Global Suicide: A problem of health systems

It is estimated that over 800 000 people die by suicide and that there are many suicide attempts for each death. Young people are among those most affected. The numbers differ between countries, but it is the low- and middle-income countries that bear most of the global suicide burden, with an estimated 75% of all suicides occurring in these countries. The importance of each risk factor and the way it is classified will depend on each context. These factors can contribute to suicidal behaviours directly but can also contribute indirectly by influencing individual susceptibility to mental disorders. From the analysis of the rate of suicide, the numbers of suicide preventions successful with the number of hospitalizations and hospitalized for attempted suicide, it becomes possible to determine a path in order to create social change in three important factors to be followed to be fulfilled: knowledge (scientific and practical), public support (political will) and a social strategy, showing up as a national response to achieve the goals of suicide prevention

Ebola: an international public health emergency

The outbreak of Ebola in West Africa could become one of the worst infectious-disease-driven humanitarian crises of recent times. With more than 3000 deaths since the first case was confirmed in March 2014, the international community has recognized Ebola as a public health emergency of international concern and a clear threat to global health security. The complexity of dealing with this Ebola outbreak has highlighted the need for traditional actors, such as WHO and the CDC, to embrace the wider health and humanitarian community. The epidemic reinforces the need for nations to investment in health infrastructure and disease surveillance to keep pace with other developments in Africa. If Ebola arrives in high-income and middleincome nations, it should be contained quickly. The crisis shows the importance of sufficient levels of multilateral funding for WHO. The world needs a strong WHO, with the financing and political influence to fulfil its historic mission

Childhood depression and psychocognitive development: description of causality relationships

Alterações de humor e distúrbios de saúde mental têm reconhecida influência no comportamento social, familiar e escolar de crianças e adolescentes. A incidência desses transtornos tem apresentado a tendência de aumento em todo o mundo e seu diagnóstico precoce aventa discussões a respeito da interferência dessas patologias no processo natural de desenvolvimento psicocognitivo de seus portadores. Este estudo pretende descrever como a depressão infantil interfere no desenvolvimento cognitivo, a partir de alterações na esfera psicocognitiva. Para tal, foram consultadas as bases de dados da SciELO e da Bi-blioteca Virtual de Saúde (BVS) no período de 2006 a 2011, utilizando os termos "depressão", "infantil" e "desenvolvimento". Após seleção dos resultados, oito artigos foram usados para a elaboração deste trabalho. Os resultados evidenciaram que a depressão infantil repercute negativamente no desenvolvimento cognitivo infantil. Transtornos psíquicos fazem a criança reconhecer-se como incapaz e expressar sentimentos de vergonha, indefinição, baixos níveis de autoestima e distanciamento das demandas da aprendizagem. O profissional de educação deve estar apto a reconhecer essas alterações manifestadas no ambiente escolar. A análise dos estudos mostrou que um ambiente externo saudável possibilita adequada maturação do sistema cognitivo e protege a criança da depressão infantil. Enquanto a maioria dos estudos sugere relação causal entre depressão e dificuldade cognitiva, outros estudos mostram a relação inversa, em que a baixa cognição gera sintomas de depressão. A dificuldade de aprendizagem e a depressão infantil podem coexistir sem que haja, necessariamente, uma relação de causalidade entre si. Dessa forma, faz-se necessário o diagnóstico precoce a fim de que as modificações do desenvolvimento cognitivo possam ser reparadas, sem maiores injúrias para as crianças acometidas.Mental health disorders provoke important changes on children behavior. The incidence of these pathologies has increased worldwide and they are diagnosed earlier, what start a discussion about their influence on psychosocial development of carrier children. We wanted to describe how depression affects child cognitive development, with changes in cognitive psycho-sphere. Two databases (SciELO and BVS) were surveyed between 2006 and 2011, using the keywords "depression", "children" and "development". After analysis, eight articles were selected and used to construct this work. Results disclose that childhood depression is a negative influence to children cognitive development. In case of illness, child recognizes itself as unable to achieve demands which are betting on it, with feelings of shame, doubt, lack of self-confidence and learning problems, being unable to "make their best". Education professional must be able to recognize these changes manifest in the school environment. Studies showed that a healthy external environment allows for a proper maturation of the cognitive system protects children and childhood depression. While most studies suggest a causal relationship between depression and cognitive impairment, other studies show the inverse relationship in the low cognition generates symptoms of depression. However, it should also be noted that difficulty of learning and childhood depression can coexist without there necessarily a causal relationship between them. It is necessary to diagnose earlier these disorders, making possible to repair injuries in children development

