Assessment of prevalence and determinants of posttraumatic stress disorder in survivors of earthquake in Pakistan using Davidson Trauma Scale.

Introduction: Pakistan's 2005 earthquake claimed almost 87,000 lives and displaced millions. The present study sought to assess PTSD prevalence among earthquake survivors, to evaluate its determinants, and to identify protective factors that suggest future interventions in the aftermath of disasters.

Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, three districts were selected based on their proximity to the epicenter and the presence, accessibility, and security of refugees, 300 earthquake survivors were enrolled.

Needlestick and sharps injuries among health care workers at public tertiary hospitals in an urban community in Mongolia.

Background: Needlestick and sharps injuries (NSSIs) are one of the major risk factors for blood-borne infections at healthcare facilities. This study examines the current situation of NSSIs among health care workers at public tertiary hospitals in an urban community in Mongolia and explores strategies for the prevention of these injuries.

Findings: A survey of 621 health care workers was undertaken in two public tertiary hospitals in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in July 2006.

Availability and use of emergency obstetric care services in public hospitals in Laos PDR: a systems analysis.

The maternal mortality ratio in Laos in 2005 was 660 per 100,000 lives birth which was the third highest in Asia-Pacific Region. The objective was to determine the availability and use of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) in provincial and district hospitals in Borikhamxay, Khammouane, and Savannakhet provinces using UN guidelines. A hospital-based cross sectional survey was conducted from January to March 2008.

Predictors of exclusive breast-feeding in early infancy: a survey report from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Background: Exclusive breast-feeding (EBF) is recommended in the first 6 months of an infant's life. This study aims to investigate the present status of infant feeding practices and identify factors that affect EBF practices during the first 6 months following infant birth in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey with a semistructured questionnaire was given to 312 mothers with children aged 6 to 24 months who visited the immunization clinic in the National Maternal and Child Health Centre in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from December 2005 to February 2006.

Antenatal care among ethnic populations in Louang Namtha Province, Lao PDR.

One in 33 women in Lao PDR dies due to pregnancy-related causes, which is the highest in Southeast Asia. This study assessed ANC utilization rates and the determinants for these rates; it also explored rural maternal decision-making regarding the place of delivery and immunizations for their children under age five years. A cross-sectional study was carried out in Viengphukha District, Louang Namtha Province, Lao PDR in January 2008.

Investigation of health care waste management in Binzhou District, China.

In China, national regulations and standards for health care waste management were implemented in 2003. To investigate the current status of health care waste management at different levels of health care facilities (HCF) after the implementation of these regulations, one tertiary hospital, one secondary hospital, and four primary health care centers from Binzhou District were visited and 145 medical staff members and 24 cleaning personnel were interviewed. Generated medical waste totaled 1.

Factors influencing breastfeeding in children less than 2 years of age in Lao PDR.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of, and factors influencing, exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) at 6 months and continued breastfeeding (CBF) at 2 years.

Methods: Between January and February 2007, a cross-sectional study was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire in 40 villages in the Vientiane capital and the Vientiane province of Lao PDR. A total of 400 mothers with children less than 2 years old were recruited by multistage random sampling.

Hospital medical waste management in Shandong Province, China.

Medical waste refers to those hazardous waste materials generated by healthcare activities, including a broad range of materials, and remains as an issue on both public health and environment. In China, there was inadequate information on the implementation of management systems in hospitals based on the national regulatory framework. The objectives of this study were to assess the current situation of medical waste management and to identify factors determining the implementation of a management system based on the national regulatory framework in hospitals.

Scaling up interventions to eliminate neonatal tetanus: factors associated with the coverage of tetanus toxoid and clean deliveries among women in Vientiane, Lao PDR.

The Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) is one of seven countries that have not eliminated maternal and neonatal tetanus in more than 50% of districts. We conducted a community-based household survey to assess the achievements of strategies towards maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination in the capital province. The coverage of tetanus toxoid (TT) was 79.

Malnutrition among children in rural Malawian fish-farming households.

To estimate the impact of fish farming operated at household level on nutritional status among children 6-59 months of age, a cross-sectional study was conducted in Zomba district, Malawi. Anthropometric measurements of 66 children in each type of household (fish-farming and non-fish-farming households) and structured interviews with their parents were undertaken. A total of 21 background variables were employed and examined using bivariate and multivariate analyses.

Physicians' knowledge regarding the recommended anti-tuberculosis prescribed medication regimen: a cross-sectional survey from Lucknow, India.

We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive survey among 141 medical physicians treating tuberculosis (TB) patients, registered with local chest physicians association in Lucknow District, India. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to evaluate the physicians' knowledge of anti-tuberculosis prescribed medication regimens. Sixty percent of eligible physicians had Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program training, mostly in the public sector.

