14^th World Congress on Healthcare & Technologies July 22-23, 2019 | London, UK

Biography:

Florea Scarlat has completed his Graduation as a Physicist Engineer from the Faculty of Electronics and Telecommunications at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Romania. Later on he obtained his PhD in Nuclear Techniques at the Institute of Atomic Physics of the State Committee for Nuclear Energy with subjects “Contributions to the development of the magnetic induction electron circular accelerator for radiotherapy use”. He was the Scientific Director at the Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering Bucharest, Magurele and Director of the Romanian-English joint venture GEC Romanian Nuclear Limited, Leicester, England. Then he was a fulltime Professor of Physics at Valahia State University of Targoviste. He was elected Member of the New York Academy of Sciences and Corresponding Member of the Romanian-American Academy. Currently, he is a Consultant Manager at STARDOOR Laboratory at the National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Magurele

Abstract:

Radiation beams used in therapy for a malignant tumor treatment located in a patient's body, should meet two conditions: 1. to have sufficient energy to penetrate to the depth of the tumor; and 2. the radiation intensity after equalization on the radiation field at the entrance to the tumor to provide the energy absorbed per unit mass of 2 Gy per session. The paper presents the principles of electromagnetic acceleration of leptons and hadrons used in radiotherapy. Particle beams are provided by conventional accelerators based on the principle of electromagnetic acceleration in the field of radiofrequency, non-resonant (betatron and betatron linear), resonant with cavities (microtron, isochronous cyclotron, synchro-cyclotron and synchrotron) and resonant with waveguides (linac). Conventional accelerators based on radiofrequency technology have the deficiency of a relatively low acceleration gradient which leads to a small ratio between the length of the acceleration space and the length of the trajectory traveled by the beam. In order to increase this ratio and to reduce the weight of the accelerator, the superconducting magnets technology was used. Acceleration principles for new models of accelerators are presented: fixed field alternating gradient accelerator (FFAG) - a combination of cyclotron and synchrotron, dielectric wall accelerator (DWA), which is the type of conventional induction accelerator and dielectric laser accelerator (DLA) - which instead of radiofrequency waves it uses a laser beam to generate electric fields for accelerating in the dielectric structure. The disadvantage of RF waves about acceleration gradient is removed by using the relativistic mode when laser provide a peak amplitude of the transverse electric field of a linear polarized laser pulse greater with about four orders of magnitude. The principles of laser acceleration of electrons, gases and plasmas and the principles of acceleration TNSA and RPA for hadrons are presented.

Biography:

Periasamy Parikumar is an ophthalmologist and a stem cell researcher. He owns an Indian patent and a US patent. He has performed about 30,000 intraocular lens implantation surgeries and has taken part in several eye camps and eye donation activities. He has published several papers on Stem cell research in the national and international journals like Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, American Journal of Stem Cells and PubMed

Abstract:

We diagnose a person’s health by examining the pulse & blood. We just examine the content and ignore the container. Here we are coming up with a concept where we could take a blood vessel sample, in addition to the blood sample, which alone would give a person’s total health information. The Virchow’s triad speaks of endothelial cell damage, which we have missed out for more than a century. Here we propose a personalized evaluation of a person’s health by correlating both the blood sample report and the Blood Vessel Sample report. The only part of the body from which we can safely collect a Blood Vessel Sample is the conjunctiva of the eye. An Ophthalmologist will take out a couple of millimeters of blood vessel sample from the conjunctiva with ease as an outpatient procedure. The endothelium is then expanded and subjected to a battery of biochemical investigations like Nitric oxide production capacity, VEGF etc and histopathological examinations. The kit containing instruments needed to collect the Blood Vessel Sample is patent protected. The standard operating procedure is patent & copyright protected. The new terminologies we propose are blood vessel sample, blood vessel sample kit, vascular endothelial response to diabetes, diabetic conjunctival vasculopathy, invisible vascular web, visible vascular web, supra tenon vascular web and infra tenon vascular web. Hence a person’s health is determined and diagnosed only by evaluating both the blood sample and the blood vessel sample. This procedure is not only limited to diagnostic purposes but could be used as a therapeutic method to treat the micro vascular diseases. This will pave way for a paradigm shift in treating metabolic syndromes, micro vascular and macro vascular diseases.

Biography:

Manisha Bhatt Dwivedi is working as a Professor of Anesthesiology, in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care MMIMSR Mullana, Ambala, India. Her areas of interest are airway management, life support programs and neuromuscular monitoring. She is regularly organizing and participating in the workshops related to these skills and is engaged in teaching and training programs as incharge simulation laboratory, central research cell

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: After laparoscopic cholecystectomy somatic pain due to incisions given on the skin at the port site plus visceral pain from organs in the abdominal cavity and shoulder pain due to irritation of the diaphragm are the constant annoying factors. To reduce this pain a wide range of analgesic drugs and anti-inflammatory drugs have been introduced-glucocorticoids being one of them can decrease convalescence period if used preoperatively.

Aim: In this study we evaluated whether preoperative intravenous dexamethasone is effective enough to decrease postoperative pain of laparoscopy cholecystectomy and improve quality of recovery in postoperative period.

Methodology: The study was conducted on 50 patients randomly divided by envelope draw method into two groups of 25 each. All belonged to ASA-I and ASA-II. Patients of group A were given 2ml I/V normal saline as placebo and to patients of group B I/V dexamethasone 8 mg (2ml) was given 90 minutes before induction of anesthesia. Post-operative pain was assessed at rest and during mobilization at equal interval of time according to visual analog scale (VAS) and verbal rating scale (VRS). CRP levels and postoperative requirement of rescue analgesic were also noted.

