RESUMO
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact worldwide with regions experiencing varying degrees of severity. African countries have mounted different response strategies eliciting varied outcomes. Here, we compare these response strategies in Rwanda, South Africa and Zimbabwe and discuss lessons that could be shared. In particular, Rwanda has a robust and coordinated national health system that has effectively contained the epidemic. South Africa has considerable testing capacity, which has been used productively in a national response largely funded by local resources but affected negatively by corruption. Zimbabwe has an effective point-of-entry approach that utilizes an innovative strategic information system. All three countries would benefit having routine meetings to share experiences and lessons learned during the COVD-19 pandemic.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , Pandemias , Cuba , Humanos , Ruanda/epidemiologia , SARS-CoV-2 , África do Sul/epidemiologia , Zimbábue/epidemiologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Currently, there is little data on the mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aims to examine the pooled and separate prevalence and determinants of depression during the pandemic in samples from four LMICs. METHODS: Participants (N= 1267, 40.9% women) were recruited from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, Rwanda, and Togo. They completed an online cross-sectional survey on sociodemographics, exposure and stigmatization related to COVID-19, the Hopkins Symptom Checklist depression subscale, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-2. RESULTS: The pooled prevalence for depression symptoms was 24.3% (95% CI: 22.08-26.79%), with significant differences across countries. Younger age, gender (women), and high levels of exposure and stigmatization related to COVIID-19, and resilience were associated with depression in the pooled data. There were significant variations at the country level. Stigmatization (but not exposure to COVID-19 and resilience) was a strong predictor among the four countries. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of depression symptoms in the LMICs are similar to those reported in China and in most high-income countries during the pandemic. The findings emphasize the need for implementing non-fear-based education programs during epidemics to reduce stigmatization.
Assuntos
Ansiedade/epidemiologia , COVID-19/psicologia , Depressão/epidemiologia , SARS-CoV-2 , Estigma Social , Adulto , Ansiedade/psicologia , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Estudos Transversais , República Democrática do Congo/epidemiologia , Escolaridade , Feminino , Haiti/epidemiologia , Humanos , Renda , Masculino , Saúde Mental , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Pandemias , Pobreza , Prevalência , Ruanda/epidemiologia , Estereotipagem , Togo , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Studies have documented the significant direct and indirect psychological, social, and economic consequences of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in many countries but little is known on its impact in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) already facing difficult living conditions and having vulnerable health systems that create anxiety among the affected populations. Using a multinational convenience sample from four LMICs (DR Congo, Haiti, Rwanda, and Togo), this study aims to explore the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and associated risk and protective factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A total of 1267 individuals (40.8% of women) completed a questionnaire assessing exposure and stigmatization related to COVID-19, anxiety, and resilience. Analyses were performed to examine the prevalence and predictors of anxiety. RESULTS: Findings showed a pooled prevalence of 24.3% (9.4%, 29.2%, 28.5%, and 16.5% respectively for Togo, Haiti, RDC, and Rwanda, x2 = 32.6, p < .0001). For the pooled data, exposure to COVID-19 (ß = 0.06, p = .005), stigmatization related to COVID-19 (ß = 0.03, p < .001), and resilience (ß = -0.06, p < .001) contributed to the prediction of anxiety scores. Stigmatization related to COVID-19 was significantly associated to anxiety symptoms in all countries (ß = 0.02, p < .00; ß = 0.05, p = .013; ß = 0.03, p = .021; ß = 0.04, p < .001, respectively for the RDC, Rwanda, Haiti, and Togo). CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the need for health education programs in LMICs to decrease stigmatization and the related fears and anxieties, and increase observance of health instructions. Strength-based mental health programs based on cultural and contextual factors need to be developed to reinforce both individual and community resilience and to address the complexities of local eco-systems.
