Practical cooling interventions for preventing heat strain in indoor factory workers in Thailand.

BACKGROUND: Occupational heat stress, exacerbated by factors such as climate change and insufficient cooling solutions, endangers the health and productivity of workers, especially in low-resource workplaces. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of two cooling strategies in reducing physiological strain and productivity of piece-rate workers over a 9-h work shift in a southern Thailand sawmill. METHODS: In a crossover randomized control trial design, 12 (33 ± 7 y; 1.58 ± 0.05 m; 51 ± 9 kg; n = 5 females) medically screened sawmill workers were randomly allocated into three groups comprising an established phase change material vest (VEST), an on-site combination cooling oasis (OASIS) (i.e., hydration, cold towels, fans, water dousing), and no cooling (CON) across 3 consecutive workdays. Physiological strain was measured via core temperature telemetry and heart rate monitoring. Productivity was determined by counting the number of pallets of wood sorted, stacked, and stowed each day. RESULTS: Relative to CON, OASIS lowered core temperature by 0.25°C [95% confidence interval = 0.24, 0.25] and heart rate by 7 bpm [6, 9] bpm, compared to 0.17°C [0.17, 0.18] and 10 [9,12] bpm reductions with VEST. It was inconclusive whether productivity was statistically lower in OASIS compared to CON (mean difference [MD] = 2.5 [-0.2, 5.2]), and was not statistically different between VEST and CON (MD = 1.4 [-1.3, 4.1]). CONCLUSIONS: Both OASIS and VEST were effective in reducing physiological strain compared to no cooling. Their effect on productivity requires further investigation, as even small differences between interventions could lead to meaningful disparities in piece-rate worker earnings over time.

Progress toward universal health coverage in Vietnam: Evidence on dispensing trends of diabetes medications from 2015 to 2021.

AIMS: This study aims to investigate the trends in treatment coverage through dispensing diabetes medications in Vietnam from 2015 to 2021. The findings will serve to inform health policies to mitigate the health burden of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: We collected information on major antidiabetic medicines from General Department of Vietnam Customs and payments for antidiabetics via the National Health Insurance Program. We applied ordinary least squares models, accounting for economic and health outcome characteristics, to estimate the association between the annual mass of medications and related factors. RESULTS: Nationally, the total mass/doses of all antidiabetic drugs increased rapidly from 2015 to 2021, based on both databases. Metformin was the most frequently prescribed medicine, with the total mass increasing nearly threefold over the study period. Gliclazide, a Sulfonylureas drug, ranked second. In the multivariate regression analysis, a one-unit increase in adults with diabetes (in 1,000 s) was associated with 0.11 % (95 %CI = 0.0005; 0.0076) and 0.13 % (95%CI = 0.0007; 0.0242) higher mass of Metformin and Glimepiride, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our data suggested that policies changes were related to significant increase in antidiabetic medication dispenses in Vietnam. The high treatment coverage indicates impressive progress in achieving universal health coverage in Vietnam, meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).

Temporal changes in temperature-related mortality in relation to the establishment of the heat-health alert system in Victoria, Australia.

