Local tips, global impact: community-driven measures as avenues of promoting inclusion in the control of neglected tropical diseases: a case study in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect poor populations with little or no 'political voice' to influence control activities. While most NTDs have interventions that work, the biggest challenge remains in delivering targeted interventions to affected populations residing in areas experiencing weak health systems. Despite the upward development trends in most countries of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the healthcare worker to population ratio remains exceptionally low, with some areas not served at all; thus, there is a need to involve other personnel for school and community-based healthcare approaches. Nonetheless, the current community-based programs suffer from inconsistent community participation due to a lack of coordinated response, and an expanded intervention agenda that lacks context-specific solutions applicable to rural, urban, and marginalized areas. METHODS: This research investigated the capacity of local communities to address the burden of NTDs. Informed by the social theory of human capability, the research collected primary qualitative data by conducting key informant interviews and focus group discussions of people infected or affected by NTDs. The interview data were collected and transcribed verbatim for thematic analysis using Nvivo version 12. RESULTS: Our findings reveal, first, a need for intersectoral collaboration between governments and affected populations for inclusive and sustainable NTD solutions. Second, a 'bottom-up' approach that enhances capacity building, sensitization, and behaviour change for improved uptake of NTD interventions. Third, the enforcement of Public Health Legislative Acts that mandates the reporting and treatment of NTDs such as leprosy. Fourth, the establishment of support groups and counseling services to assist persons suffering from debilitating and permanent effects of NTDs. CONCLUSIONS: Our research demonstrates the importance of human agency in encouraging new forms of participation leading to the co-production of inclusive and sustainable solutions against NTDs.

BioStruct-Africa: empowering Africa-based scientists through structural biology knowledge transfer and mentoring - recent advances and future perspectives.

Being able to visualize biology at the molecular level is essential for our understanding of the world. A structural biology approach reveals the molecular basis of disease processes and can guide the design of new drugs as well as aid in the optimization of existing medicines. However, due to the lack of a synchrotron light source, adequate infrastructure, skilled persons and incentives for scientists in addition to limited financial support, the majority of countries across the African continent do not conduct structural biology research. Nevertheless, with technological advances such as robotic protein crystallization and remote data collection capabilities offered by many synchrotron light sources, X-ray crystallography is now potentially accessible to Africa-based scientists. This leap in technology led to the establishment in 2017 of BioStruct-Africa, a non-profit organization (Swedish corporate ID: 802509-6689) whose core aim is capacity building for African students and researchers in the field of structural biology with a focus on prevalent diseases in the African continent. The team is mainly composed of, but not limited to, a group of structural biologists from the African diaspora. The members of BioStruct-Africa have taken up the mantle to serve as a catalyst in order to facilitate the information and technology transfer to those with the greatest desire and need within Africa. BioStruct-Africa achieves this by organizing workshops onsite at our partner universities and institutions based in Africa, followed by post-hoc online mentoring of participants to ensure sustainable capacity building. The workshops provide a theoretical background on protein crystallography, hands-on practical experience in protein crystallization, crystal harvesting and cryo-cooling, live remote data collection on a synchrotron beamline, but most importantly the links to drive further collaboration through research. Capacity building for Africa-based researchers in structural biology is crucial to win the fight against the neglected tropical diseases, e.g. ascariasis, hookworm, trichuriasis, lymphatic filariasis, active trachoma, loiasis, yellow fever, leprosy, rabies, sleeping sickness, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, etc., that constitute significant health, social and economic burdens to the continent. BioStruct-Africa aims to build local and national expertise that will have direct benefits for healthcare within the continent.

Causas e estratégias de soluções para hanseníase em crianças: Diagrama de Ishikawa / Causes and solution strategies for hanseniasis in children: Ishikawa Diagram / Causas y estrategias de soluciones para hanseniasis en niños: Diagrama de Ishikawa

Objective: The study's target has been to analyze the causes and solutions strategies for leprosy in children using the Ishikawa Diagram. Methods: It is a literature review based on the Ishikawa Diagram production, which was carried out over April 2017 in the databases of PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL), EBSCO and SciELO. Results: It was identified that the prevalence of leprosy in children is due to social, environmental and cultural factors, where: socioeconomic conditions, population cluster and lack of professional qualification correspond to 70% of the mentioned causes. Conclusion: It was evidenced the need for intensifying epidemiological surveillance, promoting larger investments in preventive actions, such as health education, including the adoption of professional training towards the professionals directly responsible the disease diagnosis