Assuntos
Ansiedade/epidemiologia , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Países em Desenvolvimento/estatística & dados numéricos , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Resiliência Psicológica , Estigma Social , Adulto , Ansiedade/etiologia , Congo/epidemiologia , Feminino , Haiti/epidemiologia , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Prevalência , Fatores de Proteção , Fatores de Risco , Ruanda/epidemiologia , Togo/epidemiologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To explore whether the climate has played a role in the COVID-19 outbreak, we compared virus lethality in countries closer to the Equator with others. Lethality in European territories and in territories of some nations with a non-temperate climate was also compared. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Lethality was calculated as the rate of deaths in a determinate moment from the outbreak of the pandemic out of the total of identified positives for COVID-19 in a given area/nation, based on the COVID-John Hopkins University website. Lethality of countries located within the 5th parallels North/South on 6 April and 6 May 2020, was compared with that of all the other countries. Lethality in the European areas of The Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom was also compared to the territories of the same nations in areas with a non-temperate climate. RESULTS: A lower lethality rate of COVID-19 was found in Equatorial countries both on April 6 (OR=0.72 CI 95% 0.66-0.80) and on May 6 (OR=0.48, CI 95% 0.47-0.51), with a strengthening over time of the protective effect. A trend of higher risk in European vs. non-temperate areas was found on April 6, but a clear difference was evident one month later: France (OR=0.13, CI 95% 0.10-0.18), The Netherlands (OR=0.5, CI 95% 0.3-0.9) and the UK (OR=0.2, CI 95% 0.01-0.51). This result does not seem to be totally related to the differences in age distribution of different sites. CONCLUSIONS: The study does not seem to exclude that the lethality of COVID-19 may be climate sensitive. Future studies will have to confirm these clues, due to potential confounding factors, such as pollution, population age, and exposure to malaria.
Assuntos
Clima , Infecções por Coronavirus/mortalidade , Pneumonia Viral/mortalidade , Estações do Ano , Tempo (Meteorologia) , Betacoronavirus , Brunei/epidemiologia , Burundi/epidemiologia , COVID-19 , Congo/epidemiologia , Infecções por Coronavirus/epidemiologia , Equador/epidemiologia , Guiné Equatorial/epidemiologia , Europa (Continente) , França/epidemiologia , Gabão/epidemiologia , Humanos , Ilhas do Oceano Índico/epidemiologia , Indonésia/epidemiologia , Quênia/epidemiologia , Malásia/epidemiologia , Melanesia/epidemiologia , Micronésia/epidemiologia , Países Baixos/epidemiologia , Pandemias , Papua Nova Guiné/epidemiologia , Pneumonia Viral/epidemiologia , Ruanda/epidemiologia , SARS-CoV-2 , Samoa/epidemiologia , São Tomé e Príncipe/epidemiologia , Seicheles/epidemiologia , Singapura/epidemiologia , Somália/epidemiologia , Timor-Leste/epidemiologia , Clima Tropical , Uganda/epidemiologia , Reino Unido/epidemiologiaRESUMO
The Schistosomiasis Consortium for Operational Research and Evaluation (SCORE) was funded in 2008 to conduct research that would support country schistosomiasis control programs. As schistosomiasis prevalence decreases in many places and elimination is increasingly within reach, a sensitive and specific test to detect infection with Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium has become a pressing need. After obtaining broad input, SCORE supported Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) to modify the serum-based antigen assay for use with urine, simplify the assay, and improve its sensitivity. The urine assay eventually contributed to several of the larger SCORE studies. For example, in Zanzibar, we demonstrated that urine filtration, the standard parasite egg detection diagnostic test for S. haematobium, greatly underestimated prevalence in low-prevalence settings. In Burundi and Rwanda, the circulating anodic antigen (CAA) assay provided critical information about the limitations of the stool-based Kato-Katz parasite egg-detection assay for S. mansoni in low-prevalence settings. Other SCORE-supported CAA work demonstrated that frozen, banked urine specimens yielded similar results to fresh ones; pooling of specimens may be a useful, cost-effective approach for surveillance in some settings; and the assay can be performed in local laboratories equipped with adequate centrifuge capacity. These improvements in the assay continue to be of use to researchers around the world. However, additional work will be needed if widespread dissemination of the CAA assay is to occur, for example, by building capacity in places besides LUMC and commercialization of the assay. Here, we review the evolution of the CAA assay format during the SCORE period with emphasis on urine-based applications.