Extreme heat alerts are the most common form of weather forecasting services used in Australia, yet very limited studies have documented their effectiveness in improving health outcomes. This study aimed to examine the temporal changes in temperature-related mortality in relation to the activation of the heat-health alert and response system (HARS) in the State of Victoria, Australia. We examined the relationship between temperatures and mortality using quasi-Poisson regression and the distributed lag non-linear model (dlnm) and compared the temperature-mortality association between the two periods: period 1- prior-HARS (1992-2009) and period 2- post-HARS (2010-2019). Since the HARS heavily weights heatwave effects, we also compared the main effects of heatwave events between the two periods. The heatwaves were defined for three levels, including 3 consecutive days at 97th, 98th, and 99th percentiles. We also controlled the potential confounding effect of seasonality by including a natural cubic B-spline of the day of the year with equally spaced knots and 8 degrees of freedom per year. The exposure-response curve reveals the temperature mortality was reduced in period 2 in comparison with period 1. The relative risk ratios (RRR) of Period 2 over Period 1 were all less than one and gradually decreased from 0.86 (95% CI, 0.72-1.03) to 0.64 (95% CI, 0.33-1.22), and the differences in attributable risk percent increased from 13.2 to 25.3%. The reduction in the risk of heatwave-related deaths decreased by 3.4% (RRp1 1.068, 95% CI, 1.024-1.112 versus RRp2 1.034, 95% CI, 0.986-1.082) and 10% (RRp1 1.16, 95% CI, 1.10-1.22 versus RRp2 1.06, 95% CI, 1.002-1.119) for all groups of people. The study indicated a decrease in heat-related mortality following the operation of HARS in Victoria under extreme heat and high-intensity heatwaves conditions. Further studies could investigate the extent of changes in mortality among populations of differing socio-economic groups during the operation of the heat-health alert system.

The 2023 report of the MJA-Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: sustainability needed in Australia's health care sector.

The MJA-Lancet Countdown on health and climate change in Australia was established in 2017 and produced its first national assessment in 2018 and annual updates in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. It examines five broad domains: health hazards, exposures and impacts; adaptation, planning and resilience for health; mitigation actions and health co-benefits; economics and finance; and public and political engagement. In this, the sixth report of the MJA-Lancet Countdown, we track progress on an extensive suite of indicators across these five domains, accessing and presenting the latest data and further refining and developing our analyses. Our results highlight the health and economic costs of inaction on health and climate change. A series of major flood events across the four eastern states of Australia in 2022 was the main contributor to insured losses from climate-related catastrophes of $7.168 billion - the highest amount on record. The floods also directly caused 23 deaths and resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of people. High red meat and processed meat consumption and insufficient consumption of fruit and vegetables accounted for about half of the 87 166 diet-related deaths in Australia in 2021. Correction of this imbalance would both save lives and reduce the heavy carbon footprint associated with meat production. We find signs of progress on health and climate change. Importantly, the Australian Government released Australia's first National Health and Climate Strategy, and the Government of Western Australia is preparing a Health Sector Adaptation Plan. We also find increasing action on, and engagement with, health and climate change at a community level, with the number of electric vehicle sales almost doubling in 2022 compared with 2021, and with a 65% increase in coverage of health and climate change in the media in 2022 compared with 2021. Overall, the urgency of substantial enhancements in Australia's mitigation and adaptation responses to the enormous health and climate change challenge cannot be overstated. Australia's energy system, and its health care sector, currently emit an unreasonable and unjust proportion of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. As the Lancet Countdown enters its second and most critical phase in the leadup to 2030, the depth and breadth of our assessment of health and climate change will be augmented to increasingly examine Australia in its regional context, and to better measure and track key issues in Australia such as mental health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing.

Ambient Temperature Effects on Hospitalization Risk Among Farmers: A Time-Series Study on Multiple Diseases in Vietnam.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to assess the effect of high temperatures on hospitalization for all causes and heat-sensitive diseases among Vietnamese farmers. METHODS: The Poisson generalized linear model and distributed lag nonlinear model were used to investigate the temperature-hospitalization association for all causes and seven cause-specific disease groups. RESULTS: Every 1°C increase in daily mean temperature above the threshold increased the estimated relative risk (95% CI) of all-cause hospitalization by 1.022 (0.998-1.047) at the country level, 1.047 (1.007-1.089) in the south, and 0.982 (0.958-1.006) in the north. Infectious disease hospitalization was most affected by high temperatures (1.098 [1.057-1.140]). High temperatures significantly increased the risk of all-cause hospitalization for farmers 60 years and younger in three of the six provinces. CONCLUSIONS: The findings emphasized the need for health promotion programs to prevent heat-related health issues.

Indoor air pollution is associated with respiratory symptoms in children in urban Vietnam.

