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Using the reading sciences and technology for teaching and learning in the Global South
No full textBackground
In the Global South, persistent literacy challenges have been exacerbated by schooling disruptions during the pandemic and afterwards. Addressing this problem requires teachers who both understand how to teach reading, and can implement it effectively and efficiently.
Aims
This research examines the effects of an intervention combining a technology-based teacher professional development and implementation of new knowledge and skills and ABRA-READS interactive literacy software in early-primary classrooms in Kenya and Rwanda. Sample
Participants were 22 teachers and 1341 students from Kenya and 20 teachers and 1002 students from Rwanda. Methods
This quasi-experimental research featured the experimental teachers who implemented the intervention and their matching control teachers who taught reading in their usual way. Student reading outcomes were analyzed using hierarchical linear models (HLM). Teacher practices were assessed through self-reports, observations and trace data. Results
Teachers shifted toward more student-centered instruction that incorporated decoding and comprehension, and students demonstrated significant reading improvements across gender and ability groups. Struggling readers in experimental classes made the largest gains, closing the gap with higher-reading peers in control classes. Conclusions
Findings demonstrate that blended TPD instruction, combined with ABRA-READS software, can positively change classroom practice and improve all students’ reading abilities. This intervention offers a promising a strategy to mitigate learning disadvantages early by offering students equal opportunities to succeed. While the global crisis in education, especially in LMICs, persists, this research suggests a solution
Community health nursing practice in Pakistan
No full textA CHN plays a vital role in community health and development through community participation to promote empowerment and build sustainability. The central concepts which are necessary for this process include community participation, monitoring and evaluation, epidemiological surveillance, community empowerment, sustainability, development of the community-based organization and the community health management health teams, voluntarism, motivation, capacity building, health promotion and disease prevention, curative services, and other developmental activities. A CHN trains individuals to raise their voices for the benefit of the community and to plan, implement, and evaluate interventions. The CHN should provide the theory and practice in training
Intimate partner violence experience, support seeking and coping strategies among pregnant women in Southwestern Uganda
No full textIntimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy remains a global health challenge. This study aimed to explore pregnant women’s experiences of IPV, support seeking, and coping strategies in Southwestern Uganda. Pregnant women who had experienced IPV during pregnancy were purposively selected and completed in-depth interviews, with data saturation reached after 25 participants. Guided by the feminist theory, data were analyzed deductively and inductively using thematic analysis. Participating pregnant women were exposed to physical violence (e.g., the gravid abdomen being stepped on), psychological violence (e.g., verbal abuse), sexual violence (e.g., being forced into uncomfortable sexual positions), and financial control and manipulation (e.g., economic dependency used as a means of control). Pregnant women attributed IPV to intergenerational violence, unequal power dynamics in their households, and differences in traditional gender roles and social norms between men and women. Some pregnant women used active coping strategies to overcome effects of IPV, such as sharing their IPV experiences with a confidant. Other women accommodated abuse through passive coping strategies, such as keeping silent. Furthermore, identified barriers to seeking help after experiencing IPV included a lack of awareness, negative experiences with healthcare providers, partner dependence, and feelings of shame, guilt, and fear. This study’s findings suggest stakeholders need to prioritize IPV screening, care, referral, and sensitization in healthcare facilities and communities. In addition, rules and regulations that protect the rights of IPV survivors should be strengthened, and perpetrators held accountable for their actions
Community health nursing education in Pakistan
No full textHealth is an equilibrium of biological, physical, social and spiritual factors; the access to health should be socially, culturally and economically viable to ensure the complete state of wellbeing. Having said this community health nursing (CHN) practice at grass root level should also be in congruence to offer culturally sensitive, affordable, available and accessible care to people it serves. However, this is dependent on the quality of education a nurse acquire to work with multidisciplinary team within the community settings. In consideration to this, the development of CHN has been a great journey. The role got recognized at national level especially in undergraduate nursing curriculum. The thoughtful inclusion of the course in curriculum helped preparing nurses to understand the concept of working with people at grass root level; to empower people for their own health decision
Beyond the clinic: Expanding horizons for community health nurses in Pakistan
No full textAll schools of nursing in Pakistan offer community health nursing as a core course. Unfortunately, there aren\u27t enough avenues open for them to practice CHN due to lack of deployment plan. Despite this there are multiple roles that CHNs are performing and can perform at local and national levels. The need is to duly acknowledge this role within the health care delivery model and there is a need for evidenced based studies to explore the impact of these roles on the health of population at local and national levels. This chapter would serve as a guiding tool to make health care delivery system more responsive to health and developmental needs of the country. Moreover, the chapter gives an insight into how the CHNs are actively engaged in various settings and provide population based services with focus on sustainability
Educational interventions to improve pediatric emergency care: A qualitative assessment of the perspectives of African healthcare workers
Full text linkPediatric emergency care (PEC) training for health care workers (HCWs) is commonly offered in the form of short courses. This study gathers the perspectives of HCWs from eight African countries on how to best deliver and implement short training courses in PEC. This is a qualitative study using semi-structured key informant (KI) interviews. Utilizing the African Federation for Emergency Medicine (AFEM) member list serve, we identified African HCWs who had previous experience participating in and/or delivering short training courses in PEC. From this cohort, four interviewers were selected. These interviewers all received training in qualitative interviewing and then each recruited five KIs in their respective settings using convenience sampling. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, translated as necessary, and coded using thematic analysis. A total of 20 interviews were completed. Most KIs (75%) were physicians. Several themes on short training courses in PEC emerged: there was strong motivation to participate in PEC trainings, interactive sessions were preferred over didactic sessions, the recommended course structure was a half-day format with longitudinal follow-up, and the ideal for course instructors was a mix of local trainers and visiting trainers. KIs reported several potential negative consequences of short training courses in PEC, including clinical staffing gaps during courses and PEC content taught that was incongruous with local protocols. Future curricular development and implementation of short training courses in PEC should incorporate the preferences and best practices identified by African HCWs, namely interactive sessions with longitudinal follow-up given by a mix of local and visiting trainers. Our study limitations include the number of participants and potential for selection bias
Capacity of anesthesiology residency programs in four East African Countries: Can supply meet the demand?
