Improving Health Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries


Book Description

This open access book is a collection of 12 case studies capturing decades of experience improving health care and outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. Each case study is written by healthcare managers and providers who have implemented health improvement projects using quality improvement methodology, with analysis from global health experts on the practical application of improvement methods. The book shows how frontline providers in health and social services can identify gaps in care, propose changes to address those gaps, and test the effectiveness of their changes in order to improve health processes and outcomes. The chapters feature cases that provide real-life examples of the challenges, solutions, and benefits of improving healthcare quality and clearly demonstrate for readers what quality improvement looks like in practice:Addressing Behavior Change in Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health with Quality Improvement and Collaborative Learning Methods in GuatemalaHaiti’s National HIV Quality Management Program and the Implementation of an Electronic Medical Record to Drive Improvement in Patient CareScaling Up a Quality Improvement Initiative: Lessons from Chamba District, IndiaPromoting Rational Use of Antibiotics in the Kyrgyz RepublicStrengthening Services for Most Vulnerable Children through Quality Improvement Approaches in a Community Setting: The Case of Bagamoyo District, TanzaniaImproving HIV Counselling and Testing in Tuberculosis Service Delivery in Ukraine: Profile of a Pilot Quality Improvement Team and Its Scale‐Up JourneyImproving Health Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Case Book will find an engaged audience among healthcare providers and administrators implementing and managing improvement projects at Ministries of Health in low- to middle-income countries. The book also aims to be a useful reference for government donor agencies, their implementing partners, and other high-level decision makers, and can be used as a course text in schools of public health, public policy, medicine, and development. ACKNOWLEDGMENT:This work was conducted under the USAID Applying Science to Strengthen and Improve Systems (ASSIST) Project, USAID Award No. AID-OAA-A-12-00101, which is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). DISCLAIMER:The contents of this book are the sole responsibility of the Editor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. div=""^




Japanese Encephalitis and West Nile Viruses


Book Description

Japanese encephalitis and West Nile viruses are members of the Japanese encephalitis serological group of the genus Flavivirus and therefore closely related genetically and antigenically. They share a number of properties, including the use of birds as their major wildlife maintenance host and Culicine mosquitoes for transmission, and they are both associated with severe human disease, as well as fatal infections in horses. The emergence of these two viruses, and their well-established propensity to colonise new areas, make it timely to re-examine their ecology, biology, molecular structure, replication and epidemiology, and these therefore provide the focus of this volume.




Infections in Pregnancy


Book Description

Provides effective diagnosis and management of infectious diseases in pregnant women in a single comprehensive available resource for busy clinicians.




Zika Virus Impact, Diagnosis, Control, and Models


Book Description

Zika Virus Impact, Diagnosis, Control, and Models: Volume Two: The Neuroscience of Zika examines diagnosis, vaccines, and potential therapy methods for Zika virus syndrome. The book also details the neuroscience of Guillain-Barré syndrome, its effects and neuromuscular rehabilitation. It is designed to help readers better understand detection, therapies for Zika virus, preventative vaccines, diagnosis and associated microcephaly. Chapters on models enable further research and understanding. This book has applicability for neuroscientists, neurologists, virologists and anyone working to better understand the evolution and pathogenesis of Zika virus-related conditions. - Provides a broad range of topics related to the neuroscience of Zika, including its diagnosis, vaccines and therapy - Contains chapter abstracts, key facts, a dictionary of terms and summary points to aid in understanding - Discusses novel and non-pharmacological therapies, Guillain-Barré Syndrome and vaccine development - Features chapters on rat, mouse, and guinea pig models of Zika and case reports of Zika co-infection with chikungunya, dengue-2 and Guillain-Barré - Includes coverage of microcephaly and developmental delays and examines Zika outbreaks in Brazil, Honduras, Uganda, Jamaica and Mozambique




Guideline: infant feeding in areas of Zika virus transmission


Book Description

The objective of this guideline is to provide global, science-informed recommendations on infant feeding in areas of Zika virus transmission. The primary audience of this guideline is health professionals responsible for developing national and local health protocols, especially those related to infant feeding in infancy and early childhood. The primary audience also includes those directly providing care to infants, such as nurses, general medical practitioners, paediatricians, managers of maternal, newborn and child health programmes and relevant personnel in health ministries, in all settings. Lastly, this guideline is also of interest to pregnant or breastfeeding women living or travelling to areas where Zika virus transmission continues. This guideline aims to help WHO Member States and their partners to make science-informed decisions on the appropriate actions in their efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the resolutions of the World Health Assembly on infant and young child feeding and the global targets put forward in the comprehensive implementation plan on maternal, infant and young child nutrition, the global strategy for infant and young child feeding and the Zika Strategic Response Plan.





