Ancylostoma ceylanicum and other zoonotic canine hookworms:neglected public and animal health risks in the Asia-Pacific region

Zoonotic hookworm infections remain a significant public health problem,causing nearly 500 milion cases globally and approximately four million disability-adjusted life years lost annually.More than one-fth of these cases are attrib-uted to Ancylostoma ceylanicum,an emerging zoonotic health issue in the Asia-Pacific region.This review presents key research gaps regarding the epidemiology,diagnosis,control,prevention and elimination of A.ceylanicum and other canine zoonotic hookworms as neglected health threats.A.ceylanicum is the second most prevalent human hook-worm in the region;it is the most common hookworm among dogs and cats-reservoirs of zoonotic infections.Previous population genetic and phylogenetic analyses revealed that A.ceylanicum has three possible transmis-sion dynamics:zoonotic,animal-only,and human-only pathways.The actual burden of zoonotic ancylostomiasis in most endemic countries remains unknown due to the use of parasitological techniques(e.g.,Kato-Katz thick smear and floatation techniques)that have reduced diagnostic performance and do not allow accurate species identifica-tion in helminth surveys.The emergence of benzimidazole resistance in soil-transmitted helminths(STHs),includ-ing hookworms,is a concern due to the protracted implementation of mass drug administration(MDA).Resistance is conferred by single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)that occur in theβ-tubulin isotype 1 gene.These mutations have been reported in drug-resistant A.caninum but have not been found in A.ceylanicum in the field.A.ceylanicum remains understudied in the Asia-Pacific region.The zoonotic nature of the parasite warrants investigation of its occur-rence in human and animal reservoir hosts to understand the dynamics of zoonotic transmission in different endemic foci.The detection of benzimidazole resistance-associated SNPs in zoonotic hookworms from Asia-Pacific countries has yet to be thoroughly explored.Considering the high level of hookworm endemicity in the region,the circulation of resistant isolates between humans and animals potentially presents a significant One Health threat that can under-mine current MDA and proposed animal deworming-based control efforts.

Comprehensive Analysis of Cancer Incidence and Mortality Trends in Costa Rica: Implications for Public Health

This commentary delves into the evolving landscape of cancer incidence and mortality in Costa Rica, presenting a comprehensive analysis of the data. Key findings reveal a concerning upward trajectory in cancer incidence rates, placing Costa Rica at the forefront within Central America. While prostate cancer and breast cancer dominate, disparities emerge when scrutinizing gender-specific trends. Notably, stomach and cervical cancers show declines, potentially attributed to targeted interventions. However, colorectal and liver cancers witness mortality increases, necessitating strategic responses. Geographical disparities persist across provinces, highlighting the need for equitable healthcare access. In conclusion, this commentary underscores the urgency of addressing the burgeoning cancer burden in Costa Rica, calling for evidence-based interventions and collaborative efforts on a global scale.

The Enforcement of Occupational Safety and Health Requirements in Public and Private Sectors in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates

Research Problem: In Abu Dhabi, limited implementation of OSH Regulations contributes to the general unawareness among employees and workers about occupational hazards and safety measures, resulting in slow responsiveness toward enforcement measures and a lack of self-regulatory approaches within companies. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the implementation methods practised in Abu Dhabi with those in developed countries with established OSH regulatory bodies. Methodology: Qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed to gather primary research data. Workers from various industries in Abu Dhabi were sampled on purpose and asked to respond to questionnaires and interviews on OSH protocol awareness and implementation, and circumstances of workplace incidence. Results: The findings of this study showed that the enforcement of OSH requirements in UAE positively correlated to a reduction in the rate of work-related injury and improved business performance. The quantitative research data showed that the energy sector had the highest score (15) while the tourism sector had the lowest score (5.3) in occupational health systems and improvements in business efficiency and productivity. Implications: The outcomes of this study shed light on the importance of implementing OSH Guidelines for companies to empower their safety managers to fully enforce OSH requirements in their organisations. In conclusion, effective OSH enforcement requires cooperation between general workers and OSH managers and facilitation from business owners.

