Assessing the Short-Term Global Health Experience: A Cross-Sectional Study of Demographics, Socioeconomic Factors, and Disease Prevalence.

Interest in short-term global health experiences to underserviced populations has grown rapidly in the last few decades. However, there remains very little research on what participants can expect to encounter. At the same time, it has been suggested that in order for physicians and workers to provide safe and effective care, volunteers should have a basic understanding of local culture, health systems, epidemiology, and socioeconomic needs of the community before arriving. Our objective was to add to the limited literature on what short-term global health trips can expect to encounter through a cross-sectional study of patient demographics, socioeconomic markers, and the prevalence of diseases encountered on a short-term medical service trip to Lima, Peru. Descriptive analysis was conducted on clinic data collected from patients living in Pamplona Alta and Pamplona Baja, Lima, Peru, in July 2015. We found that volunteers encountered mainly female patients (70.8%), and that there were significant socioeconomic barriers to care including poverty, poor housing, environmental exposures, and lack of continuity of health care. Analysis of the disease prevalence found a high proportion of acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain in the adult populations (18.8% and 11.4%, respectively), and a high presentation of upper respiratory tract infections (25.4%) and parasites (22.0%) in the pediatric group. These findings can be used by future short-term medical service trips to address potential gaps in care including the organization of weekend clinics to allow access to working men, and the use of patient education and nonpharmacological management of acute and chronic disease.

Building coherence and synergy among global health initiatives.

BACKGROUND: The fast growth of global health initiatives (GHIs) has raised concerns regarding achievement of coherence and synergy among distinct, complementary and sometimes competing activities. Herein, we propose an approach to compare GHIs with regard to their main purpose and operational aspects, using the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR/WHO) as a case study. The overall goal is to identify synergies and optimize efforts to provide solutions to reduce the burden of diseases. METHODS: Twenty-six long-established GHIs were identified from among initiatives previously associated/partnered with TDR/WHO. All GHIs had working streams that would benefit from linking to the capacity building or implementation research focus of TDR. Individual profiles were created using a common template to collect information on relevant parameters. For analytical purposes, GHIs were simultaneously clustered in five and eight groups according to their 'intended outcome' and 'operational framework', respectively. A set of specific questions was defined to assess coherence/alignment against a TDR reference profile by attributing a score, which was subsequently averaged per GHI cluster. GHI alignment scores for intended outcome were plotted against scores for operational framework; based on the analysis of coherence/alignment with TDR functions and operations, a risk level (high, medium or low) of engagement was attributed to each GHI. RESULTS: The process allowed a bi-dimensional ranking of GHIs with regards to how adequately they fit with or match TDR features and perspectives. Overall, more consistence was observed with regard to the GHIs' main goals and expected outcomes than with their operational aspects, reflecting the diversity of GHI business models. Analysis of coherence indicated an increasing common trend for enhancing the engagement of developing country stakeholders, building research capacity and optimization of knowledge management platforms in support of improved access to healthcare. CONCLUSIONS: The process used offers a broader approach that could be adapted by other GHIs to build coherence and synergy with peer organizations and helps highlight the potential contribution of each GHI in the new era of sustainable development goals. Emerging opportunities and new trends suggest that engagement between GHIs should be selective and tailored to ensure efficient collaborations.

Rese¤a del Primer Encuentro Internacional de Institutos de Medicina Tropical 2013 / Report of the First International Meeting of Tropical Medicine Institutes 2013

