Mean difference in timing of first antenatal checks across regions and associated factors among pregnant women attending health facilities in Ethiopia: evidence from Ethiopian demographic health survey, 2019.

INTRODUCTION: Early initiation of antenatal care visits is an essential component of services to improve maternal health. Conducting a detailed study about the mean difference in timing at first antenatal checks across regions and factors associated with timing at first antenatal checks among women attending antenatal in Ethiopia is essential to ensure maternal and newborn health. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the mean difference in timing at first antenatal visits and associated factors among pregnant women attending different health facilities across regions in Ethiopia. METHOD: The Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) conducted a community-based cross-sectional study in 2019. In this study, data about the timing of the first antenatal check-ups were requested from the Demographic Health Survey in February 2023, and the required variables were downloaded in SAS and SPSS formats from the data set. A total of 2935 women from nine regional states and two city administrations with an age range of 15 to 49 years were included in the study. The mean difference in timing at first antenatal check-ups, its correlation and various factors were estimated using multiple linear regressions to identify factors. RESULT: The majority of the 2034 (69.3%) of pregnant women who participated in the study were rural residents. The mean (± SD) age of the pregnant women was 29 (± 6.5) years. Approximately 32.5% of pregnant women visited their first antenatal check after 4 months of pregnancy. The results showed that counselling by health workers during a previous pregnancy (p < 0.01) significantly predicts timing at first antenatal checks in months holding previous delivery, previous antenatal care at both government and private facilities, ever attended school, and highest educational level. Timing at the first antenatal check-in months is expected to decrease by 0.99 months for every counselling session at each pregnancy. The results of the analysis suggested that the regression model significantly predicted timing at the first antenatal check (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The mean difference in timing at the first antenatal check in months among Ethiopian pregnant women relatively significantly varies in two regions. Previous pregnancy counselling by health workers positively influences the timing of first antenatal check-ups for subsequent antenatal check follow-ups in Ethiopia.

Career advancement of professional nurses at a regional hospital in Gauteng.

BACKGROUND:  Career advancement is of importance to professional nurses and a motivation for those who desire to occupy leadership positions. However, there were perceived barriers enunciated by participants, which were seen as contributory factors that hinder their progression in the institution. OBJECTIVES:  The objective of the study was to explore and describe the perceptions of professional regarding their career advancement. METHOD:  The study was conducted at a regional hospital in Gauteng. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive design that is contextual was used. Non-probability purposive sampling method was used to draw the sample from a target population of professional nurses. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 professional nurses to obtain in-depth information on their perceptions. Tesch's method of qualitative data analysis was used. Lincoln and Guba's strategies of credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability were used to establish trustworthiness of the study. Ethical considerations were applied throughout the study. RESULTS:  A lack of recognition of postgraduate qualifications, no opportunities for self-identification of interest to lead, no mentoring processes for potential leader and succession planning and emotional experiences were barriers to career advancement. The researcher recommended that recognition of further qualifications, enhancement of self-identification for leadership roles, mentoring of young professionals for leadership and succession planning be considered to enhance career development of the professional nurses. CONCLUSION:  The findings suggest that professional nurses encounter significant challenges to career advancement in this regional hospital.Contribution: Nurse managers to identify, mentor and support professional nurses for leadership positions in their career.

A professional and institutional organization based on the "Aller vers" dynamic / Un acteur professionnel et institutionnel fondé sur la dynamique du « Aller Vers ¼

The French Union for Oral Health (UFSBD) embodies a professional initiative in institutional form, based on the philosophy of "Aller vers" (going toward). Based on plural representation, it brings together a variety of dentists, who are representative of the diversity of practices, whether in urban or rural areas, as employees or independent practitioners, or in local practice or hospital contexts. Proximity to the public is the very essence of its action and gives it a good understanding of realities on the ground. Since its creation, the UFSBD has been engaged in an ever-evolving collective mission, adapting its efforts to the changing needs of society and citizens. Its bold approach goes beyond the traditional boundaries of dental practice, by reaching out to the most vulnerable people and those furthest from the health system. This translates into an inclusive, proactive, and local approach. This dynamic has played a decisive role in advocating, since the 1990s, the recognition of oral health as an essential component of general health. Despite the obstacles and the time required to change mentalities, the UFSBD persevered, particularly regarding the challenge that periodontal diseases represent for oral health. Challenges persist, particularly with regard to access to prevention for populations at risk, population aging, and the integration of oral health into overall care pathways. However, the main objective remains that oral health regains its place as an undeniable national priority. Indeed, the mouth is at the heart of general health and can play an essential transversal role in public health.