Findings: Dexamethasone significantly reduced postoperative pain during the first 24 postoperative hours .The added total VAS and VRS score of first 24 hours post-op for overall pain at rest [placebo (VAS-108, VRS-102) and dexamethasone group (VAS-56, VRS-60)] and during mobilization [placebo (VAS-125, VRS-129) and dexamethasone group (VAS-66, VRS-66)] were significantly low in dexamethasone group and overall requirement of analgesic was also decreased in dexamethasone group than placebo group in first 6 post-operative hours. (P-value=0.001). CRP levels were significantly low in dexamethasone group than placebo group (P value=0.0001).

Conclusion & Significance: Pre-operative I/V administration of 8mg dexamethasone 90 minutes prior to induction of anesthesia for laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery provide effective postoperative analgesia and reduce need for rescue analgesics.

Biography:

Ala Szczepura has an established track record in health technology assessment (HTA) with over thirty years’ experience in policy research and economic evaluation in health care. She has specific research interests in evaluation of new and emerging technologies; re-design, delivery and assessment of digital services; and provision of services to meet the needs of diverse populations. She has published over 150 peer-reviewed scientific articles in these areas, and has been actively involved in development of the NHS R&D programme since its inception. She currently holds a Cross-Faculty Chair at Coventry University with the aim of strengthening interdisciplinary research to address key future technological challenges for health and social care services. She was the winner of the 'Services to Medicine' category in the First English Women's Awards 2018.

Abstract:

Statement of Problem: Acute onset facial nerve paralysis (FNP) is the most common disorder affecting a single nerve. This distressing neurological condition means patients lose the ability to move facial muscles on the affected side of the face. Overall, one in 60 individuals (usually aged 30-will be affected over the course of their lifetime. Evidence on effective intervention, apart from drug therapy within 72 hrs, supports the benefits of tailored facial exercise (TFE) therapy. Smart wearables (FRAME emerging technology) consisting of spectacles with miniaturized sensors to measure facial movement, linked to a smartphone, could potentially improve TFE delivery by specialist centers. A major National Institute of Health Research study is reported.

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: HTA study to model costs and benefits of introduction of this emerging technology. Stages included: estimation of size of problem; updated systematic review of effectiveness of physical therapy; three national surveys (medical staff, facial therapy specialists and patients) to gather data on current treatment pathways and access to TFE therapy; Delphi Exercise to identify consensus on key outcomes and technology introduction; economic modeling.

Findings: 22,500 FNP cases annually in the United Kingdom (UK), cumulative number since 2000 over 427,000; TFE can improve facial function for moderate paralysis and chronic cases and reduce sequelae in acute cases; only 17% of eligible UK patients currently access personalized TFE therapy, with patients traveling up to 200 miles; Delphi panel identified important patient benefits from this emerging technology but also barriers to introduction and economic modeling confirms potential for cost-effective introduction.

Conclusion & Significance: This emerging wearable technology could make a major difference to FNP patients’ lives, as well as generating potential efficiencies for healthcare. Findings from this study will inform the final design and introduction of this technology.

Biography:

Ritesh Chaudhary has completed three-year course of Doctor of Medicine (MD) in General Practice and Emergency Medicine in 2012 and eighteen months course of Post Graduate Fellowship in Emergency Medicine in 2017. His expertise is in evaluation and passion in improving the health and well-being. His research based on use of Smartphones in medical education and practice creates new pathways for improving healthcare. He has built these concepts in research and teaching both in hospital and education institutionshttps://europe.healthconferences.org/events-list/healthcare-and-sociology

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Smartphone has emerged common place within the medical field as both a personal and professional devices. Most health care experts desire current clinical facts and decisions that support at the point of patients’ care. Double-check recommendations with scientific apps and additional researches may add benefits towards patients’ greatest satisfaction in medical care.We therefore, like to ascertain the use of Smartphones in medical education and practice among medical officers, residents and faculties of Emergency department of BP Koirala institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Nepal.

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: A cross-sectional study done in all the medical officers, residents and faculties working in Emergency ward and GP OPD of Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine at BPKIHS.

Findings: Interviews were conducted with one hundred (100) participants (51% residents, 33% medical officers and 16% faculty members). Over 99% of participants reported using smartphones and 89% of participants used smartphones over more than two years. 55% bought smartphone to use in medical education and 98% of participants found using medical apps in clinical practice. 99% believed that smartphone apps were supportive to learning especially in clinical exam tests and findings 75%. Ninety-six (96%) of the participants believed the concept of smartphones was useful. 66% of respondents expressed their views regarding smartphone use in medical education in future endeavors.

Conclusion & Significance: The study confirms that smartphones are ubiquitously adopted by residents and medical officers and faculty members in medical education and practice at our institute

Biography:

John Momoh specializes in project management and field operations. He currently manages the tracking project and the field operations teams in Borno, Nigeria.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Health workers are required to visit every settlement location and vaccinate all eligible children during polio immunization campaigns. Several factors pose challenges to reaching every settlement are missed during immunization campaigns, especially in Borno Nigeria. Some of these are: (1) Settlements lists at the state do not correlate to those at the local government areas (LGA); (2) Settlements missed were reported at the end of the campaign with visits planned for a mop-up day; (3) The security situation in Borno is volatile, this sometimes leads to changes in the daily implementation plan (DIP) at the LGA, which leaves a large number of settlements missed at the end of the campaigns.

Methodology: As part of the development of a solution to optimize planning, tracking and reporting of health interventions activities, we developed a tool to support dynamic planning, enabling changes in DIPs at LGA due to fluctuating security situations and logistics challenges to be incorporated into the daily monitoring of settlement visits. Finally, the tool enabled analysis of visitation results, visual presentation and automated generation of visitation maps to support daily reviews and decision making by government and health workers.

