Innovative technologies to address neglected tropical diseases in African settings with persistent sociopolitical instability.

The health, economic, and social burden of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Africa remains substantial, with elimination efforts hindered by persistent sociopolitical instability, including ongoing conflicts among political and ethnic groups that lead to internal displacement and migration. Here, we explore how innovative technologies can support Africa in addressing NTDs amidst such instability, through analysis of WHO and UNHCR data and a systematic literature review. Countries in Africa facing sociopolitical instability also bear a high burden of NTDs, with the continent ranking second globally in NTD burden (33%, 578 million people) and first in internal displacement (50%, 31.

The Psychologically Rich Life Questionnaire in China.

Research on psychological richness in China and in adolescents is limited. We validated the 17-item Psychologically Rich Life Questionnaire in a sample of 1794 Chinese high school students. Internal consistency was adequate, and a two-factor structure was found.

Opportunities and challenges in utilizing community assets to extend chronic care management in podoconiosis endemic areas: Evidence from Northwestern Ethiopia.

Community-based chronic care intervention is important in the control and prevention of lifelong conditions such as podoconiosis and similar 'intensive disease management' neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Despite a call for such interventions, few efforts have been made to identify opportunities and challenges related to their implementation. Employing a qualitative approach, this study explored the possibility of engaging community actors, physical places and networks to promote chronic care management in rural Ethiopia.

Economic, Environmental, and Social Value of Virtual Care in Otolaryngology: Sustainability in Quality Improvement Framework.

Objective: Apply the Sustainability in Quality Improvement framework to virtual care for Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) patients to understand the economic, environmental, and social impacts.

Methods: This project consisted of retrospective analysis of anonymized data from all appointments that took place in three academic ambulatory OHNS clinics (pediatrics, head and neck, and otology/neurotology) from fiscal years of 2021 to 2023. Data were obtained from our institution's Virtual Care Dashboard.

Uncovering intersecting stigmas experienced by people affected by podoconiosis in Nyamasheke district, Rwanda.

Background: Podoconiosis is a stigmatising neglected tropical condition, but the nature of podoconiosis stigma has not been fully explored. There is a growing understanding that the experience of stigma is intersectional, yet no research has been done on this matter in relation to podoconiosis. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of podoconiosis-related stigma by illustrating how multiple individuals' positionalities intersect to shape the experience of stigma due to podoconiosis.

Improving health behaviours and attitudes around podoconiosis in Northern Western Ethiopia: Implementation and intervention effectiveness.

Background: Assessing how interventions are implemented is essential to understanding why interventions may or may not achieve their intended outcomes. There is little evidence about how interventions against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are being implemented. Guided by the Context and Implementation of Complex Intervention (CICI) framework, we evaluated an ongoing intervention against the NTD podoconiosis to examine the implementation process and its effectiveness in terms of improving shoe wearing practices, increasing knowledge and reducing stigmatizing attitudes towards podoconiosis in rural Ethiopia.

Neglected tropical disease meets neglected community: Street children's susceptibility to scabies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Scabies is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) with high prevalence rate in resource-limited settings. Though street children are susceptible because of lack of sanitation and contact with vectors, few attempts have been made to identify the lived experience of street children with scabies in the global south. This study explored perceived susceptibility to scabies and related lived experiences of street children in Addis Ababa.

Quality of life among adults with scabies: A community-based cross-sectional study in north-western Ethiopia.

Introduction: Scabies undermines quality of life through its highly disturbing disease symptoms, by distorting self-perception, and secondary to social stigma. Knowledge of its effect on quality of life in general and on specific aspects of day-to-day life is key to addressing the health needs of individual patients and to evaluating gains from community-based disease control interventions.

Objectives: To measure the effect of scabies on the quality of life of people with the infestation.

Exploring the Regulation of Cytochrome P450 in SH-SY5Y Cells: Implications for the Onset of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Human individual differences in brain cytochrome P450 (CYP) metabolism, including induction, inhibition, and genetic variation, may influence brain sensitivity to neurotoxins and thus participate in the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to explore the modulation of CYPs in neuronal cells. The experimental approach was focused on differentiating human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells into a phenotype resembling mature dopamine neurons and investigating the effects of specific CYP isoform induction.

SARM1 regulates pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in human monocytes by NADase-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

SARM1 is a Toll-IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain-containing protein with roles in innate immunity and neuronal death in diverse organisms. Unlike other innate immune TIR proteins that function as adaptors for Toll-like receptors (TLRs), SARM1 has NADase activity, and this activity regulates murine neuronal cell death. However, whether human SARM1, and its NADase activity, are involved in innate immune regulation remains unclear.

