Search

Objective: We aimed to report the burden of bulimia nervosa (BN) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by age, sex, and sociodemographic index (SDI), for the period 1990–2019. Methods: Estimates of the prevalence, incidence, and disability‐adjusted life‐years (DALYs) attributable to BN were retrieved from the Global Burden of Disease study 2019, between 1990 and 2019, for the 21 countries in the MENA region. The counts and age‐standardized rates (per 100,000) were presented, along with their corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals. Results: In 2019, the estimated regional age‐standardized point prevalence and incidence rates of BN were 168.3 (115.0–229.6) and 178.6 (117.0–255.6) per 100,000, which represented 22.0% (17.5–27.2) and 10.4% (7.1–14.7) increases, respectively, since 1990. Moreover, in 2019 the regional age‐standardized DALY rate was 35.5 (20.6–55.5) per 100,000, which was 22.2% (16.7–28.2) higher than in 1990. In 2019, Qatar (58.6 [34.3–92.5]) and Afghanistan (18.4 [10.6–29.2]) had the highest and lowest age‐standardized DALY rates, respectively. Regionally, the age‐standardized point prevalence of BN peaked in the 30–34 age group and was more prevalent among women. In addition, there was a generally positive association between SDI and the burden of BN across the measurement period. Discussion: In the MENA region, the burden of BN has increased over the last three decades. Cost‐effective preventive measures are needed in the region, especially in the high SDI countries. Public Significance: This study reports the estimated burden of BN in the MENA region and shows that its burden has increased over the last three decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are significant problems as public health issues which need attention. Such infections are significant problems for society and healthcare organizations. This study aimed to carry out a systematic review and a meta-analysis to analyze the prevalence of HAIs globally. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of electronic databases including EMBASE, Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science between 2000 and June 2021. We found 7031 articles. After removing the duplicates, 5430 studies were screened based on the titles/ abstracts. Then, we systematically evaluated the full texts of the 1909 remaining studies and selected 400 records with 29,159,630 participants for meta-analysis. Random-effects model was used for the analysis, and heterogeneity analysis and publication bias test were conducted. Results: The rate of universal HAIs was 0.14 percent. The rate of HAIs is increasing by 0.06 percent annually. The highest rate of HAIs was in the AFR, while the lowest prevalence were in AMR and WPR. Besides, AFR prevalence in central Africa is higher than in other parts of the world by 0.27 (95% CI, 0.22–0.34). Besides, E. coli infected patients more than other micro-organisms such as Coagulase-negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In hospital wards, Transplant, and Neonatal wards and ICU had the highest rates. The prevalence of HAIs was higher in men than in women. Conclusion: We identified several essential details about the rate of HAIs in various parts of the world. The HAIs rate and the most common micro-organism were different in various contexts. However, several essential gaps were also identified. The study findings can help hospital managers and health policy makers identify the reason for HAIs and apply effective control programs to implement different plans to reduce the HAIs rate and the financial costs of such infections and save resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that appeared in December 2019 has precipitated the global pandemic Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, in many parts of Africa fewer than expected cases of COVID-19, with lower rates of mortality, have been reported. Individual human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles can affect both the susceptibility and the severity of viral infections. In the case of COVID-19 such an analysis may contribute to identifying individuals at higher risk of the disease and the epidemiological level to understanding the differences between countries in the epidemic patterns. It is also recognized that first antigen exposure influences the consequence of subsequent exposure. We thus propose a theory incorporating HLA antigens, the "original antigenic sin (OAS)" effect, and presentation of viral peptides which could explain with differential susceptibility or resistance to SARS-CoV-2 infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corona is a disease that affects the whole world. Countries with weak economies are specifically more vulnerable. A proper understanding of COVID-19 spreading, identifying the high-risk areas, and discovering factors influencing the spread of the disease are crucial to improving disease control. This study evaluates the geo-statistical distribution of COVID-19 to identify critical areas of Africa using spatial clustering pattern analysis. In addition, the spatial correlation between infected cases and variables such as the unemployment rate, gross domestic product (GDP), population, and vaccination rate is calculated using Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) analysis. The hot-spot map showed a statistically significant cluster of high values in southern and northern Africa. Moreover, the outcome of the GWR analysis revealed the GDP and population had the most significant correlation with the spreading of COVID-19, with Local R2 values of (0.01-0.99) and (0-0.89), respectively., (© 2022. W. Montague Cobb-NMA Health Institute.)