Impacts of industrial actions, protests, strikes and lockouts by health and care workers during COVID-19 and other pandemic contexts: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Public health emergencies of international concern (PHEICs) as the COVID-19 pandemic and others that have occurred since the early 2000s put enormous pressure on health and care systems. This is being a context for protests by health and care workers (HCWs) because of additional workload, working conditions and effects on mental and physical health. In this paper, we intended to analyze the demands of HCWs associated with industrial actions, protests, strikes and lockouts (IAPSLs) which occurred during COVID-19 pandemic and other PHEICs; to identify the impact of these grievances; and describe the relevant interventions to address these IAPSLs. METHODS: We included studies published between January 2000 and March 2022 in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, BVS/LILACS, WHO's COVID-19 Research Database, ILO, OECD, HSRM, and Google Scholar for grey literature. Eligibility criteria were HCWs as participants, IAPSLs as phenomenon of interest occurring in the context of COVID-19 and other PHEICs. GRADE CERQual was used to assess risk of bias and confidence of evidence. RESULTS: 1656 records were retrieved, and 91 were selected for full-text screening. We included 18 publications. A system-wide approach, rather than a limited approach to institutions on strike, makes it possible to understand the full impact of the strike on health and care services. PHEICs tend to aggravate already adverse working conditions of HCWs, acting as drivers for HCWs strikes, leading to staff shortages, and financial issues, both in the North and in the Global South, particularly evident in Asia and Africa. In addition, issues related to deficiencies in leadership and governance in heath sector and lack of medical products and technologies (e.g., lack of personal protective equipment) were the main drivers of strikes, each contributing 25% of the total drivers identified. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to focus on the preparedness of health and care systems to respond adequately to PHEICs, and this includes being prepared for HCWs' IAPSLs, talked much in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence to assist policymakers in defining strategies to respond adequately to the health and care needs of the population during IAPSLs is crucial. The main impact of strikes is on the disruption of health care services' provision. Gender inequality being a major issue among HCWs, a proper understanding of the full impact of the strike on health and care services will only be possible if gender lens is combined with a systemic approach, rather than gender-undifferentiated approaches limited to the institutions on strike.

Impacts for health and care workers of Covid-19 and other public health emergencies of international concern: living systematic review, meta-analysis and policy recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Health and care workers (HCW) faced the double burden of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: as members of a society affected by a public health emergency and as HWC who experienced fear of becoming infected and of infecting others, stigma, violence, increased workloads, changes in scope of practice, among others. To understand the short and long-term impacts in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health emergencies of international concern (PHEICs) on HCW and relevant interventions to address them, we designed and conducted a living systematic review (LSR). METHODS: We reviewed literature retrieved from MEDLINE-PubMed, Embase, SCOPUS, LILACS, the World Health Organization COVID-19 database, the ClinicalTrials.org and the ILO database, published from January 2000 until December 2021. We included quantitative observational studies, experimental studies, quasi-experimental, mixed methods or qualitative studies; addressing mental, physical health and well-being and quality of life. The review targeted HCW; and interventions and exposures, implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic or other PHEICs. To assess the risk of bias of included studies, we used the Johanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools. Data were qualitatively synthetized using meta-aggregation and meta-analysis was performed to estimate pooled prevalence of some of the outcomes. RESULTS: The 1013 studies included in the review were mainly quantitative research, cross-sectional, with medium risk of bias/quality, addressing at least one of the following: mental health issue, violence, physical health and well-being, and quality of life. Additionally, interventions to address short- and long-term impact of PHEICs on HCW included in the review, although scarce, were mainly behavioral and individual oriented, aimed at improving mental health through the development of individual interventions. A lack of interventions addressing organizational or systemic bottlenecks was noted. DISCUSSION: PHEICs impacted the mental and physical health of HCW with the greatest toll on mental health. The impact PHEICs are intricate and complex. The review revealed the consequences for health and care service delivery, with increased unplanned absenteeism, service disruption and occupation turnover that subvert the capacity to answer to the PHEICs, specifically challenging the resilience of health systems.

European Health Union: An emergent reality.

