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Digital health for chronic disease management
Published in Ben Y.F. Fong, Martin C.S. Wong, The Routledge Handbook of Public Health and the Community, 2021
Kelvin K.F. Tsoi, Martin C.S. Wong
Chronic diseases, also known as non-communicable diseases, accounted for 71% of mortality worldwide (World Health Organisation, 2018). They refer to medical conditions that last for years and require continuous medical attention. The prevalence of chronic diseases has far surpassed that of infectious diseases due to improved sanitation, nutrition and vaccination coverage. Diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and neurodegenerative diseases are rapidly yet quietly posing a substantial threat to the global population. Intelligent management utilising digital solutions is essential for better diagnosis and prognosis for chronic diseases. Therefore, the emergence of digital health contributes to new insights at both individual and community levels to safeguard the health care system.
Progress in Tracking Inequalities
Published in Oliver Cumming, Tom Slaymaker, Equality in Water and Sanitation Services, 2018
The JMP proposed a simple technology-based approach to classifying drinking water and sanitation facilities as ‘improved’ or ‘unimproved’ (Table 1.1). Improved drinking water sources are those designed to ‘protect’ the supply from outside contamination – in particular, faecal contamination. Improved sanitation facilities are those designed to prevent human contact with faeces. The improved classification was developed through a series of expert consultations and the terminology, if not the exact classification of technology types, pre-dated the MDGs.5 It was further refined in the early 2000s to distinguish specific types of sanitation facilities such as flush/pour flush and hanging latrines, and water sources such as piped water into a dwelling, plot or yard, as well as the use of bottled water and tanker trucks.
Environmental Geochemistry and Health in Western Europe
Published in Jul Låg, Geomedicine, 2017
For virtually all of our evolutionary history death has most likely been the consequence of fatal injury, infectious diseases, starvation, or acute food poisoning. The discovery that infectious diseases are caused by pathogens led to improved sanitation and the provision of clean water and, later, to vaccines and antibiotics. Consequently, epidemics of diseases such as plague or cholera have passed into history in Europe and European life expectancy is now (1980 to 1985) 73.2 years, compared with only 58.9 years for the world as a whole.1 Although much medical thought and practice is still dominated by a simple, unicausal, readily diagnosible disease model, our health problems are now multifactorial and dominated by diseases of older people: Learmonth2 contrasts infectious “universal” diseases with what he terms the “western diseases” such as heart diseases, strokes, and cancers. These are often disorders without a single, known cause and are endemic rather than epidemic. Table 1 illustrates the disease experience of Europe, together with recent data for major world regions.
Progress in the overall understanding of typhoid fever: implications for vaccine development
Published in Expert Review of Vaccines, 2020
Peter J O’Reilly, Dikshya Pant, Mila Shakya, Buddha Basnyat, Andrew J Pollard
Provision of clean drinking water, adequate sanitation and safe food handling practices, along with vaccination, is integral for the prevention of typhoid. Water, sanitation, and hygiene practices (WASH) are the critical components of the prevention of typhoid fever, especially in the low and middle economic countries where the burden of typhoid is very high [27]. Improved sanitation and availability of safe drinking water has been achieved in developed countries but still remains a challenge in most low and lower middle-income countries. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries implementation of strategies to improve the quality of drinking water helped in the reduction of typhoid-related mortality by a mean of 78%. According to Cutler and colleagues, filtration combined with chlorination of water helped in reducing total typhoid fever mortality by 25%, and total mortality by 13% [28].
Prevalence of Trachoma in Senegal: Results of Baseline Surveys in 17 Districts
Published in Ophthalmic Epidemiology, 2018
Boubacar Sarr, Mactar Sissoko, Mawo Fall, Lionel Nizigama, Daniel Cohn, Rebecca Willis, Brian Fuller, Maggie O’Neil, Anthony W Solomon
Household-level access to improved water source for face washing ranged by district from 16.6% to 87.0% (Table 2). “Improved” sources of water included piped water into dwelling; piped water to yard/plot; public tap or standpipe; tubewell or borehole; protected dug well; protected spring; and rainwater.17,23 Respondents from nearly half the households (47.5%) reported using an unprotected dug well as the main source of water for washing faces. Household-level access to improved latrines ranged by district from 7.3% to 93.1% (Table 2). “Improved” sanitation included flush toilet; piped sewer system; septic tank; flush/pour flush to pit latrine; ventilated improved pit latrine (VIP); pit latrine with slab; composting toilet; and flush/pour flush to unknown place.17,23 67.0% of respondents reported having a round trip to collect water of less than 30 minutes (Table 2). It should be noted that within a given household, responses about availability and use of latrines could be provided by several different respondents.
Prevalence of trachoma in 13 Local Government Areas of Taraba State, Nigeria
Published in Ophthalmic Epidemiology, 2018
Murtala M. Umar, Caleb Mpyet, Nasiru Muhammad, Mohammed D. Adamu, Habila Muazu, Uwazoeke Onyebuchi, Adamani William, Sunday Isiyaku, Rebecca M. Flueckiger, Brian K. Chu, Rebecca Willis, Alexandre L. Pavluck, Nicholas Olobio, Ebenezer Apake, Francisca Olamiju, Anthony W. Solomon
This work established that of 13 LGAs mapped; only Sardauna LGA had at least 80% of its households having access to improved latrines. Although in six LGAs, residents of >80% of households have to walk <1 kilometre to access water for washing, improved latrines were accessible to <50% of households in 10 of 13 LGAs. To maintain the low levels of active trachoma seen in this series of surveys, there is a need to sustain and improve upon F and E components of the SAFE strategy in all LGAs of Taraba State. Access to improved latrines is associated with lower risk of trachoma.25–29 Community awareness should be raised on the health benefits of using improved latrines. Government agencies and non-governmental organizations should mobilise needed resources to improve access to water and latrines, with full community participation and ownership. Sustainable Development Goal three foresees a world in which every community has access to clean water and improved sanitation.30 Achieving this goal will have an impact on the elimination of trachoma and other neglected tropical diseases, and improve the quality of life of the populace.31