Development of Human Rights-Based Practices in Psychiatry from People Living with Mental Health Problems During Involuntary Hospitalization or Treatment - A Secondary Publication

This article presents the research protocol of an interpretative phenomenological study that aims to understand the lived experiences of coercion and human rights-based practices in psychiatry from the perspectives of people living with mental health problems during involuntary hospitalization or treatment.This qualitative study used an interpretative phenomenological analysis design.In-depth,one-on-one interviews along with a socio-demographic questionnaire were conducted with approximately 10 participants.Data analysis was followed by an iterative and hermeneutic emergence coding process.By centering human rights-based practices on the lived experiences of people living with mental health problems who encountered coercion,this study highlighted the contributing and limiting factors to the recognition of human rights in nursing practices.This study also promoted the development of nursing knowledge and practices that can significantly contribute to an individual’s recovery process.

Artificial Intelligence Based on Resilient Leadership in the Health Sector-A Secondary Publication

At present,it is impossible to deny the existence of artificial intelligence in various areas of social life,understood as the simulation of expert human intelligence from computer processes that involve learning,reasoning,and self-correction,its benefits to the medical field,in particular,are innumerable,but their incorporation into health systems has been gradual for many reasons.According to the above,this research analyzed artificial intelligence based on resilient leadership in the health sector,for which qualitative research was carried out with a documentary-bibliographic design with printed and electronic documentary sources with theoretical contributions fromÁvila,Mayer,and Quesada[1],Morgan[2],Villa[3],and Finol[4],among others.It is highlighted that resilient leadership has become a strategic factor in all organizations,since times of uncertainty and changes lead institutions to properly manage the incorporation of technologies specifically AI,achieving in this way that the centers and professionals in the field of health assume the needs of the contexts and the innovations of the same.It is concluded that resilient leadership will allow artificial intelligence in the health sector to generate higher levels of learning and adaptability to the transformations that are necessary,whose resistance would make its application difficult and in the long run it will leave behind professionals who refuse to assume the contributions of these innovative techniques in medical practice.

Does higher tax rate affect tobacco usage?Unravelling the nexus between tobacco regulatory control and public health concern

Objectives:Bangladesh stands as a prominent global consumer of tobacco,with alarming consequences on public health.The Global Adult Tobacco Survey reported that tobacco consumption claimed over 126000 lives in 2018,contributing to 13.5%of all deaths in the country.This study aims to explore the effectiveness of higher tax rates and tobacco use regulation as control mechanisms in mitigating tobacco consumption and health care cost burden,with a particular emphasis on its implications for public health.Methods:This study is based on the annual time series data over the period 2000-2020.The study employs the ordinary least square method to analyze the quantitative confirming the stationarity of data at level.This research uses different models to investigate individual effects and combined effects on both tobacco consumption and tobacco health care cost burden.Results:The study finds a negative relationship between tobacco tax rate and tobacco consumption.More specifically,the higher tax rate of tobacco(low(β=-0.3495),medium(β=-0.2319),high(β=-0.9033),premium(β=-0.7322),filtered(β=-0.2114),and non-filtered(β=-0.3452)categories)is significant to reduce tobacco use at 1%level of significance.The study finds similar results when it applied tobacco retail price instead of tobacco tax rate as the independent variable.Finally,the study investigates the impact on health care cost through tobacco consumption,tobacco control law,growth rate,export-import,and tobacco production.The results indicate that tobacco consumption,export-import,and tobacco production increases health care cost burden while tobacco use regulatory decreases it.By reducing tobacco consumption,higher taxes and tobacco use regulation contribute to alleviating the burden on the healthcare system,promoting healthier lifestyles,and aligning with global health objectives.Conclusions:Higher tax rate on tobacco products is necessary to increase the retail price so that tobacco users cannot consume tobacco.Specific tax and uniform tax base are needed so that tobacco users cannot switch to lower priced brands.Tobacco control laws need to revised and proper implementation should be ensured as well,to achieve the goal of tobacco free Bangladesh by 2040.Tobacco-related diseases,responsible for a significant proportion of deaths in the country,could witness a considerable decline with the successful implementation of higher tax rates and tobacco use regulation.This study provides insights that not only contribute to the economic discourse but also accentuate the broader public health benefits arising from effective tobacco taxation policies.

