The Arab region in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) represents a substantial area of the terrestrial landmass encompassing several countries and ecosystems. This area is generally drier and warmer compared to the rest of the world and has extreme resource limitations that are highly vulnerabl...e to a changing climate, geopolitical instability and land degradation (Slimani & Aidoud, 2004). Agriculture (crops and livestock) is a critical source of employment and a potential option for engaging rural youth. However, environmental degradation coupled with declining and variable agricultural productivity may pose a massive challenge already beset by instability and declining oil reserves (Tagliapietra, 2017). The Arab region is also subjected to short and long-duration climate extreme events, and the overall impact of their cascading effects on ecosystems, societies and economies is still an open question. Climate change, along with post-war geopolitical complexities, has greatly affected the Arab region in terms of its economy and social balance. Climate change has penetrating effects on the region’s agriculture sector and hence its economy. These are mainly manifested via changes in water resources and extreme weather conditions such as heatwaves and a drastic decline in precipitation.
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The longlist of knowledge gaps is based on existing research agendas published in 2015 or later and expert input from reviewers of the first draft of the longlist. It only includes knowledge gaps focussing on a better
understanding of the relationship between global environmental change and human h...ealth, and finding an answer to the question of how best to protect human health against these new threats.
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The training you receive will give you the tools you need to feel confident about broaching the subject with your patients. Reviewing the materials the job aids, especially job aids 4a and 7a, can help refresh your knowledge in the months and years ahead. Remember, with practice over time, you will ...find it easier to recognize the signs and symptoms associated with IPV and to know how to ask questions with empathy.
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Community feedback considered in this report was collected through information received from Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) focal points,as well as through primary data collection,in 10 African countries.Red Cross and Red Crescent National Society CEA focal points were asked to share ...the main rumours, observation, beliefs, questions or suggestions they are hearing in their countries andto grade them according to their frequency. Focal points from the following countries provided information this way: Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Niger, South Africa.
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22.9% of surveyed Syrian refugees aged 2 years and above had disabilities (1,374 persons out of 6,003 persons): 13.8% in Azraq camp, 23.5% in Irbid and 30.5% in Zaatari camp. Understanding disability as the level of difficulties a person is facing when performing basic activities that could put him/...her at risk of not participating in society, the prevalence of disability found by the study was markedly higher than the existing disability statistics at around 2-3% to less than 10%, many of which used questions focusing on a person’s medical conditions or impairments.
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The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has revealed the fragility of pre-crisis African health systems, in which too little was invested over the past decades. Yet, development assistance for health (DAH) more than doubled between 2000 and 2020, raising questions about the role and effectivenes...s of DAH in triggering and sustaining health systems investments.
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Un an après le début de la pandémie, la COVID-19 a changé le monde et continue de peser sur notre quotidien. La pandémie a mis en évidence les lacunes des systèmes de santé tandis que le personnel de santé a été exposé au virus de façon
disproportionnée. Tout au long de l’année pas...sée, les infirmières ont affiché leur volonté et leur souplesse
en s’adaptant à de nouvelles méthodes de travail. Des millions d’infections à la COVID-19 ont été signalées parmi les agents de santé dans le monde et, hélas, le Conseil International des Infirmières (CII) a enregistré près de 3 000 décès qui lui sont
imputables parmi les infirmières dans 60 pays. Il est probable que le chiffre réel soit beaucoup plus élevé, le nombre d’infections et de décès parmi les agents de santé restant impossible à évaluer avec précision dans la mesure où de nombreux systèmes et pays n’ont pas assuré le suivi de cette question capitale.
Sur le long terme, les effets de la COVID-19, dont la « COVID longue » et le syndrome de stress posttraumatique différé, pourraient avoir d’importants effets délétères, en particulier sur le personnel infirmie
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February 2021.
Improving our response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Africa requires regularly updated information, constant innovation, and considerable support towards research and development (R&D) for priorities that respond to the African realities. Shaping the research agenda and stimula...ting the generation, translation, and dissemination of valuable knowledge is one of the core functions of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), African Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC), and WHO-AFRO. We need answers to a list of critical research questions that respond to the current realities on the African continent to guide the COVID-19 outbreak control efforts
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How does coronavirus (COVID-19) spread? What are the symptoms? Who is at risk? How can you protect yourself and your family? This short animation, designed for a range of settings and in different languages, answers these questions.
Versions: Asia (English) | Asia (Hindi) | Asia (Tamil)
Following a radiation incident such as an improvised nuclear device (IND) detonation, state and local response authorities will need to establish one or more population monitoring and decontamination facilities to assess
people for radioactive exposure, contamination, and the need for
decontamin...ation or other medical follow-up. These facilities are known as community reception centers (CRCs). The basic services offered at a CRC include the following: screening people for radioactive contamination, assisting people with washing or decontamination, registering people for subsequent follow-up, and prioritizing people for further care. This guide
describes the function of each station of a CRC and provides a question bank and other information to guide data collection at each station. A question bank format was chosen to provide the user the ability to tai
lor the data collection tool to fit a particular incident and/or locality.
The CRC data collection tool is designed for CRC staff to fill out the information collected from the individual being assessed.
