An epidemic of spastic paraparesis of unknown aetiology in Northern Mozambique.

This case study is based on a real-life outbreak investigation undertaken in Mozambique in 1981. This case study describes and promotes one particular approach to unknown disease outbreak investigation. Investigational procedures, however, may vary depending on location and outbreak.

Ebola and Its Control in Liberia, 2014-2015.

The severe epidemic of Ebola virus disease in Liberia started in March 2014. On May 9, 2015, the World Health Organization declared Liberia free of Ebola, 42 days after safe burial of the last known case-patient. However, another 6 cases occurred during June-July; on September 3, 2015, the country was again declared free of Ebola.

The joy of facts and figures by Fiona Fleck.

Hans Rosling tells Fiona Fleck why it's easy to make health statistics interesting but difficult to persuade people to accept a fact-based view of the world.

Estimating the capacity for ART provision in Tanzania with the use of data on staff productivity and patient losses.

Background: International targets for access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) have over-estimated the capacity of health systems in low-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The WHO target for number on treatment by end 2005 for Tanzania was 10 times higher than actually achieved. The target of the national Care and Treatment Plan (CTP) was also not reached.

Foreign field hospitals in the recent sudden-onset disasters in Iran, Haiti, Indonesia, and Pakistan.

Introduction: Foreign field hospitals (FFHs) may provide care for the injured and substitute for destroyed hospitals in the aftermath of sudden-onset disasters.

Problem: In the aftermath of sudden-onset disasters, FFHs have been focused on providing emergency trauma care for the initial 48 hours following the sudden-onset disasters, while they tend to be operational much later. In addition, many have remained operational even later.

Socioeconomic determinants of infant mortality: a worldwide study of 152 low-, middle-, and high-income countries.

Background: To reach the Millennium Development Goals for health, influential international bodies advocate for more resources to be directed to the health sector, in particular medical treatment. Yet, health has many determinants beyond the health sector that are less evident than proximate predictors.

Aim: To assess the relative importance of major socioeconomic determinants of population health, measured as infant mortality rate (IMR), at country level.

Clinic entrance interviews: a new method to assess needs after a sudden impact disaster.

Background: After a Sudden impact disasters (SID), relief workers and coordinators require information on the size and location of the affected population as well as the character and magnitude of their immediate needs.

Methods: The study was performed in the mountainous Bagh district, a part of the autonomous state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Pakistan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted daily at either of the three health centres or the district hospital in which MSF was working.

Economic burden on families of childhood type 1 diabetes in urban Sudan.

The aims of this study were to estimate the direct costs of childhood diabetes in a low income country, Sudan, and to assess the effectiveness of care paid for by the families. For this purpose, socio-economic and demographic data on families were obtained from the parents of 147 children with type 1 diabetes, attending public or private clinics in Khartoum State, Sudan. The median annual income of the families of diabetic children was US dollars (US$) 1222 (range 0-14,338) of which 16% was received as financial help from relatives and friends.