Social Security Status of HIV-Patients in Brazil

The studies show that HIV/AIDS disease had and is having a high impact on Populations' health but it represents serious socioeconomic problems added for individuals, families, communities and Governments of many countries. In Brazil, the National Standardization Panel of the Federal Courts, the body that comprises the Brazilian National Council of Justice, drafted the docket 78. From this docket, to grant or deny the social security benefi, the judges will not have their decisions limited only to the clinical aspects of medical experts report,starting to also consider the personal, economic, social and cultural aspects of the HIV patient. By analyzing the cases heard by Federal Court of the 5th Region, which constitutes the Brazilian states of Paraíba, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Alagoas and Sergipe, fourteen cases were found on appeal of special courts. Within those cases, ten were founded to be HIV positive and were granted some sort of pension and welfare benefi, and four were rejected, denying incoming thus those patients with syndrome, the right to receive benefis. The Brazilian Federal Government through the Provisional Measure no 664 from 2014 excluded the art. 151 of the Federal Law 8. 213/91 which dealt with the granting sickness benefi and disability retirement to patients with various disabling conditions which among the HIV saving a total of 18 million to public coffers.The authors point out that the exclusion or this article constitutes the loss of benefis–sickness assistance and disability retirement– those who do not have a minimum period of contribution to Social Security. That constitutes prejudice to the HIV patient´s rights in relation helpless leaving them to State coverage. In this context HIV/AIDS diagnosis not only adversely affects individual health and survival but may be associated with higher also need for care, thus resulting in higher expenses for the healthcare system

Plagiarism as another ethical issue in scientific research

The excessive demand for publications results in high plagiarism and duplicate numbers by scientists who take over existing texts into new publications. In addition to serious ethical problems, this practice hinders the generation of original material. In order to reduce the problem, softwares such as eTBLAST are being used to detect plagiarism and repeated papers. Despite the persistence of fraudsters, these tools have helped to reduce these problems; however, the ideal solution would be the basic ethical establishment principles. Therefore, plagiarism has always been a foible that could lead to fraudulent and dishonorable development of science

Bioethical Aspects Across Medicine: The Care of Cardiovascular Diseases in Brazil

Bioethics applied to medicine extrapolates the traditional medical concepts of non-maleficence (primum non nocere) and beneficence (bonum facere) and regards to justice, autonomy, equity, protection, compassion and humanization, not considering people just like patients, but understanding the complex existence of each single person. Worldwide, the morbidity and mortality indices regarding to diseases of heart and blood vessels became progressively grater. For countries in development, like Brazil, these numbers are even more expressive and this increase trend seems to be caused by wider exposition of population to some risk factors. This article broaches an intersection between bioethics and medicine, focusing the reality of cardiovascular diseases in Brazil and the necessity of doctors to base their behavior in bioethical paradigms

Bioethics and Mental Health: The Rights of Patients With a Disorder

Bioethics can be included in the context of psychiatric patients' recovery of dignity and rights, creating a therapeutic interface of social rehabilitation, respect and closeness between professionals and the treated persons. The completion of the analysis of the facts occurred by reviewing 22 articles dated between 1999-2011, from a prior reading, selecting the ones that mention bioethics and mental health. Before the Psychiatric Reform, often, a lack of commitment to the mentally ill was noticed, isolating the patient from a social life. Before the Psychiatric Reform, often, a lack of commitment to the mentally ill was noticed by isolating the patient from a social life. After the Reform, the person with mental illness began to receive a more attentive care. It can be concluded that the Reform tried to bring life to those who had no respect and attention, these patients who needed to be included in a social and urban interaction

The development of Resistance to Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV Infected Individuals:a Systematic Review

Background: Antiretroviral treatment (ART) has reduced morbidity and mortality due to AIDS. However, treatment options can be impaired by the development of antiretroviral drug resistance. Resistant virus strains can be transmitted to new hosts and, subsequently, can lead to antiretroviral treatment failure.Methods: Th A systematic review of articles on resistance to antiretroviral therapy for HIV-infected individuals, published from January 1, 2014 to June 16, 2014, on SCOPUS and PUBMED databases wascarried out. Search terms were "AIDS" (Medical Subject Headings [MeSH]), "HIV" (MeSH), “treatment†(keyword), “resistance†(keyword) and "antiretroviral therapy" (MeSH). Of the 118 retrieved studies, 24 met the eligibility criteria.Results: The main classes of antiretroviral drugs are Non Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs), Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs), and Protease Inhibitors (PIs). Antiretroviraltreatment selects for drug resistance. Resistant strains become prevalent in the population and are transmitted to new patients.Discussion: A higher prevalence of certain mutations are present and characterize resistant strains that are prevalent in the population making it more diffiult to treat these infected individuals. Poor compliance with antiretroviral therapy increases the potential for developing these and other resistant strains.Conclusions: Knowledge of drug resistance generated by mutations is useful for optimizing treatment regimens and to get better responses. Promoting compliance is important to limiting the selection of new resistant strains