Population & Public Health

Access to clean drinking water and sanitation are fundamental human rights globally. This study aimed to determine the socio-demographic and location factors influencing the agricultural households' choices of drinking water sources (DWS) and sanitation facilities in Nigeria. Data was obtained from the fourth wave of the Nigerian Living Standard Measurement Study, Integrated Survey on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA), and analysed using descriptive statistics and a multinomial logistic model. Total number of rooms in a dwelling, proximity to water sources, electricity access, household education levels, household size, gender of the household head, age of the household head, marital status, residential location, wealth index, and regional variations are among the significant factors influencing access to drinking water sources and sanitation facilities. Rural households and those in the country's North-Central region are more exposed to open defecation than their counterparts in other locations. Based on the findings, we recommend that the stakeholders intensify efforts to provide access to electricity, introduce pro-poor policies and programmes, bridge the locational disparity, and introduce deliberate policy interventions, as these can improve access to drinking water and sanitation in Nigeria.

The literature suggests that although adult hospitals are establishing population health programs around the country, there is considerable definitional ambiguity regarding whether interventions are aimed at the social determinants of health or the management of existing patient populations. U.S. children's hospitals also undertake population health programs, but less is known about how they define population health. The purpose of this study is to understand how U.S. children's hospitals define population health, and how institutions are adjusting to new preventive health care models. We conducted semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders at ten hospitals with the highest amount of staff time dedicated to population health activities as reported in the 2016 Children's Hospital Association's population health survey. Using a semi-structured interview guide, we interviewed representatives from each hospital. Verbatim interview notes were coded and analyzed usin...

Over 1.27 million people worldwide die annually due to Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), that is diminished response of pathogens to antibiotics (IHME, 2019). In 2023 , it was indicated that 10million deaths we expected to happen by 2050 globally due to AMR (Adebisi & Ogunkola, 2023). In this same study, it was indicated that lack of awareness about AMR was an exacerbating factor of this crisis (Adebisi & Ogunkola, 2023). This project focused on creating awareness to Busitema university community , students of other health training institutions, health workers at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital(MRRH) and other health workers to ensure a patient centered care approach to treatment. Objectives: I. To improve the knowledge of Busitema University students and health workers on the patient centered approach to drug prescription II. To inform Busitema university community and MRRH on factors that can lead to AMR.

As the world transits from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases and from curative to preventive and social medicine, the need to ascertain the level of knowledge and preventive strategies of these noncommunicable diseases become inevitable. Hypertension is a global disease and among one of the non-communicable that is common and occupies 7 th in total outpatient disease in the hospital. It occurs both in female and male, in the rural areas and the urban areas. Hence the main purpose of this study is to investigate the level of knowledge and preventive strategies among staff of the

The spread of pathogenic bacteria from food production processes has become a problem worldwide. Abattoir effluents are potential carriers of resistant pathogenic bacteria and could contribute to these strains' global spread in the environments. This study extensively analyzed abattoir wastewater in Obio/Akpor (Nigeria), focusing on its microbiological and physicochemical aspects. MATERIALS AND METHODS. 250 ml of abattoir wastewater samples were aseptically collected from each of four different abattoirs within Obio/Akpor using standard methods. The study was conducted from September 2023 to November 2023. Frequency of occurrence, percentage occurrence, charts, mean count and standard deviation of microbiological parameters were generated. Physicochemical parameters were identified using American Public Health Association (APHA) gold standard. RESULTS. Microbiological assessments showed that the total heterotrophic bacteria count obtained ranged from 2.6 ± 0.14 × 10 7 to 6.5 ± 0.28 × 10 8 CFU/ml. E. coli count obtained ranged from 2.3 ± 0.07 × 10 6 to 2.6 ± 0.14 × 10 6 CFU/ml. The total coliform counts ranged from 2.5 ± 0.07 × 10 3 CFU/ml to 4.3 ± 0.07 × 10 8 CFU/ml. Vibrio count of 4.5 ± 0.70 × 10 3 CFU/ml was only recorded from Choba while fungal count was only recorded from Rumuokoro (1.1 ± 0.70 × 10 4 CFU/ml) and Rumuodara (2.8 ± 0.70 × 10 5 CFU/ml). For the physicochemical parameters, pH ranged from 5.58 to 7.05, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) ranged from 4.26 to 7.21 mg/l, Total Suspended Solids (TSS) ranged from 2.01 to 4.86 mg/l, Phosphate ranged from 1.13 to 2.42 mg/l, Nitrate ranged from 4.97 to 10.27 mg/l, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) ranged from 13.93 to 26.25 mg/l, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) ranged from 7.06 to 15.43 mg/l and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) ranged from 165.42 to 256.38 mg/l. CONCLUSION. The study emphasizes the diverse microbial composition and physicochemical characteristics of abattoir wastewater, highlighting environmental and public health concerns. Effective wastewater treatment pre-discharge into water bodies is vital to mitigate adverse impacts.

Objective: To determine the frequencies of various types of leukaemias in a secondary care hospital. Study Design: Descriptive Place and Duration of Study: PAF Hospital Mianwali, from Jan 2009 to Dec 2012. Material and Methods: Record of all the cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) diagnosed during the period of study was retrieved from the laboratory and total number of leukaemia cases were counted. The ages and the genders of the patients were noted. Median age at diagnosis for each type of leukaemia was worked out. Frequency of each leukaemia type was noted and relative frequency was calculated as percentage. Results: Out of a total of 67 patients, AML was diagnosed in 22 (32.8%), CML in 16 (23.8%), ALL in 15 (22.4%) and CLL in 14 (20.9%) cases. Median age at diagnosis for ALL, AML, CLL and CML was 5, 41, 70 and 40 years respectively while male to female ratio was 2.7, ...

