Background: Limited diagnostic testing for drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) may lead to high rates of misdiagnosis and undertreatment. Current diagnostic tests focus only on detection of rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB). This study aims to determine the impact of improved diagnostic testing for a wider range of drug resistance on DR-TB outcomes in high-burden TB settings, using the Philippines and Thailand as case studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAsia remains vulnerable to new and emerging infectious diseases. Understanding how to improve next generation sequencing (NGS) use in pathogen surveillance is an urgent priority for regional health security. Here we developed a pathogen genomic surveillance assessment framework to assess capacity in low-resource settings in South and Southeast Asia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenomic sequencing has emerged as a powerful tool to enhance early pathogen detection and characterization with implications for public health and clinical decision making. Although widely available in developed countries, the application of pathogen genomics among low-resource, high-disease burden settings remains at an early stage. In these contexts, tailored approaches for integrating pathogen genomics within infectious disease control programs will be essential to optimize cost efficiency and public health impact.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmunization is an essential component of national health plans. However, the growing number of new vaccine introductions, vaccination campaigns and increasing administrative costs create logistic and financial challenges, especially in resource-limited settings. Sub-national geographic targeting of vaccination programs is a potential strategy for governments to reduce the impact of infectious disease outbreaks while optimizing resource allocation and reducing costs, promoting sustainability of critically important national immunization plans.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWorld Health Popul
September 2010
Objective: The necessity and value of beneficiary input is widely recognized by the humanitarian community. Nevertheless, limited beneficiary involvement occurs due to various barriers. This study explores the effectiveness of an innovative, participatory approach to assessing beneficiary perceptions in resource-limited settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFYounsook Lim and colleagues describe the Rwanda Learning Collaborative on Child Health, which aimed to improve and extend the impact of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: As Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans in August 2005, the city's mandatory evacuation prompted the exodus of an estimated 80% of its 485,000 residents. According to estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 18 states subsequently hosted more than 200,000 evacuees.
Hypothesis/problem: In this case study, "Operation Helping Hands" (OHH), the Massachusetts health and medical response in assisting Hurricane Katrina evacuees is described.
A number of dopamine-related genes have been implicated in the etiology of violent behavior and conduct problems. Of these genes, the ones that code for the enzymes that influence the turnover of dopamine (DA) have received the most attention. In this study, we investigated 12 genetic polymorphisms in four genes involved with DA functioning (COMT, MAOA and MAOB, and DbetaH) in 179 incarcerated male Russian adolescents and two groups of matched controls: boys without criminal records referred to by their teachers as (a) "troubled-behavior-free" boys, n=182; and (b) "troubled-behavior" boys, n=60.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Variation in the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (COMT) has been associated with antisocial behavior in populations with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study examined whether COMT would predict antisocial behavior in a sample with high levels of behavior problems, not necessarily ADHD. In addition, because previous research suggests that COMT may be associated with ADHD in males, association between COMT and ADHD symptoms was examined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevious research has generated examples of how genetic and environmental factors can interact to create risk for psychopathology. Using a gene-by-environment (G x E) interaction design, we tested whether three polymorphisms in the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1, also referred to as SLC6A3, located at 5p15.33) interacted with maternal parenting style to predict first-onset episodes of depression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIt is established that reading and reading-related processes are heritable; genes thus play an important role in the foundation of individual differences in reading. In this article, we focus on one facet of reading-comprehension. Comprehension is a higher order cognitive skill that requires many other cognitive processes for it to unfold completely and successfully.
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