Prevalence and potential risk factors of rhinitis and atopic eczema among schoolchildren in Vientiane capital, Lao PDR: ISAAC questionnaire.

In 1998, an epidemiological study on asthma and allergic diseases using ISAAC questionnaire in Laos was first conducted in the recommended schools located in Vientiane capital showing that the prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic eczema were 23.7% and 7.1% among children aged 13-14 year-old, respectively.

The role of village doctors on tuberculosis control and the DOTS strategy in Shandong Province, China.

This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of village doctors based on current national policies and to explore factors determining their roles in the directly observed therapy, short course (DOTS) strategy and tuberculosis (TB) control in rural China. In this cross-sectional study conducted in Shandong Province, we interviewed a total of 1,824 village doctors from 36 villages using a semi-structured questionnaire that included demographic characteristics, knowledge of TB treatment and current policies related to TB prevention and control, attitudes towards TB patients, and practices of educating rural residents, detection of TB cases, and supervision of patients. Results indicated that most village doctors underwent a training program and were willing to receive additional training while almost half recognized that their current knowledge was insufficient to meet the demands of their work.

Challenges in access to and utilization of reproductive health care in Pakistan.

Background: Pakistan's maternal mortality rate is high, and adequate and timely emergency services could prevent most maternal deaths. A woman's right to life-saving services of skilled health care providers in childbirth is undeniable. This paper examines factors restricting women's access to emergency obstetric care services in Pakistan.

Monitoring malaria control in Khammouane province, Laos: an active case detection survey of Plasmodium falciparum malaria using the Paracheck rapid diagnostic test.

In Khammouane province, Laos, over 5000 slide-positive malaria cases were reported at local health facilities in 1997. To combat the spread of malaria, insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and community health education were provided to the people in this province by the Lao Ministry of Health and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. In order to document the current malaria situation, an active case detection (ACD) survey using rapid diagnostic tests was conducted at 23 sites from June to July, the rainy season, in 2005.

UXO victims and health status of populations living in Xiengkhuang Province, Lao PDR: A household-based survey.

During the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1973, over 2 million tons of bombs were dropped on Laos. Approximately 30% of the bombs did not explode and have posed a continued threat to civilians throughout the country. Approximately 200 casualties per year have been reported nationwide.

Risk of sharps exposure among health science students in northeast China.

Previous studies have demonstrated that sharps-related infectious disease is a global concern. Several papers have also reported that students are at a higher risk than healthcare workers. The prevalence of sharps exposure in China, however, is unknown.

Emergency obstetric care in Punjab, Pakistan: improvement needed.

Introduction: This paper describes an approach to maternal mortality reduction in Pakistan that uses UN emergency obstetric care (EmOC) process indicators to examine if public health care centres in Pakistan's Punjab province comply with minimum recommendations for basic and comprehensive services.

Methods: In a cross sectional study in September 2003, through random sampling at area and health-facility levels from 30% of districts in Punjab province (n = 11/34 districts), all public health facilities providing EmOC were included (n = 120). Facility data were used for analysis.

The health management information system of Pakistan under devolution: health managers' perceptions.

Devolution implies that use of data for decision making starts at the level of data generation. However under a newly decentralized system, managers may face different hurdles in utilizing the preexisting Health Management Information System (HMIS). This qualitative research explores the perceptions of health managers regarding HMIS under the devolution reforms enacted in 2001 in Pakistan.

Assessment of hepatitis B vaccine-induced seroprotection among children 5-10 years old in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Hepatitis B virus infection is a serious public health problem. Mongolia is one of the countries with the highest rates of hepatitis B virus infection in the world. The routine immunization with the hepatitis B vaccine began nationwide in 1991.

A social marketing approach to quality improvement in family planning services: a case study from Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

In the 1990s, social marketing approach was introduced in Pakistan to improve the quality and accessibility of family planning methods involving private practitioners. This study measured six quality elements using a Bruce-Jain framework. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 29 randomly selected Green Star clinics.

The reality of health information systems: challenges for standardization.

Health information systems (HISs) serve as an indispensable foundation for developing health policy and strategies and improving delivery of routine health services in an evidence-based manner. In developing countries, HISs are not adequately functioning in spite of their important role such as monitoring tools for the progress of the Millennium Development Goals. This paper attempts to classify the HISs into four types according to their data sources.

Accurate record keeping in referral hospitals in Pakistan's north west frontier province and Punjab: a crucial step needed to improve maternal health.

Objective: To assess record keeping practices in referral hospitals in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Punjab province, focusing specifically on United Nation's Emergency Obstetric Care (UN EmOC) indicators of maternal morbidity and mortality.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey collected information at the health facility level, using UN process indicators to assess EmOC services. The study enrolled 170 health facilities from 19 randomly selected districts in Punjab and NWFP.