The role of a community conversation intervention in reducing stigma related to lower limb lymphoedema in Northern Ethiopia.

Background: Stigma related to lower-limb lymphoedema poses a major psychosocial burden to affected persons and acts as a barrier to them accessing morbidity management and disability prevention (MMDP) services. Community Conversation (CC), which actively engages community members and disseminates health information amongst them, is believed to break the vicious cycle of stigma by enhancing disease-related health literacy at the community level.

Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in Northern Ethiopia to assess the role of the CC intervention in reducing stigma.

Evidence for immune activation in pathogenesis of the HLA class II associated disease, podoconiosis.

Available evidences suggest that podoconiosis is triggered by long term exposure of bare feet to volcanic red clay soil particles. Previous genome-wide studies in Ethiopia showed association between the HLA class II region and disease susceptibility. However, functional relationships between the soil trigger, immunogenetic risk factors and the immunological basis of the disease are uncharted.

SARM1 regulates NAD-linked metabolism and select immune genes in macrophages.

Sterile alpha and HEAT/armadillo motif-containing protein (SARM1) was recently described as a NAD-consuming enzyme and has previously been shown to regulate immune responses in macrophages. Neuronal SARM1 is known to contribute to axon degeneration due to its NADase activity. However, how SARM1 affects macrophage metabolism has not been explored.

Challenges for research uptake for health policymaking and practice in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review.

Background: An estimated 85% of research resources are wasted worldwide, while there is growing demand for context-based evidence-informed health policymaking. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), research uptake for health policymaking and practice is even lower, while little is known about the barriers to the translation of health evidence to policy and local implementation. We aimed to compile the current evidence on barriers to uptake of research in health policy and practice in LMICs using scoping review.

Scabies in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study of prevalence, determinants, clinical presentation and community knowledge.

Background: The WHO aims to prevent, eliminate or control neglected tropical diseases, including scabies, by 2030. However, limited epidemiological data presented a challenge to control efforts, especially in high burden countries. There was a major scabies outbreak in northern Ethiopia starting in 2015 and prevalence has since increased across much of the country.

Interplay of Depression, Smoking Intention, and Smoking Behavior in Chinese Dai Adolescents.

Tobacco smoking and depression are important contributors to the burden of disease in China, and their onset typically occurs in adolescence. However, there is no consensus on the nature and underlying mechanisms of their interplay, and related studies on Chinese adolescents and ethnic minorities are limited. This study tested the mediation role of depression in the link between smoking intention and behavior in relation to sex.

No secondary impact of ivermectin mass drug administration for onchocerciasis elimination on the prevalence of scabies in northwestern Ethiopia.

Background: Mass drug administration (MDA) is among the five major strategies that are currently in use to control, eliminate or eradicate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Optimising MDA to control multiple NTDs maximises impact. The objective of this study is to estimate the secondary impact of ivermectin MDA for onchocerciasis on the prevalence of scabies.

Burden of neglected tropical diseases and access to medicine and diagnostics in Ethiopia: a scoping review.

Background: More than 1.7 billion people are affected by neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) worldwide. Forty percent of the NTD-affected people live in Africa with the poorest, most vulnerable, and hard to reach geographical areas.

A framework for assessing selection and misclassification bias in mendelian randomisation studies: an illustrative example between body mass index and covid-19.

Mendelian randomisation (MR) studies, which investigate causal effects of exposures on disease, might be biased by sample selection and misclassification if phenotypes are not measured universally with the same definition in all study populations or participants. For example, in MR analyses of effects of exposures on covid-19, studies might include individuals with specific characteristics (eg, high socioeconomic position) meaning they are more likely to be tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection or respond to study questionnaires collecting data on infection and disease (selection bias). Alternatively, studies might assume those who were not tested have not been infected by SARS-CoV-2 or had covid-19 and are included as control participants (misclassification bias).

Evaluating Rural Ethiopian Youths' Willingness and Competency to Promote Literacy Regarding G × E Influences on Podoconiosis.

Introduction: Engaging youth as peer educators has yet to be considered to promote literacy concerning conjoint genetic and environmental (G × E) influences on health conditions. Whether youth living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) could and would be willing to serve as lay educators of G × E education is unclear.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of youth living in Southern Ethiopia was conducted from August to September 2017.

Combatting thalassemia in the United Arab Emirates.

Thalassemia is a major health challenge in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), however previous studies have focused on genetics and molecular characterisation while neglecting culture and society. In this commentary, we discuss how tradition and religion in the UAE (e.g.