB, 53 p.)] and Malaria : past, present, and future [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Richard W. Steketee (1.4 MB, 22 p.)]Open-captioned

Who are people with disabilities?

This session of Grand Rounds explored opportunities for optimal quality of life for individuals with disabilities. One in 6 adult Americans lives with a disability when defined by a limitation in function. Many are at higher risk for multiple chronic conditions, injuries, and increased vulnerability during disasters. Comparatively, people with disabilities are 4 times more likely to report their health to be fair/poor and 2.5 times more likely to have unmet health care needs than non-disabled peers. $400 billion is spent annually on disability-related health expenditures. Public health can help change this by promoting wellness and preventing disease in people with disabilities. CDC's approach for a population who experiences diverse functional limitations is to assure that mainstream public health surveys, programs, and policies include people with disabilities across the lifespan, a method that can be modeled by state and federal programs. This powerful session of Grand Rounds explored public health opportunities for disease prevention, intervention and improvement to enable people to live well with functional limitations. We also highlighted accomplishments of partners and public health agencies in creating and modifying health programs to accommodate people with disabilities. Tentative future Grand Rounds topics include venous thromboembolism (VTE), HPV, teen pregnancy and immunization.Where in health is disability? : public health practices to include people with disabilities. [streaming video] -- Who are people with disabilities? [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Gloria L. Krahn, p. 1-13] -- Disparities in health among people with disabilities in Massacusetts [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Monika Mitra, p. 14-35] -- Expanding reach of evidence-based health promotion programs [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Jennifer M. Hootman, p. 36-47] -- Health and wellness in people with disabilities: progress in South Carolina [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Catherine Leigh Graham, p. 48-74] -- Strengthening accessibility in public health [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Georges C. Benjamin, p. 75-88]Streaming video (59:4. : sd., col.).Presented by: Gloria Krahn, PhD, MPH, Director, Division of Human Development and Disability, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, CDC ["Who are People with Disabilities?"]; Monika Mitra, PhD,Assistant Professor ,University of Massachusetts Medical School, ["Disparities in Health among People with Disabilities in Massachusetts"]; Jennifer Hootman, PhD, ATC, FACSM, FNATA, Epidemiologist, Arthritis Program- Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC ["Expanding Reach of Evidence-based Health Promotion Programs"]; Catherine Leigh Graham, MEBME. Rehabilitation Engineer, School of Medicine Interagency Office of Disability & Health University, South Carolina School of Medicine ["Health and Wellness in People with Disabilities: Progress in South Carolina"]; Georges Benjamin, MD, FACP, FNAPA, FACEP (E), Hon FRSPH, Executive Director, American Public Health Association ["Strengthening Accessibility in Public Health"]Facilitated by: Tanja Popovic, MD, PhD, Scientific Director, Public Health Grand Rounds, John Iskander, MD, MPH, Deputy Scientific Director, Public Health Grand Rounds, Susan Laird, MSN, RN, Communications Manager, Public Health Grand RoundsRecorded Tuesday, December 18, 2012.Mode of access: World Wide Web as streaming video (883 MB, total time: 59:48); and as Acrobat .pdf files: (7.95 MB, 61 p.) containing PowerPoint slides for the speakers' talks, and (6.4 MB, 24 p.) a transcript of the broadcast.Open-captioned

Who are people with disabilities

This session of Grand Rounds explored opportunities for optimal quality of life for individuals with disabilities. One in 6 adult Americans lives with a disability when defined by a limitation in function. Many are at higher risk for multiple chronic conditions, injuries, and increased vulnerability during disasters. Comparatively, people with disabilities are 4 times more likely to report their health to be fair/poor and 2.5 times more likely to have unmet health care needs than non-disabled peers. $400 billion is spent annually on disability-related health expenditures. Public health can help change this by promoting wellness and preventing disease in people with disabilities. CDC's approach for a population who experiences diverse functional limitations is to assure that mainstream public health surveys, programs, and policies include people with disabilities across the lifespan, a method that can be modeled by state and federal programs. This powerful session of Grand Rounds explored public health opportunities for disease prevention, intervention and improvement to enable people to live well with functional limitations. We also highlighted accomplishments of partners and public health agencies in creating and modifying health programs to accommodate people with disabilities. Tentative future Grand Rounds topics include venous thromboembolism (VTE), HPV, teen pregnancy and immunization.Where in health is disability? : public health practices to include people with disabilities. [streaming video] -- Who are people with disabilities? [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Gloria L. Krahn, p. 1-13] -- Disparities in health among people with disabilities in Massacusetts [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Monika Mitra, p. 14-35] -- Expanding reach of evidence-based health promotion programs [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Jennifer M. Hootman, p. 36-47] -- Health and wellness in people with disabilities: progress in South Carolina [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Catherine Leigh Graham, p. 48-74] -- Strengthening accessibility in public health [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Georges C. Benjamin, p. 75-88]Streaming video (59:4. : sd., col.).Presented by: Gloria Krahn, PhD, MPH, Director, Division of Human Development and Disability, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, CDC ["Who are People with Disabilities?"]; Monika Mitra, PhD,Assistant Professor ,University of Massachusetts Medical School, ["Disparities in Health among People with Disabilities in Massachusetts"]; Jennifer Hootman, PhD, ATC, FACSM, FNATA, Epidemiologist, Arthritis Program- Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC ["Expanding Reach of Evidence-based Health Promotion Programs"]; Catherine Leigh Graham, MEBME. Rehabilitation Engineer, School of Medicine Interagency Office of Disability & Health University, South Carolina School of Medicine ["Health and Wellness in People with Disabilities: Progress in South Carolina"]; Georges Benjamin, MD, FACP, FNAPA, FACEP (E), Hon FRSPH, Executive Director, American Public Health Association ["Strengthening Accessibility in Public Health"]Facilitated by: Tanja Popovic, MD, PhD, Scientific Director, Public Health Grand Rounds, John Iskander, MD, MPH, Deputy Scientific Director, Public Health Grand Rounds, Susan Laird, MSN, RN, Communications Manager, Public Health Grand RoundsRecorded Tuesday, December 18, 2012.Mode of access: World Wide Web as streaming video (883 MB, total time: 59:48); and as Acrobat .pdf files: (7.95 MB, 61 p.) containing PowerPoint slides for the speakers' talks, and (6.4 MB, 24 p.) a transcript of the broadcast.Open-captioned

