Indian Journal of Community Health
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COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women: strategies for enhanced coverage
Get PDFFollowing the recommendations from the National Technical Advisory Group (NTAG) on Immunization, the Government of India approved three vaccines – an inactivated vaccine, Covaxin and two non-replicating vector-based vaccines, Covishield and Sputnik V for restricted use in an emergency for pregnant women.(1)The late approval of vaccination of pregnant women was due to a lack of evidence, because pregnant women were excluded from previous COVID vaccination trials. The restricted use of this vaccine recommended by NTAG also complies with the regulations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. (2-4
Delay in diagnosis and treatment among registered TB patients in Directly Observed Treatment Short Course cum Designated Microscopy Centres in South Delhi
Get PDFBackground: Knowing delays in treatment seeking and subsequent treatment initiation among the TB patients is important and its detailed understanding is crucial in modifying the treatment seeking behaviour which can help in reducing the TB burden and the transmission in the community. Aim & Objective: To study the treatment seeking behaviour including the delays in initiation of treatment along with its determinants; among tuberculosis patients aged > 15 years in Mehrauli area of Delhi. Settings and Design: A longitudinal follow up study conducted in two randomly selected DMC cum DOTS centres in Mehrauli area of Delhi from January 2018 to April 2018. Methods and Material: Patients of both sexes of age > 15 years, registered under RNTCP from January to April 2018 in the randomly selected DOTS centres i.e. Mehrauli DMC cum DOTS and Chattarpur DMC cum DOTS centre were included in the study. Self-designed, pretested interview schedule and records of DMC were used to collect the relevant information. Statistical analysis used: Information collected in the Performa was coded and entered in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 12. Results: The mean patients delay, diagnostic delay, treatment delay, health care system delay and total delay was 48.91 ± 130.38 days, 91.09 ± 155.97 days, 6.25 ± 6.29 days, 62.72 ± 119.48 days and 97.33 ± 155.06 days respectively. The median patients delay, diagnostic delay, treatment delay, health care system delay and total delay was 15 days, 45 days, 5 days, 35 days and 54 days respectively. Conclusions: The major reasons for patient’s delay were lack of awareness regarding the symptoms of TB and self-medication and for health care system delay it was treatment from private health care providers
Post COVID-19 Symptoms: A Neglected Domain
Get PDFBackground: COVID -19 is the most important public health problem of recent time. Most people who have COVID-19 recovers completely within a few weeks but some people continue to have symptoms after initial recovery. Objective: To assess the prevalence of Post COVID symptoms, to assess requirement of treatment and to make recommendation for Post COVID care. Methods: Present cross sectional study was done among patients who recovered from COVID-19 in Meerut district. Mobile numbers of COVID patients were obtained from records, Total 100 randomly selected patients were contacted using google form and information regarding post covid symptoms in between 6 weeks to 12 weeks after recovery from COVID was obtained. Result: 87%patients developed one or more post covid symptoms. Weakness was reported to be most common problem (55%), followed by body ache (26%) and neuropsychiatric symptoms such as difficulty in concentration and insomnia (22%). Every fifth patient reported that symptoms persisted for more than 1 month. Though most of the respondents classified their symptoms as mild and moderate (52.5% and 37.9% respectively), 47% of the symptomatic patients have to take some treatment for these symptoms. Conclusion: Post COVID symptoms are common but usually less severe . Some form of treatment was required to deal with problem. Almost one in five patients reported that symptoms persisted for more than one month. The results highlight the need for post Covid care for COVID recovered patients
Peer Pressure of Publishing or Perishing (PPPP)
Get PDFResearchers create or improvise knowledge by innovating concepts, methods and/or interpretations. Scientific research and scientific writing seem to be inseparable in this modern world for professional existence. Publications are important to give a thrust and positive boost up in your career. Since last decade, research has taken a new horizon. Medical schools and universities frequently use the quantification of publication as the measure of a scholar’s academic competency. Publications are an essential and sometimes the sole criteria considered during recruitments. The numerical value of the published work is taking a leap step ahead of the quality of research. Scholars, who do not have the aptitude of publishing frequently or who focus more on their clinical work and teaching activities to shape up the undergraduates’ and postgraduates’ future, may find themselves out of this professional race. Each individual faculty of the medical institutions is unique research scholar. There is an upcoming trend that unless they pen down their research, they will be undervalued in the academic workplace. This undue “Peer Pressure of Publishing or Perishing” is floating as the new “Catch Phrase” of the professional era
Assessing Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices towards Ivermectin Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for COVID-19 among Health Care Workers
Get PDFBackground: Health care workers (HCWs) are more likely to be at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection due to their direct and/or indirect participation in treatment facilities. Here, we aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of ivermectin pre-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in HCWs. Materials and Methods: In this observational study HCWs who were directly/indirectly involved in the medication of COVID-19 patients were selected. The study questionnaire included demographic data; knowledge, attitudes, practices, and associated adverse drug reactions (ADR) after using ivermectin as pre-exposure prophylaxis in COVID-19. Results: The mean age of the selected 306 participants was 34.41 {±standard deviation 4.08}. 66.66% of the participants were men. 15.69% of individuals had co-morbidities. HCWs were about COVID-19, and 94.12% of people know the role of ivermectin as PEP. Additionally, 180 participants (58.82%) realized that ivermectin can cause adverse drug reactions (ADRs). 70.59% of the study-participants admitted that ivermectin has a protective effect on COVID-19, while 62.75% of the participants believed that the PEP benefits of using ivermectin outweigh the risks. 57.37% (n = 210) of HCW used ivermectin and completed the recommended medication process. Eighteen participants (8.57%) experienced adverse reactions and reported to the ADR monitoring center. Conclusion: 70.59% of the studied participants agreed that ivermectin has a protective effect on COVID-19, and 57.37% of the participants have taken ivermectin as PEP. However, 8.57% of the individuals reported ADR, but none of the participants were severe enough to discontinue the drug