Exposure to indoor air pollution (IAP) is a leading environmental risk for respiratory diseases. We investigated the relationship between respiratory symptoms and polluting indoor activities such as smoking, cooking and contact with pets among children in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. A cross-sectional survey applied a multistage sampling method in 24 randomly selected secondary schools across the city. Approximately 15,000 students completed self-administrated questionnaires on risk factors and respiratory health outcomes within the preceding 12 months. Data were analyzed using a multivariable logistic regression model with robust standard errors. Wheeze was the most common respiratory symptom (39.5 %) reported, followed by sneezing and runny nose (28.3 %). A small percentage of students self-reported asthma (8.6 %). Approximately 56 % of participants lived with family members who smoked. A positive association between exposure to indoor secondhand smoke and respiratory symptoms was observed, with adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of 1.41 (95 % CI: 1.25-1.60, p < 0.001) for wheezing and 1.64 (95 % CI: 1.43-1.87, p < 0.001) for sneezing and runny nose, respectively. Using an open stove fuelled by coal, wood, or kerosene for cooking was associated with wheeze (aOR: 1.36, CI 95 %: 1.10-1.68, p = 0.01) and sneezing and runny nose (aOR: 1.36, CI 95 %: 1.09-1.69, p = 0.01). In the present study, IAP was associated with adverse health outcomes, as evidenced by an increase in respiratory symptoms reported within the previous 12 months.

Preparing for a hotter climate: A systematic review and meta-analysis of heatwaves and ambulance callouts in Australia.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to quantify the impact of heatwaves on likelihood of ambulance callouts for Australia. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to retrieve and synthesise evidence published from 1 January 2011 to 31 May 2023 about the association between heatwaves and the likelihood of ambulance callouts in Australia. Different heatwave definitions were used ranging from excess heat factor to heatwave defined as a continuous period with temperatures above certain defined thresholds (which varied based on study locations). RESULTS: We included nine papers which met the inclusion criteria for the review. Eight were eligible for the meta-analyses. The multilevel meta-analyses revealed that the likelihood of ambulance callouts for all causes and for cardiovascular diseases increased by 10% (95% confidence interval: 8%, 13%) and 5% (95% confidence interval: 1%, 3%), respectively, during heatwave days. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to heatwaves is associated with an increased likelihood of ambulance callouts, and there is a dose-response association between heatwave severity and the likelihood of ambulance callouts. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: The number of heatwave days are going to increase, and this will mean an increase in the likelihood of ambulance callouts, thereby, spotlighting the real burden that heatwaves place on our already stressed healthcare system. The findings of this study underscore the critical need for proactive measures, including the establishment of research initiatives and holistic heat health awareness campaigns, spanning from the individual and community levels to the healthcare system, in order to create a more resilient Australia in the face of heatwave-related challenges.

Climate change and human health in Vietnam: a systematic review and additional analyses on current impacts, future risk, and adaptation.

This study aims to investigate climate change's impact on health and adaptation in Vietnam through a systematic review and additional analyses of heat exposure, heat vulnerability, awareness and engagement, and projected health costs. Out of 127 reviewed studies, findings indicated the wider spread of infectious diseases, and increased mortality and hospitalisation risks associated with extreme heat, droughts, and floods. However, there are few studies addressing health cost, awareness, engagement, adaptation, and policy. Additional analyses showed rising heatwave exposure across Vietnam and global above-average vulnerability to heat. By 2050, climate change is projected to cost up to USD1-3B in healthcare costs, USD3-20B in premature deaths, and USD6-23B in work loss. Despite increased media focus on climate and health, a gap between public and government publications highlighted the need for more governmental engagement. Vietnam's climate policies have faced implementation challenges, including top-down approaches, lack of cooperation, low adaptive capacity, and limited resources.

Spigelian Hernia: A Clinical Case Report.