Leadership,communication,and science:three pillars essential to public health emergency response and closing the gap in the HIV response among key populations

Globally,there have been multiple public health emergencies in recent decades.High rates of morbidity,occasionally mortality,and economic instability are usually associated with pandemics.One of the epidemics that has significantly increased morbidity and mortality worldwide is the human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)and acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS)pandemic.HIV has a disproportionately negative impact on key populations.Strong leadership,effective communication,and sound science are necessary for public health emergency(PHE)responses to be successful.These three PHE response pllars are also essential for bridging the HIV response gap among key populations in the setting of restrictive laws.In this review,we explored the importance of these three pillars of successful PHEs responses,and how they are essential to closing the gap in the HIV response among key populations.Leaders must make decisions and instil a sense of authority in the populace during PHEs to foster trust and confidence.Leaders should base their choices on scientific evidence.Effective communication during PHEs should be proactive,polite,imaginative,innovative,and constructive.To address gaps in the HIV response among key populations,leaders must create a supportive environment for effective communication and scientific research,communication should be used to raise awareness of HIV and to dispel stigma and discrimination,while science should provide evidence of efficacy and effectiveness of interventions amongkey populations.

Reacting to Epidemics:The Innovative Imperial Public Health System during the Late Northern Song Dynasty

Song China was a period in which China experienced a great increase in its population.Concurrently,the Song dynasty also experienced a rise in the frequency of epidemics and two major wars with the Western Xia and Liao dynasties during the 1000s and 1040s.The consequences of these changes were exacerbated by the increased geographical mobility of certain social groups such as traders and examinees attending civil service examinations.Thus,casualties of wars,epidemics,or disease,especially of people whose families were far away and could not care for them were left without care and“their corpses often lay bare along the roads.”This new social environment created a need for general relief.The Northern Song government(960-1127 CE),especially during the reign of Emperor Huizong,established an innovative public health system to address this issue.The public health system included poorhouses,public hospitals,and pauper’s cemeteries.The first were more of charity organizations,whereas the latter two promoted public health by providing medical services for the poor and burial for those that nobody cared for.In terms of rationale behind these institutions,on the one hand,they constituted an attempt to get the poor and homeless off the streets while providing them relief or burial.On the other hand,it seems that Huizong’s deep concern with medicine propelled him to design and implement a comprehensive public health system oriented to prevent contagion and outbreak of epidemics.This article depicts the background,the organization,and the functions of the system.The article also discusses the conditions and reasons that gave rise to such a unique undertaking by the Northern Song government.

Weighing in on monkeypox against the criteria of public health emergency

The monkeypox,a viral zoonotic disease usually found in forest areas of Central and Western Africa,has spread worldwide through new modes of transmission little understood.The WHO on 23 July 2022,declared the virus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern(PHEIC).The declaration has stirred criticism from leading scientists that the criteria for PHEIC as defined by International Health Regulation have not been met and it is non-transparent and contradictory.This paper reviews the criteria of PHEIC and weighs the rationales behind the declaration to increase the clarity of the WHO's decision,justifications,and legitimacy in the ongoing outbreak.

Adolescent health issues:The role of publich health nurses

Adolescent health(AH)is an integral part of public health with the goal of improving the healthy development,safety,and well‑being of adolescents because the behavioral patterns established during this period influence the health status of the adolescents and the risk of developing chronic diseases during adulthood.Adolescence being a time of great physical and psychological change,many social and physical conditions as well as behavioral pattern can impact AH and heighten the risk of illness and diseases.This makes adolescents to be susceptible to various health issues by nature because of their stages of development,which affects their ability to make safe decisions,and the need to rely on significant others for support.Other factors like desire for greater autonomy,pressure to conform to peers,exploration of sexual identity,increased access to and use of technology,violence and sexual abuse,social and cultural norms,family circumstances,emotional and physical environment of the adolescents contribute significantly to adolescents’health issues.Therefore,nurses have significant roles to play to ensure optimal growth and development of the adolescents and to prevent and reduce the impact of changes associated with adolescence on the health and well‑being of the adolescents.This article presents the concept of adolescence,components of AH,health‑related challenges associated with adolescence,and role of public health nurses.