Findings: This tool analyzes and compares GPS coordinates from mobile devices carried by vaccination teams against those of settlements on the DIP to generate a map and list of settlements visited or missed on a daily basis. Field consultants at the LGAs review meetings, which aid the teams to plan visits to missed settlements on subsequent days prior to the final mop up day.

Conclusion & Significance: Proportion of settlements missed after a campaign has significantly reduced from 22% to 1% and proportion of missed settlements resolved before the end of campaign increased from 8% to 49% in November 2017 and March 2019 respectively.

Biography:

Antoine Vikkey Hinson is an Occupational Health Practitioner, Senior Lecturer in Occupational Health at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin. As an expert with the WHO support, he is engaged in health wise training in Togo, in Benin and in French speaking countries. He also built his expertise in informal sector mainly with the pesticide exposure of the farmers. He wrote many papers in air pollution

Abstract:

Aim: The aim of the study was to have a better understanding of the sleep-related diseases suffered by workers of the National university hospital center-HKM (CNHU-HKM), reference Hospital.

Methods: It was a descriptive, cross-sectional study that involved 298 CNHU-HKM workers randomly selected from the 1048 agents of the hospital. It lasted from 1 July to 30 September 2016. The data collected was stripped and captured using Epidata software and statistical analyses with SPSS.17.0 software.

Results: The average age of the sample was 37.8 years 0.6 with 55.7% of men. The prevalence of chronic debt of sleep was 67.1% and 14.8% of those workers took medication to facilitate occurrence of sleep. 66.8% were sleepless. Several factors are associated with insomnia; alternate shift workers had more insomnia than fixed shift workers (p=0.04); workers had great difficulty concentrating (p=0.04) and excessive daytime fatigue (p=0.002). For the Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), its frequency was 23.5%. This frequency increased with age. The female sex was dominant: 32.9% in the evocative symptoms of OSAHS. The factors associated with this were: the antecedent of high blood pressure OR=2.37 (IC 95% [1.02-5.52]), the consumption of a lot of alcohol OR=4.12 (IC 95% [1.03; 16.46]). Associated factors with this were: the antecedent of high blood pressure OR=2.37 (IC 95% [1.02-5.52]), the consumption of alcohol OR=4.12 (IC 95% [1.03; 16.46]).

Conclusion: Sleep disorders remain a pathology to which very little attention is given in the health care system and especially in professional fields in Benin. The present study is now shedding light on it back in order to encourage the development of national and adapted control strategies to reduce the drawbacks of that on the country's economy.

Biography:

Chiu-Ping Cho is an RN, Hemodialysis and a Head Nurse at Chi Mei Medical Center, Taiwan. Her research interest focus on hemodialysis, physician, nephrology

Abstract:

Background: The incidence and prevalence rate of dialysis patients in Taiwan ranks first in the world, and the annual health insurance budget is more than 30 billion Yuan. Dialysis is a lengthy treatment process that often results in major changes in the quality of life of patients and their families. If the patient enters dialysis without being prepared, it will increase the risk of death from heart and lung failure or infection, in addition to increasing the medical burden and affecting the quality of life.

Aim: Chronic kidney disease enters end-stage renal failure. At this time, in addition to giving patients psychological support, medical staff can use shared decision-making to discuss dialysis mode with family and friends, in order to jointly achieve the best feasible treatment options.

Case: From November 14, 2017 to December 31, 2018, there were 82 patients with stage 4 or 5 chronic kidneys (eGFR≦15~29ml/min/1.73m2).

Method: The quality research method has been designed to accept cases. In the patient clinic or during the period, when the patient chooses to take care of the team from the nephrology team, he will launch the “dialysis mode selection method for medical and disease sharing decision-making” to enhance the diversity of the teaching aids. In combination with the concept of empirical care and the use of shared decision-making techniques, we provide an aid tool physical model and a medical decision-sharing manual, and use filming, editing, integration and PPT file production to make "end kidney disease patients. Which dialysis should I choose? The health education film fully provides information on the dialysis treatment methods of patients and their families.

Outcome: When patients and their families are hospitalized or return home, they can watch multimedia animations online. 81% of patients have confirmed dialysis mode, 79% of them choose hemodialysis, and 21% choose peritoneal dialysis. Satisfaction with results is 99%.

Conclusion: Use shared decision-making to provide information about the end-stage renal disease dialysis model, so that when you are faced with the choice of dialysis mode, you can make the most appropriate treatment decisions for yourself and your family, and implement the “information selection, confirmation communication and mutual respect”.

Biography:

Sylwia Baluta has completed her Graduation in the field of Biotechnology and Medicinal Chemistry at Wroclaw University of Science and Technology. Since 2015, she is a PhD student at Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry. Her scientific interests include enzyme-based sensors for neurotransmitters determination, based on electrochemical and optical measurements. In 2018, she received a Minister of Education scholarship for outstanding scientific achievements

Abstract:

The evolution of biosensors was driven by the need for faster and more versatile analytical methods for application in important areas including clinical, diagnostics, food analysis or environmental monitoring, with minimum sample pretreatment. Rapid and sensitive neurotransmitters detection (i.e. epinephrine, dopamine, norepinephrine) is extremely important in modern medicine. These compounds mainly occur in the brain and central nervous system of mammals. Any changes in the neurotransmitters concentration may lead to many diseases, such as Parkinson’s or schizophrenia. However, there is any available device, which will show concentration of these compounds in patient’s body. Classical techniques of chemical analysis, despite many advantages, do not permit to obtain immediate results or automatization of measurements. Chemical sensors have displaced the conventional analytical methods-sensors combine precision, sensitivity, fast response and the possibility of continuous-monitoring. Our research is focused to develop optical and electrochemical biosensors or sensors for neurotransmitters detection. In developed optical biosensor for detection of dopamine, we used graphene quantum dots (GQDs) for detection system. In such sensor dopamine molecules coats the GQD surface-in result occurs quenching of fluorescence due to Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). Changes in fluorescence correspond to specific concentrations of the neurotransmitter in tested sample, so it is possible to accurately determine the concentration of dopamine in the sample. Our research also has proved facile and convenient method for epinephrine, norepinehrine and also dopamine determination based on laccase and tyrosinase-based oxidation of catecholamine derivatives. The resulting sensors (built of electrode modified with graphene quantum dots or semiconducting polymer and laccase) exhibit good performance, strong affinity between enzyme and neurotransmitter, fast response to the substrate and good linear range. Such systems could be used in medical diagnostics for neurotransmitters detection

Biography:

Hadeel Lamphon is currently a PhD student in the School of Health Sciences at Nottingham University, UK. Her research interests are in the area of advanced nursing, and clinical skills education and technology. Her doctoral research explores the transferability of multimedia open educational resources to nursing clinical skills education in the Saudi context. She has completed her BA in General Nursing from the King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia (KSA) in 2004, and MSc in Advanced Nursing from the University of Nottingham, UK in2013. She worked as a Registered Nurse for more than three years in Royal Commission Hospital, KSA, and she is now a Lecturer at Taibah University, KSA, since 2009. She has her expertise in clinical skills education, and passion in improving the nursing education to have a high competence Saudi nursing graduate and achieve the 2030 Saudi vision.

Abstract:

The acquisition of clinical skills is a crucial part of learning to be a nurse and a lack of clinical skills ability can compromise patient care and safety. The methods used to teach clinical skills to nursing students require innovative strategies. Web-based learning is gaining popularity as a supportive way of delivering clinical skills education (CSE). The ease of uploading material to the internet has led to the proliferation of open educational resources (OERs). Reusable learning objects (RLOs) are a specific form of OER and the focus of this study. These UK produced RLOs have been selected in this research because their pedagogical co-design methodology is empirically derived,and they are being used by millions of users worldwide, but little is known about how the RLOs transfer to culturally different countries. The aim of this study is to explore the transferability of multimedia OERs in the form of RLOs created in the UK for clinical skills education in Saudi Arabia (KSA) nursing education. This research adopted a mixed method approach. Undergraduate nursing students participated in the first phase, where the Think-Aloud method was employed to explore students’ and lecturers’ (n=12) skills in-depth views on six clinical skills RLOs. The RLOs were implemented into the nursing curriculum and 140 nursing students (response rate 98%) completed a validated questionnaire on the acceptability, usability and engagement into the use of the UK RLOs within the KSA context. Although some participants faced challenges on the usability of the clinical skills RLOs, the findings showed that the RLOs as OERs can be shared globally. Preliminary results are shown in the table and will be presented in the session. Tutors are now integrating these and other RLOs from the extensive repository into their nursing curriculum which shows that user designed, high-quality OERs are transferable to culturally diverse contexts.

Biography:

Asiya Al Hasni is a Lecturer at the Higher Institute of Health Specialties, Adult Critical Care Nursing Program, Ministry of Health, Sultanate of Oman and a third year PhD student in the School of Health Sciences at Nottingham University in the UK. She has a Master’s degree in Leadership and Management from Cardiff University, UK in 2010 and BSc in Nursing from Kingdom of Bahrain in 2002. She worked as a Register Nurse for more than five years at Royal Hospital in Oman. Her research interests are in the area of different strategies of education and learning in healthcare. Her doctoral research investigates drivers and barriers to adopting reusable learning objects by postgraduate nursing students in Oman to improve their knowledge, skill and confidence.

Abstract:

Ensuring safe practice and meeting patient care needs are the fundamental objectives of nursing. Preparing nursing students with the knowledge and skills corresponding to the roles they will perform in the clinical area is the primary goal of nursing education, thus it follows that effective methods are essential to promote learning in nursing. The shortage of faculties in some specialties like critical care and emergency nursing means there is increased demand for alternative and innovative methods to foster pedagogical learning approaches. Increased patient admissions, staff shortages and decreased clinical placement have contributed to decreased learning opportunities for nursing students this is a particular issue for post-graduate education. Research conducted in Oman is limited to exploring rudimentary ICT skills in students, with no dedicated interventional studies to explore e-learning adoption in postgraduate nursing education, which supports the rationale for conducting this study to investigate the drivers and barriers to adopting e-learning among postgraduate nursing students in Oman, to improve their knowledge, skill and confidence. The particular formats of e-learning in this study are reusable-learning objects (RLOs). RLOs are “open access, interactive multimedia web-based resources focused on a single learning objective which can be used in multiple contexts”. The first phase in this study was the implementation of co-designed RLOs, developed primarily for UK nurse education, into the specialized Nursing Institute in Oman for nursing students on the adult critical care-nursing program (ACCNP). In the second phase of the project, Q methodology (a mixed method approach) was used to explore the drivers and barriers of adopting RLOs in Oman within nursing education. Students who have used the RLOs during phase 1 were invited to take part in phase 2 (Q sort) combined with short interviews. PQMethod software was used to factor-analyze the data. The results showed three factors and a number of consensus statements. The factors represented perspectives described as Constructivism, Pragmatism and Self-regulation. Q-methodology and the factors derived will be explored in the presentation.