In this article we argue that the Member States of the European Union (EU) have consistently, since its inception, developed a shared framework to measure, monitor and intervene to improve the health status of its population, while invoking the subsidiarity principle for the health sector. As a result, a European Health Union (EHU) has been emerging insidiously and consistently, following the concept of a system for health. Using the World Health Organisation Building Blocks Framework, we analyse the normative and institutional developments related to EU citizens' health that have created a de facto EHU. Developments towards an EHU remain unequally distributed among the different building blocks analysed. The existing EHU is the result of a fragmented and incremental process, mostly grounded in governance, health intelligence and services' development. Health crisis, the Commission's agenda-setting activities and market pressures have been the most important push factors for these step-by-step processes.

Epidemiology of TB in prisoners: a metanalysis of the prevalence of active and latent TB.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) in prisons usually occurs at higher rates than in the general population, especially in developing countries. TB has been reported as the most common cause of death among prisoners. Studies have shown limitations for early detection of TB in prisons that seem to result from mistaken concepts about TB, delayed diagnosis mainly due to the naturalization of lack of healthcare for this population METHODS: A scoping review was performed using the methodology of the Joanna Briggs Institute to assess "What are the scientific evidences on the epidemiology of TB in the prison system?". Then, a meta-analysis was performed to assess the prevalence of TB (active and latent) TB in prisoners. The results are presented as prevalence, in percentage, through random effects models, with a confidence interval of 95%. RESULTS: Regarding active TB, the results of the metanalysis showed that countries with a high burden of TB had a prevalence of 3.54% [2.71; 4.63], countries not considered to be high burden TB countries had a prevalence of 1.43% [0.86; 2.37]. Latent TB had a prevalence of 51.61% [39.46; 63.58] in high TB burden countries and a prevalence of 40.24% [23.51; 59.61] in countries with low TB burden. In terms of development, in low- and lower-middle-income countries, the prevalence of active TB was 3.13% [1.84; 5.29] and in high- and upper-middle income countries the prevalence was 2.25% [1.70; 2.99]. The prevalence of latent TB in high- and middle-income countries was 43.77% [28.61; 60.18] and of 49.42% [45.91; 52.94] in low and lower middle-income countries. CONCLUSION: Our analysis suggests that TB, and probably other infectious diseases, find fertile ground in prisons where previous acquire social disadvantages seem to thrive-therefore, TB in prisons is a global public health problem and effective strategies are needed to control the disease are needed targeting the prison environment, including rapid health assessments to understand each context and to implement tailored and precision interventions.

Implementation of policy and management interventions to improve health and care workforce capacity to address the COVID-19 pandemic response: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted pre-existing weaknesses in health and care systems and services and shortages of health and care workers (HCWs). As a result, policymakers needed to adopt measures to improve the health and care workforce (HCWF) capacity. This review aims to identify countries' range of policies and management interventions implemented to improve HCWs' capacity to address the COVID-19 pandemic response, synthesize their evidence on effectiveness, and identify gaps in the evidence. METHODS: The literature was searched in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, LILACS-BVS, WHO's COVID-19 Research Database and the ILO, OECD and HSRM websites for literature and documents published between January 2020 and March 2022. Eligibility criteria were HCWs as participants and policy and management interventions aiming to improve HCWF capacity to address the COVID-19 pandemic response. Risk of bias was assessed with Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools (CAT) and certainty of the evidence in presented outcomes with GRADE. RESULTS: The searches retrieved 3378 documents. A total of 69 were included, but only 8 presented outcomes of interventions implemented. Most of the selected documents described at least one intervention implemented by countries at the organizational environment level to increase the flexibility and capacity of the HCWF to respond to the pandemic, followed by interventions to attract and retain HCWs in safe and decent working environments. There was a lack of studies addressing social protection, human resources for health information systems, and regarding the role of community health workers and other community-based providers. Regarding the risk of bias, most of documents were rated as medium or high quality (JBI's CAT), while the evidence presented for the outcomes of interventions was classified as mostly low-certainty evidence (GRADE). CONCLUSIONS: Countries have implemented various interventions, some innovative, in response to the pandemic, and others had their processes started earlier and accelerated by the pandemic. The evidence regarding the impact and efficacy of the strategies used by countries during the pandemic still requires further research.

