The impact of charging for insecticide on the Gambian National Impregnated Bednet Programme.
(57/10096)
During the second year of the Gambian National Impregnated Bednet Programme (NIBP) charges for insecticide ($0.50 per net) were introduced into the half of the primary health care villages in the country where insecticide have been provided free of charge the previous year. Free insecticide was provided in the remaining villages that had acted as controls during the previous year. In villages where insecticide was provided free, 77% of nets were treated with insecticide. In contrast, in villages where charges were made coverage was only 14%. During the first year of the NIBP, mortality in children was significantly lower in villages where insecticide was provided free than in the control villages. Introduction of a charge for insecticide into the first group of villages and the provision of free insecticide in the latter abolished this difference. The cash income of rural Gambians is very limited and payment of even $2-3 for insecticide treatment for all the bednets in a household represents a substantial outlay. Further education on the benefits of treatment of nets and/or the provision of cheaper insecticide will be required before the full benefits of this powerful new malaria control measure can be fully realised in the Gambia. (+info)
What do health authorities think of population based health outcome indicators?
(58/10096)
OBJECTIVES: To determine the role of population based indicators of health outcome in local health outcome assessments; the constraints of using such indicators; how they could be made more useful; and whether health authorities had developed their own indicators of health outcome. DESIGN: A structured telephone interview with representatives of 91 of the 100 English health authorities. RESULTS: Interviewees, asked to give details on two clinical areas in which population health outcome assessments had been of most value, nominated 147 examples in over 30 clinical areas. They chose 50 (34%) of the examples because of an outlying national indicator, and 20 (14%) because of local variations in a national indicator. The main perceived constraints in the use of population based indicators of health outcome were: data validity and timeliness; the attributability of these health outcomes to the quality of health care; the difficulties of changing clinical behavior; and organisational change within health authorities. To make these indicators more useful interviewees wanted an increased use of process indicators as proxies for health outcome, indicator trend data, and indicator comparisons of districts with similar population structures. Some recent publications have started to consider some of these issues. 27 (30%) health authorities had developed their own indicators, mostly provider based process indicators. 10 of these used their own indicators to manage the performance of local provider units. CONCLUSIONS: Population based indicators of health outcome had an important role in prompting districts to undertake population health outcome assessments. Health authorities also used these indicators to examine local variations in health outcome. They helped to highlight areas for further investigation, initiated data validation, and enabled the monitoring of changes to services. Comparative population based indicators of health outcome may have an increasing part to play in assessing the performance of health authorities. (+info)
Commentary: Emerging and other communicable diseases.
(59/10096)
There is an increasing need for integrated, sustainable; and cost-effective approaches to the management of infectious diseases. For example, an emerging disease in one country may already be endemic in another country but nearing elimination in a third. A coordinated approach by WHO towards infectious diseases is therefore needed that will facilitate more effective support of on-going efforts for the prevention and control of endemic diseases, intensify efforts against those diseases targeted for eradication and elimination, and result in better preparedness and response to new and re-emerging diseases. In order to meet these challenges, WHO has created a new Programme on Communicable Diseases (CDS), which will replace the former Division of Emerging and other Communicable Diseases (EMC). The new Programme will better integrate surveillance, prevention, control, and research over the whole spectrum of communicable diseases. CDS will function as focal point for global data and information exchange on infectious diseases, and inter alia, will reinforce laboratory-based surveillance of bacterial, viral, and zoonotic diseases to ensure early detection of threats to international public health. Changes in susceptibility to infectious disease, increased opportunities for infection, and the ability of microbes to adapt rapidly will continue to challenge WHO to improve prevention and control of infectious diseases in the future by establishing strong partnerships with both the private and public sectors. (+info)
Consanguinity and recurrence risk of stillbirth and infant death.
(60/10096)
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to estimate the recurrence risk for stillbirth and infant death and compare results for offspring of first-cousin parents with results for offspring of unrelated parents. METHODS: The study population consisted of all single births with a previous sibling born in Norway between 1967 and 1994. Altogether, 629,888 births were to unrelated parents, and 3466 births were to parents who were first cousins. The risk of stillbirth and infant death was estimated for subsequent siblings contingent on parental consanguinity and survival of the previous sibling. RESULTS: For unrelated parents, the risk of early death (stillbirth plus infant death) for the subsequent sibling was 17 of 1000 if the previous child survived and 67 of 1000 if the previous child died before 1 year of age. For parents who were first cousins, the risk of early death for the subsequent sibling was 29 of 1000 if the previous child survived and 116 of 1000 if the previous child died. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of recurrence of stillbirth and infant death is higher for offspring of first-cousin parents compared with offspring of unrelated parents. (+info)
The prevalence and health burden of self-reported diabetes in older Mexican Americans: findings from the Hispanic established populations for epidemiologic studies of the elderly.
