Palliative care progress in Benin: a situation analysis using the WHO development indicators.

CONTEXT: Palliative care (PC) in most African countries remains under-assessed. Benin has piloted the implementation of a set of indicators proposed by the WHO to measure PC development. OBJECTIVES: To examine the current status of PC in Benin. METHODS: A workshop with stakeholders was organized to assess the WHO indicators in the Beninese context. Indicators were rated based on relevance and feasibility, data sources were agreed upon, and a survey was adapted. Data were collected between March and May 2023. RESULTS: There is emerging community involvement in PC through the presence of patients' rights promoters, as well as a political commitment expressed in the National PC strategy, the inclusion of PC services in the list of basic health services, and an assigned national authority -within the Ministry of Health-responsible for PC. Although no PC-oriented research has been documented, the celebration of the National PC Conference represents the first step to ground PC delivery in evidence. The reported annual consumption of opioids is 0.18 (ME) milligrams per capita, 34% of healthcare establishments have essential medicines for pain and PC, and 16.5% of patients with palliative needs have access to oral morphine. To date, no medical or paramedical schools offer PC training, and there is no official specialization in palliative medicine for doctors. PC is provided by 11 specialist teams (0.08/100,000 inhabitants), none of which provides pediatric care. CONCLUSION: Despite growing political, professional, and community commitments to palliative care, there are challenges in education, research, essential medicines, and access to PC services.

Experiences of families with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in World Health Organization Afro-Regions: A scoping review.

A scoping review on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and its impact on the families of affected children was undertaken due to insufficient information available on the diverse experiences impacting their lives. Using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, eligibility criteria were guided by Population (families), Concept (family experiences), and Context (African region). English-language articles were sought from a variety of databases and search engines. The publication date of the identified articles ranged from 2003 to 2021 with most published in 2020 (n = 10), and the majority using qualitative methodologies (n = 51). Most family members involved were parents (n = 51) and their ages ranged from 18 to 75 years. The families experienced various challenges related to their child with regard to education, healthcare, and the broader community including lack of support. Family coping strategies included believing in God, attending counseling sessions, adapting, and accepting the situation. Healthcare professionals should be prepared and positioned to educate families and siblings on various aspects of ASD. There is a need for active, continued research on families within most countries of World Health Organization Afro-region.

A transformation of trigeminal neuralgia into SUNCT/SUNA: A case report and literature review / Uma transformação da neuralgia do trigêmeo em SUNCT/SUNA: relato de caso e revisão da literatura

Introduction: Trigeminal neuralgia and Short-lasting Unilateral Neuralgiform Headache with Conjunctival injection and Tearing (SUNCT)/Short-lasting Unilateral Neuralgiform Headache Attacks with Cranial Autonomic Symptoms (SUNA) are characterized by similar clinical manifestations, which may lead to diagnostic confusion. However, the transformation of trigeminal neuralgia into SUNCT/SUNA is a rare phenomenon. This report describes a case of trigeminal neuralgia transformation into SUNCT/SUNA due to neurovascular compression and reviews all previously published cases of trigeminal neuralgia to SUNCT/SUNA transformation in the literature. Case presentation: A 49-year-old Thai male patient presented with progressive right facial pain for a period of three months. One year prior, he developed trigeminal neuralgia along the maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve, characterized by electrical shock-like pain in the right upper molar, exacerbated by eating. His symptoms were effectively managed with carbamazepine. Nine months later, he began experiencing recurrent electrical shock-like pain along the ophthalmic division of the right trigeminal nerve, accompanied by lacrimation, which failed to respond to continued treatment with carbamazepine. Three months prior to presentation, his symptoms evolved into SUNCT/SUNA, characterized by electrical shock-like pain in the right periorbital area and conjunctival injection, lacrimation. Neuroimaging revealed high-grade neurovascular compression of the right trigeminal nerve by the right superior cerebellar artery. The patient's symptoms resolved following microvascular decompression. Conclusion: Clinicians should be aware that patients with longer disease duration of trigeminal neuralgia who develop new neuralgic pain in the ophthalmic branch division with mild autonomic symptoms may be at risk for transformation into SUNCT/SUNA.