HIV testing among immigrant men who have sex with men in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of non-testing for HIV among immigrant men who have sex with men (MSM) residing in Brazil and identify associated factors. DESIGN: An analytical web-survey study was conducted across all Brazilian states from January 2020 to May 2021. SAMPLE: The study included 804 MSM immigrants from Portuguese-speaking countries. MEASUREMENTS: Odds ratio (OR) and adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) were utilized to determine the strength of the association between non-HIV testing and associated factors. RESULTS: Among the participants, 63.7% had never undergone HIV testing. Multivariate analysis revealed several factors associated with a higher likelihood of not being tested for HIV: having a steady/monogamus partner (AOR: 1.5; 95%CI: 1.1-2.3) or both casual and steady partners (AOR: 1.8; 95%CI: 1.2-3.4), not engaging in bareback sex (AOR: 1.91; 95%CI: 3-3.5), being an immigrant in the country for less than 12 months (AOR: 3.7; 95%CI: 2.5-9.7), and having a preference for insertive (AOR: 1.5; 95%CI: 1.1-2.5) or receptive (AOR: 2.9; 95%CI: 1.4-5.7) roles. However, practicing chemsex was found to be a protective factor for testing (AOR: 4). CONCLUSION: To enhance HIV prevention strategies, it is crucial to implement specific measures that ensure accessibility, confidentiality, and a reduction in stigma associated with HIV testing.

The burden of alcohol, tobacco and others drugs among incarcerated population diagnosed with tuberculosis: time trends and spatial determinants in Southern Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is a public health problem worldwide. It is estimated that 90% of the patients diagnosed with TB live in vulnerable environments with limited health resources, such as individuals living in correctional facilities. This study aimed to identify the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs among prisoners diagnosed with TB and the spatial determinants and time trends of the phenomenon in southern Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using data from the Brazilian Notifiable Diseases Information System was carried out. TB cases confirmed from 2014 to 2018 in prisons located in Paraná, Brazil, were selected. The Prais-Winsten procedure was performed to identify time trends by calculating monthly rates and the percentage of monthly variation. The Seasonal-Trend by Loess decomposition method was used to verify the time series and trends. The spatial association was verified with the Getis-Ord Gi* technique, and the risk areas were identified using spatial scan statistics. RESULTS: A total of 1,099 TB cases were found in the studied population. The consumption of tobacco (n = 460; 41.9%), illegal drugs (n = 451; 41.0%), and alcohol (n = 179; 16.3%) stood out. An ascending trend was found for the consumption of alcohol (+ 19.4%/mo. (95%CI: 12.20-23.03)), tobacco (+ 20.2%/mo. (95%CI: 12.20-28.82)), and illegal drugs (+ 62.2%/mo. (95%CI: 44.54-81.97)). Spatial analysis revealed clusters for the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs. CONCLUSIONS: This study advances knowledge presenting the burden of drug use and its typology among individuals diagnosed with TB in the prison system. There is a growing trend among patients to use drugs, especially illegal drugs. The clusters show differences between the places where the prisons are located.

Adaptation and validation of the Digital Health Literacy Instrument for Portuguese university students.

BACKGROUND: Health literacy is an important skill to deal with information and positively influences individual and community health. Information concerning health is available from a plethora of online resources. The concept of digital health literacy has gained prominence with the pandemic. The absence of valid tools to analyse digital literacy levels are scant. This study aims to translate, adapt and validate the Portuguese version of the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI) as used in the global COVID-HL Network. METHODS: Participants were mostly students from social sciences, psychology, education and health sciences. The Portuguese version of the DHLI contained five dimensions each consisting of three items. An online survey with university students (n = 1815, 75.1% female, average age: 24.15 years) was administered to test the validity of the Portuguese version of the DHLI. Data were analysed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Pearson correlations were also studied. RESULTS: Two items revealed symmetry and kurtosis problems. We chose to eliminate them from the analysis. Different exploratory factor analysis attempts were made, obtaining two possible models to be tested in the confirmatory factor analysis: a three-factor model and a four-factor model. A four-factor structure of the instrument (information searching, adding self-generated content, evaluating reliability, determining relevance) was supported by confirmatory factor analysis and had good internal consistency. CONCLUSIONS: The Portuguese version of the Digital Health Literacy Instrument met adequate psychometric criteria. Therefore, it can be confidently used in Portuguese students' assessment of digital health literacy. Representative studies are needed to shed light on different target groups and their COVID-19-related DHLI.