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is rarely seen in the young, but the pathologic processes and risk factors associated with its development have been shown to begin during childhood and youth. Lipid and non-lipid cardiovascular risk parameters (cholesterol, HDL-and LDLcholesterol, triacylglycerols, homocysteine, C-reactive protein, insulin resistance) and data about blood pressure, smoking, body mass index were assessed in two ethnic groups of randomly selected apparently healthy young subjects aged 19-35 years-the Gypsy minority group (n=122) and the Slovak majority group (n=137) of two regions with a higher density of Gypsy population. In the Gypsy group, the values of triacylglycerols, atherogenic index, insulin, insulin resistance were significantly increased, the concentration of HDL-cholesterol was significantly decreased. The risk value of atherogenic index was found in 27 % Gypsy vs. 13 % majority subjects. Risk value of insulin resistance (HOMA) was presented in 11 % Gypsy vs. 5 % majority persons. More obese subjects (20 % vs. 8 %), more smokers (55 % vs. 25 %) and more subjects with low education (85 % vs. 27 %) were recorded in the minority group. The greater occurrence of dyslipidemia, obesity and insulin resistance in young Gypsy subjects is a consequence of incorrect lifestyle (nutrition /prevalence of animal fat consumption, low consumption of food with low glycemic index and fibre/, smoking, low physical activity) as well as low educational status. The higher risk for atherosclerosis already in younger Gypsy adults as compared to younger majority adults suggests a need for interventions improving their health.

"Background: Unsafe disposal of child’s faeces plays a crucial role in disease transmission and environmental pollution. These areas are overlooked by many sanitation promotion interventions. The objective was to determine the effect of Positive Deviance (PD) approach on safe disposal of child’s faeces among households who owned a toilet.
Methodology: A community-based quasiexperimental study was carried out in the four field practice villages of UHTC, Villupuram for 18 months. Households who owned a toilet and had a child <5 years were included. After IEC clearance, information was collected from a representative sample of 100 households before intervention and another 100 house-holds after intervention. PD approach was applied for six months to promote safe disposal practices. Data was analyzed in SPSS 24 software. Chi square test and Effect size (Cramer’s V) were employed.
Results: Before intervention, only 3% households disposed the faeces into a toilet. While, after intervention, almost 38% households disposed in the toilet (c2=37.39; df=1; p=0.001). Effect size was found to be 0.43.
Conclusion: PD approach demonstrated considerable improvements in safe disposal of child’s faeces in rural settings. Further, in order to sustain the behaviour, change frequent reinforcement of key messages at frequent intervals need to emphasized."

Background and Objectives: Overprescribing of antibiotics is one of the important contributors of antimicrobial resistance globally. A high proportion of antibiotics prescribed in community settings are unnecessary or inappropriate. This study assesses the prescribing practices and factors related to antibiotic prescribing in community pharmacies in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study utilizing a quantitative approach was carried out in the community pharmacies of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), UAE. Six hundred and thirty prescription encounters from 21 randomly selected community pharmacies were investigated using World Health Organization (WHO) core prescribing indicators. Factors related to antibiotic prescribing were identified using logistic regression analyses. Results: In 630 prescription encounters, a total of 1814 drugs were prescribed. Out of these, the most commonly prescribed drug class was antibiotics (43.8% prescriptions) and the antibioti...

Background: The global burden from cancer is rising, especially as low-income countries like Bangladesh observe rapid aging. So far, there are no comprehensive descriptions reporting diagnosed cancer group that include hematological malignancies in Bangladesh. Methods: This was a multi-center hospital-based retrospective descriptive study of over 5000 confirmed hematological cancer cases in between January 2008 to December 2012. Morphological typing was carried out using the "French American British" classification system. Results: A total of 5013 patients aged between 2 to 90 years had been diagnosed with malignant hematological disorders. A 69.2% were males (n = 3468) and 30.8% females (n = 1545), with a male to female ratio of 2.2:1. The overall median age at diagnosis was 42 years. Acute myeloid leukemia was most frequent (28.3%) with a median age of 35 years, followed by chronic myeloid leukemia with 18.2% (median age 40 years), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (16.9%; median age 48 years), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (14.1%; median age 27 years), multiple myeloma (10.5%; median age 55 years), myelodysplastic syndromes (4.5%; median age 57 years) and Hodgkin's lymphoma (3.9%; median age 36 years). The least common was chronic lymphocytic leukemia (3.7%; median age 60 years). Below the age of 20 years, acute lymphoblastic leukemia was predominant (37.3%), followed by acute myeloid leukemia (34%). Chronic lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma had mostly occurred among older patients, aged 50-over. Conclusions: For the first time, our study presents the pattern and distribution of diagnosed hematological cancers in Bangladesh. It shows differences in population distributions as compared to other settings with possibly a lower presence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. There might be under-reporting of affected women. Further studies are necessary on the epidemiology, genetics and potential environmental risk factors within this rapidly aging country.

Introduction Understanding the risk factors for behavioral patterns in sexual relationships play a significant role in the reduction of the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. Objective To investigate individual and community level factors on the lifetime number of sexual partners of women in Eswatini Material and methods The study was a secondary cross-sectional analysis of the 2014 Eswatini Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). A total of 2,832 women aged 15-49 years were asked in total, how many different people have you had sexual intercourse in your lifetime. The multilevel negative binomial regression model was used to analyze the data.

Background Cervical cancer stands as one of the most prevalent cancer types among women, despite its preventable nature through early screening and vaccination strategies. The link between being overweight or obese and various adverse health outcomes, including an elevated cancer risk, is well established. Within this study, our central objective was to explore the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and cervical cancer screening (CCS) rates. Moreover, we sought to investigate whether socioeconomic status potentially modulates this relationship. Methods Our analysis encompassed 1791 respondents who participated in the World Health Organization’s STEPwise approach to noncommunicable disease risk factor surveillance carried out in Eswatini in 2014. We assessed the connection between BMI, along with other determinants, and CCS through both unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models. Results The uptake of CCS was 14.4% and the prevalence of overweight and obesity was estim...