Biography:

Rana Alduraywish is a Lecturer in the College of Medicine at Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and a second year PhD student in the School of Health Sciences at Nottingham University in the UK. She has completed her Master’s degree in Physiotherapy from Cardiff University, UK in 2017. She worked as a Physiotherapist for more than 10 years in Saudi Arabia. Her research interests are in the area of occupational lower back pain in nurses and self-management of lower back pain. She is also interested in the role of physical activity and exercise in lower back pain management. Her doctoral research investigates the feasibility and acceptability of using a web-based digital intervention for nurses working in hospitals in Saudi Arabia.

Abstract:

Biography:

Beata Bajurna is a PhD in Health Sciences and also a Specialist in Nursing Anesthesia, Intensive Care, Surgical Nursing and Nursing Epidemiological. She is doing her private nursing and training practice in Leszno/Poznań, Poland.

Abstract:

Organizational culture has an enormous value for the management of the company, affecting its shape and behavior of the personnel, affects the organizational value. Nowadays stress is considered to be one of the main risks associated with the workplace. The aim of the work is to identify the key stressors that are specific to organizational culture in medical services sector and financial services as well as an indication of their importance for the functioning of the organization. In the survey study 187 respondents participated including 104 medical workers and 83 financial workers, selected at random. In order to analyze the phenomenon of stress in the context of organizational cultures, typology of organizational cultures proposed by Harrison was used. A questionnaire, measuring stress at work, prepared by HSE's Management Standards was also used. A statistical analysis using Mann-Whitney test was conducted together with ANOV single-factor analysis of variance, and Shapiro-Wolf and Brown-Forsythe test. The level of stress that is experienced at work, in the test groups, is similar; among the financial workers there dominated the Goal culture, and the highest level of stress appears in the Control area, and when it comes to medical services workers it appears in the culture of Power, where the highest level of stress is related with: expectations, support and relations. Organizations should carry out the stress control, which requires exploration, testing and control of the sources of stress in connection with the performance of tasks; stress management is a complex process and requires a large commitment from executives.

Biography:

Nuraine Mohammed is currently working as a physician assistant at Ashongman Community Hospital, Ghana. His research interest is in climate changes.

Abstract:

Africa is commonly described as a “climate-vulnerable” continent in which rainfall variability, hydrological extremes, and anthropogenic climate change have the potential to inflict significant harm on large populations. This description is grounded in the hard reality of modern history. Droughts have triggered massive economic loss, famine, displacement, and possibly armed conflict in regions across Africa. Floods exact a significant cost as well in river basins across the continent, leading to immediate loss of property and lives, and sometimes triggering crippling economic hardship and epidemics of waterborne and vector-borne disease. Meanwhile, a warming climate may be associated with changes in the range of infectious disease, loss of crop production and fisheries, associated under nutrition, increases in extreme events, and exposure to acute heat stress.At the same time, quantifying, predicting, and projecting the full impact that climate has on human health is a daunting challenge. In part, this is because of inadequate data over much of the continent. Climate-monitoring networks are sparse, economic and agricultural records can be inconsistent and incomplete, and health outcomes data are limited. But the challenge runs deeper than data. Understanding the impacts of climate on health is fundamentally difficult in any context because the connections are highly mediated by physical, ecological, and sociological factors.

In Africa, rapid economic growth, demographic change, frequent political instability, and environmental changes independent of climate (e.g., overgrazing, deforestation) make it particularly difficult to trace climate impact to health outcome through these mediating dynamics.One way to conceptualize these processes is to distinguish between health impacts that are primarily physically mediated, those that depend on ecological as well as physical mediation, and those that are most strongly influenced by societal factors layered on physical and ecological conditions. This is an imperfect classification, as few health impacts fall neatly into one category and there is frequent interaction across mediating processes and health outcomes. Flood control infrastructure, for example, is part of the physical mediating environment, but its construction, maintenance, and operation are functions of societal factors. Nutritional outcomes are affected by infectious disease burden, crossing ecological and social categories. Nevertheless, the classification provides an entry point for dealing with complex climate–health dynamics. The model shown in Figure 1 is similar to the models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other climate and health reviews and assessments of Climate anomalies and trends mediated by physical, ecological, and societal processes can cause diverse health impacts, requiring a health system response. All categories of mediating process include natural and human systems. In Africa, each of the pathways linking climate to health has long been a study concern. Initially, this work was largely motivated by the tremendous health challenges faced by Europeans residing in the African colonies. Detailed records were kept of disease outbreaks along the Gold Coast (current Guinea Coast), for example. A connection was made between the seasons and disease occurrence. Medically, the tropical year was considered to have three divisions: diarrohea/dysenteric, fevers/malaria, and congestive and pulmonary. The first coincided with the hottest months and was considered to be relatively healthy.

Despite considerable physical adaptations of the body to the excessive heat, fever was generally rare. The second, coinciding with the rainy season, was considered the unhealthiest, although heavy rains could diminish the occurrence of malaria by disrupting the stagnation of surface waters where mosquitoes breed. The third division, which of the northeast Harmattan winds of the cold season, also brought healthy conditions as well as a frequent break from the heat. However, dust and cold lead to congestive and pulmonary problems. Modern study of climate and disease in Africa goes well beyond consideration of the seasonality of disease and physiological adaptations. Links between year-to-year frequency of certain diseases and changes in climate have been established, as have predictive models of disease. Africa is a remarkably diverse continent. Rather than attempt a comprehensive inventory of all climate and health issues, more useful are overviews of salient examples of physically, ecologically, and socially mediated health challenges found in various regions. These examples include the most significant climate–health phenomena in developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa, several of which are being impacted by climate change.