Tuberculosis forecasting and temporal trends by sex and age in a high endemic city in northeastern Brazil: where were we before the Covid-19 pandemic?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to describe the temporal trend of tuberculosis cases according to sex and age group and evidence the level of disease before the Covid-19 pandemic in a TB high endemic city. METHODS: This was a time series study carried out in a city in northeast Brazil. The population was composed of cases of tuberculosis, excluding those with HIV-positive status, reported between the years 2002 and 2018. An exploratory analysis of the monthly rates of tuberculosis detection, smoothed according to sex and age group, was performed. Subsequently, the progression of the trend and prediction of the disease were also characterized according to these aspects. For the trends forecast, the seasonal autoregressive linear integrated moving average (ARIMA) model and the usual Box-Jenkins method were used to choose the most appropriate models. RESULTS: A total of 1620 cases of tuberculosis were reported, with an incidence of 49.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in men and 34.0 per 100,000 in women. Regarding the incidence for both sexes, there was a decreasing trend, which was similar for age. Evidence resulting from the application of the time series shows a decreasing trend in the years 2002-2018, with a trend of stability. CONCLUSIONS: The study evidenced a decreasing trend in tuberculosis, even before the Covid-19 pandemic, for both sex and age; however, in a step really slow from that recommended by the World Health Organization. According to the results, the disease would have achieved a level of stability in the city next years, however it might have been aggravated by the pandemic. These findings are relevant to evidence the serious behavior and trends of TB in a high endemic scenario considering a context prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Regulation of non-conventional therapies in Portugal: lessons learnt for strengthening human resources in health.

BACKGROUND: The integration of non-conventional therapies (NCT) into health policies and health services delivery is a worldwide trend and might have a role in achieving Universal Health Coverage. WHO has encouraged countries to integrate NCT into health service delivery and to increase the interest and utilization by consumers. Following two resolutions by the European Parliament and by the Council of Europe, in the late 1990s, recommending the recognition of NCT and calling for EU legislation on non-conventional forms of medicine, Portugal initiated, in 2003, its path towards regulation of NCT. We analyze this process and discuss its implications and impacts in terms of health policies, health services delivery and overall health workforce. CASE PRESENTATION: The need to regulate NCT in Portugal stemmed from a growing demand for NCT (and acceptability) among lay citizens and a positive attitude among conventional health professionals which also advocated for a regulatory framework. Political efforts undertaken since 2003 allowed for important advances in the regulation of NCT, beneficiating safe professional practices, and ensuring future academic training at the highest standards, with the defining moment of the social and legal model transition occurring in 2013, when acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, naturopathy, osteopathy, phytotherapy and traditional Chinese Medicine were recognized and regulated. Nevertheless, and because the process knew important time gaps, significant deficiencies arose, mainly between regulation of the training and of the professional activities and the capacity to ensure the continuous production of NCT professionals at an acceptable rate and with minimum quality standards guaranteed. CONCLUSIONS: The regulation of NCT in Portugal was lengthy but steady and was able to bring consumers a safer practice environment and NCT professionals a legal and deontological umbrella for their training, practice, and professional development. Nevertheless, and despite the growing acceptability and normative quality assurance of NCT and its workforce, the regulation process has highlighted some fragilities in terms of accessibility and availability that need attention and urgent action to achieve universal coverage.

Causes of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis from the perspectives of health providers: challenges and strategies for adherence to treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a serious phenomenon on a global scale that can worsen with the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aimed to understand the perceptions of health professionals about MDR-TB, their strategies to ensure adherence to treatment and their challenges in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in a priority municipality for disease control. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study and recruited 14 health providers (four doctors, three nurses, three nursing technicians, three nursing assistants and a social worker) working in a city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Remote semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. For data analysis, the thematic content analysis technique was applied according to the study's theoretical framework. RESULTS: The study revealed the causes of MDR-TB are associated with poverty, vulnerability, and social risk. A pre-judgement from the providers was observed, namely, all patients do not adhere due their resistance and association with drug abuse or alcoholism. The study also observed difficulty among health providers in helping patients reconstruct and reframe their life projects under a care perspective, which would strengthen adherence. Other issues that weakened adherence were the cuts in social protection and the benefits really necessary to the patients and a challenge for the providers manage that. The participants revealed that their actions were impacted by the pandemic and insecurity and fear manifested by patients after acquiring COVID-19. For alleviating this, medical appointments by telephone, delivery of medicine in the homes of patients and visits by health professionals once per week were provided. CONCLUSION: The study advances knowledge by highlighting the challenges faced by the health system with the adherence of patients with MDR-TB in a context aggravated by the pandemic. An improvement in DOT is really necessary to help the patients reframe their lives without prejudices, face their fears and insecurity, recover their self-esteem and motivate in concluding their treatment.