Background: Haematological malignancies are clonal disorders of haemopoietic stem cells that are characterized by abnormal proliferation and accumulation of malignant cells in the various body tissues and organs. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the pattern of haematological malignancies in Bauchi Sate, Northeastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study where records of haematological malignancies diagnosed in the Haematology and Histopathology departments of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi from the bone marrow aspiration cytology register as well as the cancer registry respectively from 1st January, 2018 to 31st December, 2020 were collected. Data on socio-demographic characteristics of the patients were also collected. The collated data were analyzed using SPSS Version 20.0. Continuous variables with z-scores within ±2.58 for skewness and kurtosis were considered to be normally distributed. Normally distribu...

Background Over the years, sanitation programs over the world have focused more on household sanitation, with limited attention towards the disposal of children’s stools. This lack of attention could be due to the misconception that children’s stools are harmless. The current study examined the individual and contextual predictors of safe disposal of children’s faeces among women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods The study used secondary data involving 128,096 mother-child pairs of under-five children from the current Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in 15 sub-Saharan African countries from 2015 to 2018. Multilevel logistic analysis was used to assess the individual and contextual factors associated with the practice of safe disposal of children’s faeces. We presented the results as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) at a statistical significance of p&lt; 0.05. Results The results show that 58.73% (57.79–59.68) of childbearing women in the 15 countries in SSA included in our study sa...

Background Over the years, sanitation programs over the world have focused more on household sanitation, with limited attention towards the disposal of children’s stools. This lack of attention could be due to the misconception that children’s stools are harmless. The current study examined the individual and contextual predictors of safe disposal of children’s faeces among women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods The study used secondary data involving 128,096 mother-child pairs of under-five children from the current Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in 15 sub-Saharan African countries from 2015 to 2018. Multilevel logistic analysis was used to assess the individual and contextual factors associated with the practice of safe disposal of children’s faeces. We presented the results as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) at a statistical significance of p&lt; 0.05. Results The results show that 58.73% (57.79–59.68) of childbearing women in the 15 countries in SSA included in our study sa...

Introduction. Leukemia is a heterogeneous group of hematological disorder which comprise several diverse and biologically distinct subgroups. Leukemia represents the 11th and 10th most frequent cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide, respectively. Adequate data regarding the prevalence of leukemia are lacking in Ethiopia, particularly in the study area. This study is aimed to determine the prevalence of leukemia and associated factors among patients who have abnormal hematological parameters in Jimma Medical Center. Methodology. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted involving 332 patients who have abnormal hematological parameters. Complete blood count from venous blood was made with Sysmex autohematology analyzer (Sysmex XS-500i and XT-1800; Kobe, Japan). Peripheral blood morphology and bone marrow aspirate examination were done for each patient. Descriptive statistics for the prevalence of leukemia and multinomial logistic regression analysis to assess as...

Indonesia still bears a significant public health problem of stunting among under-5 (U-5) children. Environmental factors have been demonstrated to be associated with stunting as indirect causes. However, the extent to which the environmental factors determine the stunting burden in rural Indonesia is stil underexplored. Hence, this study investigates environmental factors that determine stunting among U-5 children in the rural areas of Indonesia. We employed data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey 2014/2015 (IFLS5) and selected a sample size of 2,571 children under five years of age residing in rural areas. We performed a multivariable logistic regression analysis and estimated the "population attributable fraction" (PAF) of drinking water, sanitation, and garbage collection on stunting. The results suggest that unimproved drinking water source and improper garbage collection correspond with higher odds of child stunting. Inadequate sanitation facility, however, was not found to be significantly influencing the odds of stunting. Moreover, household wealth is protective of risk of stunting. Furthermore, the PAF analysis demonstrated that 21.58% of the stunting burden among U-5 children residing in rural areas are preventable by providing access to an improved drinking water source and better household solid waste management to prevent repeated infections.

Indonesia still bears a significant public health problem of stunting among under-5 (U-5) children. Environmental factors have been demonstrated to be associated with stunting as indirect causes. However, the extent to which the environmental factors determine the stunting burden in rural Indonesia is stil underexplored. Hence, this study investigates environmental factors that determine stunting among U-5 children in the rural areas of Indonesia. We employed data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey 2014/2015 (IFLS5) and selected a sample size of 2,571 children under five years of age residing in rural areas. We performed a multivariable logistic regression analysis and estimated the "population attributable fraction" (PAF) of drinking water, sanitation, and garbage collection on stunting. The results suggest that unimproved drinking water source and improper garbage collection correspond with higher odds of child stunting. Inadequate sanitation facility, however, was not found to be significantly influencing the odds of stunting. Moreover, household wealth is protective of risk of stunting. Furthermore, the PAF analysis demonstrated that 21.58% of the stunting burden among U-5 children residing in rural areas are preventable by providing access to an improved drinking water source and better household solid waste management to prevent repeated infections.

The present study was a secondary analysis of combined data from the Eswatini 2010 and 2014 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICSs). The MICS is a global cross-sectional study design with a nationally representative sample conducted by the United Nations Background. It has long been established that human excreta contain over 50 pathogens that are transmitted via the faecal route, yet the common practice of unsafe disposal of children's faeces still persists in developing countries. Objective. To identify the factors associated with unsafe disposal of children's faeces among children under three years of age in Eswatini. Methods. The study was based on combined data for the 2010 and 2014 Eswatini Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, from which 2 765 children aged less than three years were included in the analysis. The analysis was based on logistic regression using weighted survey data. Results. Overall, 41.8% of the childrens' faeces were disposed of unsafely. In the final multivariable logistic regression analysis, the odds of unsafe disposal of children's faeces were lower for households whose children were aged 12 months and older, compared with households whose children were under six months. Households with a pit latrine were less likely to dispose of child faeces unsafely, while the practice of unsafe disposal of children's faeces was more common in households with no toilet facility compared with those from households with a flush toilet. The practice of unsafe disposal of children's faeces was more common in urban areas than in rural areas. Regionally, lower odds of unsafe disposal of children's faeces were observed among households from the Manzini and Shiselweni regions, compared with those from the Lubombo region. Conclusion. The study demonstrated that child age, toilet facilities, place of residence, and region of residence were associated with unsafe disposal of children's faeces.