Neither the health examples nor the methods used to study them are unique to Africa, but the picture they compose is clear: the impact that climate variability and change have on food security is the single greatest climate–health issue facing Africa. It affects the well-being of more people than any other climate-related health risk, and it either underlies or amplifies other health risks, ranging from disease susceptibility to violent conflict. Studies of food security do not fall clearly within the health field, as food production and prices are traditionally the domain of agricultural and economic research. But health is a primary outcome of interest in food security analysis, and any climate impact on nutrition via food security must be considered in studies of climate–health dynamics. Infectious disease is a second critical area of climate impact. Africa stands out both for a high burden of several pan-tropical diseases, including malaria and cholera, and for the diversity of neglected tropical diseases that affect significant populations. Finally, climate extremes exact a significant annual health toll and may increase under global warming. These extremes have physically mediated impacts—drowning, injuries, and heat stress—but they also have lasting ecologically and socially mediated impacts through disease dynamics and economic stability. As a starting point, a review of the basic characteristics of prevailing climate and climate variability across Africa is in order. The review then proceeds through climate–health examples, beginning with food security and other socially mediated processes, since they have the largest total burden, and continuing with infectious diseases, which are generally thought of as ecologically mediated phenomena, and the physically mediated impacts of climate extremes. Where possible and relevant, the impacts of climate variability and climate change are treated separately in order to distinguish between the existing and emerging climate-attributable health burden. These categories are also tied to different applications literatures, as climate variability is the basis for risk monitoring and early warning, while climate change projections connect to climate change adaptation activities.

There is the strain on Africa health systems imposed by the high burden of life threatening communicable diseases coupled with increasing rates of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and coronary heart disease. Basic sanitation needs only 58% of people living in sub-Saharan Africa have access to safe water diseases, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and are on the rise and injuries remain among the top causes of death in the Region. The report stresses that Africa can move forward on recent progress only by strengthening its fragile health systems.

Biography:

Charles Amponsah is a Research scientist at Garden City University College, Ghana. His research interest is in Environment and Environment pollution and
environmental science.

Abstract:

Exposures to environmental pollution remain a major source of health risk throughout the world, though risks are generally higher in developing countries, where poverty, lack of investment in modern technology and weak environmental legislation combine to cause high pollution levels. Associations between environmental pollution and health outcome are, however, complex and often poorly characterized. Levels of exposure, for example, are often uncertain or unknown as a result of the lack of detailed monitoring and inevitable variations within any population group. Exposures may occur as range of pathways and exposure processes. Individual pollutants may be implicated in a wide range of health effects, whereas few diseases are directly attributable to single pollutants. Long latency times, the effects of cumulative exposures, and multiple exposures to different pollutants which might act synergistically all create difficulties in unravelling associations between environmental pollution and health. Nevertheless, in recent years, several attempts have been made to assess the global burden of disease as a result of environmental pollution, either in terms of mortality or disability-adjusted life years. About 8–9% of the total disease burden may be attributed to pollution, but considerably more in developing countries. Unsafe water, poor sanitation and poor hygiene are seen to be the major sources of exposure, along with indoor air pollution.

Despite the major efforts that have been made over recent years to clean up the environment, pollution remains a major problem and poses continuing risks to health. The problems are undoubtedly greatest in the developing world, where traditional sources of pollution such as industrial emissions, poor sanitation, inadequate waste management, contaminated water supplies and exposures to indoor air pollution from biomass fuels affect large numbers of people. Even in developed countries, however, environmental pollution persists, most especially amongst poorer sectors of society^. In recent decades, too, a wide range of modern pollutants have emerged not least, those associated with road traffic and the use of modern chemicals in the home, in food, for water treatment and for pest control. Most of these pollutants are rarely present in excessively large concentrations, so effects on health are usually far from immediate or obvious. As the problems of environmental exposure that concern us today imply large relative risks. Detecting small effects against a background of variability in exposure and human susceptibility, and measurement error, poses severe scientific challenges. The progressively larger number of people exposed to environmental pollution (if only as a result of growing population numbers and increasing urbanization) nevertheless means that even small increases in relative risk can add up to major public health concerns. The emergence of new sources of exposure and new risk factors, some of them—such as endocrine disruptors—with the capacity to have lifelong implications for health, also means that there is a continuing need for both vigilance and action. As the impact of human activities and issues of environmental health become increasingly global in scale and extent, the need to recognize and to address the health risks associated with environmental pollution becomes even more urgent. Effective action, however, requires an understanding not only of the magnitude of the problem, but also its causes and underlying processes, for only then can intervention be targeted at where it is most needed and likely to have greatest effect. As background to the other chapters in this volume, therefore, this chapter discusses the nature of the link between environmental pollution and health and considers the contribution of environmental pollution to the global burden of disease. Environmental pollution can be simply, if somewhat generally, defined as the presence in the environment of an agent which is potentially damaging to either the environment or human health. As such, pollutants take many forms. They include not only chemicals, but also organisms and biological materials, as well as energy in its various forms (e.g. noise, radiation, heat). The number of potential pollutants is therefore essentially countless. There are, for example, some 30,000 chemicals in common use today, any one of which may be released into the environment during processing or use. Fewer than 1% of these have been subject to a detailed assessment in terms of their toxicity and health risks⁴. The number of biological pollutants is truly unquantifiable. They include not only living and viable organisms, such as bacteria, but also the vast array of endotoxins that can be released from the protoplasm of organisms after death. There is, therefore, no shortage of potential environmental risks to health. The link between pollution and health is both a complex and contingent process. For pollutants to have an effect on health, susceptible individuals must receive doses of the pollutant, or its decomposition products, sufficient to trigger detectable symptoms. For this to occur, these individuals must have been exposed to the pollutant, often over relatively long periods of time or on repeated occasions. Such exposures require that the susceptible individuals and pollutants shared the same environments at the same time. For this to happen, the pollutants must not only be released into the environment, but then be dispersed through it in media used by, or accessible to, humans. Health consequences of environmental pollution are thus far from inevitable, even for pollutants that are inherently toxic; they depend on the coincidence of both the emission and dispersion processes that determine where and when the pollutant occurs in the environment, and the human behaviours that determine where and when they occupy those same locations. The whole process can simply be represented as a causal chain, from source to effect as this indicates, most pollutants are of human origin. They derive from human activities such as industry, energy production and use, transport, domestic activities, waste disposal, agriculture and recreation. In some cases, however, natural sources of pollution may also be significant. Radon, released through the decay of radioactive materials in the Earth’s crust, arsenic released into ground waters from natural rock sources, heavy metals accumulating in soils and sediments derived from ore-bearing rocks, and particulates and sulphur dioxides released by wildfires or volcanic activity are all examples. Release from these various sources occurs in a wide range of ways, and to a range of different environmental media, including the atmosphere, surface waters, ground waters and soil. Estimates of emission by source and environmental medium are inevitably only approximate, for they can rarely be measured directly. Instead, most emissions inventories derive from some form of modelling, either based on emission factors for different processes or source activities⁵ or on input–output models (i.e. by calculating the difference between quantities of the material input into the process and quantities contained in the final product). Emissions to the atmosphere tend to be more closely modelled and measured, and more generally reported, than those to other media, partly because of their greater importance for environmental pollution and health As this shows, combustion represents one of the most important emission processes for many pollutants, not only from industrial sources, but also from low-level sources such as motorized vehicles and domestic chimneys, as well as indoor sources such as heating and cooking in the home or workplace.