L'Union Française pour la Santé Bucco-dentaire (UFSBD) incarne une initiative professionnelle sous forme institutionnelle qui repose sur la philosophie du « Aller Vers ¼. Fondée sur une représentation plurielle, elle réunit une diversité de Chirurgiens-dentistes, qui sont représentatifs de la diversité des pratiques, que ce soit en milieu urbain ou rural, en tant que salariés ou praticiens libéraux, dans des contextes citadins ou hospitaliers. Cette proximité avec les populations est l'essence même de son action et lui donne une bonne vision des réalités de terrain. Depuis ses débuts, l'UFSBD s'est engagée dans une mission collective en constante évolution, adaptant ses efforts aux besoins changeants de la société et des citoyens. Son approche audacieuse dépasse les frontières traditionnelles des cabinets dentaires, en se lançant à la rencontre des populations les plus vulnérables et éloignées du système de santé. Cela se traduit par une approche inclusive, proactive et de proximité. Cette dynamique a joué un rôle déterminant en plaidant, depuis les années 90, pour la reconnaissance de la santé bucco-dentaire en tant que composante essentielle de la santé générale. Malgré les freins et le temps nécessaire des plaidoyers pour faire évoluer les mentalités, l'UFSBD a persévéré, en particulier dans le défi que représentent les maladies parodontales pour la santé bucco-dentaire. Des défis perdurent, notamment en ce qui concerne l'accès à la prévention pour les populations à risques, le vieillissement de la population et l'intégration de la santé bucco-dentaire dans les parcours de soins globaux. Cependant, l'objectif principal demeure que la santé bucco-dentaire retrouve sa place de priorité nationale incontestable. En effet, la bouche est au cœur de la santé générale et peut jouer un rôle transversal essentiel en santé publique.

Dental public health: Context, challenges, and perspectives / « Santé Publique Orale ¼ : contexte, enjeux et perspectives

The discipline of "dental public health" derives its epistemological legitimacy from the unique position of dental surgeons within the realm of health care. It serves as a crucial bridge between the domain of public health and the field of dental science. The development of "dental public health" holds a twofold significance. First, it acknowledges and assesses the evolving landscape of public health, societal changes, determinants of overall health, environmental challenges, and global concerns. Its purpose is to guide policy decisions, education, research, and dental practices toward the greater good, ensuring equitable access to care and fostering technical and social innovation. Second, "dental public health" has the potential to contribute to the broader health care domain by transferring the diverse insights gained from dental surgery and its historical context. The independence of dental surgery, while sometimes posing challenges to interdisciplinary collaboration, also offers opportunities for progress through innovative solutions. In an era of patient partnerships and a growing emphasis on equality, diversity, and inclusion, it is imperative to consider the inclusion of patient representatives within the "dental public health" community. This inclusion can further enhance the discipline's capacity to address contemporary health care challenges effectively.

La « santé publique orale ¼ est une discipline qui tire sa légitimité épistémologique de la place très particulière du dentiste dans le champ de la santé. Elle agit comme une charnière entre la santé publique et les sciences odontologiques. La pertinence du développement d'une « santé publique orale ¼ est bidirectionnelle. D'un côté, la « santé publique orale ¼ prend la mesure des évolutions sanitaires et sociétales, des déterminants de santé générale, des enjeux climatiques et planétaires, afin d'orienter les décisions politiques, la formation, la recherche et les pratiques odontologiques dans des directions favorisant le bien commun, l'équité dans l'accès aux soins et les innovations techniques et sociales. D'un autre côté, la « santé publique orale ¼ peut enrichir le domaine de la santé en général, en transférant les contributions diverses issues de la chirurgie dentaire et de ses spécificités historiques. Ainsi, l'indépendance de la chirurgie dentaire est à la fois un obstacle à la collaboration interdisciplinaire mais aussi un moyen de progresser grâce aux solutions nécessaires pour la transcender. Ajoutons qu'à l'heure des patients-partenaires et de la diffusion des enjeux d'équité, de diversité et d'inclusion, il est temps de considérer les représentants de patients comme faisant partie des acteurs de la « santé publique orale ¼.