Background Unsafe disposal of children's stool makes children susceptible to fecal-oral diseases and children remain vulnerable till the stools of all children are disposed of safely. There is a paucity of data on spatial distribution and factors associated with unsafe child stool disposal in Ethiopia. Previous estimates, however, do not include information regarding individual and community-level factors associated with unsafe child stool disposal. Hence, the current study aimed (i) to explore the spatial distribution and (ii) to identify factors associated with unsafe child stool disposal in Ethiopia. Methods A secondary data analysis was conducted using the recent 2016 Ethiopian demographic and health survey data. A total of 4145 children aged 0-23 months with their mother were included in this analysis. The Getis-Ord spatial statistical tool was used to identify high and low hotspots areas of unsafe child stool disposal. The Bernoulli model was applied using Kilduff SaTScan version 9.6 software to identify significant spatial clusters. A multilevel multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with unsafe child stool disposal. Results Unsafe child stool disposal was spatially clustered in Ethiopia (Moran's Index = 0.211, p-value< 0.0001), and significant spatial SaTScan clusters of areas with a high rate of unsafe child stool disposal were detected. The most likely primary SaTScan cluster was detected in Tigray, Amhara, Afar (north), and Benishangul-Gumuz (north) regions (LLR: 41.62, p<0.0001). Unsafe child stool disposal is more prevalent among households that had

Introduction Understanding the risk factors for behavioral patterns in sexual relationships play a significant role in the reduction of the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. Objective To investigate individual and community level factors on the lifetime number of sexual partners of women in Eswatini Material and methods The study was a secondary cross-sectional analysis of the 2014 Eswatini Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). A total of 2,832 women aged 15–49 years were asked in total, how many different people have you had sexual intercourse in your lifetime. The multilevel negative binomial regression model was used to analyze the data. Results The overall mean number of lifetime sexual partners was 2.78 (95% CI: 2.66, 2.91) in 2014. Compared to women aged 15–19, those aged 20 years and older, formerly married or never married reported more lifetime sexual partners compared to currently married women. Those that were aged 15 years and older ...

Worldwide, millions of people still die from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene, despite the fact that the United Nations recognized access to clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right nearly a decade ago. The objective of this study was to describe the determinants of access to improved drinking water sources in Eswatini in 2010 and 2014. Using the Eswatini Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (EMICSs), data for 4,819 households in 2010 and 4,843 in 2014 were analyzed. Bivariate and multivariate complementary log-log regression analyses were conducted to identify the determinants of households’ access to improved drinking water sources. The study found that households’ access to improved drinking water sources significantly improved from 73.1% in 2010 to 77.7% in 2014 (p&lt;0.0001). In 2010, households whose heads were aged 35–54 and 55 years had lower odds of having access to improved drinking water sources than those with younger on...

Background: Haematological malignancies are clonal disorders of haemopoietic stem cells that are characterized by abnormal proliferation and accumulation of malignant cells in the various body tissues and organs. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the pattern of haematological malignancies in Bauchi Sate, Northeastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study where records of haematological malignancies diagnosed in the Haematology and Histopathology departments of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi from the bone marrow aspiration cytology register as well as the cancer registry respectively from 1st January, 2018 to 31st December, 2020 were collected. Data on socio-demographic characteristics of the patients were also collected. The collated data were analyzed using SPSS Version 20.0. Continuous variables with z-scores within ±2.58 for skewness and kurtosis were considered to be normally distributed. Normally distribu...

Background: Haematological malignancies are clonal disorders of haemopoietic stem cells that are characterized by abnormal proliferation and accumulation of malignant cells in the various body tissues and organs. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the pattern of haematological malignancies in Bauchi Sate, Northeastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study where records of haematological malignancies diagnosed in the Haematology and Histopathology departments of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi from the bone marrow aspiration cytology register as well as the cancer registry respectively from 1st January, 2018 to 31st December, 2020 were collected. Data on socio-demographic characteristics of the patients were also collected. The collated data were analyzed using SPSS Version 20.0. Continuous variables with z-scores within ±2.58 for skewness and kurtosis were considered to be normally distributed. Normally distribu...

Background Cervical cancer stands as one of the most prevalent cancer types among women, despite its preventable nature through early screening and vaccination strategies. The link between being overweight or obese and various adverse health outcomes, including an elevated cancer risk, is well established. Within this study, our central objective was to explore the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and cervical cancer screening (CCS) rates. Moreover, we sought to investigate whether socioeconomic status potentially modulates this relationship. Methods Our analysis encompassed 1791 respondents who participated in the World Health Organization’s STEPwise approach to noncommunicable disease risk factor surveillance carried out in Eswatini in 2014. We assessed the connection between BMI, along with other determinants, and CCS through both unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models. Results The uptake of CCS was 14.4% and the prevalence of overweight and obesity was estim...

Safe disposal of children's feces is as essential as the safe disposal of adults' feces. However, there is widespread belief that feces of infants and young children are not harmful. This study aimed to assess child feces disposal practice and associated factors in northern Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed among 445 mothers with children less than five years of age. Results are presented in tables, graphs, and texts. Mothers within the age category of 25-34 were 3.7 times more likely to practice safe child feces disposal than mothers in the age range of 15-24 [AOR (95% C.I.) ¼ 3.73 (1.06, 13.10)]. Government employed mothers were 99.92% less likely to practice safe child feces disposal compared to housewives. Urban dwellers were 3.5 times more likely to practice safe child feces disposal than rural areas [AOR (95% C.I.) ¼ 3.51 (1.24, 9.99)]. In general, child feces disposal practice was low in the study area. Higher age category of mothers, housewives, and urban dwellers were factors associated with safe child feces disposal practices. Therefore, further intervention should be designed to improve safe child feces disposal among lower age category, employees, rural residents, and those defecating on floors.