El Primer Encuentro Internacional de Institutos de Medicina Tropical, llevado a cabo en Lima, fue la actividad principal del cincuentenario de la fundaci¢n del Instituto de Medicina Tropical Daniel A. Carri¢n (1963-2013), de la Facultad de Medicina de la UNMSM. Participaron en su organizaci¢n las principales instituciones cient¡ficas del pa¡s relacionadas a la investigaci¢n y atenci¢n de los problemas de salud que afectan a las regiones tropicales y subtropicales. Asistieron alrededor de mil personas. Los temas tratados fueron salud infantil en los tr¢picos, salud internacional, VIH/sida, dengue, malaria, leishmaniosis, tuberculosis, enfermedad de Carri¢n y enfermedades emergentes y reemergentes. Los representantes de los nueve institutos de Medicina Tropical de la regi¢n, asistentes al evento, suscribieron una declaraci¢n, en la que acordaron, entre otros puntos, promover en sus pa¡ses las recomendaciones adoptadas en la Asamblea Mundial de la Salud y Organizaci¢n Panamericana de la Salud en relaci¢n a enfermedades desatendidas, investigaci¢n en salud y recursos humanos en salud; desarrollar programas de posgrado regionales en medicina tropical, epidemiolog¡a y salud p£blica; articular las acciones de este encuentro con otras iniciativas regionales y subregionales, y realizar el Segundo Encuentro Internacional de Institutos de Medicina Tropical en dos a¤os.

The First International Meeting of Tropical Medicine Institutes held in Lima was the main event of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Daniel A. Carrion Tropical Medicine Institute (1963-2013), Faculty of Medicine at UNMSM. The major Peruvian scientific institutions for research and management of global health burdens affecting tropical and subtropical regions participated in the organization of this event. About one thousand people attended. Topics included child health in the tropics, international health, HIV/AIDS, dengue, malaria, leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, Carrion's disease and emerging diseases. Representatives of the nine institutes of Tropical Medicine of the region who attended the event signed a declaration in which all represented institutes agreed to promote in their respective countries the recommendations of the World Health Assembly and the Pan American Health Organization in relation to neglected diseases, health research and health human resources; to develop regional graduate programs in tropical medicine, epidemiology and public health; to coordinate the activities of this meeting with other regional and subregional initiatives. The declaration also decreed, among other topics, that the participating institutes will hold the Second International Meeting of Institutes of Tropical Medicine in two years.

On the pathogenesis of Plasmodium vivax malaria: perspectives from the Brazilian field.

Life-threatening Plasmodium vivax malaria cases, while uncommon, have been reported since the early 20th century. Unfortunately, the pathogenesis of these severe vivax malaria cases is still poorly understood. In Brazil, the proportion of vivax malaria cases has been steadily increasing, as have the number of cases presenting serious clinical complications. The most frequent syndromes associated with severe vivax malaria in Brazil are severe anaemia and acute respiratory distress. Additionally, P. vivax infection may also result in complications associated with pregnancy. Here, we review the latest findings on severe vivax malaria in Brazil. We also discuss how the development of targeted field research infrastructure in Brazil is providing clinical and ex vivo experimental data that benefits local and international efforts to understand the pathogenesis of P. vivax.

[Rehabilitation of war disabled people in the tropics: example from Colombia]. / Problématique de la rééducation du blessé de guerre en zone tropicale: exemple de la Colombie.

The purpose of this report is to describe collaboration between the health services of the Colombian and French armed forces. Colombia is a democratic country that has been undergoing a long period of insurrection resulting in a significant number of deaths and injuries. Permanent functional disabilities have taken high toll at both the individual and community level. Due to the use of landmines, civilians pay a heavier price than military personnel. In Columbia, a country of eternal snows and rain forests, disabilities are often compounded by concurrent diseases such as malaria or leishmaniasis. Otherwise, rehabilitation of soldiers wounded during a combat is fundamentally the same in tropical zones and Europe. Management of wounded servicemen takes place in teaching hospital where therapy is carried out at the same time as training in mine clearance. Reinsertion begins with job apprenticeship in conjunction with psychological support and prosthetic training. Current focus is on developing disability rights legislation modeled on the 2005 French law.

Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical - CES 15 años de historia / Colombian Institute for Tropical Medicine – CES. 15 years history

El Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical Antonio Roldán Betancur, Conformado como una corporación de participación mixta con fines de interés público y social fue creado en 1989, por quien siendo gobernador del Departamento, tuviera la iniciativa de fundar esta institución de carácter académico y científico para que hiciera un aporte a la salud de las antioqueños…