Annals of Global Health最新文献

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between accessibility to healthcare facilities and transportation in the Guelmim Oued Noun region of Morocco, where transportation barriers continue to pose a major challenge to accessing healthcare, despite efforts aimed at reducing access barriers.

Methods: Data collection for this study involved the administration of a survey among 328 outpatients residing in the Guelmim Oued Noun region, Morocco. The utilization of canonical correlation served as the analytical method, employed to quantify and assess the relationship between transportation related barriers and the access of healthcare services in the specified region.

Results: Our research reveals that transportation factors account for approximately 25% of the variation in access to healthcare services. The number of transportation modes utilized by outpatients and the affordability of transportation were found to be significant contributors to the transportation dimension. These findings confirm the significant relationship between transportation and access to healthcare facilities in the region under investigation.

Conclusion: Further research is recommended to specifically address transportation barriers to healthcare access services among socially excluded populations, with a focus on promoting mobility inclusivity.

Background: Thirty-four million children globally have disabling hearing loss, with the highest prevalence in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Early identification and management is crucial, yet barriers to screening and treatment of hearing loss are extensive in LMICs. Unaddressed hearing loss negatively impacts individuals and communities. The WHO's 2021 World Report on Hearing urges the development of Ear and Hearing Care (EHC) programs to improve access to all aspects of care, including screening, diagnostics, management, and developmental support. A joint Nairobi- and Seattle-based group convened in 2021 to discuss strategies for program development in Kenya, as presented in this paper.

Findings: Developing a national EHC program must include the necessary support services for a child with a diagnosed hearing loss, while simultaneously promoting engagement of family, community, and healthcare workers. Existing government and healthcare system policies and priorities can be leveraged for EHC programming. Strategies for success include strengthening connections between policymakers at national, county, and municipal levels and local champions for the EHC agenda, with a concurrent focus on policy, early detection and intervention, habilitation, and family-centered care. Updates to health policy and funding to support the accessibility of services and equipment should focus on leveraging national healthcare coverage for hearing technologies and services, strengthening referral pathways, training to bolster the workforce, and metrics for monitoring and evaluation. Additional strategies to support forward progress include strategic engagement of partners and leveraging local partners for phased scale-up.

Conclusions and recommendations: Recommendations to strengthen EHC within the Kenyan health system include concurrent leverage of existing health policies and priorities, partner engagement, and strengthening referral pathways, monitoring and evaluation, and training. These strategies may be generalized to other countries too.

Background: The United Nations has declared that humans have a right to clean air. Despite this, many deaths and disability-adjusted life years are attributed to air pollution exposure each year. We face both challenges to air quality and opportunities to improve, but several areas need to be addressed with urgency.

Objective: This paper summarises the recent research presented at the Pacific Basin Consortium for Environment and Health Symposium and focuses on three key areas of air pollution that are important to human health and require more research.

Findings and conclusion: Indoor spaces are commonly places of exposure to poor air quality and are difficult to monitor and regulate. Global climate change risks worsening air quality in a bi-directional fashion. The rising use of electric vehicles may offer opportunities to improve air quality, but it also presents new challenges. Government policies and initiatives could lead to improved air and environmental justice. Several populations, such as older people and children, face increased harm from air pollution and should become priority groups for action.

Within the broader Anthropocene Epoch resides the Plasticene Era, where humans are subjected pervasively to nano- and microplastics (NMPs). Human's widespread exposure with NMPs occurs through the air we breathe, water we drink, and food we eat. NMP sources are wide and varied; atmospheric NMPs are largely attributed to fibres from car tyres and synthetic clothing, while particles from food packaging, personal care products, and plastic manufacturing contribute significantly to food and water contamination. NMPs have become inherent within the human body and have been found in every organ. As such, the evidence base around adverse health effects is fragmented but growing. This article presents a mini-review and report of sessions presented about NMPs at the 19th International Conference of the Pacific Basin Consortium for Environment and Health, held on Jeju Island, in 2022. Abundant evidence of substantial exposure to NMPs in the Asia-Pacific region has been exhibited. Addressing this issue necessitates the collaboration of policymakers, manufacturers, and researchers to develop safer alternatives and implement mitigation and remediation strategies. The ongoing development of a new United Nations-led global plastic treaty presents a crucial opportunity that must be acted on and not be compromised.

Background: Africa faces diverse and complex population/human health challenges due to climate change. Understanding the health impacts of climate change in Africa in all its complexity is essential for implementing effective strategies and policies to mitigate risks and protect vulnerable populations. This study aimed to outline the major climate change-related health impacts in Africa in the context of economic resilience and to seek solutions and provide strategies to prevent or reduce adverse effects of climate change on human health and well-being in Africa.

Methods: For this narrative review, a literature search was conducted in the Web of Science, Scopus, CAB Abstracts, MEDLINE and EMBASE electronic databases. We also searched the reference lists of retrieved articles for additional records as well as reports. We followed a conceptual framework to ensure all aspects of climate change and health impacts in Africa were identified.

Results: The average temperatures in all six eco-regions of Africa have risen since the early twentieth century, and heat exposure, extreme events, and sea level rise are projected to disproportionately affect Africa, resulting in a larger burden of health impacts than other continents. Given that climate change already poses substantial challenges to African health and well-being, this will necessitate significant effort, financial investment, and dedication to climate change mitigation and adaptation. This review offers African leaders and decision-makers data-driven and action-oriented strategies that will ensure a more resilient healthcare system and safe, healthy populations-in ways that contribute to economic resiliency.

Conclusions: The urgency of climate-health action integrated with sustainable development in Africa cannot be overstated, given the multiple economic gains from reducing current impacts and projected risks of climate change on the continent's population health and well-being. Climate action must be integrated into Africa's development plan to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, protect vulnerable populations from the detrimental effects of climate change, and promote economic development.

The co-existence of deadly viral pandemics can be considered a nightmare for public health authorities. The surge of a Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak in Africa at a time when the coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic is partially controlled with its limited resources is an urgent call for concern. Over the past decades, several bouts of MVD outbreaks have occurred in Africa with an alarming case fatality rate. Despite this, little has been done to end its recurrence, and affected countries essentially depend on preventative rather than curative measures of management. The recent outbreak of MVD declared by the health officials of Equatorial Guinea, causing several deaths in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, signals the need for speed in the establishment and the implementation of appropriate health policies and health system strategies to contain, destroy, and prevent the spread of this deadly virus to other neighboring countries.