Introduction: Trigeminal neuralgia and Short-lasting Unilateral Neuralgiform Headache with Conjunctival injection and Tearing (SUNCT)/Short-lasting Unilateral Neuralgiform Headache Attacks with Cranial Autonomic Symptoms (SUNA) are characterized by similar clinical manifestations, which may lead to diagnostic confusion. However, the transformation of trigeminal neuralgia into SUNCT/SUNA is a rare phenomenon. This report describes a case of trigeminal neuralgia transformation into SUNCT/SUNA due to neurovascular compression and reviews all previously published cases of trigeminal neuralgia to SUNCT/SUNA transformation in the literature. Case presentation: A 49-year-old Thai male patient presented with progressive right facial pain for a period of three months. One year prior, he developed trigeminal neuralgia along the maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve, characterized by electrical shock-like pain in the right upper molar, exacerbated by eating. His symptoms were effectively managed with carbamazepine. Nine months later, he began experiencing recurrent electrical shock-like pain along the ophthalmic division of the right trigeminal nerve, accompanied by lacrimation, which failed to respond to continued treatment with carbamazepine. Three months prior to presentation, his symptoms evolved into SUNCT/SUNA, characterized by electrical shock-like pain in the right periorbital area and conjunctival injection, lacrimation. Neuroimaging revealed high-grade neurovascular compression of the right trigeminal nerve by the right superior cerebellar artery. The patient's symptoms resolved following microvascular decompression. Conclusion: Clinicians should be aware that patients with longer disease duration of trigeminal neuralgia who develop new neuralgic pain in the ophthalmic branch division with mild autonomic symptoms may be at risk for transformation into SUNCT/SUNA

Perfil clínico-epidemiológico de pacientes diagnosticados com hanseníase / Clinical-epidemiological profile of patients diagnosed with leprosy / Perfil clínico-epidemiológico de los pacientes diagnosticados de lepra

hanseníase no Brasil ainda apresenta como um problema de saúde pública. A posição epidemiológica da doença no país é considerada diversificada devido ao alto coeficiente e variação de prevalência nas diversas regiões do país. O objetivo desse estudo é conhecer o perfil epidemiológico da população acometida pela hanseníase na cidade de General Carneiro, no interior do Mato Grosso, durante os anos de 2006 e 2021. A coleta de dados foi realizada nos meses de julho e agosto do ano de 2021. Trata-se de uma pesquisa retrospectiva, documental do tipo descritiva, com abordagem quantitativa. No período em estudo notificou-se 50 casos, sendo 62% do sexo masculino, com faixa etária entre 48 a 69 anos de idade, de cor branca, com predominância da forma dimorfa. Os resultados demonstram que a cidade de General Carneiro, está com o número de casos de hanseníase na média do preconizado pela Organização Mundial de Saúde e também, inferior à média brasileira.

Leprosy in Brazil still presents as a public health problem. The epidemiological position of the disease in the country is considered diversified due to the high coefficient and variation in prevalence in different regions of the country. The aim of this study is to know the epidemiological profile of the population affected by leprosy in the city of General Carneiro, in the interior of Mato Grosso, during the years 2006 and 2021. Data collection was carried out in July and August of 2021 This is a retrospective, descriptive documentary research with a quantitative approach. During the study period, 50 cases were reported, 62% male, aged between 48 and 69 years old, white, with a predominance of the borderline form. The results show that the city of General Carneiro has the number of cases of leprosy in the average recommended by the World Health Organization and also below the Brazilian average.

La lepra en Brasil sigue siendo un problema de salud pública. La posición epidemiológica de la enfermedad en el país se considera diversificada debido al alto coeficiente y a la variación de la prevalencia en diferentes regiones del país. El objetivo de este estudio es conocer el perfil epidemiológico de la población afectada por la lepra en la ciudad de General Carneiro, en el interior de Mato Grosso, durante los años 2006 y 2021. La recogida de datos se realizó en julio y agosto del año 2021. Se trata de una investigación retrospectiva, documental y descriptiva, con un enfoque cuantitativo. En el período de estudio se notificaron 50 casos, siendo el 62% de sexo masculino, con una edad entre 48 y 69 años, de color blanco, con predominio de la forma dimorfa. Los resultados muestran que la ciudad de General Carneiro, está con el número de casos de lepra en la media recomendada por la Organización Mundial de la Salud y también por debajo de la media brasileña.