Background: The global burden from cancer is rising, especially as low-income countries like Bangladesh observe rapid aging. So far, there are no comprehensive descriptions reporting diagnosed cancer group that include hematological malignancies in Bangladesh. Methods: This was a multi-center hospital-based retrospective descriptive study of over 5000 confirmed hematological cancer cases in between January 2008 to December 2012. Morphological typing was carried out using the "French American British" classification system. Results: A total of 5013 patients aged between 2 to 90 years had been diagnosed with malignant hematological disorders. A 69.2% were males (n = 3468) and 30.8% females (n = 1545), with a male to female ratio of 2.2:1. The overall median age at diagnosis was 42 years. Acute myeloid leukemia was most frequent (28.3%) with a median age of 35 years, followed by chronic myeloid leukemia with 18.2% (median age 40 years), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (16.9%; median age 48 years), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (14.1%; median age 27 years), multiple myeloma (10.5%; median age 55 years), myelodysplastic syndromes (4.5%; median age 57 years) and Hodgkin's lymphoma (3.9%; median age 36 years). The least common was chronic lymphocytic leukemia (3.7%; median age 60 years). Below the age of 20 years, acute lymphoblastic leukemia was predominant (37.3%), followed by acute myeloid leukemia (34%). Chronic lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma had mostly occurred among older patients, aged 50-over. Conclusions: For the first time, our study presents the pattern and distribution of diagnosed hematological cancers in Bangladesh. It shows differences in population distributions as compared to other settings with possibly a lower presence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. There might be under-reporting of affected women. Further studies are necessary on the epidemiology, genetics and potential environmental risk factors within this rapidly aging country.

Background: The global burden from cancer is rising, especially as low-income countries like Bangladesh observe rapid aging. So far, there are no comprehensive descriptions reporting diagnosed cancer group that include hematological malignancies in Bangladesh. Methods: This was a multi-center hospital-based retrospective descriptive study of over 5000 confirmed hematological cancer cases in between January 2008 to December 2012. Morphological typing was carried out using the "French American British" classification system. Results: A total of 5013 patients aged between 2 to 90 years had been diagnosed with malignant hematological disorders. A 69.2% were males (n = 3468) and 30.8% females (n = 1545), with a male to female ratio of 2.2:1. The overall median age at diagnosis was 42 years. Acute myeloid leukemia was most frequent (28.3%) with a median age of 35 years, followed by chronic myeloid leukemia with 18.2% (median age 40 years), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (16.9%; median age 48 years), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (14.1%; median age 27 years), multiple myeloma (10.5%; median age 55 years), myelodysplastic syndromes (4.5%; median age 57 years) and Hodgkin's lymphoma (3.9%; median age 36 years). The least common was chronic lymphocytic leukemia (3.7%; median age 60 years). Below the age of 20 years, acute lymphoblastic leukemia was predominant (37.3%), followed by acute myeloid leukemia (34%). Chronic lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma had mostly occurred among older patients, aged 50-over. Conclusions: For the first time, our study presents the pattern and distribution of diagnosed hematological cancers in Bangladesh. It shows differences in population distributions as compared to other settings with possibly a lower presence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. There might be under-reporting of affected women. Further studies are necessary on the epidemiology, genetics and potential environmental risk factors within this rapidly aging country.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) has been a major health problem globally since ages, and even today, it is a major cause of morbidity in millions of people each year. In 2015 alone, TB accounted for about 1.4 million deaths globally, with India carrying the biggest burden of the disease. The physical environment of the household, an individual living in, has a significant influence on the incidence of TB. Thus, an understanding of the socioeconomic , demographic and environmental factors that individuals are exposed to is of importance. The objective of present study is to examine the association of household environment with the prevalence of Tuberculosis in India. Methods: The study utilizes data from the fourth round of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), 2015-16, which was collected from self-reported information pertaining to Tuberculosis in the household questionnaire. The specific question was, "Does any usual resident of your household suffer from tuberculosis?" the response to which helped in the detection of Tuberculosis. Binary Logistic regression was performed from which appropriate inferences are drawn on the association of household environment with Tuberculosis. Results: Prevalence of TB was found to be the highest among elderly people (0.9%), no education (0.4%) and people belonging to the poorest wealth quintile (0.53%). Family members who were regularly (daily) exposed to smoke (second-hand smoke) inside the house were more prone to getting tuberculosis (OR = 1.49; CI = 1.39-1.61) as compared with households where people do not smoke inside the house. Further, households having a finished wall (OR = 0.7; CI = 0.6-0.8) are less likely to get TB than the households with mud walls. Households that shared their toilets with other households are more likely to get hold of Tuberculosis (OR = 1.2; CI = 1.1-1.4). Conclusions: Results strongly suggest that a contaminated household environment increases the risk of tuberculosis in India. There are multiple risk factors that are strongly associated with Tuberculosis: smoke inside house, type of cooking fuel, separate kitchen, floor, roofing and wall material, number of persons sleeping in a room, sharing toilet and potable water with other households; and individual characteristics such as age, sex, educational attainment, marital status, place of residence and wealth index.

Background Diarrhoea remains the major cause of morbidity and mortality of children under five years in Africa. Several studies have shown that inadequate and unsafe water, lack of sanitation, and poor hygiene practices are complex issues for different pathogens and accountable for the occurrence of diarrhoea diseases. We assessed the combined effect of household's source of drinking water and type of toilet facility and residential wellbeing on the incidence of childhood diarrhoea in 33 Sub-Saharan Africa countries while accounting for relevant compositional and contextual factors. Methods The 2010-2019 datasets from the Demographic and Health Surveys were drawn for analyses. The outcome variable used in this study was the incidence of childhood diarrhoea. Three negative log-log generalized linear regression models were then sequentially fitted to the data to examine the joint effect of household water and sanitation practices on child diarrhoea. The results were presented using crude odds ratios (CORs) and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) at 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Using ArcGIS software, maps were design to unveil the spatial distribution of key variables.

