Anti-corruption, Transparency and Accountability: Case Study of Healthcare in the Arab Countries

Background: The Arab states suffer from high levels of corruption. The UNDP’s team there developed an approach to tackle corruption and enhance transparency and accountability in healthcare as part of its broader efforts to support the Sustainable Development Goals. This work evolved into a proper tool, the Conceptual Framework for Corruption Risk Assessment at Sectoral Level (hereafter ‘Framework’), with implementation guides that enable tailoring to sector and country context. Objectives: This article documents the development of the Framework, its methodology and observed added value. Methods: Qualitative methods were utilized comprising desk research, field experience, stakeholder outreach, and focus group observation and documentation. It was most appropriate because the objective was to develop a methodology with specific characteristics. Results: The new approach uses anti-corruption as an explicit entry point to governance reforms. It articulates a structured evidence-based method to apply risk management methodology–tailored to the specificities of corruption as a risk–in healthcare whereby assessment and mitigation are (a) within institutions (b) focused on decision points and (c) around transactions while bringing together health and anti-corruption communities towards designing measurable results-oriented reforms. Conclusions: The Framework may be effective in driving concrete governance reform efforts that demonstrably reduce corruption by means of creating a common language and agenda among different stakeholders, changing the mindset towards reform, and developing targeted solutions with higher return on investment. As such, it may be capable of generating observable and sustainable progress towards healthcare reform. © 2020, © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Introduction of HIV-2 and multiple HIV-1 subtypes to Lebanon.

HIV genetic variability, phylogenetic relationships, and transmission dynamics were analyzed in 26 HIV-infected patients from Lebanon. Twenty-five specimens were identified as HIV-1 and one as HIV-2 subtype B. The 25 strains were classified into six env-C2-V3 HIV-1 subtypes: B (n = 10), A (n = 11), C (n = 1), D (n = 1), G (n = 1), and unclassifiable. Potential recombinants combining parts of viral regions from different subtypes Aenv/Dpol/Agag, Genv/Apol, and the unclassifiable-subtype(env)/unclassifiable-subtype(pol)/Agag were found in three patients. Epidemiologic analysis of travel histories and behavioral risks indicated that HIV-1 and HIV-2 subtypes reflected HIV strains prevalent in countries visited by patients or their sex partners. Spread of complex HIV-subtype distribution patterns to regions where HIV is not endemic may be more common than previously thought. Blood screening for both HIV-1 and HIV-2 in Lebanon is recommended to protect the blood supply. HIV subtype data provide information for vaccine development

Cefazolin in the Treatment of Acute Enteric Fever

Cefazolin was used in the treatment of nine patients with acute enteric fever proven by positive blood cultures. In seven patients the causative organism was Salmonella typhi and in two it was Salmonella paratyphi B. Minimal inhibitory and minimal bactericidal concentrations of cefazolin against the nine isolates ranged between 1.95 and 3.90 μg/ml. Cefazolin was administered either intramuscularly or intravenously in a daily dose of 3 to 6 g for 11 to 16 days. The mean peak serum antibiotic concentration after a 0.5-g intravenous injection was 64.4 μg/ml, and the mean trough concentration, 3 h later, was 12.7 μg/ml. The highest serum inhibitory dilution at peak level was frequently 1/64, and at trough level it was 1/16 to 1/32. The acute infection was satisfactorily controlled in all patients. Phlebitis, complicating intravenous therapy, in five out of eight patients, was the only side effect observed. Relapse of typhoid fever, as documented by positive blood culture, occurred in one patient 11 days after treatment course was completed. More extensive clinical studies are required before drawing any conclusions regarding the efficacy of cefazolin in acute enteric fever

Handling problem and failed banks - by Sabah Uwaydah

Project (M.M.B.)--Institute of Money and Banking, A.U.B., 1993.Bibliography: leaves 72-76

An examination of some structural and rhetorical features in certain speeches of Gamal Abdel Nasser

Thesis (M.A.)--Dept. of English., A.U.B

The applicability of the Keynesian versus monetarist models - by Rania Marwan Uwaydah

Project (M.B.A.)Bibliography: leaves 155-15