Spigelian hernia, also known as lateral ventral hernia, is a type of hernia arising through the Spigelian aponeurosis. Unlike many other ventral hernias that occur beneath the layer of fat and abdominal skin, Spigelian hernia is situated within the abdominal wall muscles. Spigelian hernia often presents with few symptoms and may exist for a long time without being diagnosed or detected. We report a case of Spigelian hernia causing an intestinal obstruction treated with surgical emergency abdominal wall reconstruction using the sublay technique. Identification and evaluation of cases with the potential for hernia occurrence are crucial for the safety of patients undergoing surgery. Spigelian hernia accounts for 1%-2% of all ventral hernia cases. Currently, there are no reports on Spigelian hernia in Vietnam. However, a few reports on surgical management of Spigelian hernia have been published worldwide, with approaches including laparoscopic and open surgery, and these reports have indicated that abdominal wall reconstruction using the sublay technique is feasible as it is associated with fewer postoperative complications and shorter hospital stays. Here, we describe the case of an 87-year-old woman presenting with swelling and pain in the lower left quadrant of the abdomen. A preoperative diagnosis of Spigelian hernia causing intestinal obstruction was established, and we proceeded with abdominal wall reconstruction using the sublay technique. The patient was discharged three days after surgery without any postoperative complications.

Wearing masks as a protective measure for children against traffic-related air pollution: A comparison of perceptions between school children and their caregivers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) problems are unlikely to be solved in the short term, making it imperative to educate children on protective measures to mitigate the negative impact on their health. Children and their caregivers may hold differing views on wearing a face mask as a safeguard against air pollution. While many studies have focused on predicting children's health-protective behaviours against air pollution, few have explored the differences in perceptions between children and their caregivers. OBJECTIVES: To examine this, we conducted a study that compared the health beliefs of two generations and evaluated the factors that influence the use of masks by children to reduce air pollution exposure. METHODS: The study was conducted in 24 secondary schools and involved 8420 children aged 13-14 and their caregivers. We used a Health Belief Model (HBM)-based instrument containing 17-item self-administered health beliefs questionnaires to gather data. The results were analysed using hierarchical logistic regression to determine the probability of children frequently wearing masks to protect against TRAP. RESULTS: Our study showed both children and caregivers recognised that several factors could influence mask-wearing among children: discomfort or difficulty breathing while wearing a mask and forgetting to bring a mask when going outside; perceived threats of the poor quality of air and children's respiratory health problems; and cues to mask use (i.e., seeing most of their friends wearing facemasks and ease of finding masks in local stores). However, only children were significantly concerned with public perception of their appearance while wearing a mask. Females were more likely to wear masks, and caregivers with higher levels of education were more likely to encourage their children to wear masks. Children who commuted to schools by walking, biking, or motorbiking were also more accepting of mask-wearing than those who travelled by car or bus. CONCLUSIONS: Children and their caregivers hold different perceptions of wearing masks to protect against air pollution. Children are more susceptible to social judgements regarding their appearance when wearing a mask.

Heat, heatwaves, and ambulance service use: a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological evidence.

Ambulance data has been reported to be a sensitive indicator of health service use during hot days, but there is no comprehensive summary of the quantitative association between heat and ambulance dispatches. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to retrieve and synthesise evidence published up to 31 August 2022 about the association between heat, prolonged heat (i.e. heatwaves), and the risk of ambulance dispatches. We initially identified 3628 peer-reviewed papers and included 48 papers which satisfied the inclusion criteria. The meta-analyses showed that, for each 5 °C increase in mean temperature, the risk of ambulance dispatches for all causes and for cardiovascular diseases increased by 7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 5%, 10%) and 2% (95% CI: 1%, 3%), respectively, but not for respiratory diseases. The risk of ambulance dispatches increased by 6% (95% CI: 4%, 7%), 7% (95% CI: 5%, 9%), and 18% (95% CI: 12%, 23%) under low-intensity, severe, and extreme heatwaves, respectively. We observed two potential sources of bias in the existing literature: (1) bias in temperature exposure measurement; and (2) bias in the ascertainment of ambulance dispatch causes. This review suggests that heat exposure is associated with an increased risk of ambulance dispatches, and there is a dose-response relationship between heatwave intensity and the risk of ambulance dispatches. For future studies assessing the heat-ambulance association, we recommend that (1) using data on spatially refined gridded temperature that is either very well interpolated or derived from satellite imaging may be an alternative to reduce exposure measurement bias; and (2) linking ambulance data with hospital admission data can be useful to improve health outcome classification.