Quality of antenatal care and outcomes of Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy among antenatal attendees: A comparison of urban and periurban health facilities in Ghana.

Rural-urban-peri urban disparity assessments on health outcomes have been considered as critical determinants of health and health service outcomes. It is policy relevant in terms of the burden of disease and also provides focus on target interventions. This study aimed to assess the differences in the quality of Ante-natal Care (ANC) and the outcomes of Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy (HDPs) from selected health facilities in Ghana. This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. Data on demographics, proportions of HDPs, quality of ANC and the outcomes of HDPs were collected. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association of the independent variables with the location of the health of facility. A total of 500 pregnant women were included in this study. There were 270 (54%) urban and 230 (46%) peri-urban dwellers. The proportion of HDPs varied with the location of the health facility. Women attending urban health facilities were more likely to be hypertensive (µ2 = 126.4; p<0.001), have chronic hypertension with superimposed pre-eclampsia (p< 0.001), have good quality ANC (µ2 = 41.28; p< 0.001), deliver full term (µ2 = 4.83; p = 0.028), and have excellent knowledge on HDPs (µ2 = 227.65; p< 0.001) compared to women receiving care in peri-urban health facilities. The method of delivery and outcome of birth did not statistically vary amongst the periurban and urban health facilities. There was an increase in the proportion in preterm in urban compared to periurban. The burden of HDPs was high in urban health facilities with high proportion of its mothers receiving quality ANC as well as having excellent knowledge on HDPs compared to mothers receiving care at the periurban health facilities. There is a need to target maternal care interventions to the periurban health facilities to improve obstetric health outcomes.

Talent management of international nurses in healthcare settings: A systematic review.

AIM: To identify and systematically review current scholarship on talent management of international nurses in healthcare organizations. BACKGROUND: As nurse shortages persistently pose challenges for healthcare organizations globally, one of the primary strategies employed to address these shortages is employment of international nurses. To date little has been done to systematically review and collate contemporary research on talent management of this strategically important cohort. Talent management is a holistic construct that can support healthcare organizations to attract, develop, motivate, and retain talented employees to drive organizational performance. This systematic review isolates, appraises and collates available evidence on talent management practices for international nurses. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic literature review. DATA SOURCES: Searches of PubMed, EBSCO and Scopus were made covering literature from 2012-2022. REVIEW METHODS: This study followed Cochrane protocol for Systematic Reviews and key search terms were developed in consultation with University of Limerick library. As a key aim of the review was to provide evidence for the development of effective talent management practices, only peer-reviewed academic papers and empirical studies were included. Initial articles screening was conducted by two reviewers and full articles review was conducted by the entire research team. Findings were combined in a data extraction template for further analysis. RESULTS: This review includes 62 articles thematically analysed under the headings recruitment and selection, retention and turnover, career progression, professional development, discrimination and racism, culture and communication. CONCLUSION: No articles were found that directly address talent management for international nurses. Although there are studies that address aspects of talent management independently, more research is required on talent management as a holistic process for international nurses to inform evidence-based practice. IMPACT: This research emphasizes the importance of talent management for retention of international nurses in healthcare settings. It provides a knowledge base for healthcare organisations to enhance employee retention and ensure quality care for patients, as well as setting the foundation for future studies in this area.

The state and significant drivers of health systems efficiency in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Low-and-middle-income countries, especially in Africa, lack the capacity to adequately invest in health systems to attain universal health coverage (UHC). As such, countries must improve efficiency and provide more services within the available resources. This systematic review synthesised evidence on the efficiency of health systems in the African region and its drivers. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 statement. Related studies were grouped and meta-analysed, while others were descriptively analysed. We employed a qualitative content synthesis for synthesising the drivers of efficiency. Results: Overall, 39 studies met a predetermined inclusion criterion and were included from a possible 4 609 records retrieved through a rigorous search and selection process. Using a random effects restricted maximum likelihood method, the pooled efficiency score for the Africa region was estimated to be 0.77, implying that on the flip side, health system inefficiency across countries in the African region was approximately 23%. Across 22 studies that used data envelopment analysis to examine efficiency at the level of health facilities and sub-national entities, the efficiency level was 0.67. Facility-level studies tended to estimate low levels of efficiency compared to health system-level studies. Across the 39 studies, 21 significant drivers of inefficiency were reported, including population density of the catchment area, governance, health facility ownership, health facility staff density, national economic status, type of health facility, education index, hospital size and bed occupancy rate. Conclusion: With approximately 23% of the inefficiency of health systems in Africa, improving efficiency alone will yield an average of 34% improvement in resource availability, assuming all countries are performing similarly to the frontier countries. However, with the low level of health expenditure per capita in Africa, the efficiency gains alone will be insufficient to meet the minimum funding requirement for UHC. Registration: PROSPERO: CRD42022318122.