Difficulties Faced by Physicians in the Diagnosis of Endometriosis in the Brazilian Public Health System

Endometriosis is a clinical and recurrent condition characterized by the presence of functional endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity and myometrium. It is estimated that 6% to 10% of women of reproductive age, 50% to 60% of adolescents and adults with pelvic pain, and up to 50% of women with infertility are pregnant from the condition. However, this proportion tends to be even greater due to the difficulty in diagnosing it: because it presents different symptoms, lack of information from health professionals, and a high-cost diagnostic test. Another aggravating factor is the average time from the onset of symptoms to the medical diagnosis, which even today ranges from five to ten years;this delay has consequences for disease progression, as it prevents early treatment, which is important for improving pain levels and physical and psychological well-being. Aware of these mishaps, it is therefore important to assess the difficulties faced by doctors in the diagnosis of endometriosis in the public health system, in Brazil, the Unified Health System (SUS). With this purpose, a cross sectional was carried out, developed in the virtual environment using traffic in Google forms, with the difficulties quantified in the Likert scale. Participating physicians pointed out a medium difficulty for patients with endometriosis to access the consultation (58%) and moderate difficulty (52%) to perform an ultrasound examination;also signaled great difficulty in performing magnetic resonance imaging (77%) and laparotomy (61%) in these patients. It is hoped that knowledge about the difficulties faced by physicians in the diagnosis of endometriosis in the SUS will give these physicians a voice and corroborate, even if minimally, so that there is more research that provokes the search for these difficulties, in order to improving the quality of life of these women.

Comments by opponents on the British Medical Association’s guidance on non-therapeutic male circumcision of children seem one-sided and may undermine public health

The British Medical Association(BMA)guidance on non-therapeutic circumcision(NTMC)of male children is limited to ethical,legal and religious issues.Here we evaluate criticisms of the BMA’s guidance by Lempert et al.While their arguments promoting autonomy and consent might be superficially appealing,their claim of high procedural risks and negligible benefits seem one-sided and contrast with high quality evidence of low risk and lifelong benefits.Extensive literature reviews by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in developing evidence-based policies,as well as risk-benefit analyses,have found that the medical benefits of infant NTMC greatly exceed the risks,and there is no reduction in sexual function and pleasure.The BMA’s failure to consider the medical benefits of early childhood NTMC may partly explain why this prophylactic intervention is discouraged in the United Kingdom.The consequence is higher prevalence of preventable infections,adverse medical conditions,suffering and net costs to the UK’s National Health Service for treatment of these.Many of the issues and contradictions in the BMA guidance identified by Lempert et al stem from the BMA’s guidance not being sufficiently evidence-based.Indeed,that document called for a review by others of the medical issues surrounding NTMC.While societal factors apply,ultimately,NTMC can only be justified rationally on scientific,evidence-based grounds.Parents are entitled to an accurate presentation of the medical evidence so that they can make an informed decision.Their decision either for or against NTMC should then be respected.

How Attitudes towards Air Pollution May Impact Public Health: A Case Study of Almaty, Kazakhstan

Using an original public opinion survey, we study public attitudes and behaviors toward air pollution in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In the Health Belief Model (HBM) framework previously used to understand an individual’s health decision-making, we evaluate citizens’ awareness of the poor air quality, their perception of risk, and their willingness to devote time and resources to reduce their air pollution exposure. We find that although citizens are aware of the gravity and general harms of air pollution, they significantly underestimate their individual health risks, and, as a result, often engage in daily routines that exacerbate their exposure to pollution. We find that behaviors increasing the risk of pollution exposure are related to the underlying beliefs about personal health risks, self-efficacy, and material and economic limitations. This means that treating pollution as an individual health problem rather than social issue in public discourse may promote behaviors reducing exposure and improving personal and public health outcomes.

