International Public Health Commons^™

H1n1 In Retrospect: A Review Of Risk Factors And Policy Recommendations, Mark Mousseau

The International Indigenous Policy Journal

The H1N1 pandemic of 2009 devastated Indigenous communities worldwide. In order to explain infection patterns and prevent repeating history in future pandemics, associations with infection were investigated. This revealed that the vulnerability of Indigenous communities to infection was associated with poor performance on measurements of social determinants of health. Several policy recommendations pertaining to non-pharmaceutical interventions, prioritization of scarce health care resources, and pandemic planning are made to improve this situation. The best approach would be to empower Indigenous communities to take control over and improve local conditions. Success of such strategies in the battle against other Indigenous health issues ...

Maximizing The Delivery Performance Of Point-Of-Care Cd4+ T-Cell Counting Tests In Resource-Limited Settings - A Policy Brief, Nan Kong, J. Paul Robinson, Fenggang Yang

Global Policy Research Institute (GPRI) Policy Briefs

Managing HIV/AIDS presents challenges to public health policymakers, frontline workers, and researchers worldwide. A key strategy in the disease management is early diagnosis and rapid treatment initiation. While the technological field of point‐of‐care HIV/AIDS diagnostics has advanced significantly in the past two decades, several critical issues remain that hinder the deployment of point‐of‐care testing devices in resource‐deprived settings. In this policy brief, we discuss these issues, including technological specifics of point‐of‐care CD4⁺ T‐cell counting approaches and requirements of deploying them. We also discuss cultural and religious concerns on the deployment ...

Community Built Environment And Multilevel Social Determinants Of Obesity: Evidence From China Health And Nutrition Survey, Libin Zhang, Tim F. Liao, Laura L. Hayman

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is highest in wealthy countries like the United States, but is rapidly increasing in less developed countries. From 1992 to 2002, China had an increase from 14.6% to 21.8% in overweight and obesity. Social determinants of obesity in developing countries remain poorly understood. Further, these associations may vary by community built environment (BE) of developing countries.

Awareness, Treatment And Control Of Hypertension In Kenya, Jacob Kariuki, Eileen M. Stuart-Shor, Samuel Kimani, James Muchira, Jessica Demita, Heather Milton, Mercy Kamau, Vincent Mutuma, Darren Golden, Peris Kariuki

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The emerging epidemic of hypertension (HTN) in sub-Saharan Africa is predicted to worsen. Uncontrolled HTN is associated with CVD, high morbidity and premature mortality; hence early detection, treatment and control of HTN is critical to reduction of the associated sequelae. The study was guided by the Social Ecological Model and principles of Community Based Participatory Research.

Global Risk Assessment Of Cardiovascular Disease In Resource Constrained Settings, Jacob Kariuki, Eileen M. Stuart-Shor, Libin Zhang, Annya Volkova, Jaime Halliday, Shannon Sayer, Jessica Demita, Darren Golden, James Muchira, Samuel Kimani, Faith Maina

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an emerging problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. Many current guidelines recommend using global risk assessment (GRA) to quantify the risk for developing CVD and to guide treatment and policy. Most GRA tools require lipid measures which are not readily available in resource-constrained settings. Of the 3 most published non-laboratory based tools: Gaziano and Framingham substitute BMI for cholesterol; WHO does not include BMI or cholesterol.

Mirebalais, Haiti Planning Initiative, Jack Wiggin, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Mirebalais Planning Initiative (MPI), a joint project of the Urban Harbors Institute at UMass Boston, Boston University, and the University of the West Indies, is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The initiative is a community-based participatory planning process designed to expand community leadership and decision-making capacity among community members in Mirebalais, Haiti.

Intellectual Property And Public Health – A White Paper, Ryan G. Vacca, Jim Chen, Jay Dratler Jr., Tom Folsom, Timothy Hall, Yaniv Heled, Frank Pasquale, Elizabeth Reilly, Jeff Samuels, Kathy Strandburg, Kara Swanson, Andrew Torrance, Katharine Van Tassel

Ryan G. Vacca

On October 26, 2012, the University of Akron School of Law’s Center for Intellectual Property and Technology hosted its Sixth Annual IP Scholars Forum. In attendance were thirteen legal scholars with expertise and an interest in IP and public health who met to discuss problems and potential solutions at the intersection of these fields. This report summarizes this discussion by describing the problems raised, areas of agreement and disagreement between the participants, suggestions and solutions made by participants and the subsequent evaluations of these suggestions and solutions.