Medical faculty profile is an important determinant of student profile and future practice expectations of medical students in Angola.

BACKGROUND: Angola is among one of the most deprived countries in the world in terms of medical professionals. In the past decade, the Angolan Government has invested in the expansion of faculties of medicine in the country.  We analysed the profiles of medical students in Angola according to four clusters of medical schools: older faculty in the country, private faculties, Cuban sponsored faculties and military faculty; under the assumption that the organizational culture of the different faculties might influence the expectations and decisions towards future professional life of medical students regarding where they want to work (community versus hospital) and in which sector (exclusively public versus not exclusively public). METHODS: Observational cross-sectional study. Piloted, standardized questionnaire to final year medical students or higher year of training in the first four-month of 2014 (N = 402). Data were entered into a SPSS v.20 database and descriptive statistics computed. Statistical significance for categorical variables was tested by Pearson chi-square, Fisher exact or likelihood ratio tests as appropriate. Comparison of means was tested with Anova. Backward elimination binary logistic regression was used to test the hypothesis that type of faculty of medicine is an important determinant of future professional practice, i.e., level (hospital vs. community) or sector of practice (exclusive public sector vs. private or private and public), while controlling for confounders. RESULTS: After controlling for age, sex, marital status, place of birth and place of primary and secondary education, type of family and family influence, students were more likely to choose community over hospital practice and to prefer exclusive public practice if attending a Cuba supported faculty of medicine. CONCLUSIONS: Medical education cannot be isolated from planning of the medical workforce. Some important and impactful careers choices, like choosing rural over urban practice, public over private sector practice, have deep influences in the medical professionals' labour market. Some of these decisions are shaped even before the end of the medical training. As such, the monitoring of future professional intentions in medical schools should be done regularly to accommodate both the health system needs and the hopes and dreams of medical trainees.

Organisation of the State, model of health system and COVID-19 health outcomes in six European countries, during the first months of the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020.

The time and type of the States' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic varied with the severity of the epidemiological situation, the perceived risk, the political organisation and the model of health system of the country. We discuss the response of Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and the United Kingdom during the first months of the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, considering the political organisation of the country and its health system model. We analyse public health measures implemented to contain or mitigate the pandemic, as well as those related to governance, resources and reorganisation of services, financing mechanisms, response of the health system itself and health outcomes. To measure the burden of COVID-19, we use several indicators. The adoption of measures, to contain and mitigate epidemic varied in degree and time of adoption. All countries reorganised their governance structure and the provision of care, despite the differences in political models and health systems (ranging from a more unitary and centralised political organisational model-France and Portugal; to a decentralised matrix-Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom). Rather than the differences in political models and health systems, the explanation for the success in tackling the epidemic seems to lay in other social determinants of health.

The relevance of educational attainments of parents of medical students for health workforce planning: data from Guiné-Bissau.

BACKGROUND: In this article, we analyze data collected in the context of health workforce planning (HWFP) for Guiné-Bissau as part of the development of the third National Health Strategy, to study the relationship between educational achievement of parents and medical student characteristics and professional expectations. METHODS: Cross-sectional analytical study of all first-year medical students in Guiné-Bissau during December 2016. RESULTS: Our results confirm that the isolated effect of each parent is different as it is the combined education of both parents. Parental influence also seems to vary according to the sex of the offspring. The higher the education of the father, the stronger the urban background of the offspring. Level of education of parents is also important in relation to the decision to study medicine and the age of starting those studies. It is also an important influence as to expectation regarding place of future practice: the highest the educational level, particularly of the father, the highest the expectation for a future urban practice. CONCLUSIONS: Our main interest in medical education is to study it as a health system intervention in order to contribute to health system's strengthening in fragile states. This is discussed in the context of two frameworks: the labor market framework and WHO's health system strengthening framework. Our data and that of others, recognize that household characteristics are important regarding future training and a future career in the health sector. This recognition should be integrated into HWFP frameworks.