Why are drug overdoses a public health problem?

The United States is in the grip of an epidemic of prescription drug overdoses. Over 27,000 people died from overdoses in 2007, a number that has risen five-fold since 1990 and has never been higher. Prescription drugs are now involved in more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined. This disturbing mortality trend parallels a ten-fold increase in the medical use of opioid painkillers like oxycodone and hydrocodone. The increased availability of such powerful drugs has led to widespread abuse - according to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 5 million Americans misused opioid painkillers in the past month. In addition to the threat of overdose, these people face an elevated risk of injury, crime-related violence, and suicide. For health professionals, policymakers and legislators, addressing this problem is complicated--while they push for education, prevention, and enforcement to reverse this epidemic, they must also ensure that patients with a legitimate need for these medications still have access to them. This important session of Public Health Grand Rounds addressed these challenges and explored the innovative state and federal policies and interventions that are showing promise in reducing injury and death from this epidemic.Prescription drug overdoses : an American epidemic [streaming video] -- Why are drug overdoses a public health problem? [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Grant Baldwin] -- Rationale for prevention strategies [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Len Paulozzi] -- Washington state opioid guidelines and regulations [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Gary Franklin] -- National policy approaches to the problem [PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation by Gil Kerlikowske]Title from title screen (January 24, 2011).Streaming video (1 hr. : sd., col.).Presented by: Grant Baldwin, Director, Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC [Presentation: Why are drug overdoses a public health problem?]; Len Paulozzi, Medical Epidemiologist, Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention [Presentation: Rationale for prevention strategies]; Gary Franklin, Medical Director, Washington State Agency Medical Directors' Group [Presentation: Washington state opioid guidelines and regulations]; Gil Kerlikowske. Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy [Presentation: National policy approaches to the problem].Facilitated by: Dr. Tanja Popovic, Scientific Director, Public Health Grand Rounds; Shane Joiner, Communication Manager, Public Health Grand Rounds.Recorded February 17, 2011.Mode of access: World Wide Web as streaming video (197 MB, total time: 1::00:13) and as an Acrobat .pdf file ((4.8 MB, 62 p.) containing PowerPoint slides for the speakers' talks.Open-captioned

Assisted reproductive technology in the USA: is more regulation needed?

The regulation of assisted reproductive technologies is a contested area. Some jurisdictions, such as the UK and a number of Australian states, have comprehensive regulation of most aspects of assisted reproductive technologies; others, such as the USA, have taken a more piecemeal approach and rely on professional guidelines and the general regulation of medical practice to govern this area. It will be argued that such a laissez-faire approach is inadequate for regulating the complex area of assisted reproductive technologies. Two key examples, reducing multiple births and registers of donors and offspring, will be considered to illustrate the effects of the regulatory structure of assisted reproductive technologies in the USA on practice. It will be concluded that the regulatory structure in the USA fails to provide an adequate mechanism for ensuring the ethical and safe conduct of ART services, and that more comprehensive regulation is required

Combining Clinical and Epidemiologic Features for Early Recognition of SARS

Early recognition and rapid initiation of infection control precautions are currently the most important strategies for controlling severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). No rapid diagnostic tests currently exist that can rule out SARS among patients with febrile respiratory illnesses. Clinical features alone cannot with certainty distinguish SARS from other respiratory illnesses rapidly enough to inform early management decisions. A balanced approach to screening that allows early recognition of SARS without unnecessary isolation of patients with other respiratory illnesses will require clinicians not only to look for suggestive clinical features but also to routinely seek epidemiologic clues suggestive of SARS coronavirus exposure. Key epidemiologic risk factors include 1) exposure to settings where SARS activity is suspected or documented, or 2) in the absence of such exposure, epidemiologic linkage to other persons with pneumonia (i.e., pneumonia clusters), or 3) exposure to healthcare settings. When combined with clinical findings, these epidemiologic features provide a possible strategic framework for early recognition of SARS