Emissions from industrial combustion or waste incineration tend to be released from relatively tall stacks, and often at high temperature, with the result that they are dispersed widely within the atmosphere. Emissions from low-level sources such as road vehicles and low-temperature combustion sources such as domestic heating, in contrast, tend to be much less widely dispersed. As a result, they contribute to local pollution hotspots and create steep pollution gradients in the environment. In urban environments, for example, traffic-related pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide typically show order-of-magnitude variations in concentration over length-scales of tens to a few hundred metres

Evaporation and leakage are also important emission processes contributing to local variations in environmental pollution.

Biography:

Samsom Mehari Giliu is a proficient Public Health Officer since 2015. He is the Chief Manager of Regional TB/leprosy control program Division of CDC Department, Ministry of Health, Anseba Region, Eritrea. He is responsible for providing training, reporting to the national and conducting seminars, supervisions, advocacy, and creating awareness on TB, Leprosy and HIV/AIDS in Zoba Anseba, which is one of the six Eritrean administrative zones. He is also a Member of regional TB, HIV and Diabetic Committee and one of the three members of zonal research committee. He has completed his BSc in Public Health from School of public health, Asmara College of Health Science, Asmara, Eritrea. He is a Young Researcher who has insatiable enthusiasm for research. He has published three articles so far with limited resource

Abstract:

Statement of the problem: CHIKV has recently emerged in our country Eritrea from the Sudanese border resulting in an outbreak in Tesseney town and association of diseases with blood groups has always been under controversial discussion.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to give a clear depiction of the severity of Chikungunya disease along its relation with blood group, chronic disease, pregnancy, gender, age and latrine use.

Methodology: A sex-matched and age-matched case-control study was conducted during the outbreak. For each case, there were two controls, one from the mild and one free from the chikungunya disease. Calculating odds ratios (ORs) and conditional (fixed-effect) logistic regression methods were being applied.

Finding: In this outbreak, 137 severe suspected chikungunya cases and 137 mild chikungunya suspected patients and 137 controls free of chikungunya from the neighborhood of cases were analyzed. Non-O individuals compared to those with O blood group indicated as significant with p value of 0.002. And a strong association of Chikungunya severity was found with hypertension and diabetes (p-value of <0.0001); whereas, there was no association between Chikungunya severity and asthma with p-value of 0.695, no association with pregnancy (p-value=0.881), ventilator (p-value=0.181), air conditioner (p-value=0.247), and didn’t use latrine and pit latrine (p-value=0.318).

Conclusion: Non-O blood groups were found to be at risk more than their counterpart. Similarly, individuals with chronic disease were more prone with severe form of Chikungunya disease. Prioritization is recommended for patients with chronic diseases and non-O blood group since they are found to be susceptible to severe chikungunya disease. Identification of human cell surface receptor(s) for CHIKV is quite necessary for further understanding of its pathophysiology in humans. Therefore, Molecular and functional studies will necessarily be helpful in disclosing the association of blood group antigens and CHIKV infections.

Biography:

Kayo Shichiri has completed her Graduation in Psychology at Rikkyo University. She started working as a Clinical Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences. Later she obtained PhD from the National University of Niigata. Currently, she is working at the Health Administration Center, Headquarters for Health Administration and Environmental Safety, Niigata University, with the specialties including Adolescent Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Mental Health, Psychopathology, and Psychological Diagnostics. She has continued her research conscientiously and earnestly at the aforementioned school and concentrated her effort on Mental Health counseling for students and teaching staff at Niigata University

Abstract:

Introduction: Recently, young people diagnosed as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have increased in number. On the other hand, Adjustment Disorder (AD) is a common diagnosis in psychiatric consultation.

Purpose: The purpose of this trial study was to clarify the differences in biological information found in ASD, AD and no diagnostic (ND) control groups.