Assuntos
Antígenos de Helmintos/imunologia , Glicoproteínas/imunologia , Proteínas de Helminto/imunologia , Schistosoma/imunologia , Esquistossomose/diagnóstico , Animais , Biomarcadores , Burundi/epidemiologia , Criança , Testes Diagnósticos de Rotina , Fezes/parasitologia , Feminino , Humanos , Testes Imunológicos , Masculino , Modelos Animais , Papio/parasitologia , Contagem de Ovos de Parasitas , Prevalência , Ruanda/epidemiologia , Santa Lúcia/epidemiologia , Schistosoma/isolamento & purificação , Schistosoma haematobium/imunologia , Schistosoma haematobium/isolamento & purificação , Schistosoma japonicum/imunologia , Schistosoma japonicum/isolamento & purificação , Schistosoma mansoni/imunologia , Schistosoma mansoni/isolamento & purificação , Esquistossomose/epidemiologia , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Tanzânia/epidemiologia , Urina/parasitologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To assess the frequency, interventions, and outcomes of children presenting with traumatic brain injury or infectious encephalopathy in low-resource settings. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Four hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa. PATIENTS: Children age 1 day to 17 years old evaluated at the hospital with traumatic brain injury or infectious encephalopathy. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We evaluated the frequency and outcomes of children presenting consecutively over 4 weeks to any hospital department with traumatic brain injury or infectious encephalopathy. Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category score was assessed pre morbidity and at hospital discharge. Overall, 130 children were studied (58 [45%] had traumatic brain injury) from hospitals in Ethiopia (n = 51), Kenya (n = 50), Rwanda (n = 20), and Ghana (n = 7). Forty-six percent had no prehospital care, and 64% required interhospital transport over 18 km (1-521 km). On comparing traumatic brain injury with infectious encephalopathy, there was no difference in presentation with altered mental state (80% vs 82%), but a greater proportion of traumatic brain injury cases had loss of consciousness (80% vs 53%; p = 0.004). Traumatic brain injury patients were older (median [range], 120 mo [6-204 mo] vs 13 mo [0.3-204 mo]), p value of less than 0.001, and more likely male (73% vs 51%), p value of less than 0.01. In 78% of infectious encephalopathy cases, cause was unknown. More infectious encephalopathy cases had a seizure (69% vs 12%; p < 0.001). In regard to outcome, infectious encephalopathy versus traumatic brain injury: hospital lengths of stay were longer for infectious encephalopathy (8 d [2-30 d] vs 4 d [1-36 d]; p = 0.003), discharge rate to home, or for inpatient rehabilitation, or death differed between infectious encephalopathy (85%, 1%, and 13%) and traumatic brain injury (79%, 12%, and 1%), respectively, p value equals to 0.044. There was no difference in the proportion of children surviving with normal or mild disability (73% traumatic brain injury vs 79% infectious encephalopathy; p = 0.526). CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiology and outcomes of pediatric traumatic brain injury and infectious encephalopathy varied by center and disease. To improve outcomes of these conditions in low-resource setting, focus should be on neurocritical care protocols for pre-hospital, hospital, and rehabilitative care.
Assuntos
Lesões Encefálicas Traumáticas/mortalidade , Encefalite/mortalidade , Adolescente , Lesões Encefálicas Traumáticas/etiologia , Lesões Encefálicas Traumáticas/terapia , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Encefalite/etiologia , Encefalite/terapia , Etiópia/epidemiologia , Feminino , Gana/epidemiologia , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Quênia/epidemiologia , Masculino , Avaliação das Necessidades , Áreas de Pobreza , Estudos Prospectivos , Ruanda/epidemiologia , Transporte de Pacientes/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
PURPOSE: Prevalence estimates of depression vary between countries, possibly due to differential functioning of items between settings. This study compared the performance of the widely used Hopkins symptom checklist 15-item depression scale (HSCL-15) across multiple settings using item response theory analyses. Data came from adult populations in the low and middle income countries (LMIC) of Colombia, Indonesia, Kurdistan Iraq, Rwanda, Iraq, Thailand (Burmese refugees), and Uganda (N = 4732). METHODS: Item parameters based on a graded response model were compared across LMIC settings. Differential item functioning (DIF) by setting was evaluated using multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) models. RESULTS: Most items performed well across settings except items related to suicidal ideation and "loss of sexual interest or pleasure," which had low discrimination parameters (suicide: a = 0.31 in Thailand to a = 2.49 in Indonesia; sexual interest: a = 0.74 in Rwanda to a = 1.26 in one region of Kurdistan). Most items showed some degree of DIF, but DIF only impacted aggregate scale-level scores in Indonesia. CONCLUSIONS: Thirteen of the 15 HSCL depression items performed well across diverse settings, with most items showing a strong relationship to the underlying trait of depression. The results support the cross-cultural applicability of most of these depression symptoms across LMIC settings. DIF impacted aggregate depression scores in one setting illustrating a possible source of measurement invariance in prevalence estimates.