Book Description




Zika


Book Description

Winner of the 2017 Jabuti Book Prize The Zika virus is devastating lives and communities. Children across the Americas are being born with severe disabilities because of it. Yet during the desolating outbreak, Brazil played host to both the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, leading many to suspect that the true impact of the virus has been subject to a cover-up of international proportions. Beginning in the northeast, where the devastation has been most felt, professor of bioethics and award-winning documentary filmmaker Debora Diniz travels across Brazil tracing the virus’s origin and spread. Along the journey she meets a host of fearless families, doctors and scientists uncovering the virus’s impact on local communities. In doing so Diniz paints a vivid picture of the Zika epidemic, exposing the Brazilian government’s complicity in allowing the virus to spread while championing the efforts of local doctors and mothers who, working together, are raising awareness of the virus and fighting for the rights of children affected by Zika.




OSCEs in Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine


Book Description

OSCEs are a familiar component of postgraduate examinations worldwide, simulating clinical scenarios to assess a candidate's clinical skills and a range of competencies. This book will combine comprehensive knowledge and evidence-based practice standards in obstetrics and medical complications of pregnancy into a patient-centered approach using standardized OSCE scenarios. Taking an innovative, unique approach to diverse common clinical scenarios, it will be useful to trainees preparing for high-stakes certification examinations, and all healthcare workers providing obstetrical care. By using the provided clinical cases for self-assessment or peer-review practice, important aspects of focused history taking and patient management are elucidated. For those working in obstetrical care, this book is an essential teaching tool for all levels of training. The book will therefore serve as a key teaching tool at various levels. Readers can use the clinical cases for self-assessment or peer-review practice, to elucidate important aspects of focused history-taking and evidence-based patient management.




New Advances on Zika Virus Research


Book Description

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne member of the Flaviviridae family that historically has been associated with mild febrile illness. However, the recent outbreaks in Brazil in 2015 and its rapid spread throughout South and Central America and the Caribbean, together with its association with severe neurological disorders—including fetal microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults—have changed the historic perspective of ZIKV. Currently, ZIKV is considered an important public health concern that has the potential to affect millions of people worldwide. The significance of ZIKV in human health and the lack of approved vaccines and/or antiviral drugs to combat ZIKV infection have triggered a global effort to develop effective countermeasures to prevent and/or treat ZIKV infection. In this Special Issue of Viruses, we have assembled a collection of 32 research and review articles that cover the more recent advances on ZIKV molecular biology, replication and transmission, virus–host interactions, pathogenesis, epidemiology, vaccine development, antivirals, and viral diagnosis.




Neurological Diseases and Pregnancy


Book Description

For a woman of reproductive age, any medical appointment is a pre-conception visit and an opportunity to address pre-existing conditions that affect pregnancy and the maternal-fetal dyad. However, many neurologic conditions are rarely seen in pregnancy, and limited experience and knowledge may prevent the team from developing a shared approach to these complex conditions during pregnancy. Neurological Diseases and Pregnancy: A Coordinated Care Model for Best Management brings together experts across the disciplines of maternal fetal medicine, neurology, obstetrics, family planning, genetics, anesthesia, psychiatry, neurosurgery, and lactation to provide a multi-disciplinary, comprehensive, protocol-driven guide on best care for patients with neurologic disease before, during and after pregnancy. Each chapter provides a detailed care map on each unique disorder, and discusses the use of neurological medications during pregnancy and in lactation. Through this multi-disciplinary approach clinicians can navigate the complexities of preconception and pregnancy care, and help to optimize outcomes for the mother-infant dyad. Beyond pregnancy care, this volume further serves as a resource on best care for the life-course of women affected by neurologic disease including pre-pregnancy planning, genetic counseling, contraception, and sexuality in neurologic disease, as well as post-partum depression and menopausal neurologic changes.