Short-term residential exposure to air pollution and risk of acute myocardial infarction deaths at home in China.

Air pollution remains a major threat to cardiovascular health and most acute myocardial infarction (AMI) deaths occur at home. However, currently established knowledge on the deleterious effect of air pollution on AMI has been limited to routinely monitored air pollutants and overlooked the place of death. In this study, we examined the association between short-term residential exposure to China's routinely monitored and unmonitored air pollutants and the risk of AMI deaths at home. A time-stratified case-crossover analysis was undertaken to associate short-term residential exposure to air pollution with 0.1 million AMI deaths at home in Jiangsu Province (China) during 2016-2019. Individual-level residential exposure to five unmonitored and monitored air pollutants including PM1 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 1 µm) and PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 µm), SO2 (sulfur dioxide), NO2 (nitrogen dioxide), and O3 (ozone) was estimated from satellite remote sensing and machine learning technique. We found that exposure to five air pollutants, even below the recently released stricter air quality standards of the World Health Organization (WHO), was all associated with increased odds of AMI deaths at home. The odds of AMI deaths increased by 20% (95% confidence interval: 8 to 33%), 22% (12 to 33%), 14% (2 to 27%), 13% (3 to 25%), and 7% (3 to 12%) for an interquartile range increase in PM1, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, and O3, respectively. A greater magnitude of association between NO2 or O3 and AMI deaths was observed in females and in the warm season. The greatest association between PM1 and AMI deaths was found in individuals aged ≤ 64 years. This study for the first time suggests that residential exposure to routinely monitored and unmonitored air pollutants, even below the newest WHO air quality standards, is still associated with higher odds of AMI deaths at home. Future studies are warranted to understand the biological mechanisms behind the triggering of AMI deaths by air pollution exposure, to develop intervention strategies to reduce AMI deaths triggered by air pollution exposure, and to evaluate the cost-effectiveness, accessibility, and sustainability of these intervention strategies.

The Prevalence of Heat-related Illnesses and Associated Factors among Rice Farmers in Vietnam.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of heat-related illnesses (HRI) and their associated factors among rice farmers in Central Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a sample of 379 farmers from August to September 2021 in Ha Tinh province on the north-central coast of Vietnam. A structured questionnaire was used to collect demographic information, farming activities, heat exposure, and health issues. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with HRI. Results: At least one HRI symptom was experienced by 83.4% of farmers, and two or more HRI symptoms were experienced by 55.1% of farmers during the last harvesting season (the summer-autumn rice season, 2021). Factors significantly associated with HRI were age, having chronic diseases, type of farming tasks, the number of hours working in the heat, and water intake. Farmers working outdoors for more than 4 hours in the heat were 2.3 times [95%CI: 1.14-4.69] more likely to experience HRI than those working fewer than 2 hours. A higher risk of HRI was also associated with heavy farming tasks (OR = 2.35, [1.34-4.14]), having hypertension (OR = 3.75, [1.90-7.81]), cardiovascular diseases (OR = 2.53, [1.03-6.93]), and other chronic conditions (OR = 2.51, [1.51-4.25]). In contrast, a lower risk of HRI was found in the older group (OR = 0.44, [0.22-0.87]) and increased water intake (OR = 0.46, [0.27-0.77]). Conclusions: Hot weather is a significant occupational health risk for farmers in Vietnam. Changing the working schedule, working in shorter intervals, and remaining well-hydrated should be considered in HRI prevention strategies.

Burden of asthma-like symptoms and a lack of recognition of asthma in Vietnamese children.