(61/10096)
OBJECTIVES: The prevalence and health burden of self-reported adult-onset diabetes mellitus were examined in older Mexican Americans. METHODS: Data from the Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly were used to assess the prevalence of self-reported diabetes and its association with other chronic conditions, disability, sensory impairments, health behaviors, and health service use in 3050 community-dwelling Mexican Americans 65 years and older. RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported diabetes in this sample was 22%, and there were high rates of obesity, diabetes-related complications, and diabetic medication use. Myocardial infarction, stroke, hypertension, angina, and cancer were significantly more common in diabetics than in nondiabetics, as were high levels of depressive symptoms, low perceived health status, disability, incontinence, vision impairment, and health service use. Many of the rate differences found in this sample of older Mexican Americans were higher than those reported among other groups of older adults. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that the prevalence and health burden of diabetes are greater in older Mexican Americans than in older non-Hispanic Whites and African Americans, particularly among elderly men. (+info)
An epidemic of congenital syphilis in Jefferson County, Texas, 1994-1995: inadequate prenatal syphilis testing after an outbreak in adults.
(62/10096)
OBJECTIVES: After a syphilis epidemic in Jefferson County, Texas, in 1993 and 1994, congenital syphilis prevalence and risk factors were determined and local prenatal syphilis screening practices were assessed. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed, pregnant women with syphilis were interviewed, and prenatal care providers were surveyed. RESULTS: Of 91 women, 59 (65%) had infants with congenital syphilis. Among African Americans, the prevalence per 1000 live births was 24.1 in 1994 and 17.9 in 1995. Of the 50 women with at least 2 prenatal care visits who had infants with congenital syphilis, 15 (30%) had received inadequate testing. Only 16% of 31 providers obtained an early third-trimester syphilis test on all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Inadequate prenatal testing contributed to this outbreak of congenital syphilis. (+info)
Smoking and the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease: cross-sectional and longitudinal data in a population-based study.
(63/10096)
The authors tested the hypothesis that smoking exerts a protective effect on Alzheimer's disease or dementia in a population-based cohort of 668 people aged 75-101 years (Sweden). Smoking was negatively associated with prevalent Alzheimer's disease (adjusted odds ratio = 0.6, 95% confidence interval 0.4-1.1) and dementia (adjusted odds ratio = 0.6, 95% confidence interval 0.4-1.0). Over 3-year follow-up (1989-1992), the hazard ratios of incident Alzheimer's disease and dementia due to smoking were 1.1 (95% confidence interval 0.5-2.4) and 1.4 (95% confidence interval 0.8-2.7). Mortality over 5-year follow-up was greater among smokers in demented (hazard ratio = 3.4) than nondemented (hazard ratio = 0.8) subjects. Smoking does not seem protective against Alzheimer's disease or dementia, and the cross-sectional association might be due to differential mortality. (+info)
Estimation of injecting drug users in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and number infected with human immunodeficiency virus.
(64/10096)
OBJECTIVES: To estimate (1) the number of current and former injecting drug users (IDU) infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) alive in Edinburgh, and (2) the total number of current injectors in the city. METHODS: The number of infected IDU was estimated using a local register of HIV infections with correction for incompleteness of the register. The number of injectors was estimated by two independent methods, one based on the HIV register, the other by log-linear modelling of four lists of IDU interviewed in a city-wide survey, and/or attending drug treatment agencies and family doctors because of drug use. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Estimates for the period 1992-1994 of number of IDU infected with HIV, total number of IDU, and prevalence of injecting. RESULTS: The HIV register indicated that 371 infected drug users who had ever injected were alive and resident in Edinburgh. In all, 95% of infected survey respondents appeared in the register, leading to a corrected estimate of 472 infected ever injectors. From this the number of IDU currently injecting (i.e. in the previous 6 months) was estimated to be 1770 (95% CI: 1340-2240), and the prevalence of injecting as 8.0 (95% CI: 4.8-10.8) per 1000 Edinburgh residents aged 15-59 years. Log-linear modelling gave an estimate of 2070 (95% CI: 1360-2800) current injectors. CONCLUSIONS: The number of HIV-infected IDU in Edinburgh was estimated to be twice that in the larger nearby city of Glasgow, where a higher proportion of young adults currently injected drugs. Knowledge of the high prevalence of HIV in Edinburgh IDU (19.3%), the prescribing of oral substitutes, and counselling by doctors and drug workers are perceived reasons for the reduction in the prevalence of injecting which has occurred in Edinburgh in recent years. Such measures need to be continued to encourage further reduction of injecting. (+info)