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Ebola virus (EBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV) are associated with severe, potentially fatal, systemic diseases. During the development of the Infection Prevention and Control Guideline for Ebola Disease and Marburg Disease, the Guideline Development Group (GDG) identified multiple research gaps in key... areas and practices that lacked strong evidence to help in the formulation of recommendations. Because of the lack of strong evidence, there exists an array of research questions related to infection prevention and control (IPC) in the context of Ebola Disease (EBOD) and Marburg Disease (MARD). Identifying those that are priorities would help policy-makers target efforts and funding to support the most relevant studies. The objective of this research prioritization exercise was to identify the short- to medium-term (over the next two years) priority research questions for IPC in health care settings based on the gaps identified during the EBOD/MARD IPC guideline development process.
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The era of effective antibiotics is coming to a close. In just a few generations, many “miracle medicines”have been beaten into ineffectiveness by the bacteria they were intended to eradicate. Bacteria quickly adapt to the presence of antibacterial agents in order ...to survive. The misuse of antibiotics,which is an international problem, only exacerbates the steady evolution of resistance. In August 2010, the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases posed the question "Is this the end of antibiotics?" documentingthe rapid spread of multidrug-resistant bacteriaand predicting that 10 years remain in the useful life of many agents.
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CEPI is seeking to raise $3.5 billion to implement CEPI’s next 5-year plan. To mitigate the immediate threat of COVID-19 variants, it is activating key elements of this plan now—and seeking to mobilise a portion of this $3.5 billion in 2021. We have already launched R&D programmes to initiate de...velopment of next-generation vaccines against COVID-19 variants and we are planning studies to answer critical scientific questions related to the durability of immunity, effectiveness of mixed-vaccine regimens, and vaccine effectiveness in vulnerable populations such as pregnant women. We are also bringing forward our plans to develop vaccines that could protect against multiple COVID-19 variants and other coronavirus specie
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This topic last updated: Apr 28, 2020.
The content on the UpToDate website is not intended nor recommended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your own physician or other qualified health care professional regarding any medical questions or condi...tions.
View in: English, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Video in Spanish
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PLoS Negl Trop Dis 15(8): e0009697. Chagas disease (CD), caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects ~6–7 million people worldwide. Significant limitations still exist in our understanding of CD. Harnessing individual participant data (IPD) from studies could support more in-depth analyses t...o address the many outstanding research questions. This systematic review aims to describe the characteristics and treatment practices of clinical studies in CD and assess the breadth and availability of research data for the potential establishment of a data-sharing platform.
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Effective Ebola risk communication requires respect and transparency and remains as vital
as ever. An assessment of changing communication needs and preferences in Beni, North Kivu.
In the second year of the current Ebola outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), people at ris...k still don’t have clear answers to their questions about the disease in a language they understand. Many local health communicators are themselves confused about the disease prevention and treatment measures they promote. The language, content, and form of communication about Ebola affect how far people understand, trust and act upon it.
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Asthma is the commonest chronic respiratory tract disease in children. In low-income countries, challenges exist in asthma diagnosis. In surveys done in children, the prevalence of ‘asthma’ defined by symptoms is high compared to ‘doctor diagnosed asthma’. The questions answered by this revi...ew are What challenges have been experienced in the diagnosis of asthma in children? What solutions will address these challenges?
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Second interim report to the SMAC program, DFID Freetown
This report provides further output from an anthropological study of 25 villages affected by Ebola Virus Disease in eastern and central Sierra Leone, undertaken as part of the DFID-funded social mobilization initiative for Ebola prevention in... Sierra Leone. Eight focus group transcripts for 3 villages in Kenema District are presented, covering local responses to health issues, and Ebola in particular. Supporting material from a matching questionnaire-based study of health behavior and perceived causes of Ebola is also provided. Of particular relevance are two summary tables aggregating the questions villagers asked survey teams about Ebola and quarantine-related issues in villages where the epidemic has in effect ceased to be active
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User GuideThe toolkit is composed of three sections: Hospital and Health System Resources - includes a readiness assessment tool, the starting point in developing or enhancing a successful Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP). The tool, a checklist developed by the CDC, should be shared with se...nior management, a senior leader for quality, purchasing directors, clinic managers, nurse managers, key physician leaders, risk managers, pharmacy leaders, infection preventionists and hospital epidemiologists, laboratory staff and information technology staff. For ease of use, it is divided into two sections, one for those just beginning a program, the other for those who wish to enhance an existing program. Clinician Resources - includes webinars, clinical evidence supporting appropriate use of antibiotics, implementation guides and related articles.Patient Resources - includes frequently asked questions, pamphlets and handouts on how patients can best engage in their care and resources on appropriate use of antibiotics.
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Background: Healthcare workers’ mental health was affected by SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
Aim: To evaluate healthcare workers’ mental health and its associated factors during the pandemic in Chile. Material and Methods: An online self-reported questionnaire was designed including the Goldberg Healt...h Questionnaire, the Patient Health
Questionnaire, (PHQ-9), and the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale among other questions. It was sent to 28,038 healthcare workers.
Results: The questionnaire was answered by 1,934 participants, with a median age of 38 years (74% women). Seventy five percent were professionals, and 48% worked at a hospital. Fifty nine percent of respondents had a risk of having a mental health disorder, and 73% had depressive symptoms. Significant associations were found with sex, workplace, and some of the relevant experiences during the pandemic. Fifty one
percent reported the need for mental health support, and 38% of them received it.
Conclusions: There is a high percentage of health workers with symptoms of psychological distress, depression, and suicidal ideas. The gender approach is essential to understand the important differences found. Many health workers who required mental health care did not seek or received it.
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