OBJECTIVE: Lack of recognition of asthma in childhood results in unmet asthma treatment needs and leads to the risk of sub-optimal respiratory health. The present study assessed the prevalence of asthmatic under-recognition in middle school children in Vietnam. METHODS: We conducted a school-based survey among 15,112 Vietnamese children. Most of them are aged from 13 to 14. Schools and students were recruited using multi-stage sampling. Respiratory symptoms were collected via self-report using a standardized tool from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. Under-recognition of asthma was defined as a presence of at least one asthma-like symptom but a negative response to having ever asthma. Associations were investigated using logistic regression. RESULTS: Prevalence of asthma-like symptoms was 27.3% and prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was 8.5%. Over 80% of symptomatic children were not diagnosed with asthma. Under-recognition of asthma was found more in girls (adjusted odds ratio; aOR = 1.75; 95%CI: 1.54 to 1.98). CONCLUSIONS: Asthma is significantly under-recognized in Vietnamese middle-school children. Urgent action is required to improve the recognition of asthma in Vietnam.

Anthropometric Cut-Off Values for Detecting the Presence of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Multiple Components among Adults in Vietnam: The Role of Novel Indices.

Recent studies have shown that using international guidelines to diagnose metabolic syndrome (MetS) may underestimate its prevalence in different Asian populations. This study aims to determine the validity of anthropometric indicators and appropriate cut-off values to predict MetS for Vietnamese adults. We analyzed data on 4701 adults across four regions of Vietnam. Four conventional and five novel anthropometric indexes were calculated. The area under a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) and Youden's J statistic were applied to evaluate the diagnostic ability and optimal cut-off values. Regardless of diagnostic criteria and gender, Abdominal volume index (AVI), Body roundness index (BRI), and Waist-height ratio (WHtR) had the highest AUC values, followed by Body mass index (BMI) and Waist-hip ratio (WHR). However, it was seen that differences among the AUC values of most indices were minor. In men, using International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria, the threshold of indices was 3.86 for BRI, 16.20 for AVI, 0.53 for WHtR, 22.40 for BMI, and 0.90 for WHR. In women, the threshold for these figures were 3.60, 12.80, 0.51, 23.58, and 0.85, respectively. It is recommended that health personnel in Vietnam should apply appropriate thresholds of anthropometry, which are lower than current international guidelines, for MetS screening to avoid under-diagnosis.

The Association Between Ambient Temperatures and Hospital Admissions Due to Respiratory Diseases in the Capital City of Vietnam.

This study aimed to examine the short-term effects of ambient temperature on hospital admissions due to respiratory diseases among Hanoi residents. We collected 34,653 hospital admissions for 365 days (November 1, 2017, to November 31, 2018) from two hospitals in Hanoi. A quasi-Poisson regression model with time series analysis was used to explore the temperature-health outcome relationship's overall pattern. The non-linear curve indicated the temperatures with the lowest risk range from 22 degrees (Celcius) to 25 degrees (Celcius). On average, cold temperatures showed a higher risk than hot temperatures across all genders and age groups. Hospital admissions risk was highest at 13 degrees (Celcius) (RR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.26-1.54) for cold effects and at 33 degrees (Celcius) (RR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.04-1.39) for the hot effects. Temporal pattern analysis showed that the most effect on respiratory diseases occurred at a lag of 0 days for hot effect and at a lag of 1 day for cold effect. The risk of changing temperature among women and people over 5 years old was higher than other groups. Our results suggest that the risk of respiratory admissions was greatest when the temperature was low. Public health prevention programs should be enhanced to improve public awareness about the health risks of temperature changes, especially respiratory diseases risked by low temperatures.

