1,720,973 research outputs found
The Almajiri Heritage and the threat of non-state terrorism in northern Nigeria: lessons from central Asia and Pakistan
No full textThe Almajiri heritage is, like the madrassahs in Central Asia, a system of Muslim education that dates back several centuries. With the imposition of British colonial rule between 1902 and 1960 on parts of the Sokoto Empire that currently constitute northern Nigeria, the North's amalgamation with Southern Nigerian British protectorates in 1914, and the formal abolition of slavery in northern Nigeria in 1936, this heritage underwent major structural and functional transformations. Given the lessons from the 1980 Maitatsine terrorist insurgence in Kano, Nigeria, and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in northern Nigeria since 1999, a potential exists that the heritage may evolve into an apparatus for perpetuating non-state terrorism. Drawing on the trajectory of similar educational systems in Central Asia prior to, during, and following Russian communist rule, this article outlines reasons for the growing terrorist potential of the Almajiri heritage, and suggests measures for avoiding such trajectories
Torture : understanding and addressing a highly reprehensible aspect of prison violence
No full textTorture, the infliction of severe physical or psychological pain upon an individual to obtain information, extract a confession, or as punishment, is prohibited by international law and is illegal in most countries. Nevertheless, documented instances of torture of prisoners currently
occur in more than half of the world’s countries, with devastating physical
and psychosocial consequences on victims. This article examines the potential roles of physicians, medical associations, and governments in the perpetuation, and prevention, of torture. The author highlights several factors that have influenced the perpetuation of prisoner torture, even in countries that are signatories to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, and concludes with practical measures for surveillance and
minimization of prisoner torture
Public Health in Developing Countries
Get PDFPublic health entails the use of models, technologies, experience and evidence derived through consumer participation, translational research and population sciences to protect and improve the health of the population. Enhancing public health is of significant importance to the development of a nation, particularly for developing countries where the health care system is underdeveloped, fragile or vulnerable.This book examines progress and challenges with regards to public health in developing countries in two parts: Part 1 “General and Crosscutting Issues in Public Health and Case Studies” and Part 2 “Country-Specific Issues in Public Health.” For example, assuring equity for marginalized indigenous groups and other key populations entails the application of transdisciplinary interventions including legislation, advocacy, financing, empowerment and de-stigmatization. The diverse structural, political, economic, technological, geographical and social landscape of developing countries translates to unique public health challenges, infrastructure and implementation trajectories in addressing issues such as vector-borne diseases and intimate partner violence.This volume will be of interest to researchers, health ministry policy makers, public health professionals and non-governmental organizations whose work entails collaborations with public health systems of developing nations and regions
Towards global Guinea worm eradication in 2015: the experience of South Sudan
No full textSummaryFor centuries, the Guinea worm parasite (Dracunculus medinensis) has caused disabling misery, infecting people who drink stagnant water contaminated with the worm's larvae. In 2012, there were 542 cases of Guinea worm reported globally, of which 521 (96.1%) were reported in South Sudan. Protracted civil wars, an inadequate workforce, neglect of potable water provision programs, suboptimal Guinea worm surveillance and case containment, and fragmented health systems account for many of the structural and operational factors encumbering South Sudan's Guinea worm eradication efforts. This article reviews the impacts of six established Guinea worm control strategies in South Sudan: (1) surveillance to determine actual caseload distribution and trends in response to control measures; (2) educating community members from whom worms are emerging to avoid immersing affected parts in sources of drinking water; (3) filtering potentially contaminated drinking water using cloth filters or filtered drinking straws; (4) treating potentially contaminated surface water with the copepod larvicide temephos (Abate); (5) providing safe drinking water from boreholes or hand-dug wells; and (6) containment of transmission through voluntary isolation of each patient to prevent contamination of drinking water sources, provision of first aid, and manual extraction of the worm. Surveillance, community education, potable water provision, and case containment remain weak facets of the program. Abate pesticide is not a viable option for Guinea worm control in South Sudan. In light of current case detection and containment trends, as well as capacity building efforts for Guinea worm eradication, South Sudan is more likely to eradicate Guinea worm by 2020, rather than by 2015. The author highlights areas in which substantial improvements are required in South Sudan's Guinea worm eradication program, and suggests improvement strategies
Leprosy: International Public Health Policies and Public Health Eras
No full textPublic health policies continue to play important roles in national and international health reforms. However, the influence and legacies of the public health eras during which such policies are formulated remain largely underappreciated. The limited appreciation of this relationship may hinder consistent adoption of public health policies by nation-states, and encumber disinvestment from ineffective or anachronistic policies. This article reviews seven public health eras and highlights how each era has influenced international policy formulation for leprosy control—“the fertile soil for policy learning”. The author reiterates the role of health leadership and health activism in facilitating consistency in international health policy formulation and implementation for leprosy control
Hepatitis B vaccination in prisons
No full textThe opportunities and problems for hepatitis B vaccination programmes in prison settings are discussed. In particular, the advantages of modelling are stressed and an active case-finding approach is advocated. Measures for maintaining good case-holding are also discussed, and a 0, 1, 2 months vaccination regimen with 20 µg doses of vaccine is advocated for prison settings. A higher reference level for inferring adequate immunization is also recommended, with booster injections for inmates who do not meet the higher reference after a primary course of vaccination
Measuring and evaluating the quality of hepatitis B vaccination programs in prison settings
No full textCurrent custodial policies in Australasia are geared towards adopting a public health approach towards improving the quality of prison health services in line with community health standards. Although
hepatitis B vaccination is included as a core public health intervention for prisoners, little information is available regarding reliable and valid approaches
to quality measurement and evaluation of hepatitis B vaccination programs. This article proposes an indicator-based quality measurement approach and a matrix-based quality evaluation approach that focus on relationships between hepatitis B vaccination quality components and patients’ (prisoners) needs
Updating the hepatitis C infection risk reduction hierarchy in prison settings
No full textHepatitis C Virus (HCV) is blood borne pathogen that affects an estimated 125 million people; approximately 2% of the world’s population.1 Current major risk factors for infection include injecting drug use and other procedures requiring skin penetration, such as non-sterile injections, tattooing and other body art. The contribution of unprotected sex to hepatitis C transmission is difficult to quantify. However, given that hepatitis C RNA was found in the semen of hepatitis C RNA positive men, and that sexual partners of HCV infected individuals more often demonstrate HCV infection than spouses of non-HCV infected partners, this route of transmission might be at least as significant as transmission via tattooing.2 Over 80% of all newly acquired hepatitis C infections in Australia and most Western countries are associated with injecting (illicit) drug use. A modelling study inferred that the number of new hepatitis C infections in Australia decreased from a peak of 14,000 in 1999 to 9700 in 2005, mainly due to reductions in injecting drug use.3 In sub-Saharan Africa where unnecessary therapeutic injections and reuse of injecting equipment for immunization and other medical procedures are common, up to 10% of hepatitis C infections are thought to be iatrogenic. Globally, the poor are disproportionately affected by hepatitis C infections. It is a stigmatizing infection with major psychological and social consequences for sufferers
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