No full textBackground: By 2015, 4 East African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi) had identified a deficit in the number of anesthesiologists, with a mean density of 0.30 physician anesthesia providers (PAP) per 100,000 population, which was significantly lower than the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) recommended minimum of 5.0/100,000 population. This workforce shortfall has been recognized as 1 factor that may negatively affect surgical outcomes. This survey sought to assess the capacity of anesthesia residency programs to meet recommended human resource standards in these countries.
Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study surveyed heads of anesthesia departments, principals of medical colleges that host residency programs and registrars of national medical councils in 4 East African countries. A descriptive analysis of the infrastructural characteristics, human resources, cost of training, enrollment, and output from the programs over 5 years (2015–2020) was conducted. The growth in the number of registered PAP and trends in workforce density were determined. The 2020 needs deficit was calculated based on the WFSA benchmark, and the projected workforce needs in 2030 were estimated based on the population growth trajectory.
Results: There were 7 accredited university-based anesthesia residency programs in 2020, with median (range) enrollment and graduation rates of 10.5 (2–18) and 5.5 (0–13) residents/country/year, respectively. Enrollment was unstable with some countries having years with no enrollment at all. Only 1 country had new programs planned. There was a median resident to supervisor ratio of 1.44 (0.89–7):1 and 50.3 (21.4–100)% of residency training supervisors had no academic faculty appointment. The median university tuition was $1677 (600–6165)/year. The number of PAP increased in all 4 countries median 5-year growth of 79.3 (22.7–150)%, with minimal impact on the low workforce density, median of 0.23 (0.04–0.35)/100,000 in 2020. The median deficit in PAP in 2020 was an estimated 1410 (589–2499) PAP, with a median need for 1763 (763–2911) new specialists per country by 2030.
Conclusions: The PAP workforce deficits significantly outstripped the annual output of all residency programs. Anesthesia societies need to raise awareness about this deficit and engage policymakers to increase investment in anesthesia training, including providing scholarships and employment of PAP in training institutions. Integrating nonuniversity-based residency programs may support an increased output. The attainability of the 2030 workforce goals will need review. National strategies are needed to increase the total anesthesia workforce, which includes nonphysician anesthesia providers (NPAPs) as part of the task-sharing framework
Interdisciplinary perspectives on the co-management of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and coronary artery disease
No full textMetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has emerged as a public health threat as it affects approximately 38% of the adult population worldwide, with its prevalence rising in step with that of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Beyond the implications of MASLD for liver health, it is also associated with cardiovascular and vascular dysfunction. Although the many shared risk factors and common metabolic milieu might indicate that cardiovascular disease and MASLD are discrete outcomes from common systemic pathogeneses, a growing body of evidence has identified a potential causal relationship between MASLD and coronary artery disease, which is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people with MASLD and all-cause mortality worldwide. This Review takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on hepatology, cardiology, endocrinology, and metabolic and internal medicine specialists to help to delineate the intricate interplay between MASLD and coronary artery disease. It sheds light on novel opportunities for targeted interventions and personalised management strategies
Drug-Induced lupus in an HIV-positive patient treated for tuberculosis: A case report
No full textThe accurate diagnosis of pathologies with obscure presentations requires comprehensive clinical evaluation, epidemiological context, and consideration of the patient\u27s clinical or hospital course. In this case report, we describe a 30-year-old female receiving antituberculosis therapy who developed multiple signs and symptoms that were unexplained by any single diagnosis, including multiple rashes with different features. The patient was determined to have drug induced lupus with concomitant HIV infection. Physicians should consider the possibility of co-existing disease processes when a single nifying diagnosis that reconciles all aspects of the patient\u27s presentation cannot be identified
Cybersecurity threats in Pakistani academic libraries in the era of artificial intelligence
No full textLibrary and information professionals face a significant challenge to online and electronic content security due to various threats and cybersecurity concerns. This study explores the cybersecurity needs of Pakistani library and information professionals in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Findings showed a low awareness among participants concerning cybersecurity practices. The study concluded that there needs to be more awareness regarding the cybersecurity of LIS professionals so that they can successfully counter cybersecurity attacks in the workplace