Autism spectrum disorders in eating disorder populations: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Empirical research addressing cognitive processing deficits in eating disorders has noted an overlap with autism spectrum disorders. We conducted a systematic review investigating the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in its entirety in eating disordered populations. METHODS: A comprehensive search for relevant studies was performed on five electronic databases. Studies were not included if solely focused on specific traits of autism spectrum disorders, for instance, theory of mind, set shifting or central coherence. Titles, abstracts and full texts were screened by two members of the research team independently. Quantitative studies published in English were included. RESULTS: A total of eight studies were found to fit the inclusion criteria. Results showed significantly raised prevalence rates of autism spectrum disorder in eating disorder populations compared with those in healthy control participants. DISCUSSION: This discovery has clinical implications and may assist in deciphering poor responses to conventional treatment, facilitating new psychological interventions for eating disorders.

The role of emergency medical teams in Eswatini during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The paper documents experiences and lesson learned in responding to COVID-19 pandemic in Eswatini with the support of the Emergency Medical Teams. WHO databases, operation reports and hospitalization records were reviewed. The WHO Emergency Medical Teams built the capacity of the local response teams in Eswatini. The conclusion is that following the intervention of the WHO Emergency Medical Teams, Eswatini is better prepared to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and future outbreaks.