id21 Health

Teacher training colleges prevent HIV infection in Africa

id21 — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:45:39 +0000

The burden of HIV and AIDS is undermining the capacity of educational systems to function in Africa. Teacher training colleges need to rise to the challenge. Education ministries can play a key role in ensuring HIV and AIDS policies are integrated into teacher training structures.

Linking school attendance with adolescent reproductive and sexual health

id21 — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:17:09 +0000

School attendance has increased dramatically in developing countries over the last two to three decades. Teenagers also face different sexual and reproductive health challenges. Tracing the links between school attendance and adolescent sexual and reproductive health is key to understanding what programmes will be most effective.

In-service versus pre-service HIV training for health professionals

id21 — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:08:50 +0000

The rapid expansion of HIV treatment in settings with limited resources has required an equally rapid input of training for health professionals. In-service training courses have allowed clinical teams to be quickly prepared, but pre-service training may be a more cost-effective, sustainable alternative.

HIV and child development: need for more research in sub-Saharan Africa

id21 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:06:51 +0000

As Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment (HAART) becomes more available in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), deaths from childhood HIV cases are likely to decrease. HIV infection can impair child development and cause long-term disability. The impact of this HIV-related disability will become increasingly important for policymakers and practitioners. However, a recent review of the existing literature indicates that there is very little research evidence to guide interventions in SSA

Methods for measuring maternal mortality in developing countries

id21 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:03:28 +0000

The Millennium Development Goal on maternal mortality and the shift to results-based funding of maternity services in developing countries have increased the need for data on maternal deaths. But recording who dies and their cause of death is hard for states without routine registration. What methods are on hand to policymakers wishing to estimate maternal mortality?

Evaluating the impact of strategies to prevent HIV among sex workers

id21 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:12:08 +0000

The HIV epidemic continues to spread, and the majority of the 33 million people infected live in poor countries. While there are some assessments of the effectiveness of HIV prevention at the individual and population level, none have examined strategies targeting sex workers in poor countries

Development policy to meet children’s needs for prevention and protection in HIV and AIDS

id21 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:04:42 +0000

Global AIDS policy has focused on treatment and prevention amongst adults. International development strategies have focused on poverty reduction and economic growth. New debates – such as those over whether money should be invested in dedicated HIV and AIDS programmes or general health systems - continue to neglect children as a focus.

Migration and HIV risk in rural Andhra Pradesh

id21 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:07:09 +0000

Two and a half million people in India are living with HIV. In rural Andhra Pradesh, what are the links between migration and HIV? And what can be done to reduce vulnerability to infection among migrant workers? Research from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, in India, explores the links between livelihoods, migration and HIV infection risk. The research is based on a case study of Dokur, a village in the semi-arid tropics of Andhra Pradesh, and data on HIV prevalence and risk behaviour from a clinic in nearby Bhongir

Investing in newborn survival: what is the most cost-effective approach?

id21 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:55:41 +0000

Every year four million newborn babies die worldwide, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Simple and effective interventions exist which could prevent most of these deaths. But how cost-effective are they when scaled up to achieve full coverage? A new study estimated the cost and impact of expanding newborn care

A public health crisis as stocks of medicinal plants start to decline

id21 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:09:11 +0000

An estimated 80 percent of people in developing countries rely on traditional plant-based medicines. Medicinal plants are also vital for producing many important pharmaceutical drugs around the world. However, unsustainable harvesting of the most popular wild plants is depleting stocks and putting public health at risk

Income inequality and nutritional status for India’s women

id21 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:01:11 +0000

Economic growth does not always improve nutrition for everyone. Diseases of poverty and wealth often co-exist in rapidly-developing economies. Data from Indian women show that income inequality increases the risks of both obesity and under-nutrition

Half of all tuberculosis cases in Malawi remain unidentified

id21 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:55:29 +0000

In 2005, the Malawi National Tuberculosis Control Programme began changing its role from directly implementing TB control activities to primarily focusing on policy and guidelines development, mentorship of district staff and monitoring and supervision. This change was in line with concept of the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) which the Ministry of Health embarked upon from 2004. Central to the SWAp is the need to improve equity in access to services, a key factor in tuberculosis care. This study assesses the programme’s success in reaching the most vulnerable groups.

How realistic is universal HAART? Households in Benin count the cost

id21 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:49:33 +0000

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), a powerful therapy composed of multiple anti-HIV drugs, is increasingly available in sub-Saharan Africa. But is it affordable in the long term for everyone who needs it? A new study counted the cost of providing nationwide access to HAART in Benin, West Africa

Is community-based malaria prevention for pregnant women in Uganda cost-effective?

id21 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:41:39 +0000

International malaria control policy recommends that all mothers at risk from malaria receive intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy with the antimalarial sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP). However, costs incurred in accessing SP at health centres could deter pregnant women from seeking care. Researchers in Uganda considered an alternative approach to delivering the treatment

Delivering local disease prevention and health promotion: Brazil and Chile compared

id21 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:34:53 +0000

Current health policy in Latin America advocates a health care model of disease prevention and health promotion at the local level. A new study looked at Brazil and Chile, two countries in the region with decentralised health systems, to find out how effective they are at delivering this model

Can a new vaccine stop the spread of meningitis in Africa?

id21 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:18:08 +0000

Epidemics of meningococcal disease continue to be a major problem for the countries in Africa’s meningitis belt. New conjugate vaccines are being developed which could reduce the number of people carrying the disease and therefore increase herd immunity. But how much is known about how the disease is carried?