Sustainable Community Epidemic Prevention Countermeasures against Public Health Emergencies

How to deal with public health emergencies is an important issue related to the normal life of community residents. However, after the corresponding understanding, it is found that a series of unsustainable epidemic prevention factors have been exposed in the community in the COVID-19, such as blocked access to basic materials, unsafe living environment, and lack of social platforms. In view of these problems, based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the changes in the hierarchy of needs of residents during the epidemic were analyzed, and sustainable community epidemic prevention strategies were proposed from five aspects of material storage, safe environment, social platform, respect opportunity and self-worth realization, so as to provide effective reference for future response to public health emergencies.

An Analysis of the Evolution of Online Public Opinion on Public Health Emergencies by Combining CNN-BiLSTM + Attention and LDA

In this paper, the Foxconn epidemic event in Zhengzhou was taken as an example to analyze the evolution of online public opinion on public health emergencies. In order to improve the performance of online public opinion analysis, based on the life cycle theory and LDA theory, the emotional changes of Internet users in four stages of the Foxconn incident centered on the evolution of inscription were divided. The emotions of netizen speech at different stages are analyzed based on CNN-BiLSTM + Attention model, which uses Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to extract local features. Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) is used to efficiently extract contextual semantic features and long distance dependencies, and then combined with attention mechanism to add emotional features. Finally, Softmax classifier realizes text emotion prediction. The experimental results show that: compared with TextCNN, BiLSTM, BiLSTM + Attenion, CNN-BiLSTM model, the emotion classification model has better effects in the accuracy rate, accuracy rate, recall rate and F value. By analyzing the emotional distribution and evolution trend of public opinion under “text topic”, the paper accurately deconstructs the development characteristics of public opinion in public health emergencies, in order to provide reference for relevant departments to deal with public opinion in public health emergencies. .

全健康(One Health)视角下绿色健康社区景观设计体系构建

以全健康(OneHealth)视角为出发点,保障人、环境和动物的健康对于社区健康环境规划与设计具有重要意义。在现有健康社区景观设计体系中,人、环境、物种三者关系虽被提及,但未被系统探究,健康社区建设实践也需要系统性的景观设计体系支持。基于全健康理念中人、环境和物种的相互关系,结合生态系统服务功能、康复景观理论和园艺疗法,进一步探讨人、环境、物种健康之间的关联途径。通过对全健康理念视角下的3个层次进行演绎发展,归纳总结了人的健康、环境健康和物种健康的组成要素及内容,构建了以人的健康需求为导向的社区健康设计框架,提出了以人与人际、人与环境和人与物种为三大圈层的健康社区景观设计体系。全健康视角为社区健康环境设计提供了一个系统性、整合性且具有操作性的框架,未来应重视健康社区体系中各类疗愈空间的设计与使用,以增进社区居民共享的健康福祉。

Analysis of CDC’s Role in Public Health Emergencies

Objective:To explore the role of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)in public health emergencies.Methods:The details of 12 public health events that occurred between January 2021 to December 2022 were analyzed to explore the roles of the CDC.Results:There were 160 patients involved in 10 public health events in 2021 and 48 patients involved in 2 public health events in 2022.Besides,the proportion of school public health events in 2022 was 0%,which was lower than in 2021,which was 80%(P<0.05).99.38%of patients during public health events were sent to the hospital promptly in 2022,which was higher than that in 2021,which was 81.25%(P<0.05).Furthermore,the average time taken for the CDC to control public health events in 2022 was 20.11±1.62 hours,and the average time taken to send inspection reports was shorter than that in 2021.The public satisfaction score was also higher in 2022 compared to 2021(P<0.05).Conclusion:The role of the CDC is to control infectious diseases.Therefore,it is important to pinpoint the existing problems in the strategies implemented by the CDC so that more improvements can be made to better prevent infectious diseases.

