Publications by authors named "Corinne J Schuster-Wallace"

The establishment of West Nile Virus (WNV) competent vectors continues to pose a major public health challenge in Canada, especially in the south. While studies have examined the association between weather conditions and the abundance of mosquitoes over trap weeks, there is limited research on the effects of weather conditions on the abundance of Culex tarsalis (Cx. tarsalis) mosquitoes for a lapse of time beyond the trap week in Saskatchewan, Western Canada.

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Mosquito-borne diseases are a known tropical phenomenon. This review was conducted to assess the mecha-nisms through which climate change impacts mosquito-borne diseases in temperate regions. Articles were searched from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases.

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Article Synopsis
  • Indigenous communities in Ontario face significant challenges with drinking water quality, with a large percentage under Drinking Water Advisories from 2004 to 2013, affecting health and wellbeing.
  • The study utilized community-based participatory research methods, including surveys and interviews, to gather insights from community members experiencing long-term Boil Water Advisories.
  • Findings revealed gaps in knowledge about protective actions during advisories, with notable differences in adherence rates between men and women, highlighting the need for improved community education on water safety and health practices.
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Background: Wastewater is increasingly being used in the agricultural sector to cope with the depletion of freshwater resources as well as water stress linked to changing climate conditions. As wastewater irrigation expands, research focusing on the human health risks is critical because exposure to a range of contaminants must be weighed with the benefits to food security, nutrition and livelihoods.

Objectives: The goal of this paper was to review research examining health risks and exposure pathways associated with wastewater irrigation to identify research trends and gaps.

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Recent years have witnessed an increase in the use of community based participatory research (CBPR) tools for understanding environment and health issues and facilitating social action. This paper explores the application and utility of photovoice for understanding water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) behaviours and catalysing community led solutions to change behaviours. Between June and August 2013, photovoice was conducted with eight (8) women in Usoma, a lakeshore community in Western Kenya with a follow-up community meeting (baraza) in May 2014 to discuss findings with the community members and government officials.

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As part of a knowledge, attitudes, practices and empowerment (KAPE) project implemented by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) in the Lake Victoria Basin, this paper reports findings from a photovoice study with women in Usoma, a lakeshore community in Western Kenya. Drawing on ecosocial and political ecology theory, findings reveal that access to water, perceptions and practices were shaped by ecological and broader structural factors. Further, collective actions to improve access were constrained by institutional and economic structures, thus (re)enforcing inequalities.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Social capital is highlighted as a significant barrier to community-based initiatives for improving water and sanitation, alongside financial challenges.
  • * The study in Usoma, Kenya shows that enhancing social capital can positively influence community participation in addressing water and sanitation issues, suggesting implications for policy and practice in similar contexts.
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  • The Water-associated Disease Index (WADI) is a tool designed to map and evaluate vulnerability to various water-related diseases by combining social and environmental factors.
  • The study focuses on dengue, applying an ecohealth framework to assess conditions like climate, land use, and education, ultimately creating a visual index that correlates with dengue rates.
  • Results show high dengue vulnerability in urban areas like Kuala Lumpur, with variations influenced by seasonal climate conditions, demonstrating WADI's potential for guiding prevention and control efforts.
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Background: Water and sanitation access are known to be related to newborn, child, and maternal health. Our study attempts to quantify these relationships globally using country-level data: How much does improving access to water and sanitation influence infant, child, and maternal mortality?

Methods: Data for 193 countries were abstracted from global databases (World Bank, WHO, and UNICEF). Linear regression was used for the outcomes of under-five mortality rate and infant mortality rate (IMR).

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Climate change is expected to cause changes in precipitation quantity, intensity, frequency and duration, which will subsequently alter environmental conditions and might increase the risk of waterborne disease. The objective of this study was to describe the seasonality of and explore associations between weather, water quality and occurrence of infectious gastrointestinal illnesses (IGI) in two communities in Nunatsiavut, Canada. Weather data were obtained from meteorological stations in Nain (2005-2008) and Rigolet (2008).

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