Rising food prices entrench children in poverty trap

id21 — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:25:41 +0000

Food prices have increased dramatically in both world markets and local markets since 2006. Children are suffering as a result. In Ethiopia, where food prices have risen by more than 50 percent in the last year, around a third of rural children are chronically malnourished. As a result, these children are gaining lower grades at school. Malnourishment is impacting their cognitive development and their reading, writing and maths skills. Poor and malnourished children from Ethiopia, Peru, India and Vietnam also have fewer friends at school than their peers, lower self-esteem and lower aspirations for their lives. They are caught in a poverty trap.

Stigma and deviance obstruct HIV/AIDS initiatives among female sex workers

id21 — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:43:10 +0000

Female sex workers are key targets for HIV/AIDS initiatives, yet the shame and blame surrounding them impedes attempts to contain the disease. The social structures specific to different locations, as well as the home cultures of female sex workers, shape the discrimination they face and the effectiveness of health initiatives targeting them.

Barriers to providing reproductive health care for internally displaced persons

id21 — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:08:59 +0000

Reproductive health care for internally displaced persons is a neglected area in humanitarian relief operations. Though the international community acknowledges reproductive health is a basic human need, humanitarian agencies need to coordinate their activities if they are to provide health services effectively.

Ethiopia addresses challenges in latrine building and hygiene

id21 — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:12:19 +0000

2008/11 - id21 [Poor hygiene and sanitation are the main causes of death in southern Ethiopia. The Bureau of Health has now introduced a successful strategy in Mirab Abaya and Alaba woredas (or districts) to build latrines and teach people about the importance of sanitation and hygiene]

Training Ethiopia’s blind people in ICTs

id21 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:16:29 +0000

2005/06 - id21 [Blindness in Ethiopia results from a wide range of natural and man-made factors, and is also linked to underdevelopment and armed conflict. Neglect, discrimination and lack of awareness means blind people have little access to education, employment, information and other forms of social participation. Information and communication technologies are, however, beginning to overcome these barriers]

The challenges of transformation of research into policy

id21 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:43:19 +0000

2008/06 - id21 [The relationship between scientific research and government health policy in developing countries is a complex one. Yet it is crucial to ensure that scientific evidence is used as a basis for sound policies which benefit the population]

Reducing maternal mortality in Matlab, Bangladesh

id21 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:40:45 +0000

2008/08 - id21 [The fifth Millennium Development Goal (MDG) aims to reduce maternal mortality by 75 percent between 1990 and 2015. Which strategies are most likely to achieve this? A study in Bangladesh involving the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine aims to fill the knowledge gap]

Civil society organisations lack legitimacy to shape global health policy

id21 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:05:47 +0000

2008/10 - id21 [Civil society organisations deliver health programmes and are key partners in new global health initiatives. But it is debatable to what extent they really represent their communities’ concerns. They need to earn the legitimacy to engage in global decision making that affects the health of millions of people]

Air pollution linked to childhood allergies in Chiang Mai, Thailand

id21 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:02:38 +0000

2008/10 - id21 [Population growth and urbanisation have led to increased air pollution in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Meanwhile, urban residents are suffering from rising levels of respiratory diseases and other allergies. If environmental factors do worsen allergies in children, it may well be that these two trends are linked]

The rising cost of treating malaria in sub-Saharan Africa

id21 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:59:48 +0000

2008/10 - id21 [Treatment for malaria in sub-Saharan Africa is in crisis. The disease is increasingly resistant to drug treatment and new forms of treatment are urgently needed. Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is a successful way of treating malaria, but it will be hard for many countries to meet the costs]

The risk of vascular disease in rural South Africa

id21 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:34:40 +0000

2008/10 - id21 [Non-communicable diseases, including vascular diseases, are set to become a serious economic burden in low-income countries this century. Hypertension and strokes are already common in adults in sub-Saharan Africa. Identifying risk factors is an essential first step in preventing epidemics of vascular diseases in countries ill prepared to deal with them]

Developing an evaluation tool for health research in Ghana

id21 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:38:38 +0000

2008/05 - id21 [Governments and external agencies in developing countries are increasingly identifying ‘capacity building’ as a goal of health research. Management at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Ghana identified capacity building in health research as essential if the school was to develop into a regional centre of excellence. How was an evidence-based evaluation tool developed for KATH?]