Using hospital auxiliary worker and 24-h TB services as potential tools to overcome in-hospital TB delays: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: In-hospital logistic management barriers (LMB) are considered to be important risk factors for delays in TB diagnosis and treatment initiation (TB-dt), which perpetuates TB transmission and the development of TB morbidity and mortality. We assessed the contribution of hospital auxiliary workers (HAWs) and 24-h TB laboratory services using Xpert (24h-Xpert) on the delays in TB-dt and TB mortality at Beira Central Hospital, Mozambique. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design was used. Implementation strategy-HAWs and laboratory technicians were selected and trained, accordingly. Interventions-having trained HAW and TB laboratory technicians as expediters of TB LMB issues and assurer of 24h-Xpert, respectively. Implementation outcomes-time from hospital admission to sputum examination results, time from hospital admission to treatment initiation, proportion of same-day TB cases diagnosed, initiated TB treatment, and TB patient with unfavorable outcome after hospitalization (hospital TB mortality). A nonparametric test was used to test the differences between groups and adjusted OR (95% CI) were computed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: We recruited 522 TB patients. Median (IQR) age was 34 (16) years, and 52% were from intervention site, 58% males, 60% new case of TB, 12% MDR-TB, 72% TB/HIV co-infected, and 43% on HIV treatment at admission. In the intervention hospital, 93% of patients had same-day TB-dt in comparison with a median (IQR) time of 15 (2) days in the control hospital. TB mortality in the intervention hospital was lower than that in the control hospital (13% vs 49%). TB patients admitted to the intervention hospital were nine times more likely to obtain an early laboratory diagnosis of TB, six times more likely to reduce delays in TB treatment initiation, and eight times less likely to die, when compared to those who were admitted to the control hospital, adjusting for other factors. CONCLUSION: In-hospital delays in TB-dt and high TB mortality in Mozambique are common and probably due, in part, to LMB amenable to poor-quality TB care. Task shifting of TB logistic management services to HAWs and lower laboratory technicians, to ensure 24h-Xpert through "on-the-spot strategy," may contribute to timely TB detection, proper treatment, and reduction of TB mortality.

Surveillance of malaria in mainland Portugal in 2016 after the introduction of an electronic system: is it enough?

Since 2014, imported cases of malaria have been notified by SINAVE, the Portuguese nationwide electronic surveillance system that replaced paper-based notification. Nevertheless, the disease is still believed to be under-reported. Completeness of notification of malaria cases in 2016 was estimated using a two-source capture-recapture method, with SINAVE and the Diagnostic-Related Group cases. Completeness of SINAVE and the diagnosis-related group sources was computed in 32.9% and 72.3%, respectively. The results confirm that malaria is under-reported and highlight the need for more effective notification strategies, especially given the risk of resurgence of locally acquired cases.

Time delay and associated mortality from negative smear to positive Xpert MTB/RIF test among TB/HIV patients: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The GeneXpert MTB/RIF Assay (Xpert®) is known to be a feasible, effective and a hopeful tool for rapid tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment. However, little is known about the time delay caused by initial negative sputum smear microscopy (NSSM), but consecutive positive Xpert TB test (PXTBt) and its association with TB mortality in resource-constrained settings. We aimed to estimate the median time delay between initial NSSM but consecutive PXTBt and TB treatment initiation and its association with TB mortality among TB/HIV co-infected patients in Beira, Mozambique. METHODS: we used data from a retrospective cohort study of TB/HIV co-infected patients in six TB services in Beira city. The study included all patients that tested NSSM, followed by a PXTBt in the six health centers with TB services during the year 2015. Data were extracted from the laboratory and TB treatment registers. To assess the difference in median time delays between groups, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were computed. To analyze the associations between the time delays and TB mortality, logistic regression model was used. RESULTS: Among the 283 patients included in the study, median (IQR) age was 31 (17) years, 59.0% were males, 57.6% in the WHO clinical fourth stage of HIV. The median (IQR) values for diagnostic delay, treatment delay and total time delay was 10 (9) days, 13 (12) days and 28 (20) days, respectively. For TB/HIV co-infected patients who tested negative for smear microscopy initially, a total time delay of one month or longer was associated with high mortality (aOR = 12.40, 95% CI: 5.70-22.10). CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that delays in TB diagnosis and treatment resulting from initial NSSM, but consecutive PXTBt are common in Beira city and are one of the main factors associated with TB mortality among TB/HIV co-infected patients. Applying GeneXpert assay as gold standard for HIV-positive patients with suspected pulmonary TB or replacing the sputum smear microscopy by Xpert assay and its availability within 24 h is urgently needed to ensure early diagnosis and treatment, and to maximize the impact of the few resources available in the country.