Dados do programa do câncer do colo do útero na pandemia Covid-19 / Data from the cervical cancer program in the Covid-19 pandemic / Datos del programa de cáncer cervical sobre la pandemia Covid-19

O câncer do colo do útero é considerado um dos cânceres mais comuns entre mulheres, representando um grande problema de saúde global, sendo a quarta causa mais frequente de morte por câncer na população feminina. Mediante a um estudo quantitativo e retrospectivo de dados pré- analíticos e analíticos das requisições do exame citopatológico do colo do útero, objetivou-se avaliar os resultados de exames citopatológicos de mulheres usuárias do SUS de um município do oeste do Paraná, realizados no período antes da pandemia COVID-19, de março de 2019 a fevereiro de 2020 e durante a pandemia COVID-19, de março de 2020 a fevereiro de 2021, dos exames citopatológicos alterados. Foram utilizadas as requisições de exames citopatológicos do Programa Nacional de Controle do CCU e o sistema eletrônico SISCAN como ferramentas de busca. Dentre os resultados, totalizaram-se 20.425 amostras processadas no período antes da pandemia, sendo 19.908 consideradas satisfatórias para análise oncótica, onde 1.148 (5,76%) amostras apresentaram alteração citológica. No período da pandemia, totalizaram-se 11.315 amostras processadas, sendo 11.149 amostras satisfatórias para análise oncótica, das quais 721 (6,47%) apresentaram alteração citológica. No período da pandemia, o estudo demostra que metade da população de mulheres usuárias do SUS em um município do oeste do Paraná encontra-se na faixa etária da população-alvo preconizada pelo MS, sendo que a maioria delas realizou seu exame citopatológico por motivo de rastreamento. Contudo, mesmo com a interrupção dos atendimentos eletivos, as mulheres continuaram realizando seus exames citopatológicos, sendo elucidado um discreto aumento de 0,71% das alterações citológicas no período da pandemia, quando comparado ao período anterior, demonstrando o cenário deste programa na pandemia COVID-19.

Cervical cancer is considered one of the most common cancers among women, representing a major global health problem, being the fourth most frequent cause of cancer death in the female population. Through a quantitative and retrospective study of pre-analytical and analytical data of requests for cervical cytopathological examination, the objective was to evaluate the results of cytopathological examinations of women using the SUS in a city in western Paraná, carried out in the period before during the COVID-19 pandemic, from March 2019 to February 2020, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, from March 2020 to February 2021, from the altered cytopathological exams. Requests for cytopathological exams from the National Control Program of the CCU and the SISCAN electronic system were used as search tools. Among the results, a total of 20.425 samples were processed in the period before the pandemic, 19.908 of which were considered satisfactory for oncotic analysis, where 1.148 (5,76%) samples showed cytological alterations. During the pandemic period, a total of 11.315 samples were processed, of which 11.149 were satisfactory for oncotic analysis, of which 721 (6,47%) showed cytological alterations. During the pandemic period, the study shows that half of the population of women using the SUS in a municipality in western Paraná is in the target population age group recommended by the MS, and most of them underwent their cytopathological examination due to tracking. However, even with the interruption of elective care, women continued to perform their cytopathological exams, with a slight increase of 0,71% in cytological changes during the pandemic period, when compared to the previous period, demonstrating the scenario of this program in the COVID-19 pandemic.

El cáncer de cuello uterino se considera uno de los cánceres más comunes entre las mujeres, representando un importante problema de salud mundial, siendo la cuarta causa más frecuente de muerte por cáncer en la población femenina. Mediante el estudio cuantitativo y retrospectivo de los datos preanalíticos y analíticos de los requisitos del examen citopatológico del útero, se evaluaron los resultados de los exámenes citopatológicos de las usuarias del SUS de un municipio del oeste de Paraná, realizados en el período anterior a la pandemia COVID-19, de marzo de 2019 a febrero de 2020, y durante la pandemia COVID-19, de marzo de 2020 a febrero de 2021, de los exámenes citopatológicos alterados. Se utilizaron como herramientas de búsqueda las requisiciones de exámenes citopatológicos del Programa Nacional de Control de UCC y el sistema electrónico SISCAN. Entre los resultados, un total de 20.425 muestras fueron procesadas en el período anterior a la pandemia, de las cuales 19.908 fueron consideradas satisfactorias para el análisis oncológico, donde 1.148 (5,76%) muestras presentaron alteración citológica. En el periodo de la pandemia, se procesaron un total de 11.315 muestras, de las cuales 11.149 fueron satisfactorias para el análisis oncológico, y 721 (6,47%) presentaron alteraciones citológicas. En el período de la pandemia, el estudio demuestra que la mitad de la población de mujeres usuarias del SUS en una ciudad del oeste de Paraná está en la franja de edad de la población objetivo recomendada por el MS, y la mayoría de ellas se sometió a un examen citopatológico con fines de cribado. Sin embargo, aún con la interrupción de la atención electiva, las mujeres continuaron realizando sus exámenes citopatológicos, siendo dilucidado un leve aumento de 0,71% de alteraciones citológicas en el período pandémico, cuando comparado con el período anterior, demostrando el escenario de este programa en la pandemia COVID-19.