Unsafe Stool disposal has been linked to high under-five morbidity and mortality in many low and middle-income countries. This paper focuses on examining the prevalence of safe disposal of stools in Nigeria and the factors affecting such behaviour. The most-recent Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018 (NDHS) Child's dataset was used for the analysis in this study. Sample size of 7,834 children under age five was analysed. Percentages and frequencies, chi-square test of association, and binary logistic regression were employed for the statistical analysis. Findings show that a little above half of the women respondents reported safe disposal of stool of their under-five children in the study area (53%). Specifically, the odds of having stool safely disposed increased by 133 percent for children whose household wealth index falls within the richer category (adjusted Odd Ratio (aOR): 2.33; p<0.001), reduced by 17 percent for children whose mothers are working (aOR: 0.83; p<0.05), increased for children whose mothers are residing only in NorthEast and NorthWest (p<0.001), increased by 19 percent for children whose mothers were exposed to media exposure to mass media (aOR: 1.19; p<0.05), reduced by 24 percent for women whose children are of first birth order (aOR: 0.76; p<0.05), reduced by 31 percent for women whose children are of small size at birth (aOR: 0.69; p<0.001), increased by 66 percent for women who reported that distance to facility was not a problem (aOR: 1.66; p<0.001), reduced by 19 percent for women who delivered their children at an health centre (aOR: 0.81; p<0.05), and increased by 114 percent for women who used improved toilet facility (aOR: 2.14; p<0.001). This study concludes that a combination of socioeconomic, maternal, child's and environmental factors are the correlates of safe disposal of stool among women with under-five

Background Unhygienic disposal of children’s stools affects children’s health in terms of their susceptibility to many diseases. However, there are no existing studies into the impact of unhygienic stool disposal in Cambodia. Therefore, this study aimed to identify factors associated with the unhygienic disposal of children’s stools among children under the age of five in Cambodia. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey (CDHS) 2014. A multivariable binary logistic regression was conducted using Stata to analyze factors associated with the unhygienic disposal of children’s stools. Results Overall, the prevalence of practicing unhygienic disposal of children’s stools was 29.27% (95%CI: 27.51%- 31.09%). Factors statistically associated with this practice were: living in the Central Plain, Plateau and Mountains, Coastal and Sea regions (AOR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.33–2.04), (AOR = 2.53; 95% CI: 1.98–3.24) and (AOR =...

Background: Diarrhea is still the leading cause of childhood death worldwide, as well as a major cause for concern in developing countries. This study was conducted to investigate the factors related to childhood diarrhea in Cambodia. Methods: A cross-sectional study of the secondary data from the Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey 2014 was conducted using the combination of household data and children’s data. A generalized linear mixed model was used to analyze the determinant factors of childhood diarrhea. Results: The surveys included 2,828 children, aged 12 to 35 months. The prevalence of diarrhea in the last 2 weeks was 16.44% (95% CI: 14.72%-18.31%). Factors with statistically significant associations with childhood diarrhea in Cambodia were: maternal  unemployment, compared with being in employment (AOR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.14-1.78); the child being male (AOR = 1.25; 95%CI: 1.02-1.53); the presence of unimproved toilet facilities (AOR = 1.17; 95%CI: 1.05-1.31) compared with ...

Background: The global burden from cancer is rising, especially as low-income countries like Bangladesh observe rapid aging. So far, there are no comprehensive descriptions reporting diagnosed cancer group that include hematological malignancies in Bangladesh. Methods: This was a multi-center hospital-based retrospective descriptive study of over 5000 confirmed hematological cancer cases in between January 2008 to December 2012. Morphological typing was carried out using the "French American British" classification system. Results: A total of 5013 patients aged between 2 to 90 years had been diagnosed with malignant hematological disorders. A 69.2% were males (n = 3468) and 30.8% females (n = 1545), with a male to female ratio of 2.2:1. The overall median age at diagnosis was 42 years. Acute myeloid leukemia was most frequent (28.3%) with a median age of 35 years, followed by chronic myeloid leukemia with 18.2% (median age 40 years), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (16.9%; median age 48 years), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (14.1%; median age 27 years), multiple myeloma (10.5%; median age 55 years), myelodysplastic syndromes (4.5%; median age 57 years) and Hodgkin's lymphoma (3.9%; median age 36 years). The least common was chronic lymphocytic leukemia (3.7%; median age 60 years). Below the age of 20 years, acute lymphoblastic leukemia was predominant (37.3%), followed by acute myeloid leukemia (34%). Chronic lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma had mostly occurred among older patients, aged 50-over. Conclusions: For the first time, our study presents the pattern and distribution of diagnosed hematological cancers in Bangladesh. It shows differences in population distributions as compared to other settings with possibly a lower presence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. There might be under-reporting of affected women. Further studies are necessary on the epidemiology, genetics and potential environmental risk factors within this rapidly aging country.

Background Diarrhoea remains the major cause of morbidity and mortality of children under five years in Africa. Several studies have shown that inadequate and unsafe water, lack of sanitation, and poor hygiene practices are complex issues for different pathogens and accountable for the occurrence of diarrhoea diseases. We assessed the combined effect of household's source of drinking water and type of toilet facility and residential wellbeing on the incidence of childhood diarrhoea in 33 Sub-Saharan Africa countries while accounting for relevant compositional and contextual factors.