Led by the moderator, participants at the Forum focused generally on three ...

Healthcare Seeking For Diarrhoea, Malaria And Pneumonia Among Children In Four Poor Rural Districts In Sierra Leone In The Context Of Free Health Care: Results Of A Cross-Sectional Survey, Theresa Diaz, Asha S. George, Sowmya R. Rao, Peter S. Bangura, John B. Baimba, Shannon A. Mcmahon, Augustin Kabano

Quantitative Health Sciences Publications and Presentations

BACKGROUND: To plan for a community case management (CCM) program after the implementation of the Free Health Care Initiative (FHCI), we assessed health care seeking for children with diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia in 4 poor rural districts in Sierra Leone.

METHODS: In July 2010 we undertook a cross-sectional household cluster survey and qualitative research. Caregivers of children under five years of age were interviewed about healthcare seeking. We evaluated the association of various factors with not seeking health care by obtaining adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence limits using a multivariable logistic regression model. Focus groups and in-depth interviews of ...

Infrastructure For Health: Empowering Village Health Teams In Uganda, Daniel C. Mays

GW Research Days 2013

BACKGROUND: The Ugandan National Health System, primarily organized by the Ministry of Health, utilizes community health workers which are structured as Village Health Teams (VHTs). Omni Med, a Boston-based NGO, works with the Ministry of Health to train and mobilize VHTs in the Mukono District.

OBJECTIVES: Understanding how VHTs are empowered to improve health in their communities, educating VHTs in health and medicine, mobilizing VHTs by providing motivation and oversight, and understanding VHT-member experiences through focus groups.

METHODS: Omni Med works with community chairpersons to organize VHT elections. Subsequently, Omni Med holds a training course on health topics like hygiene ...

Justification Of Intimate Partner Violence In Egypt, Amira A. Roess, Esther L. Aranda

GW Research Days 2013

Background: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is an important problem in developing countries and associated with poor reproductive health outcomes.

Objectives: To describe trends and justification of IPV in Egypt.

Methods: We used the 2008 Egypt Demographic Health Surveys (EDHS). Information on IPV was drawn from 16,527 women in 2008. We performed bivariate analyses to examine trends in and risk factors for justification of IPV.

Results: 39.5% of respondents reported that IPV is justifiable. Logistic regression suggests that age, education, wealth and female autonomy are associated with respondents not justifying IPV. In contrast respondents who supported the continuation of ...

Examining The Impact Of International Volunteer Service And Village Health Teams On Community Health In Uganda's Mukono District, Caitlin M. Sherman, Anne E. Nichols

GW Research Days 2013

In many third world countries there is a dramatic shortage of doctors available for the countries' growing population. Similarly, the countries' infrastructure lacks adequate public transportation at an affordable cost. This is especially true throughout the continent of Africa. As a result, many people do not seek care until it is too late and do not receive basic medical education on how to keep their family and themselves healthy. To try to alleviate this issue many countries have begun training community health workers. In Uganda, they are called Village Health Teams (VHT). VHTs are people selected by their community to ...

Situation Analysis Of Somalia’S 2011 Famine, Ahmed Mohamed Askar

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

This CE examined the contributing factors of famine in Somalia and developed a situation analysis of Somalia’s 2011 famine. The situational analysis was developed using health and famine indicators. Data from geographic information system (GIS) was also used to supplement analysis to look for trends and patterns of the famine. I predicted that conflict was the leading factor in Somalia’s 2011 famine. I concluded that conflict exacerbated the famine situation in the south of Somalia but in the north (Somaliland) famine was due to climate and lack of permanent rivers and water sources.