Immune response evaluation after Sputnik V vaccination in Sari healthcare population.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Generally, protection against SARS-CoV-2 was assessed by the measurement of antibody titers against spike protein and receptor binding domain "RBD". Many global efforts lead to development of several vaccines based on various strategies. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of Sputnik V vaccine among Sari healthcare staff population, Iran. METHODS: Seventy-nine health professional staffs that were vaccinated with two doses of Sputnik V vaccine were selected. The Immune response against spike and RBD proteins was evaluated by ELISA assays 3-4 weeks after second dose of vaccine injection. RESULTS: The results showed the antibody titers were raised after vaccination. Data analysis has also demonstrated that the efficacy of vaccine was not related to age, gender and previous infection of SARS-CoV-2. CONCLUSION: Sputnik V vaccine can lead to a protective response against COVID-19 infection in high percentage of the population. J. Med. Invest. 70 : 317-320, August, 2023.

Technologies, Physician's Caring Competency, and Patient Centered Care:A Systematic Review.

This study aimed to conduct a systematic review to clarify patient understanding, understanding of caring concepts, understanding of technology, competency to express compassion, appropriate involvement in caring, and ethical and moral attitudes and responses toward patients. This systematic review was conducted through an electronic search across PubMed, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, and Science Direct. Authors independently appraised the methodological quality of the studies using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool. A narrative synthesis approach was used to present these findings. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria and quality appraisal guidelines. Through thematic analysis, four major themes were identified:Technology and caring competency, Technology and patient-centered care, Empathetic skills, and Caring competency. This review has shown that patients choose physicians considering their emotions and communicate well with them, empowering them to take responsibility of their own or their loved ones' healthcare. In the age of technological advancement and availability of vast sources of information, it is expected of physicians to adapt to these character priorities while maintaining their sense of humanness, not only focusing on healing modalities, but also to guide, educate, and appropriately empower their patients toward achieving their healthcare goals. J. Med. Invest. 70 : 307-316, August, 2023.

Spatial accessibility to health facilities among pregnant women with and without exposure to intimate partner violence in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Poor physical access to health facilities could increase the likelihood of undetected intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy. We aimed to determine sub-regional differences and associations between spatial accessibility to health facilities and IPV among pregnant women in Uganda. METHOD: Weighted cross-sectional analyses were conducted using merged 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey and 2014 Uganda Bureau of Statistics health facility datasets. Our study population were 986 women who self-reported being currently pregnant and responded to IPV items. Outcome was spatial accessibility computed as the near point linear distance [< 5 km (optimal) vs. ≥ 5 km (low)] between women's enumeration area and health facility according to government reference cutoffs. Primary independent variable (any IPV) was defined as exposure to at least one of physical, emotional, and sexual IPV forms. Logistic regression models were sequentially adjusted for covariates in blocks based on Andersen's behavioral model of healthcare utilization. Covariates included predisposing (maternal age, parity, residence, partner controlling behavior), enabling (wealth index, occupation, education, economic empowerment, ANC visit frequency), and need (wanted current pregnancy, difficulty getting treatment money, afraid of partner, and accepted partner abuse) factors. RESULTS: Respondents' mean age was 26.1 years with ± 9.4 standard deviations (SD), mean number of ANC visits was 3.8 (± 1.5 SD) and 492/986 (49.9%) pregnant women experienced IPV. Median spatial accessibility to the nearest health facility was 4.1 km with interquartile range (IQR) from 0.2 to 329.1 km. Southwestern, and Teso subregions had the highest average percentage of pregnant women experiencing IPV (63.8-66.6%) while Karamoja subregion had the highest median spatial accessibility (7.0 to 9.3 km). In the adjusted analysis, pregnant women exposed to IPV had significantly higher odds of low spatial accessibility to nearest health facilities when compared to pregnant women without IPV exposure after controlling for enabling factors in Model 2 (aOR 1.6; 95%CI 1.2, 2.3) and need factors in Model 3 (aOR 1.5; 95%CI 1.1, 3.8). CONCLUSIONS: Spatial accessibility to health facilities were significantly lower among pregnant women with IPV exposure when compared to those no IPV exposure. Improving proximity to the nearest health facilities with ANC presents an opportunity to intervene among pregnant women experiencing IPV. Focused response and prevention interventions for violence against pregnant women should target enabling and need factors.