Gaps and Directions in Addressing Non-Communicable and Chronic Diseases in China: A Policy Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Non-communicable and chronic diseases (NCDs) have become a public health problem that seriously threatens the population's health, especially in rapidly industrialized countries. Given the complexity of managing NCDs, there is growing evidence that interventions embedding or incorporating health promotion strategies can help reduce the disease burden of NCDs. This review aims to identify and map existing control and prevention policies for NCDs in China and identify gaps or opportunities for policy modifications and development, to transfer evidence-based guidelines into empirical public health intervention practices and research. DESIGN: A review was conducted to evaluate the policy documents to manage NCDs in China. Keywords "chronic disease", "health", and "policy" were used to search documents published on the Chinese official national websites. Nvivo 12.0 was used to conduct a content analysis of the policy documents. RESULTS: Fifty-six NCD prevention policies were retrieved from the search, and ten documents that incorporated the health promotion component were analyzed. The Healthy China 2030 Plan and Recommendations on Implementing the Healthy China Action are the core health policies of China's Central Government. These, coupled with three nationwide community-based projects, have provided a foundational transformation platform for health promotion implementation. CONCLUSION: This review revealed the Chinese Government's determination and commitment toward the prevention and control of NCDs and the promotion public health. Additional efforts and a focus on accelerating policy transformation and strengthening policy evaluation are required to achieve this commitment.

Avoidable burden of stomach cancer and potential gains in healthy life years from gradual reductions in salt consumption in Vietnam, 2019-2030: a modelling study.

OBJECTIVE: Excess salt consumption is causally linked with stomach cancer, and salt intake among adults in Vietnam is about twice the recommended levels. The aim of this study was to quantify the future burden of stomach cancer that could be avoided from population-wide salt reduction in Vietnam. DESIGN: A dynamic simulation model was developed to quantify the impacts of achieving the 2018 National Vietnam Health Program (8 g/d by 2025 and 7 g/d by 2030) and the WHO (5 g/d) salt reduction policy targets. Data on salt consumption were obtained from the Vietnam 2015 WHO STEPS survey. Health outcomes were estimated over 6-year (2019-2025), 11-year (2019-2030) and lifetime horizons. We conducted one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. SETTING: Vietnam. PARTICIPANTS: All adults aged ≥ 25 years (61 million people, 48·4 % men) alive in 2019. RESULTS: Achieving the 2025 and 2030 national salt targets could result in 3400 and 7200 fewer incident cases of stomach cancer, respectively, and avert 1900 and 4800 stomach cancer deaths, respectively. Achieving the WHO target by 2030 could prevent 8400 incident cases and 5900 deaths from stomach cancer. Over the lifespan, this translated to 344 660 (8 g/d), 411 060 (7 g/d) and 493 633 (5 g/d) health-adjusted life years gained, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A sizeable burden of stomach cancer could be avoided, with gains in healthy life years if national and WHO salt targets were attained. Our findings provide impetus for policy makers in Vietnam and Asia to intensify salt reduction strategies to combat stomach cancer and mitigate pressure on the health systems.

Air pollution and risk of respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations in a large city of the Mekong Delta Region.

It is important to explore air pollution and health effects in developing cities for early prevention rather than waiting for conditions to deteriorate as in the current megacities. This study aims to investigate the short-term health effects of air pollution in a large city in the Mekong Delta Region (MDR) of Vietnam. Air pollution data from January 2015 to December 2018 were collected from the Environmental Monitoring Centre of Can Tho City. The data of respiratory and cardiovascular disease (CVD) admissions in 18 hospitals and medical centers were collected. A time-series regression analysis was conducted using distributed lag models to examine the relationship between the air pollutants and hospitalizations including the delayed effect up to 7 days. The research findings reveal that a 10 µg increase in PM10 was associated with an increase of 2.5% in the risk of respiratory admission for all people and 2.2% in the risk of CVD admission for the elderly on the same day. The analysis stratified by age and sex indicates that PM10 resulted in a higher risk of respiratory admission among children (0-5 years old) and males compared with other groups. PM10 and NO2 were significantly associated with CVD admission among the elderly at lag 4 and 6 days. The effects of other air pollutants (SO2, O3) were not observed in this study. As development continues in this region, there is an urgent need for intervention measures to minimize the health impacts associated with the expected increases in air pollution in the MDR.