Child Immunization Coverage in Urban Settings of Twelve Provinces Plus Kabul, Afghanistan, 2019.

Low immunization and discrepancies in data sources have been a consistent challenge in Afghanistan. The objective of this was to estimate the coverage of immunization status among children of 12-23 months in urban settings of 12 provinces plus Kabul, Afghanistan in 2019. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the capital of 12 cities of polio high-risk provinces plus Kabul during October-December 2019.

Supporting Public Health Research Capacity, Quality, and Productivity in a Diverse Region.

Public health research plays a critical role in strengthening health systems and improving their performance and impact. However, scholarly production in public health coming from the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) remains well below the world average and lacks a tangible growth trend over time. During the seventh Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network Regional Conference, a roundtable session brought together a panel of public health experts representing Global Health Development/Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network affiliates, universities or academia, and research institutions from the region, where they shared insights on the current situation of public health research; challenges and barriers to research facing the different countries in the EMR and the region in general; and how research agendas, productivity, and quality can be supported through strengthening research capacity in the region.

General publics' perception toward COVID-19 vaccines in Afghanistan, 2021.

As of August 2021, less than 5% of the total population in Afghanistan has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Concerns remain regarding low uptake of the vaccine due to several factors. This study was conducted to understand the perception of the public on COVID-19 and its vaccines in Afghanistan.

Predictors of Mothers' Care Seeking Behavior for Common Childhood Illnesses: Findings From the Afghanistan Health Survey 2015.

Background: Mothers' care seeking behavior for childhood illness is a key factor of utilizing healthcare for children. We examined predictors of mothers' care seeking for common childhood illnesses.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, using data from the Afghanistan Health Survey (AHS) 2015.

Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of diabetic foot ulcer among patients with diabetes in Afghanistan: An IDF supported initiative.

Aim: The aim is to illustrate epidemiological and clinical characteristics of diabetic patients with foot ulcer (DFU) in Kabul diabetic medical center (KDMC), Afghanistan.

Method: It is a descriptive study explaining the characteristics of diabetic patients with DFU admitted to KDMC, between 1/9/2019 to 31/8/2020 which is a center for management of diabetic patients including DFU. The university of Texas diabetic classification for DFU was used.

Knowledge, attitudes, practice of people toward the COVID-19 pandemics, and its impact in Afghanistan.

COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the social and economic norms. Knowledge, Attitude and Practices studies are used to address the information gap for further strategic decision making to control the pandemic. This study aimed to find the level of Knowledge, Awareness, Attitudes, and behavioral practices of the people of Afghanistan about the COVID-19 and its impact on health and socio-economic dimension of their routine lives.

Nonpharmaceutical interventions reduce the incidence and mortality of COVID-19: A study based on the survey from the International COVID-19 Research Network (ICRN).

The recently emerged novel coronavirus, "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)," caused a highly contagious disease called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It has severely damaged the world's most developed countries and has turned into a major threat for low- and middle-income countries. Since its emergence in late 2019, medical interventions have been substantial, and most countries relied on public health measures collectively known as nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs).

The prevalence of diabetes in Afghanistan: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The aim of this paper is to investigate the prevalence of diabetes and its associated risk factors in Afghanistan through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Sciences, Google Scholar and the Cochrane library, carried out from inception to April 312,020, without language restriction. Meta-analysis was performed using DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models with inverse variance weighting.

'I should have seen her face at least once': parent's and healthcare providers' experiences and practices of care after stillbirth in Kabul province, Afghanistan.

Objective: This study aimed to explore bereaved parents' and healthcare providers experiences of care after stillbirth.

Study Design: Qualitative in-depth interviews with 55 women, men, female elders, healthcare providers and key informants in Kabul province, Afghanistan between October and November 2017.

Results: Inadequate and insensitive communication and practices by healthcare providers, including avoiding or delaying disclosing the stillbirth were recurring concerns.

Understanding pathways leading to stillbirth: The role of care-seeking and care received during pregnancy and childbirth in Kabul province, Afghanistan.

Background: The underlying pathways leading to stillbirth in low- and middle-income countries are not well understood. Context-specific understanding of how and why stillbirths occur is needed to prioritise interventions and identify barriers to their effective implementation and uptake.

Aim: To explore the contribution of contextual, individual, household-level and health system factors to stillbirth in Afghanistan.

How community and healthcare provider perceptions, practices and experiences influence reporting, disclosure and data collection on stillbirth: Findings of a qualitative study in Afghanistan.

Quality concerns exist with stillbirth data from low- and middle-income countries including under-reporting and misclassification which affect the reliability of burden estimates. This is particularly problematic for household survey data. Disclosure and reporting of stillbirths are affected by the socio-cultural context in which they occur and societal perceptions around pregnancy loss.

Understanding country-specific determinants of stillbirth using household surveys: The case of Afghanistan.

Background: Stillbirth rates in Afghanistan have declined little in the past decade with no data available on key risk factors. Health care utilisation and maternal complications are important factors influencing pregnancy outcomes but rarely captured for stillbirth in national surveys from low- and middle-income countries. The 2010 Afghanistan Mortality Survey (AMS) is one of few surveys with this information.

Global Role and Burden of Influenza in Pediatric Respiratory Hospitalizations, 1982-2012: A Systematic Analysis.

Background: The global burden of pediatric severe respiratory illness is substantial, and influenza viruses contribute to this burden. Systematic surveillance and testing for influenza among hospitalized children has expanded globally over the past decade. However, only a fraction of the data has been used to estimate influenza burden.

Uptake and predictors of contraceptive use in Afghan women.

Background: Afghanistan has one of the world's highest fertility rates and, related to this, an infant mortality rate far higher than its South Asian neighbors. Contraception enhances family spacing, improves women's safety in child birth and, as a result, reduces infant and child mortality. Until recently, there has been a paucity of information on the comparative rates of contraceptive practices in the country and socioeconomic correlates of uptake.

Prevalence of hypertension and associated factors in Jalalabad City, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.

Background: Hypertension affects an estimated one billion people, worldwide. It is a public health challenge characterized by increased morbidity, mortality, as well as cost to the community and health systems. The goal of this study is to determine the prevalence of hypertension and characterize associated risk factors in an urban setting in Afghanistan.

Prevalence of Risk Factors for Non-Communicable Diseases in the Adult Population of Urban Areas in Kabul City, Afghanistan.

Background: Non-Communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major global problem. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of common risk factors for NCDs among the adult population in urban areas of Kabul city, Afghanistan.

Methods And Materials: This study was conducted from December 2011 through March 2012 and involved a survey of 1169 respondents, aged 40 years and above.

Concurrent Brucellosis and Q Fever Infection: a Case Control Study in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan.

Background: More than 500,000 people are affected by brucellosis each year while the incidence of Q fever is poorly recorded. Consistent outbreaks of brucellosis have been reported in Afghanistan, affecting social and economic life. This study aimed to determine the means of propagation of brucellosis and Q-fever and establish appropriate control measures for both.

Occurrence of acute respiratory infection, diarrhea and jaundice among Afghan pilgrims, 2010.

Background: Annually 30,000 Afghans attend the Hajj in Saudi Arabia that is one of the largest mass gathering events in the world. We aimed to determine the prevalence of three syndromes of interest diarrhea, acute respiratory infections (ARI) and jaundice-among Hajjis gathering at the four transit sites in Afghanistan before, during, and after their voyage.

Methods: A total of 1659 Hajjis at four transit sites were selected and included a cross-sectional study.