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Background: It is estimated that since 2014, approximately 7.3 million Venezuelan migrants/refugees have left the country. Although both male and female migrants/refugees are vulnerable, female migrants/refugees are more likely to face discrimination, emotional, physical, and sexual violence. Currently there is a lack of literature that explores the experiences of pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees. Our aim is to better understand the experience of this vulnerable population to inform programming., Methods: In the parent study, Spryng.io's sensemaking tool was used to gain insight into the gendered migration experiences of Venezuelan women/girls. A total of 9339 micronarratives were collected from 9116 unique participants in Peru, Ecuador and Brazil from January to April 2022. For the purpose of this analysis, two independent reviewers screened 817 micronarratives which were identified by the participant as being about someone who was pregnant, ultimately including 231 as part of the thematic analysis. This was an exploratory study and an open thematic analysis of the narratives was performed., Results: The mean age and standard deviation of our population was 25.77 ± 6.73. The majority of women in the sample already had at least 1 child (62%), were married at the time of migration (53%) and identified as low socio-economic status (59%). The qualitative analysis revealed the following main themes among pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees: xenophobia in the forms of racial slurs and hostile treatment from health-care workers while accessing pregnancy care; sexual, physical, and verbal violence experienced during migration; lack of shelter, resources and financial support; and travelling with the hopes of a better future., Conclusion: Pregnant Venezuelan migrants/refugees are a vulnerable population that encounter complex gender-based and societal issues that are rarely sufficiently reported. The findings of this study can inform governments, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations to improve support systems for pregnant migrants/refugees. Based on the results of our study we recommend addressing xenophobia in health-care centres and the lack of shelter and food in host countries at various levels, creating support spaces for pregnant women who experience trauma or violence, and connecting women with reliable employment opportunities and maternal healthcare., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...

Background and Objectives: In Peru, the presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria is a constant concern in hospitals and has likely increased in frequency during the pandemic. The objective of the study was to analyze the frequency of carbapenemase-producing bacteria resistant to two carbapenems (Imipenem and Meropenem), which were isolated from Peruvian patients in the intensive care unit of the Victor Lazarte Echegaray Hospital in Trujillo (Peru) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: The biological samples of the patients hospitalized in the ICU were processed in the Microbiology Diagnostic Laboratory of the Víctor Lazarte Echegaray Hospital between May 2021 and March 2022. Antimicrobial sensitivity was determined with the automated system AutoScan-4, and for the identification of the type of carbapenemase, the RESISIT-3 O.K.N K-SET cassettes were used. Results: The results show that 76 cultures (76/129) had resistance to the two carbapenems (imipenem or meropenem), where the most frequent were Klebsiella pneuomoniae (31.6%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (26.3%), and Acinetobacter baumannii (14.5%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa cultures showed at least three carbapenemase types (KPC, NDM, and OXA-48), while A. baumannii , Escherichia coli , and Burkholderia cepacia complex presented at least two carbapenemases (NDM and OXA-48). The carbapenemase NDM was detected in Enterobacter cloacae , Morganella morganii , and Proteus mirabilis , while KPC was present in all Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca cultures. Conclusions : The samples from patients hospitalized in the Victor Lazarte Echegaray Hospital ICU showed a high prevalence of imipenem- and meropenem-resistant bacteria. These findings are relevant and concerning from the perspective of antibiotic-resistant bacteria monitoring, control, and disinfection. Thus, an appropriate antibiotic policy must be implemented. more...

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of antibodies against measles, rubella and hepatitis B in children aged between 1 and 4 years in Peru., Materials and Methods: A national survey was conducted based on a questionnaire and capillary blood sample taken on filter paper in order to study antibodies against measles, rubella and hepatitis B in children from 1 to 4 years of age. A stratified, multistage, probability sampling design was used to be representative at the national level and at level of seven ambits, including the Metropolitan Lima Area, the rest of the urban coast, the rural coast, the urban highlands, the rural highlands, the urban jungle and the rural jungle. The capillary blood samples were processed according to the standardized protocols for detection of antibodies using the ELISA technique and commercial reagents., Results: The survey showed a national prevalence of antibodies against measles, rubella and hepatitis B of 91.6% (CI 95%: 90.6%; 92.7%), 91.3% (CI 95%: 90.3%; 92.4%) and 95.9% (CI 95%: 95.0%; 96.8%) respectively. There was no evidence of significant differences in the prevalence among the ambits of study or among the socioeconomic strata of the conglomerates for any of the three types of antibodies., Conclusions: In children from 1 to 4 years of age, the national prevalence of antibodies against measles and Rubella was between 90-93%, while the prevalence of antibodies against Hepatitis B (anti-HBsAg) was between 95-97%. more...