COVID-19, an opportunity for developing countries?

The COVID-19 outbreak was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as global pandemic in March 2020. Considering the necessity to implement rapid response to control the pandemic and the fragility and the state of need of low income countries, it will be mandatory to develop a global approach in order to reduce the spread of infection and the creation of community viral reservoirs. So far, we could hypothesize a worst case scenario in which when the COVID-19 outbreak hits a peak in Africa and in low-income countries, the majority of such countries will be unprepared, with low resources allocated for affording the viral emergency and the consequences will be catastrophic with no lesson learnt. In the best case scenario, the COVID-19 will not affect Africa or South America on a large scale and, if the prevention measures will be implemented, we could register a lower incidence of hygiene linked diseases that still represent leading causes of death

Coronavirus Diseases (COVID-19) Current Status and Future Perspectives: A Narrative Review

At the end of 2019 a novel virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing severe acute respiratory syndrome expanded globally from Wuhan, China. In March 2020 the World Health Organization declared the SARS-Cov-2 virus a global pandemic. We performed a narrative review to describe existing literature with regard to Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, management and future perspective. MEDLINE, EMBASE and Scopus databases were searched for relevant articles. Although only when the pandemic ends it will be possible to assess the full health, social and economic impact of this global disaster, this review represents a picture of the current state of the art. In particular, we focus on public health impact, pathophysiology and clinical manifestations, diagnosis, case management, emergency response and preparedness

Improvement of Tuberculosis Laboratory Capacity on Pemba Island, Zanzibar: A Health Cooperation Project.

Low-income countries with high Tuberculosis burden have few reference laboratories able to perform TB culture. In 2006, the Zanzibar National TB Control Programme planned to decentralize TB diagnostics. The Italian Cooperation Agency with the scientific support of the "L. Spallanzani" National Institute for Infectious Diseases sustained the project through the implementation of a TB reference laboratory in a low-income country with a high prevalence of TB. The implementation steps were: 1) TB laboratory design according to the WHO standards; 2) laboratory equipment and reagent supplies for microscopy, cultures, and identification; 3) on-the-job training of the local staff; 4) web- and telemedicine-based supervision. From April 2007 to December 2010, 921 sputum samples were received from 40 peripheral laboratories: 120 TB cases were diagnosed. Of all the smear-positive cases, 74.2% were culture-positive. During the year 2010, the smear positive to culture positive rate increased up to 100%. In March 20, 2010 the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Zanzibar officially recognized the Public Health Laboratory- Ivo de Carneri as the National TB Reference Laboratory for the Zanzibar Archipelago. An advanced TB laboratory can represent a low cost solution to strengthen the TB diagnosis, to provide capacity building and mid-term sustainability

Female Genital Mutilation in Sudan: is a new era starting?

Description to be added.Cannot be left empt

Child undernutrition in Sudan: the social and economic impact and future perspectives

The nutrition situation in Sudan is one of the worst in North East Africa and it is characterised by persistently high levels of acute and chronic malnutrition that have increased over the last two dec-ades. The underlying causes of malnutrition are multi-sectoral and are mainly due to inequalities, inadequate food practices and limited access to health care services. Based on the report The Eco-nomic and Social Impacts of Child Undernutrition in Sudan, this paper assesses the impact that malnutrition has on health, education and productivity in Sudan. The country is estimated to have lost an equivalent of about 11,6 Billion SDG in 2014, which represented 2.6% of the GDP. Produc-tivity related losses contributed the largest costs at 1.53% of GDP followed by Health and Educa-tion sectors at 1.03% and 0.03% respectively. In 2020 the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic further exposed the fragility of Sudan’s health, social and economic system. It is mandatory that all stakeholders address child nutrition as a main concern and stunting is incorporated in the centre of the development agenda. In particular, the national development frameworks should be updated to ensure the reduction of the stunting prevalence and to put in place a comprehensive multi-sectoral nutrition policy, strategy and plan of action

Hemoperitoneum as severe and unusual complication in the stapler recto-anopexy for hemorrhoidal prolapse. Case report

We report unusual but severe complication after Longo recto-anopexy for hemorrhoidal prolapse, i.e. large intramural hematoma of the rectum and subsequent hemoperitoneum. We make some assessment about the technique

IgG Against Dengue Virus in Healthy Blood Donors, Zanzibar, Tanzania

We conducted a seroprevalence survey among 500 healthy adult donors at Zanzibar National Blood Transfusion Services. Dengue virus IgG seroprevalence was 50.6% and independently associated with age and urban residence. These data will aid in building a surveillance, preparedness, and response plan for dengue virus infections in the Zanzibar Archipelago

Map illustrating the sites of the TB laboratories.

<p>A: Central TB Reference Laboratory; B: Pemba Reference Laboratory.</p