Despite global progress in understanding the epidemiology of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), knowledge about the epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remains limited and ...subject to much controversy. In the more than 25 years since the discovery of HIV, no scientific study has provided a comprehensive, data-driven synthesis of the spread of HIV/AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in the region. Consequently, the effectiveness of policies, programs, and resources intended to address the spread of HIV/AIDS has been compromised. This report aims to fill the knowledge gap by providing the first-ever comprehensive scientific assessment and data-driven epidemiological synthesis of HIV's spread in MENA. It is based on a literature review and analysis of thousands of largely unrecognized publications, reports, and data sources extracted from scientific literature or collected from sources at the local, national, and regional levels. The resulting collection of data provides a solid foundation on which efforts to stem the spread of HIV/AIDS can be based.'Characterizing the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa' will be of particular interest to policy makers, researchers, development practitioners, and specialists in public health and epidemiology.
Abstract
The NORDCAN database and program (www.ancr.nu) include detailed information and results on cancer incidence, mortality and prevalence in each of the Nordic countries over five decades and ...has lately been supplemented with predictions of cancer incidence and mortality; future extensions include the incorporation of cancer survival estimates. Material and methods. The data originates from the national cancer registries and causes of death registries in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Faroe Islands and is regularly updated. Presently 41 cancer entities are included in the common dataset, and conversions of the original national data according to international rules ensure comparability. Results. With 25 million inhabitants in the Nordic countries, 130 000 incident cancers are reported yearly, alongside nearly 60 000 cancer deaths, with almost a million persons living with a cancer diagnosis. This web-based application is available in English and in each of the five Nordic national languages. It includes comprehensive and easy-to-use descriptive epidemiology tools that provide tabulations and graphs, with further user-specified options available. Discussion. The NORDCAN database aims to provide comparable and timely data to serve the varying needs of policy makers, cancer societies, the public, and journalists, as well as the clinical and research community.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
National cancer control plans: a global analysis Romero, Yannick; Trapani, Dario; Johnson, Sonali ...
The lancet oncology,
October 2018, 2018-10-00, 20181001, Letnik:
19, Številka:
10
Journal Article
Recenzirano
There is increasing global recognition that national cancer plans are crucial to effectively address the cancer burden and to prioritise and coordinate programmes. We did a global analysis of ...available national cancer-related health plans using a standardised assessment questionnaire to assess their inclusion of elements that characterise an effective cancer plan and, thereby, improve understanding of the strengths and limitations of existing plans. The results show progress in the development of cancer plans, as well as in the inclusion of stakeholders in plan development, but little evidence of their implementation. Areas of continued unmet need include setting of realistic priorities, specification of programmes for cancer management, allocation of appropriate budgets, monitoring and evaluation of plan implementation, promotion of research, and strengthening of information systems. We found that countries with a non-communicable disease (NCD) plan but no national cancer control plan (NCCP) were less likely than countries with an NCCP and NCP plan or an NCCP only to have comprehensive, coherent, or consistent plans. As countries move towards universal health coverage, greater emphasis is needed on developing NCCPs that are evidence based, financed, and implemented to ensure translation into action.
There is mounting concern for the health of urban populations as cities expand at an unprecedented rate. Urban green spaces provide settings for a remarkable range of physical and mental health ...benefits, and pioneering health policy is recognizing nature as a cost-effective tool for planning healthy cities. Despite this, limited information on how specific elements of nature deliver health outcomes restricts its use for enhancing population health. We articulate a framework for identifying direct and indirect causal pathways through which nature delivers health benefits, and highlight current evidence. We see a need for a bold new research agenda founded on testing causality that transcends disciplinary boundaries between ecology and health. This will lead to cost-effective and tailored solutions that could enhance population health and reduce health inequalities.
Introduction: Demand for caregivers is on the rise. In the US, 53 million individuals provided care in 2020. Older adults constitute nearly half of all care recipients and often receive care from a ...family member. This study identified the health care needs of caregivers regarding health care use, access to resources, and unmet needs. Methods: We used a retrospective, cross-sectional design to examine existing data collected between 2013 and 2018 regarding caregiver experiences. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a chi-square test of independence. Results: Caregivers were primarily female, White, between the 18 and 64 years of age, and often provided care to family members experiencing physical or mental conditions impacting safety and independence. Additional data were categorized and reported on the state of care, caregiver perceptions, and impact on the dyad. Conclusion: This study provides important insights into caregiver experiences. Occupational therapists can use this information to reach a broader demographic of caregivers currently not well represented in the caregiver data. Comments The authors declare that they have no competing financial, professional, or personal interest that might have influenced the performance or presentation of the work described in this manuscript. Keywords Caregivers, Healthcare, Aging
In recent years, many countries, both developed and developing, have engaged in a process of decentralization of health service delivery and/or other functions of the health system. In most cases, ...decentralization has been adopted to improve accountability to local population, efficiency in service provision, equity in access and resource distribution, or to increase resource mobilization. Ghana has a long history of local government, going back to pre- independence times of the nineteenth century. By 1859 Municipal Councils were established in the major coastal towns of the then Gold Coast. Native Authorities, Councils and Courts were also established to administer law and order under the indirect authority of the colonial government; the limitations of this system was repeatedly put forward in the 1930s and 1940s, and reforms were introduced in 1951 by the Local Government Ordinance (Ahwoi 2010). The government has embarked in a decentralization policy since independence, which was strengthened and amplified by the local government act of 1993 and other legislations. At the present the Government of Ghana (GOG) is committed to strengthen the implementation of decentralization and for that purpose revise and strengthen the policy and regulatory framework governing decentralization. In spite of this long history and successive waves of decentralization reforms, effective decentralization in the country still faces considerable challenges, especially in large social sectors involving large structures. The public health sector is one that has not fully embraced the decentralization model adopted by the GOG, decentralization by devolution to the districts, for a number of reasons that will be discussed in this report. Some functions and responsibilities have been decentralized, but others remain centralized or simply deconcentrated.
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