Health facility readiness to screen, diagnose and manage substance use disorders in Mbale district, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Substance use disorders (SUD) pose a significant public health problem in Uganda. Studies indicate that integrating mental health services into Primary Health Care can play a crucial role in alleviating the impact of SUD. However, despite ongoing efforts to integrate these services in Uganda, there is a lack of evidence regarding the preparedness of health facilities to effectively screen and manage SUD. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the readiness of health facilities at all levels of the health system in Mbale, Uganda, to carry out screening, diagnosis, and management of SUD. METHODS: A health facility-based cross-sectional study was carried out among all the 54 facilities in Mbale district. A composite variable adapted from the WHO Service Availability and Readiness Assessment manual (2015) with 14 tracer indicators were used to measure readiness. A cut-off threshold of having at least half the criteria fulfilled (higher than the cutoff of 7) was classified as having met the readiness criteria. Descriptive analyses were performed to describe readiness scores across various facility characteristics and a linear regression model was used to identify the predictors of readiness. RESULTS: Among all health facilities assessed, only 35% met the readiness criteria for managing Substance Use Disorders (SUD). Out of the 54 facilities, 42 (77.8%) had guidelines in place for managing SUD, but less than half, 26 (48%), reported following these guidelines. Only 8 out of 54 (14.5%) facilities had staff who had received training in the diagnosis and management of SUD within the past two years. Diagnostic tests for SUD, specifically the Uri stick, were available in the majority of facilities, (46/54, 83.6%). A higher number of clinical officers working at the health centres was associated with higher readiness scores (score coefficient 4.0,95% CI 1.5-6.5). CONCLUSIONS: In this setting, a low level of health facility readiness to provide screening, diagnosis, and management for substance use disorders was found. To improve health facility readiness for delivery of care for substance use disorders, a frequent inventory of human resources in terms of numbers, skills, and other resources are required in this resource-limited setting.

The Effect of Regular Exercise and its Duration on Metabolic Parameters.

Regular exercise is crucial for regulating metabolic parameters. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the effects of regular exercise duration on glycaemic and metabolic parameters, insulin resistance, and atherogenic indices in individuals attending a single-family health centre. A total of 403 individuals were divided into three groups based on their exercise status as Group A with no regular exercise, Group B with <150 minutes, and Group C with ≥150 minutes of regular excercise per week. The demographic and clinical data were collected from the subjects' records. The median age in Group A was significantly higher than in Group B and C, the median weight of Group A and B was significantly lower than in Group C, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was significantly higher in Group B than in C. Type 2 diabetes percentage was significantly higher in Group C compared to B. Other glycaemic and metabolic parameters, insulin-resistance, and atherogenic indices were similar among the three groups. The results of this study indicated that subjects with higher weight, lower HDL levels, and Type 2 diabetes mellitus were those doing regular exercise in the advised duration per week. Key Words: Exercise, Duration, Lifestyle, Insulin-resistance, Atherogenic index.

Timeliness and completeness of monthly disease surveillance data reporting, Uganda, 2020-2021.

