Introducing the Global Health and Equity section in the British Journal of Dermatology.

The Section Editor and Associate Editors for the new British Journal of Dermatology Section on Global Health & Equity outline their vision for the Section and suggest topics for submission.

Diagnostic bias during the COVID-19. A rare case report of salmonella typhi.

Introduction: In poor countries, due to the limited resources, mostly they prescribe medications without proper diagnosis. The aim of this report is to show diagnostic bias of COVID-19 case.

Case Presentation: A 17-year-old male patient was presented to the Hospital with a fever up to 39 °C associated with rigor, sweating, generalized body pain, myalgia, fatigue, loss of appetite, headache, and multiple joint pain with no swelling and redness.

Heatstroke-related ambulance dispatch risk before and during COVID-19 pandemic: Subgroup analysis by age, severity, and incident place.

Background: In summer 2020 under the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has made public warnings that specific preventive measures such as maskwearing and stay-at-home orders, may increase heatstroke risk. In our previous work, we found a lower risk of heatstroke-related ambulance dispatches (HSAD) during the COVID-19 period, however, it is uncertain whether similar risk reductions can be observed in different vulnerable subgroups. This study aimed to determine the HSAD risk during the COVID-19 pandemic by age, severity, and incident place subgroups.

COVID-19 and arrhythmia: An overview.

Arrhythmias in COVID-19 patients are associated with hypoxia, myocardial ischemia, cytokines, inflammation, electrolyte abnormalities, pro-arrhythmic or QT-prolonging medications, and underlying heart conditions such as severe congestive heart failure, inherited arrhythmia syndromes, or congenital heart conditions. In the pediatric population, multisystem inflammatory syndrome can lead to cardiac injury and arrhythmias. In addition, arrhythmias and cardiac arrests are most prevalent in the critically ill intensive care unit COVID-19 patient population.

The seroprevalence, waning rate, and protective duration of anti-diphtheria toxoid IgG antibody in Nha Trang, Vietnam.

Background: Diphtheria cases reported in Central Vietnam since 2013 were mainly in children aged 6-15 years, which may reflect an immunity gap. There is little information on population immunity against diphtheria in countries without a school-entry booster dose. We aimed to measure the age-stratified seroprevalence of anti-diphtheria toxoid antibodies, quantify the change in antibody levels in individuals over time, and estimate the length of protective immunity after vaccination in well-vaccinated communities in Vietnam.

Village health workers as health diplomats: negotiating health and study participation in a malaria elimination trial in The Gambia.

Background: Although many success stories exist of Village Health Workers (VHWs) improving primary health care, critiques remain about the medicalisation of their roles in disease-specific interventions. VHWs are placed at the bottom of the health system hierarchy as cheap and low-skilled volunteers, irrespective of their highly valued social and political status within communities. In this paper, we shed light on the political role VHWs play and investigate how this shapes their social and medical roles, including their influence on community participation.

Antiviral activity of 5-aminolevulinic acid against variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Background: Genetic variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began to emerge in 2020 and have been spreading globally during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite the presence of different COVID-19 vaccines, the discovery of effective antiviral therapeutics for the treatment of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 are still urgently needed. A natural amino acid, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), has exhibited both antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities.

Modern contraceptive use among adolescent girls and young women in Benin: a mixed-methods study.

Objectives: The study aimed to assess the determinants of modern contraceptive method use among young women in Benin.

Design: A mixed-methods design.

Setting And Participants: We used the Benin 2017-2018 Demographic and Health Survey datasets for quantitative analysis.

Treatment for vestibular schwannoma: Systematic review and single arm meta-analysis.

Objective: Vestibular schwannoma is a benign tumor in the schwannoma cells of the 8th cranial nerve. It causes symptoms like tinnitus, vertigo and end up with loss of hearing so the appropriate treatment is very important. There are many treatment techniques including conservative, surgery and radiosurgery.

Role of Dual-Energy Computed Tomography in the Identification of Monosodium Urate Deposition in Gout Patients: A Comprehensive Analysis of 828 Joints According to Structural Joint Damage.

Background Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) has become a promising, non-invasive procedure for the visualization, characterization, and quantification of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals, which aids clinicians in the diagnosis of gout. In this study, we aimed to examine the diagnostic accuracy of DECT in the evaluation of gout. Methodology This cross-sectional retrospective study included patients who were clinically diagnosed with gout and underwent a DECT scan.

Feto-Maternal Outcomes of Breastfeeding during Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Breastfeeding is beneficial to both mother and infant. However, overlap of lactation with pregnancy and short recuperative intervals may impact mothers nutritionally. We aimed to investigate the possible effects of pregnancy during breastfeeding.

Understanding Malaria Persistence: A Mixed-Methods Study on the Effectiveness of Malaria Elimination Strategies in South-Central Vietnam.

Despite the scale-up of vector control, diagnosis and treatment, and health information campaigns, malaria persists in the forested areas of South-Central Vietnam, home to ethnic minority populations. A mixed-methods study using an exploratory sequential design was conducted in 10 Ra-glai villages in Bac Ai district of Ninh Thuan province to examine which social factors limited the effectiveness of the national malaria elimination strategy in the local setting. Territorial arrangements and mobility were found to directly limit the effectiveness of indoor residual spraying and long-lasting insectidical treated nets (LLINs).

Use of State Sequence Analysis in Pharmacoepidemiology: A Tutorial.

While state sequence analysis (SSA) has been long used in social sciences, its use in pharmacoepidemiology is still in its infancy. Indeed, this technique is relatively easy to use, and its intrinsic visual nature may help investigators to untangle the latent information within prescription data, facilitating the individuation of specific patterns and possible inappropriate use of medications. In this paper, we provide an educational primer of the most important learning concepts and methods of SSA, including measurement of dissimilarities between sequences, the application of clustering methods to identify sequence patterns, the use of complexity measures for sequence patterns, the graphical visualization of sequences, and the use of SSA in predictive models.

Association between Teenage Pregnancy and Family Factors: An Analysis of the Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey 2017.

Adolescence is a key developmental period in one's life course; health-related behaviors of adolescents can be linked to lifelong consequences, which affect their future health. Previous studies highlight the role of family and its significant association with adolescents' health. In East Asia and the Pacific, the Philippines is the only country that is showing an upward trend of teenage pregnancy while other countries in the region have declining teenage pregnancy rates.

Awareness and preparedness of healthcare workers against the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey across 57 countries.

Background: Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there have been concerns related to the preparedness of healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to describe the level of awareness and preparedness of hospital HCWs at the time of the first wave.

Methods: This multinational, multicenter, cross-sectional survey was conducted among hospital HCWs from February to May 2020.

Geographical Variations of the Minimum Mortality Temperature at a Global Scale: A Multicountry Study.

Background: Minimum mortality temperature (MMT) is an important indicator to assess the temperature-mortality association, indicating long-term adaptation to local climate. Limited evidence about the geographical variability of the MMT is available at a global scale.

Methods: We collected data from 658 communities in 43 countries under different climates.

Differential Mortality Risks Associated With PM2.5 Components: A Multi-Country, Multi-City Study.

Background: The association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and mortality widely differs between as well as within countries. Differences in PM2.

Informal employment and poor self-perceived health in Latin America and the Caribbean: a gender-based comparison between countries and welfare states in a pooled analysis of 176,786 workers.

Background: More than half of the working population in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries is engaged in informal employment. The few previous studies indicate that this employment condition could have negative consequences for workers' health. The aim of the present study was to estimate the association between self-perceived health and informality in LAC countries according to gender and welfare state type.