Objetivo: Analisar por meio do Diagrama de Ishikawa as causas e as estratégias de soluções para hanseníase em crianças. Método: Revisão da literatura baseada na construção do Diagrama de Ishikawa, realizado em abril de 2017, nos bancos de dados do Pubmed, Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde (BVS), Scielo e Ebsco. Resultados: Identificou-se que a prevalência da hanseníase em crianças se dá por fatores sociais, ambientais e culturais, onde: condições socioeconômicas, aglomerado populacional e ausência de capacitação profissional correspondem a 70% das causas apontadas. Conclusão: Evidenciou-se a necessidade de intensificar a vigilância epidemiológica, realizar maiores investimentos nas ações preventivas, como a educação em saúde, incluindo também a adoção de capacitações dos profissionais responsáveis pelo diagnóstico

Objetivo: Analizar por medio del diagrama de Ishikawa las causas y estrategias de las soluciones para la lepra en los niños. Método: Revisión de la literatura basada en la construcción del Diagrama de Ishikawa, realizado en abril de 2017 en los bancos de datos del Pubmed, Biblioteca Virtual de Salud (BVS), Scielo y Ebsco. Resultados: Se identificó que la prevalencia de la hanseniasis en niños se da por factores sociales, ambientales y culturales, donde: condiciones socioeconómicas, aglomerado poblacional y ausencia de capacitación profesional corresponden al 70% de las causas señaladas. Conclusión: Se evidenció la necesidad de intensificar la vigilancia epidemiológica, realizar mayores inversiones en las acciones preventivas, como la educación en salud, incluyendo también la adopción de capacitaciones de los profesionales responsables del diagnóstico

Plano de trabalho [Assessoria da Hanseníase] / Work plan [Leprosy Advisory]

Apresenta o programa estadual de combate à hanseníase referente as metas para o ano de 2017, e as atividades de rotina do agravo.

It presents the state program to combat leprosy regarding the goals for the year 2017, and the routine activities of the disease.

Presenta el programa estatal de combate a la lepra sobre las metas para el año 2017 y las actividades rutinarias de la enfermedad.

Il présente le programme national de lutte contre la lèpre en ce qui concerne les objectifs pour l'année 2017 et les activités de routine de la maladie.

III Encontro Estadual de Avaliação 24 a 26/04/04/91 - documento preliminar: relatório de atividades - 1990

A implantação do Sistema Único de Saúde no Estado de São Paulo, vem sendo acompanhada de alterações organizacionais no sentido de adaptar-se a estrutura administrativa da Secretaria de Estado da Saúde ao novo sistema. Assim as atividades programáticas foram, em 1987, reunidas no Centro de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento de Assistência Integral à Saúde - CADAIS, órgão diretamente ligado ao Secretário de Estado da Saúde. A antiga Divisão Técnica de Dermatologia Sanitária do Instituto da Saúde, foi por Resolução de Secretário, transformada em Centro de Referência Ambulatorial para a Grande São Paulo. Por outro lado, as ações de vigilância epidemiológica permaneceram sob a responsabilidade do Centro de Vigilância Epidemiológica - C.V.E., órgão este que até o momento mantém a mesma estrutura anterior à implantação do Sistema Único de Saúde, contando com o Grupo de Vigilância Epidemiológica em Hanseníase. Desta forma, hoje no Estado de São Paulo, contamos com o Programa de Controle da Hanseníase, no CADAIS, com as atribuições de Coordenação Estadual da Hanseníase...

Vídeo documentário: um mundo incapacitante / Video documentary: a world incapacitante

Documentario, apresenta as barreiras enfrentadas por pessoas com deficiencia, considerando tambem a hanseniase enquanto patologia que pode gerar deficiencias. Destaca as dificuldades no convivio social, familiar e no acesso a escola e ao mercado de trabalho. Destaca, em especial o problema do mito, que aflige particularmente os pacientes de hanseniase. Nesse mundo incapacitante, Bauru aparece no cenario, nao so de obstaculos fisicos sociais, mas tambem do trabalho de integracao e reabilitacao de instituicoes e entidades.