Introduction: timely and complete reporting of routine public health information about diseases and public health events are important aspects of a robust surveillance system. Although data on the completeness and timeliness of monthly surveillance data are collected in the District Health Information System-2 (DHIS2), they have not been routinely analyzed. We assessed completeness and timeliness of monthly outpatient department (OPD) data, January 2020-December 2021. Methods: we analyzed secondary data from all the 15 regions and 146 districts of Uganda. Completeness was defined as the number of submitted reports divided by the number of expected reports. Timeliness was defined as the number of reports submitted by the deadline (15th day of the following month) divided by reports received. Completeness or timeliness score of <80% was regarded incomplete or untimely. Results: overall, there was good general performance with the median completeness being high in 2020 (99.5%; IQR 97.8-100%) and 2021 (100%; IQR 98.7-100%), as was the median timeliness (2020; 82.8%, IQR 74.6-91.8%; 2021, 94.9%, IQR 86.5-99.1%). Kampala Region was the only region that consistently failed to reach ≥ 80% OPD timeliness (2020: 44%; 2021: 65%). Nakasongola was the only district that consistently performed poorly in the submission of timely reports in both years (2020: 54.4%, 2021: 58.3%). Conclusion: there was an overall good performance in the submission of complete and timely monthly OPD reports in most districts and regions in Uganda. There is a need to strengthen the good reporting practices exhibited and offer support to regions, districts, and health facilities with timeliness challenges.

Data completeness and consistency in individual medical records of institutional births: retrospective crossectional study from Northwest Ethiopia, 2022.

BACKGROUND: Ensuring the data quality of Individual Medical Records becomes a crucial strategy in mitigating maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality during and around childbirth. However, previous research in Ethiopia primarily focused on studying data quality of institutional birth at the facility level, overlooking the data quality within Individual Medical Records. This study examined the data completeness and consistency within Individual Medical Records of the institutional birth service and associated factors. METHODS: An institution-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in two districts of Northwest Ethiopia. Data were obtained by reviewing three sets of Individual Medical Records of 651 women: the delivery register, Integrated Individual Folder, and integrated card. The proportions of completeness and consistency were computed. A multilevel binary logistic regression was used to identify factors of completeness and consistency. An odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to assess the level of significance. RESULTS: Overall, 74.0% of women's Individual Medical Records demonstrated good data completeness ( > = 70%), 95%CI (70.5, 77.3), while 26% exhibited good consistency, 95%CI (22.9, 29.7). The presence of trained providers in data quality (AOR = 2.9, 95%CI: (1.5, 5.7)) and supportive supervision (AOR = 11.5, 95%CI: (4.8, 27.2)) were found to be associated with completeness. Health facilities' practice of root cause analysis on data quality gaps (AOR = 8.7, 9%CI: (1.5, 50.9)) was statistically significantly associated with the consistency. CONCLUSIONS: Most medical records were found to have good completeness, but nearly only a quarter of them found to contain consistent data. Completeness and consistency varied on the type of medical record. Health facility's root cause analysis of data quality gaps, the presence of trained providers in data quality, and supportive supervision from higher officials were identified as factors affecting data quality in institutional birth service. These results emphasize the importance of focused efforts to enhance data completeness and consistency within Individual Medical Records, particularly through consideration of Individual Medical Records in future provider training, supervision, and the implementation of root cause analysis practices.

Smartwatches in healthcare medicine: assistance and monitoring; a scoping review.

Smartwatches have become increasingly popular in recent times because of their capacity to track different health indicators, including heart rate, patterns of sleep, and physical movements. This scoping review aims to explore the utilisation of smartwatches within the healthcare sector. According to Arksey and O'Malley's methodology, an organised search was performed in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, ERIC and Google Scholar. In our search strategy, 761 articles were returned. The exclusion/inclusion criteria were applied. Finally, 35 articles were selected for extracting data. These included six studies on stress monitoring, six on movement disorders, three on sleep tracking, three on blood pressure, two on heart disease, six on covid pandemic, three on safety and six on validation. The use of smartwatches has been found to be effective in diagnosing the symptoms of various diseases. In particular, smartwatches have shown promise in detecting heart diseases, movement disorders, and even early signs of COVID-19. Nevertheless, it should be emphasised that there is an ongoing discussion concerning the reliability of smartwatch diagnoses within healthcare systems. Despite the potential advantages offered by utilising smartwatches for disease detection, it is imperative to approach their data interpretation with prudence. The discrepancies in detection between smartwatches and their algorithms have important implications for healthcare use. The accuracy and reliability of the algorithms used are crucial, as well as high accuracy in detecting changes in health status by the smartwatches themselves. This calls for the development of medical watches and the creation of AI-hospital assistants. These assistants will be designed to help with patient monitoring, appointment scheduling, and medication management tasks. They can educate patients and answer common questions, freeing healthcare providers to focus on more complex tasks.

Prevalence and factors related to anaemia in children aged 6-59 months attending a quaternary health facility in Maputo, Mozambique.

