Comparative life cycle assessment of environmental impacts and economic feasibility of tomato cultivation systems in northern plains of India.

To meet the growing demand for vegetable production and promote sustainable agriculture, it is imperative to implement effective input management and adopt eco-friendly farming practices. This study aims to compare the environmental impacts of conventional and organic tomato cultivation in the northern plains of India. This study utilizes SimaPro 9.

Musculoskeletal disorders among insurance office employees: A case study.

Background: Insurance employees in India are overworked, and their jobs demand prolonged sitting hours in the office; this can lead to musculoskeletal disorders through consistent stress on the musculoskeletal system. The present study includes implications for the reduction of work-related musculoskeletal disorders to minimise sick leaves and medical expenses.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder-related issues among employees working in insurance offices and to analyse the association of pain symptoms with risk factors including demographic, occupational and psychosocial factors.

Effect of household-based drinking water chlorination on diarrhoea among children under five in Orissa, India: a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Boiling, disinfecting, and filtering water within the home can improve the microbiological quality of drinking water among the hundreds of millions of people who rely on unsafe water supplies. However, the impact of these interventions on diarrhoea is unclear. Most studies using open trial designs have reported a protective effect on diarrhoea while blinded studies of household water treatment in low-income settings have found no such effect.

Occupational noise-induced hearing loss in Indian steel industry workers: an exploratory study.

Objective: The present study focused on exploring the current level of hearing protection and subsequently determined the prevalence of occupational noise-induced hearing loss among casting and forging industry workers.

Background: The casting and forging industry provides employment to a significant portion of the population.

Method: The level of hearing protection was assessed through questionnaire survey of 572 workers.

Prevalence of permanent hearing threshold shift among workers of Indian iron and steel small and medium enterprises: a study.

Occupational noise exposure and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) have been recognized as a problem among workers in Indian industries. The major industries in India are based on manufacturing. There are appreciable numbers of casting and forging units spread across the country.

Removing user fees for basic health services: a pilot study and national roll-out in Afghanistan.

BACKGROUND User fees for primary care tend to suppress utilization, and many countries are experimenting with fee removal. Studies show that additional inputs are needed after removing fees, although well-documented experiences are lacking. This study presents data on the effects of fee removal on facility quality and utilization in Afghanistan, based on a pilot experiment and subsequent nationwide ban on fees.

Occupational exposure in small and medium scale industry with specific reference to heat and noise.

This study was undertaken to assess heat and noise exposure and occupational safety practices in small and medium scale casting and forging units (SMEs) of Northern India. We conducted personal interviews of 350 male workers of these units through a comprehensive questionnaire and collected information on heat and noise exposure, use of protective equipment, sweat loss and water intake, working hour. The ambient wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT index) was measured using quest temp 34/36o area heat stress monitor.

Occupational noise exposure in small scale hand tools manufacturing (forging) industry (SSI) in Northern India.

Occupational noise has been recognized as hazardous for the human beings. A high noise level in forging shops is considered to lower the labour productivity and cause illness however occupational noise is being accepted as an integral part of the job. The present study has been carried out in 5 small scale hand tool forging units (SSI) of different sizes in Northern India in Punjab.

Determinants of skilled birth attendant utilization in Afghanistan: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: We sought to identify characteristics associated with use of skilled birth attendants where health services exist in Afghanistan.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in all 33 provinces in 2004, yielding data from 617 health facilities and 9917 women who lived near the facilities and had given birth in the past 2 years.

Results: Only 13% of respondents had used skilled birth attendants.

Measuring and managing progress in the establishment of basic health services: the Afghanistan health sector balanced scorecard.

The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) of Afghanistan has adopted the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) as a tool to measure and manage performance in delivery of a Basic Package of Health Services. Based on results from the 2004 baseline round, the MOPH identified eight of the 29 indicators on the BSC as priority areas for improvement. Like the 2004 round, the 2005 and 2006 BSCs involved a random selection of more than 600 health facilities, 1700 health workers and 5800 patient-provider interactions.

A balanced scorecard for health services in Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) in Afghanistan has developed a balanced scorecard (BSC) to regularly monitor the progress of its strategy to deliver a basic package of health services. Although frequently used in other health-care settings, this represents the first time that the BSC has been employed in a developing country. The BSC was designed via a collaborative process focusing on translating the vision and mission of the MOPH into 29 core indicators and benchmarks representing six different domains of health services, together with two composite measures of performance.