Prevalence and Determinants of Food Insecurity and Association with Malnutrition of under Five Children in Aligarh
Get PDFBackground: Food security has always been a major determinant behind development of malnutrition among the under 5 children of India. Even after sustained efforts to alleviate this problem, we are still way behind in achieving our targets. Aims and Objectives: To assess the prevalence and determinants of food security, and find association of food security with stunting and wasting of children less than five years of age. Materials and Methods: This study among under five children was conducted in field practice areas of Department of Community Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. Food security was assessed through Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) while stunting and wasting were assessed by parameters defined by World Health Organization. Statistical Analysis: Done using IBM SPSS 20.0 version. Results: 41.1% children were found to have low food security and among these 1.8% children have very low food security. Overall, statistically significant association was found between food security and malnutrition among the children (p<0.05). Significant association was also found between place of residence, caste, type of family, father’s education, father’s occupation and mother’s education. Conclusion: New health policies should be introduced, and already existing programs need to reinforce to curb this menace
Study of prevalence and determinants associated with scabies in rural area of Bareilly
Get PDFBackground: Scabies, a contagious skin infestation by the mite Sarcoptes scabieii. It has no gender differences and infects all age group. This skin disease affects more than 300 million people per year worldwide, resulting in considerable morbidity, especially in resource-limited countries. Aims and Objectives: To find out prevalence and risk factor of scabies in rural population and to recommend measures for prevention and control of scabies. Material and Methods: A prospective cross sectional study was carried out over a period of 4 months from 1 Dec 2019 to 31 March 2020 in dermatology OPD at Rural health training centre( RHTC) of a medical college in Dhaura Tanda region of Uttar Pradesh. Total 310 patient including male and female of all age group were included in the study . Results: Majority of participants were females (58.1%).The prevalence of scabies was 24.2% in population. The mean age at presentation was 28.819 ± 10.198 years. The most common affected age group was 12-24 years (28.4%). Conclusion: Scabies is a common skin disease in underdeveloped and developing countries. Poor living conditions such as inadequate housing, overcrowding, illiteracy, having animals in the house, unhygienic condition presence of family history and sharing clothes with others are important risk factors for transmission of scabies
A brief insight on knowledge about Viral Hepatitis in Pregnancy among clinicians
Get PDFViral Hepatitis (VH) is one of the most serious infections during pregnancy which not only creates complications for the mother but also transmits the infection to the newborn. Hence, clinicians should be aware about the diagnosis and management related to VH during pregnancy and modes to prevent it. Thus the present study aimed to assess the current knowledge about VH in pregnancy among clinicians. A cross-sectional study was conducted among physicians who attended National Seminar for Physicians on Viral Hepatitis in Pregnancy organized by PRAKASH. An online link to 25-item questionnaire was circulated with all the registered participants. The data was analysed using IBM-SPSS version-21. The statistical significance was considered to be <0.05.A total of 64 physicians with mean age of 33.73±10.57 were included in the study. Mean knowledge score was found to be 15.41±3.47 out of 25 with 59% of the participants having poor-to-moderate knowledge about VH in pregnancy. The study raises serious concerns about initiating training related to diagnosis and management of VH in pregnancy among clinicians
Maximizing the potential and outreach of Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health in COVID 19
Get PDFTeaching and learning has existence from the earliest times of human civilization. Socrates in 300 BC involved his learners by dialectic method which has inspired philosophers for more than two thousand years. The argumentative dialogue based on oral questioning and answering process to stimulate critical thinking in the dialectic method allowed others to learn by self-generated deeper understanding.(1) The Gurukul teaching in the ancient vedic time encourages the students to stay in guru’s place (termed as Gurukul) where the education was delivered through scriptures describing vedas, rules of sacrifice, understanding secrets of nature and correlating them with their real life. In these times, the education was more organized and disciplined focusing upon memory retention and concentration(2). The learning through script and writing started in 3500BC where Egyptians developed alphabets from hieroglyphs prototype which was used either on stone monuments or on papyrus, a flexible paper like material.(3)The script was later adopted by Greeks (Phoenician writing system)(4) in 11th century and thereafter by China in 1400-2100BC (oracle bone script
Promoting healthier diets in India through “Front of Package Food Labeling”
Get PDFThe rising NCDs are attributed to an epidemiological health transition resulting from rapid urbanization, sedentary lifestyle, and transforming nutritional preferences. The behavioral risk factors like the adoption of a sedentary lifestyle and changing dietary pattern have resulted in the consumption of an unhealthy diet, building up and less burning of calories. It has been observed that nutrition labeling has played a crucial role in shaping consumer level food behavior. Many labeling systems have been proposed and designed as per country specific needs. Consumers face many challenges while accessing the food packets, small fonts, labeling on the back side, not understanding its language, and unable to evaluate the nutritional information which is described on the packets. Our aim should be to improve the information available within the food package, increase food information accessible to the people, and more importantly, the use of this information must be brought into service by the consumers as to make healthy food choices. Chile\u27s approach to warning labels is currently considered the gold standard in the FOPL system, which have significantly reduced the consumption of unhealthy foods by people. There is a need to introduce the replica of the same Chile’s FOPL system in India. It\u27s time to make the right move and make India a global leader in FOPL food systems by the introduction of strong and stringent FOPL laws that may help consumers with informed food choices and FSSAI may play a leadership role in this