Understanding nurses' dual practice: a scoping review of what we know and what we still need to ask on nurses holding multiple jobs.

BACKGROUND: Mounting evidence suggests that holding multiple concurrent jobs in public and private (dual practice) is common among health workers in low- as well as high-income countries. Nurses are world's largest health professional workforce and a critical resource for achieving Universal Health Coverage. Nonetheless, little is known about nurses' engagement with dual practice. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review of the literature on nurses' dual practice with the objective of generating hypotheses on its nature and consequences, and define a research agenda on the phenomenon. The Arksey and O'Malley's methodological steps were followed to develop the research questions, identify relevant studies, include/exclude studies, extract the data, and report the findings. PRISMA guidelines were additionally used to conduct the review and report on results. RESULTS: Of the initial 194 records identified, a total of 35 met the inclusion criteria for nurses' dual practice; the vast majority (65%) were peer-reviewed publications, followed by nursing magazine publications (19%), reports, and doctoral dissertations. Twenty publications focused on high-income countries, 16 on low- or middle-income ones, and two had a multi country perspective. Although holding multiple jobs not always amounted to dual practice, several ways were found for public-sector nurses to engage concomitantly in public and private employments, in regulated as well as in informal, casual fashions. Some of these forms were reported as particularly prevalent, from over 50% in Australia, Canada, and the UK, to 28% in South Africa. The opportunity to increase a meagre salary, but also a dissatisfaction with the main job and the flexibility offered by multiple job-holding arrangements, were among the reported reasons for engaging in these practices. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Limited and mostly circumstantial evidence exists on nurses' dual practice, with the few existing studies suggesting that the phenomenon is likely to be very common and carry  implications for health systems and nurses' welfare worldwide. We offer an agenda for future research to consolidate the existing evidence and to further explore nurses' motivation; without a better understanding of nurse dual practice, this will continue to be a largely 'hidden' element in nursing workforce policy and practice, with an unclear impact on the delivery of care.

Human resources for health (and rehabilitation): Six Rehab-Workforce Challenges for the century.

BACKGROUND: People with disabilities face challenges accessing basic rehabilitation health care. In 2006, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) outlined the global necessity to meet the rehabilitation needs of people with disabilities, but this goal is often challenged by the undersupply and inequitable distribution of rehabilitation workers. While the aggregate study and monitoring of the physical rehabilitation workforce has been mostly ignored by researchers or policy-makers, this paper aims to present the 'challenges and opportunities' for guiding further long-term research and policies on developing the relatively neglected, highly heterogeneous physical rehabilitation workforce. METHODS: The challenges were identified through a two-phased investigation. Phase 1: critical review of the rehabilitation workforce literature, organized by the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality (AAAQ) framework. Phase 2: integrate reviewed data into a SWOT framework to identify the strengths and opportunities to be maximized and the weaknesses and threats to be overcome. RESULTS: The critical review and SWOT analysis have identified the following global situation: (i) needs-based shortages and lack of access to rehabilitation workers, particularly in lower income countries and in rural/remote areas; (ii) deficiencies in the data sources and monitoring structures; and (iii) few exemplary innovations, of both national and international scope, that may help reduce supply-side shortages in underserved areas. DISCUSSION: Based on the results, we have prioritized the following 'Six Rehab-Workforce Challenges': (1) monitoring supply requirements: accounting for rehabilitation needs and demand; (2) supply data sources: the need for structural improvements; (3) ensuring the study of a whole rehabilitation workforce (i.e. not focused on single professions), including across service levels; (4) staffing underserved locations: the rising of education, attractiveness and tele-service; (5) adapt policy options to different contexts (e.g. rural vs urban), even within a country; and (6) develop international solutions, within an interdependent world. CONCLUSIONS: Concrete examples of feasible local, global and research action toward meeting the Six Rehab-Workforce Challenges are provided. Altogether, these may help advance a policy and research agenda for ensuring that an adequate rehabilitation workforce can meet the current and future rehabilitation health needs.