Antibiotic resistance (ABR) has become a major public health challenge in most parts of the world including Ghana and is a major threat to gain in bacterial disease control. The role of prescribers in the control of antibiotics is identified as crucial in developing interventions to control ABR. To guide policy recommendations on ABR, a study was carried out among prescribers to identify gaps in their knowledge of ABR and to document their prescription practices. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among prescribers from both public and private facilities in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana using both quantitative and qualitative methods in 2014. Three hundred and seventy nine prescribers participated in the quantitative study and a subset of 33 participated in in-depth interviews. Majority (50.0%) of the prescribers interviewed were nurses. Most (51.0%) of the prescribers were located in hospitals. Knowledge of ABR was high among all the prescribers. About 80.0% percent of all pr...

The aim of this study was to assess the awareness of antimicrobial resistance among Primary Health Care Workers in Buyende district. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study employing qualitative and quantitative methods. Administration of a questionnaire evaluating knowledge and practices of health workers in Buyende community was conducted. The study was designed to cover all health workers involved in prescribing and dispensing drugs in selected health facilities of Buyende district. The participants were from four health facilities

Introduction Child stunting is a significant public health problem in Eswatini. It is associated with a range of child health outcomes, including morbidity, physical and cognitive growth. Objective To determine the individual, household, and community-level factors associated with child stunting in Eswatini in 2010 and 2014. Methods Using the Eswatini Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys conducted in 2010 and 2014, a secondary analysis was done of the children surveyed, aged 6-59 months. A total of 1,891 were surveyed in 2010, and 1,963 children in 2014. Univariate, bivariable analysis and multivariable multilevel logistic regression were used to establish the factors associated with stunting. Results The study found that stunting decreased significantly between 2010 and 2014, from 31.4% to 25.5% (p<0.001). In both 2010 and 2014, lower odds of stunting were observed among female children, in children born to women with tertiary education compared to those born to women with no formal education. Lower odds of stunting were observed among children from rich households compared to poorest households. In both 2010 and 2014, increased odds of stunting were observed among children aged 12-23, 24-35 and 36-47 months compared to children aged 6-11 months. At the household level, higher odds of stunting

The present study was a secondary analysis of combined data from the Eswatini 2010 and 2014 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICSs). The MICS is a global cross-sectional study design with a nationally representative sample conducted by the United Nations Background. It has long been established that human excreta contain over 50 pathogens that are transmitted via the faecal route, yet the common practice of unsafe disposal of children's faeces still persists in developing countries. Objective. To identify the factors associated with unsafe disposal of children's faeces among children under three years of age in Eswatini. Methods. The study was based on combined data for the 2010 and 2014 Eswatini Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, from which 2 765 children aged less than three years were included in the analysis. The analysis was based on logistic regression using weighted survey data. Results. Overall, 41.8% of the childrens' faeces were disposed of unsafely. In the final multivariable logistic regression analysis, the odds of unsafe disposal of children's faeces were lower for households whose children were aged 12 months and older, compared with households whose children were under six months. Households with a pit latrine were less likely to dispose of child faeces unsafely, while the practice of unsafe disposal of children's faeces was more common in households with no toilet facility compared with those from households with a flush toilet. The practice of unsafe disposal of children's faeces was more common in urban areas than in rural areas. Regionally, lower odds of unsafe disposal of children's faeces were observed among households from the Manzini and Shiselweni regions, compared with those from the Lubombo region. Conclusion. The study demonstrated that child age, toilet facilities, place of residence, and region of residence were associated with unsafe disposal of children's faeces.

This study was carried out to determine the common antibiotics & diseases in which antibiotics are used among patient in outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital. A total 2404 prescriptions was screened in this study, among 600 prescriptions containing antibiotics purposively selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria from different outpatient of Medicine, Surgery and Gynaecology & Obstetrics department of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital to reach the end of the study. Conclusion: The disease burden of Bangladesh is moving from communicable to non-communicable diseases the major causes of morbidity and mortality in our country are infective diseases and therefore antibiotics are the most widely used group of medicine.

The WHO has identified Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) as one of the most significant global risks facing modern medicine. Interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing have so far had limited impact. To understand the barriers to effective antibiotic prescribing. Mixed methodologies were used to investigate prescribing behaviours to identify the critical points in the antibiotic prescribing pathway for hospital inpatients. We assessed knowledge, experience or empowerment of prescribers, organisational factors and use of the laboratory. Phase 1 was an online survey to map barriers and facilitators to antibiotic prescribing (56 participants). Phase 2 consisted of focus groups and interviews to gain more understanding of prescribing behaviours (10 participants). Phase 3 was an online survey to obtain opinions on possible solutions (22 participants). Barriers to prescribing were: laboratory factors 71.6%, resource issues 40%, time constraints 17.5%, pressure from others 52%. Ninety-th...

In household environments, the improper handling of children&#39;s feces can be a significant contaminant, raising a high risk of child exposure. Thus, the objective of this study was to pool the available evidence on the prevalence of safe child feces disposal practices and their association with reported childhood diarrhea in low-income and middle-income countries. PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane Library databases, Ovid Medline, Google Scholar, and references of other studies were searched. The search was limited to studies published in English-language literature. Two independent reviewers used an appropriate tool to critically appraise the selected studies. Stata version 16 was used for the analysis. The pooled prevalence of unsafe disposal of children&#39;s feces among 20 studies was 52.63% (95% CI: 0.43–0.62). Overall, the meta-analysis found that unsafe disposal practices insignificantly increased the risk of diarrhea by 4% (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.84–1.24). In the subgroup anal...

Safe disposal of children&#39;s feces is as essential as the safe disposal of adults&#39; feces. However, there is widespread belief that feces of infants and young children are not harmful. This study aimed to assess child feces disposal practice and associated factors in northern Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed among 445 mothers with children less than five years of age. Results are presented in tables, graphs, and texts. Mothers within the age category of 25–34 were 3.7 times more likely to practice safe child feces disposal than mothers in the age range of 15–24 [AOR (95% C.I.) = 3.73 (1.06, 13.10)]. Government employed mothers were 99.92% less likely to practice safe child feces disposal compared to housewives. Urban dwellers were 3.5 times more likely to practice safe child feces disposal than rural areas [AOR (95% C.I.) = 3.51 (1.24, 9.99)]. In general, child feces disposal practice was low in the study area. Higher age category of mother...