Globally, anaemia prevails as a public health issue, being also a concern in Mozambique, where about two-thirds of children 6-59 months of age are affected by this condition. We carried out this study to estimate anaemia prevalence and evaluate structural determinants and haematological parameters association among children aged 6-59 months attending pediatric inpatient and outpatient services in a Quaternary Health Facility in Maputo City Province, Mozambique. We collected data from 637 inpatients or outpatients who attended pediatric consultations at the Maputo Central Hospital. The overall rate of anaemia in children aged 6-59 months was 62.2% (396/637), with 30.9% moderate anaemia (197/637), 23.9% mild anaemia (152/637), and 7.4% severe anaemia (47/637). Among our study participants, critical factors for anaemia were those concerning the age group, child´s caregiver schooling, malaria and size of the liver.

Accessing care services after sexual violence: A systematic review exploring experiences of women in South Africa.

BACKGROUND:  Sexual violence against women is a global phenomenon. This is a particular issue in South Africa, where it is estimated with evidence provided that up to half of all women will encounter gender-based and/or sexual violence from a partner during their lifetime. Therefore, evidence suggests that addressing the needs of women in South Africa is a priority. OBJECTIVE:  This qualitative review aimed to explore the experiences of women seeking care from first contact healthcare facilities in South Africa after sexual violence and during follow-up care. METHOD:  This systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA checklist for systematic reviews and in line with a published protocol (PROSPERO, CRD42019121580) and searched six relevant databases in 2022. A total of 299 sources were screened, with 5 forming the overall synthesis. RESULTS:  Two synthesised themes of women's experiences emerged at the time of reporting and during attendance at follow-up healthcare services. CONCLUSION:  South Africa does have an established legal framework for prosecution and can provide support for survivors of sexual violence through established Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCCs). The review identifies that survivors' needs are not clearly established when seeking medical attention initially nor identifying support or appropriate pathways.Contribution: The review has the potential to characterise the support available for women, the type and nature of sexual violence and interventions that may be used by healthcare professionals to support survivors especially during follow-up care.

Determinants of fetomaternal complication of instrumental vaginal delivery among women who gave childbirth in Southern Ethiopia: a facility-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: In Ethiopia, one in five instrumental deliveries among women giving birth resulted in an unfavourable outcome. This study aimed to assess the determinants of feto-maternal complications of instrumental delivery in selected public hospitals of Gamo and Gofa zones, Southern Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 399 women attending selected public hospitals in the Gamo and Gofa zones. Data were collected using data extraction tools using a systematic random sampling technique. The collected data was entered into Epi-data version 3.1 and then analyzed using SPSS version 25. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine an association. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-three (45.9%, n = 183/399) instrumental deliveries were found to be complicated. Primigravida women (AOR: 95% CI: 2.21 (1.35, 3.63), infant birth weight (AOR: 95% CI: 2.56 (1.37, 4.77), post-term pregnancy (AOR: 95% CI: 12.77 (2.92, 55.78), and maternal age (AOR: 95% CI: 7.00 (2.16, 22.64) were associated with fetomaternal complications in instrumental delivery among women who gave birth. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION: A high proportion of women developed fetomaternal complications when compared to local studies. Promotion of antenatal care services, increasing women's education and empowerment as well as working on capacity building of health care professionals through education and training is cost-effective to reduce the occurrence of fetomaternal complications.

Addressing the challenges in implementing airborne infection control guidelines and embracing the policies.

Airborne pathogens not only lead to epidemics and pandemics, but are associated with morbidity and mortality. Administrative or managerial control, environmental control and use of personal protective equipments are the three components in airborne infection control. National and international guidelines for ideal airborne infection control (AIC) practices are available for more than a decade; however the implementation of these need to be looked into, challenges identified and addressed for effective prevention of airborne disease transmission. Commitment of multiple stakeholders from policy makers to patients, budget allocation and adequate fund flow, functioning AIC committees at multiple levels with an inbuilt reporting and monitoring mechanism, adaptation of the AIC practices at various health care levels, supportive supervision, training and ongoing education for health care providers, behaviour change communication to patients to adapt the practices at health care facility level, by health care personnel and patients will facilitate health system preparedness for handling any emergencies, but will also help in reducing the burden of persisting airborne diseases such as tuberculosis. Operational research in this least focused area will also help to identify and address the challenges.