Impact of River Water Quality on Public Health in Perspective of Asian Rivers:A Case Study of Buriganga River,Bangladesh

Water pollution is one of the current global problems.So many countries are suffering from this problem specifically most South Asian and Southeast Asian countries,and Bangladesh is one of those countries that are suffering from water pollution.Furthermore,the city of Bangladesh,Dhaka is one of the most densely populated cities in the world and overpopulation is showing a negative impact on the water quality now.Most of the rivers are very polluted around Dhaka city because of anthropogenic causes.This study focused on Buriganga river pollution and its impact on public health.This study intended to find out the major cause of Buriganga river pollution and the health status of the community living beside the Buriganga river.Also the study identified all the common diseases which people are suffering from around the Buriganga river area.Then the study compared the results with other southeast Asian countries so that it can make the relationship and can make it easier to understand the current situation of water pollution on public health in East Asia and Southeast Asia regions.During the research work,it was noticed that the Buriganga river is very polluted due to human activities.The transportation system,fishing,and waste canals from industries become the primary reasons behind Buriganga’s current condition.Also irresponsibility of both the environmental department and civil society is the major factor in Buriganga river pollution.The hygienic level was also not in a good condition because so many wastes like plastic materials and other daily use materials were thrown out into the river.That’s why public health conditions around the Buriganga river become vulnerable nowadays.So policies have to be implemented from the right perspective and the institutions have to be strong enough to handle all the issues regarding the Buriganga River.

Study on the demand for public health professional after the COVID-19 epidemic in Zhejiang Province,China:A survey based on human-machine collaboration

To understand the needs of public health institutions in Zhejiang Province,China for public health personnel,and provide basis for training public health personnel.Methods:512 public health institutions in Zhejiang Province were randomly selected from different levels and regions,and the number of ublic health professional and the demand for professional ability were investigated by questionnaire.Results:The preventive medicine personnel in public health institutions in Zhejiang Province are insufficient;There is a certain disjunction or dislocation between the abilities and needs of public health professional;The way of continuing education for public health professional is single and the opportunities are few.Conclusion:Zhejiang Province should appropriately expand the enrollment of preventive medicine majors,especially high-level preventive medicine talents,deepen the education and teaching reform of preventive medicine majors,and strengthen the continuing education and training of public health professional to meet the needs of public health services after the COVID-19 epidemic.

Public satisfaction with the quality of First Health Facility Services in Indonesia: Does sociodemographic matter?

Objective:To investigate individual characteristics related to satisfaction with the quality of First Health Facility Services(FHFS)in Indonesia.Methods:This cross-sectional study analyzes national representation data.Meanwhile,the study involved 9846 representative respondents in 2019.Respondent’s satisfaction with FHFS based on the five dimensions of service quality(SERVQUAL)is a dependent variable.Independent variables consist of sex,marital status,age,education,employment,insurance ownership,and economics.The study used multivariate logistic regression to explain the relationship between individual characteristics and FSHS quality.Results:77.3%Respondents were satisfied with FHFS,with the highest order of satisfaction dimensions being assurance(59.4%),empathy(57.3%),reliability(53.6%),responsiveness(52.7%),and then tangibility(49.1%).Multivariate logistic analysis showed that divorce was 1.48 more likely than never-married to be satisfied(95%CI 1.17-1.87).Employees were 0.77 less likely than the unemployed to get satisfied(95%CI 0.70-0.86).Respondents with higher education was 0.82 less likely than those with primary education to be satisfied(95%CI 0.67-0.99).Meanwhile,respondents who had government-run insurance were 1.61 more likely than uninsured to be satisfied(95%CI 1.42-1.80).Moreover,the rich were 0.82 less likely than the poor to get satisfied(95%CI 0.73-0.92).Conclusions:Community satisfaction with FHFS is generally high,though some areas could be improved.Demographic factors are still strongly related to satisfaction ratings.The government can assess the quality of services in accordance with standards and disseminate information about service standards for primary facilities to all levels of society,ensuring that service satisfaction is rated as good by all groups.