Assessment Of Migrant Health And Health Disparities Between Immigrants And Swiss Nationals Living In Switzerland, Gabriela Mujica-Martorell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Switzerland is one of the most diverse nations within the OECD and boasts one of the highest net migration rates; it also has one of the highest rated health care systems in the world. Nevertheless, it has been shown that health disparities exist between the Swiss migrant and Swiss national populations: migrants are especially more prone to overweight/obesity, dental health problems, various forms of physical pain, and psychological distress. The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate to what extent certain health conditions are a problem to the immigrant and Swiss national populations. The study also will explore some ...

Los Factores Sociales Que Influyen En El Embarazo Y En El Uso De Anticonceptivos De Adolescentes En El Barrio 25 De Mayo, Maipú, Mendoza., Isabel Odean

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Adolescent pregnancy is a common phenomenon among those living in poverty. Adolescent pregnancy is influenced by many social and cultural factors, leading to lack of use of contraceptives. This study took place in the neighborhood 25 de Mayo, in the city of Maipú, Mendoza in Argentina. This community is mostly composed of people with low incomes and limited education. Socioeconomic and the attitudes toward teenage pregnancy, as well as the use of contraceptives by adolescents, are distinct from those in wealthier better educated groups. This neighborhood is approximately 10,000 people, the majority of whom are women. Most of ...

The Design And Testing Of A Solar Autoclave With Broad Spectrum Sterilization Capabilities, Sarah S. Trabia

UNLV Theses/Dissertations/Professional Papers/Capstones

Energy is difficult to come by in developing countries and this interferes with the ability of doctors to provide good healthcare to their patients. Without decent sterilization, patients can become infected and diseases can spread throughout hospitals. This study involves designing a solar autoclave for developing countries that is as efficient as electrical autoclaves. The design is intended to not require any electrical input and to be affordable to those who cannot afford advanced medical equipment. Once the solar autoclave is designed, it will be tested to determine if it can sterilize equipment against a variety of different bacteria, including ...

Nutrition And Diabetic Management In Urban Kenya, Madeline Jackson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This Independent Study project sought to identify the changes in nutrition from the traditional Luo culture to the new urban setting and explore the management, perceptions and prevalence of Type II diabetes in an increasingly urban area. The focus was on Type II diabetes since the majority of disease burden stems from this acquired form of the diabetes. Through speaking with elderly community members and shadowing the first line diabetic treatment centers in Kisumu, an assessment of the relationship between changing nutrition and diabetic management showed numerous gaps in the system that will continue to increase unless something is done ...

Ant 360: Topics In Global Health: Hiv/Aids, John Mazzeo

John Mazzeo, Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

A Geographical Analysis Of Hiv/Aids Infection In Nigeria, 1991-2001, Chinekwu Azuka Obidoa, Robert G. Cromley

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Abstract

Objectives: Within the gradually accumulating literature on the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Nigeria, investigations concerning the spatial dimensions of the infection are virtually non-existent. An understanding of the spatial dimensions of the epidemic is central in the development and implementation of appropriate intervention strategies. This study is a geographic analysis of HIV/AIDS infection in Nigeria from 1991 – 2001. The three objectives of this study were: 1) to examine the geographic pattern of the epidemic, 2) to examine the spatial-temporal trend and diffusion pattern of the epidemic, and 3) to explore the factors associated with the spatial ...

Yin And Yang: The Physical And The Symbolic In Chinese Medical Practices, Shilo H. Mcburney Ms

Totem: The University of Western Ontario Journal of Anthropology

Studying health practices within various present and past cultures is a valuable area of research, in part because they mark a point where the physical and the symbolic meet. Health practices serve a functional role by caring for the physical body, but they can also display various beliefs within cultures. In researching the multiple healing methods of a culture, it is important to question what values these practices have and what beliefs they represent for the culture, along with studying what physical needs they fulfill. How does the comprehension of medicine within a culture show the thought processes of people ...

'We Have The Right Not To Be "Rescued"…': When Anti-Trafficking Programmes Undermine The Health And Well-Being Of Sex Workers (Peer-Reviewed), Aziza Ahmed, Meena Seshu

Aziza Ahmed

No abstract provided.