Assuntos
Comparação Transcultural , Depressão/epidemiologia , Países em Desenvolvimento/estatística & dados numéricos , Adulto , Colômbia/epidemiologia , Depressão/etnologia , Etnicidade/psicologia , Etnicidade/estatística & dados numéricos , Feminino , Humanos , Indonésia/epidemiologia , Iraque/epidemiologia , Masculino , Modelos Teóricos , Prevalência , Escalas de Graduação Psiquiátrica , Psicometria , Ruanda/epidemiologia , Tailândia/epidemiologia , Uganda/epidemiologiaAssuntos
Vacinas contra Cólera/provisão & distribuição , Cólera/epidemiologia , Cólera/prevenção & controle , Cólera/terapia , Vacinas contra Cólera/administração & dosagem , República Democrática do Congo/epidemiologia , Surtos de Doenças/prevenção & controle , Haiti/epidemiologia , Humanos , Ruanda/epidemiologiaRESUMO
CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Epidemiology may help educators to face the challenge of establishing content guidelines for the curricula in medical schools. The aim was to develop learning objectives for a medical curriculum from an epidemiology database. DESIGN AND SETTING: Descriptive study assessing morbidity and mortality data, conducted in a private university in São Paulo. METHODS: An epidemiology database was used, with mortality and morbidity recorded as summaries of deaths and the World Health Organization's Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY). The scoring took into consideration probabilities for mortality and morbidity. RESULTS: The scoring presented a classification of health conditions to be used by a curriculum design committee, taking into consideration its highest and lowest quartiles, which corresponded respectively to the highest and lowest impact on morbidity and mortality. Data from three countries were used for international comparison and showed distinct results. The resulting scores indicated topics to be developed through educational taxonomy. CONCLUSION: The frequencies of the health conditions and their statistical treatment made it possible to identify topics that should be fully developed within medical education. The classification also suggested limits between topics that should be developed in depth, including knowledge and development of skills and attitudes, regarding topics that can be concisely presented at the level of knowledge.
Assuntos
Currículo , Bases de Dados Factuais/estatística & dados numéricos , Educação Médica , Morbidade , Mortalidade , Anos de Vida Ajustados por Qualidade de Vida , Brasil/epidemiologia , Pessoas com Deficiência/classificação , Pessoas com Deficiência/estatística & dados numéricos , Humanos , Ruanda/epidemiologia , Reino Unido/epidemiologia , Organização Mundial da SaúdeRESUMO
CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Epidemiology may help educators to face the challenge of establishing content guidelines for the curricula in medical schools. The aim was to develop learning objectives for a medical curriculum from an epidemiology database. DESIGN AND SETTING: Descriptive study assessing morbidity and mortality data, conducted in a private university in São Paulo. METHODS: An epidemiology database was used, with mortality and morbidity recorded as summaries of deaths and the World Health Organization's Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY). The scoring took into consideration probabilities for mortality and morbidity. RESULTS: The scoring presented a classification of health conditions to be used by a curriculum design committee, taking into consideration its highest and lowest quartiles, which corresponded respectively to the highest and lowest impact on morbidity and mortality. Data from three countries were used for international comparison and showed distinct results. The resulting scores indicated topics to be developed through educational taxonomy. CONCLUSION: The frequencies of the health conditions and their statistical treatment made it possible to identify topics that should be fully developed within medical education. The classification also suggested limits between topics that should be developed in depth, including knowledge and development of skills and attitudes, regarding topics that can be concisely presented at the level of knowledge.
CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: A epidemiologia pode auxiliar os educadores a enfrentar o desafio de estabelecer diretrizes para o conteúdo dos currículos em escolas médicas. O objetivo foi desenvolver objetivos de aprendizagem para um currículo médico por meio de um banco de dados epidemiológicos. TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL: Estudo descritivo avaliando dados de morbidade e mortalidade, realizado por universidade particular em São Paulo. MÉTODOS: O banco de dados epidemiológicos com morbidade e mortalidade registrados como resumo de causas de morte e o Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) da Organização Mundial de Saúde foi utilizado. A pontuação desenvolvida considerou probabilidades de mortalidade e morbidade. RESULTADOS: A pontuação apresenta uma classificação dessas condições de saúde para ser utilizada por uma comissão responsável pelo desenho curricular, considerando seus quartis superior e inferior, designando, respectivamente, maior e menor impacto na morbidade e mortalidade. Dados de três países foram utilizados para comparação internacional, mostrando resultados distintos. As pontuações resultantes indicaram temas a serem desenvolvidos pela taxonomia educacional. CONCLUSÃO: A frequência das condições de saúde e seu tratamento estatístico possibilitaram a identificação de temas que devem ser plenamente desenvolvidos em educação médica. A classificação sugere também limites entre tópicos que devem ser desenvolvidos em profundidade, incluindo o conhecimento e o desenvolvimento de habilidades e atitudes, a respeito de tópicos que podem ser concisamente apresentados ao nível de conhecimento.