Background The evidence on the factors associated with childhood bloody diarrhea in developing countries in general and India, in particular, is somewhat limited. Our study, therefore, examines-the prevalence of bloody diarrhea; the magnitude of treatment of bloody diarrhea (use of both oral rehydration and antibiotics (pills, syrups, and injections)); and several other associated factors with bloody diarrhea in the youngest children under five years in the Indian context.

Introduction Understanding the risk factors for behavioral patterns in sexual relationships play a significant role in the reduction of the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. Objective To investigate individual and community level factors on the lifetime number of sexual partners of women in Eswatini Material and methods The study was a secondary cross-sectional analysis of the 2014 Eswatini Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). A total of 2,832 women aged 15–49 years were asked in total, how many different people have you had sexual intercourse in your lifetime. The multilevel negative binomial regression model was used to analyze the data. Results The overall mean number of lifetime sexual partners was 2.78 (95% CI: 2.66, 2.91) in 2014. Compared to women aged 15–19, those aged 20 years and older, formerly married or never married reported more lifetime sexual partners compared to currently married women. Those that were aged 15 years and older ...

The present study was a secondary analysis of combined data from the Eswatini 2010 and 2014 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICSs). The MICS is a global cross-sectional study design with a nationally representative sample conducted by the United Nations Background. It has long been established that human excreta contain over 50 pathogens that are transmitted via the faecal route, yet the common practice of unsafe disposal of children's faeces still persists in developing countries. Objective. To identify the factors associated with unsafe disposal of children's faeces among children under three years of age in Eswatini. Methods. The study was based on combined data for the 2010 and 2014 Eswatini Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, from which 2 765 children aged less than three years were included in the analysis. The analysis was based on logistic regression using weighted survey data. Results. Overall, 41.8% of the childrens' faeces were disposed of unsafely. In the final multivariable logistic regression analysis, the odds of unsafe disposal of children's faeces were lower for households whose children were aged 12 months and older, compared with households whose children were under six months. Households with a pit latrine were less likely to dispose of child faeces unsafely, while the practice of unsafe disposal of children's faeces was more common in households with no toilet facility compared with those from households with a flush toilet. The practice of unsafe disposal of children's faeces was more common in urban areas than in rural areas. Regionally, lower odds of unsafe disposal of children's faeces were observed among households from the Manzini and Shiselweni regions, compared with those from the Lubombo region. Conclusion. The study demonstrated that child age, toilet facilities, place of residence, and region of residence were associated with unsafe disposal of children's faeces.

Worldwide, millions of people still die from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene, despite the fact that the United Nations recognized access to clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right nearly a decade ago. The objective of this study was to describe the determinants of access to improved drinking water sources in Eswatini in 2010 and 2014. Using the Eswatini Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (EMICSs), data for 4,819 households in 2010 and 4,843 in 2014 were analyzed. Bivariate and multivariate complementary log-log regression analyses were conducted to identify the determinants of households’ access to improved drinking water sources. The study found that households’ access to improved drinking water sources significantly improved from 73.1% in 2010 to 77.7% in 2014 (p&lt;0.0001). In 2010, households whose heads were aged 35–54 and 55 years had lower odds of having access to improved drinking water sources than those with younger on...

One hundred and eleven patients of chronic leukaemia were diagnosed over of a period of 6!/i years (January 1994 to June 2000), at Haematology Department of Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore. Chronic leukaemias constituted 34% of the total 326 patients with all types of leukaemias diagnosed during the same period. Median age at the time of diagnosis for chronic leukaemias was 40 years (range 2 months to 80 years). Male to female ratio was 1.6: I. Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) accounted for 88 patients (79.3%), and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia for 23 patients (20.7%). Median age at presentation was 35 years (range 2 months to 75 years) for CML and 60 years (range 30-80 years) for CLL. One 44 years old male diagnosed as hairy cell leukaemia (HCL), was included in CLL patients. Age distribution showed a contrasting pattern for CML and CLL. CML was especially frequent in young and middle-age adults and showed a peak in 4th decade of life. CLL on the other hand, mainly occurred in people ...

Diarrhea is still the leading cause of childhood death Background: worldwide, as well as a major cause for concern in developing countries. This study was conducted to investigate the factors related to childhood diarrhea in Cambodia. A cross-sectional study was conducted using the combination of Methods: two datasets from the Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey 2014. A generalized linear mixed model was used to analyze the determinant factors of childhood diarrhea. The surveys included 2,828 children, aged 12 to 35 months. The Results: prevalence of diarrhea was 16.44% (95% CI: 14.72%-18.31%). Factors with statistically significant associations with childhood diarrhea in Cambodia were: maternal unemployment, compared with being in employment (AOR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.14-1.78); the child being male (AOR = 1.25; 95%CI: 1.02-1.53); the presence of unimproved toilet facilities (AOR = 1.17; 95%CI: 1.05-1.31) compared with improved toilet facilities; and unhygienic disposal of children's stools (AOR = 1.32; 95%CI: 1.06-1.64) compared with hygienic disposal of children's stools when controlling for other covariates. Both maternal age (one year older; AOR = 0.85; 95%CI: 0.78-0.93) and child age (one month older; AOR = 0.86; 95%CI: 0.78-0.94) had significant negative associations with the occurrence of childhood diarrhea. Childhood diarrhea remains a public health concern in Conclusion: Cambodia. The probability of diarrhea occurring is shown to be increased by maternal unemployment, the sex of the child being male, lack of provision of improved toilet facilities, and the unhygienic disposal of children's stools; whereas increasing maternal age and child's age were associated with a reduced chance of diarrhea occurring. On the basis of these results, we recommend provision of programs focusing on reducing diarrhea through the construction of improved toilet facilities and the promotion of behavior to improve hygiene, specifically targeting younger mothers.