Prevalence of Chagas disease in the Bolivian population of Majorca (Spain)

Objective: To establish the prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in Bolivian (Spain) participants. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out in Majorca. Bolivian residents older than 18 years assigned to the family physicians of two primary care centers were randomly selected from the health card population database. Participants were invited to attend a serology test and an interview. T. cruzi infection was confirmed after two positive ELISA tests. If the result was positive or dubious, the serological test was sent to the National Microbiology Center for confirmation. Results: A total of 251 participants were included (response rate 36.3%). The overall seroprevalence of Chagas infection was 19.1% (95% CI: 14.06-24.19). Seroprevalence was higher in participants from highly endemic provinces, those from rural areas, those who had lived in mud houses, and in those whose mother or a family member had contracted this infection. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a high prevalence of T. cruzi in Bolivian residents, which was strongly associated with established risk factors

Prevalence of Chagas disease in the Bolivian population of Majorca (Spain)

a b s t r a c t Objective: To establish the prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in Bolivian (Spain) participants. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out in Majorca. Bolivian residents older than 18 years assigned to the family physicians of two primary care centers were randomly selected from the health card population database. Participants were invited to attend a serology test and an interview. T. cruzi infection was confirmed after two positive ELISA tests. If the result was positive or dubious, the serological test was sent to the National Microbiology Center for confirmation. Results: A total of 251 participants were included (response rate 36.3%). The overall seroprevalence of Chagas infection was 19.1% (95% CI: 14.06-24.19). Seroprevalence was higher in participants from highly endemic provinces, those from rural areas, those who had lived in mud houses, and in those whose mother or a family member had contracted this infection. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a high prevalence of T. cruzi in Bolivian residents, which was strongly associated with established risk factors

Palliative care in humanitarian crises: a review of the literature

Abstract This paper presents findings from a systematic review of the literature (2005–2017) on palliative care in humanitarian crises (e.g., disasters, armed conflicts, epidemics). This review set out to describe palliative care needs, practices, barriers, and recommendations in humanitarian crisis settings. It contributes to current discussions within the field of humanitarian healthcare aimed at clarifying whether or not and how best to respond to palliative care needs in humanitarian crises. Analysis of 95 peer-reviewed and gray literature documents reveal a scarcity of data on palliative care needs and interventions provided in crises, challenges of care provision particularly due to inadequate pain relief resources and guidelines, a lack of consensus on the ethics of providing or limiting palliative care as part of humanitarian healthcare response, and the importance of contextually appropriate care. These findings suggest that more research and open discussion on palliative care in humanitarian crises are needed. This review contributes to defining palliative care needs in humanitarian crises, building consensus on humanitarian healthcare organizations’ ethical responsibilities towards individuals and families with palliative needs, and developing realistic and context-appropriate policies and guidelines