Framework for Evaluating the Health Impact of the Scale-Up of Malaria Control Interventions on All-Cause Child Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Concerted efforts from national and international partners have scaled up malaria control interventions, including insecticide-treated nets, indoor residual spraying, diagnostics, prompt and effective treatment of malaria cases, and intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This scale-up warrants an assessment of its health impact to guide future efforts and investments; however, measuring malaria-specific mortality and the overall impact of malaria control interventions remains challenging. In 2007, Roll Back Malaria's Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group proposed a theoretical framework for evaluating the impact of full-coverage malaria control interventions on morbidity and mortality in high-burden SSA countries.

Strengthening individual capacity in monitoring and evaluation of malaria control programmes to streamline M&E systems and enhance information use in malaria endemic countries.

Background: Malaria control interventions in most endemic countries have intensified in recent years and so there is a need for a robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system to measure progress and achievements. Providing programme and M&E officers with the appropriate skills is a way to strengthen malaria's M&E systems and enhance information use for programmes' implementation. This paper describes a recent effort in capacity strengthening for malaria M&E in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Gender differences in the use of insecticide-treated nets after a universal free distribution campaign in Kano State, Nigeria: post-campaign survey results.

Background: Recent expansion in insecticide-treated net (ITN) distribution strategies range from targeting pregnant women and children under five and distributing ITN at antenatal care and immunization programmes, to providing free distribution campaigns to cover an entire population. These changes in strategy raise issues of disparities, such as equity of access and equality in ITN use among different groups, including females and males. Analysis is needed to assess the effects of gender on uptake of key malaria control interventions.

[The joint activities of the National Center for Hygiene, Medical Ecology and Nutrition and the epidemiological hygiene inspectorates in 1993 and 1994].

Priority problems for collaboration between the NHMEN Center and HEIs over the period 1993-1994 are pointed out: updating sanitary legislation; monitoring the environment, including community and territorial planning; assessing health risk; manpower training; developing an efficient health-information system; and public education in ecology. A detailed analysis is presented on interactions between the NHMEN Center and HEIs aimed at solving the above problems by implementing tasks pertaining to scientific research, applied research, expertization, training, and methodological activities.

[The assessment of the occupational risk to workers in electric steel production].

These studies, centering on occupational environmental factors, biologic monitoring, and toxicodynamic investigations, involved a total of 105 workers distributed into eight job groups, who were 45 years, of age on the average and had from 5 to 10 years of special occupational experience at "Electrosteel" Works. Evidence was obtained for presence of unfavorable microclimate conditions, elevated equivalent levels of noise, excess of general and local vibrations, exposure to manganese aerosols, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides; some of the subjects and deviations in hepatic status and connective tissue. Job groups found to be at risk were those of steel founders, crane workers, and pourers.