Methods: Subjects were 20 to 23 years old university students. 40% were diagnosed as ASD, 30% as AD, and 30% belonged to the ND group. Body temperature, and body surface temperature at five points was measured, as were blood pressures, and heart rate. Blood tests determined WBC, granulocyte, lymphocyte, CD56+NKcells, CD56+Tcells, γδT cells, serotonin,noradrenaline,　cortisol,　adrenaline,　and dopamine levels. Average scores for the three groups were calculated and compared.

Results: Body temperatures of ND group were lower than ASD and AD groups. Body surface temperature was lower in ASD group. ASD group demonstrated higher levels of granulocytes, and lymphocytes in ASD group were lower. NK cells and NKT cells of AD subjects were lower than those in ND group. Serotonin and noradrenaline in both ASD and AD groups tended toward higher levels, and cortisol, adrenaline, and dopamine were lower.

Discussion: ASD and AD groups, while demonstrating higher body temperatures than ND group, demonstrated lower body surface temperatures, thus, they might have bad peripheral blood circulation. ASD group had increased tendency towards natural immunity associated with granulocyte, NK cells, and NKT cells. However, cortisol and adrenaline levels in ASD group were lower, so there is a low possibility of correlation between natural immunity and stress hormone levels. Positive correlation between serotonin and NK cells was reported in medicated depressive patients given SSRIs. In this trial study, s tendency towards increased NK and NKT cells in ASD group is likely associated with serotonin.

Biography:

Rana Alduraywish is a lecturer at the College of Medicine at Imam Muhammed ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and a second year PhD student at the School of Health Sciences at Nottingham University in the UK. Rana has a master’s degree in physiotherapy (2017) from Cardiff University, UK. She worked as physiotherapist for more than ten years in Saudi Arabia. Her research interests are in the area of occupational lower back pain in nurses and self-management of lower back pain. She is also interested in the role of physical activity and exercise in lower back pain management. Her doctoral research investigates the feasibility and acceptability of using a web-based digital intervention for nurses working in hospitals in Saudi Arabia. She will develop and design a digital tool aimed at preventing and managing lower back pain in nurses. This will be the first study of its kind to assess issues specifically within the context of Saudi Arabia.

Abstract:

Nurses have a higher prevalence of low back pain (LBP) than other occupations globally; this is associated with decreased job productivity, greater work absence, disability and functional limitation. Studies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) report high rates of LBP in nursing consistent with findings from other countries. Digital interventions have demonstrated efficacy in supporting self-management of LBP and improvements in self-reported outcome measures of pain, functionality, quality of life. In this study, we will develop, design and test a theoretically-informed web based intervention programme for the nursing population. The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility and acceptability of a web-based intervention programme for the self-management of LBP (WBI-BACK) among a nursing population in the KSA.
The feasibility study will employ a single group pre-post intervention using a sequential mixed-method approach. The first, exploratory phase, the design and development of a WBI-BACK programme. Social cognitive theory was used to develop a content of a WBI-BACK programme. WBI-BACK programme is designed as an interactive multi modules intervention including: educational gallery, exercise gallery, physical activity, ergonomics, the psychological unit and healthy lifestyles. The second, quantitative phase will aim to recruit 50 nurses and/or nursing assistants with and without LBP working in hospitals in the KSA and test the feasibility of implementing the WBI-BACK programme in the KSA. The third, qualitative phase will include evaluation of the WBI-BACK programme through semi-structured interviews. Primary outcomes are the feasibility of the study design and delivery of the WBI-BACK programme including: recruitment of nursing, participant’s retention, data completion rate, appropriateness of selected outcome-measures, the extent of participants’ usage of WBI-BACK programme, adherence to the intervention and adverse events. Secondary outcomes will involve exploratory analysis of LBP-related measures including: pain, disability, quality of life, physical activity and exercise self-efficacy. The ‘WBI-BACK’ programme will be delivered to participants over six weeks.

Biography:

Shu-Lin Lee has her expertise in exercise evaluation and nutrition intervention in improving health. In the past few years, her study focused on exercise and nutrition (or supplementation) intervention in elderly and metabolic syndrome subjects. Her research team want to explore the benefits of nutrients or herbal medicines to improve health

Abstract:

Curcumin is a major component of turmeric and is commonly used as a spice and food-coloring agent. The desirable preventive or putative therapeutic properties of curcumin in animal studies have been considered to be associated with its antioxidant capacity and protective effect on exercise induced muscle damage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of curcumin supplementation on muscle mass, muscle damage, and anti-oxidant in sarcopenia elderly. Subjects required to receive 8 weeks of curcumin supplementation and exercise training, before and after 8 weeks completion of the body composition, functional fitness, blood anti-oxidation and anti-inflammatory marker of the test.

Results: There was not improvement in muscle mass and functional fitness after 8 weeks intervention, while the activity of antioxidant enzymes SOD, GPx, and Catalase increased, but there was not significant difference between before and after intervention. Muscle damage marker LDH after intervention was significantly lower than before intervention (p <0.05). The above results showed that 8 weeks curcumin supplemented with exercise training can significantly improve the muscle damage.

Biography:

Naser Albazzaz is currently a PhD student at Swansea University researching electronic health records development and implementation in Kuwait. He has his passion in health care management and developing health care systems in Kuwait having already graduated with a bachelor’s degree in health information administration from Kuwait University. Although other countries have already switched to electronic health care solutions, in Kuwait this area is in the early stages, yet implementing such advances on all levels is needed, hence the importance of researching electronic health care development and implementation in Kuwait.

Abstract:

Background: EHR implementation has been found to significantly enhance processes and outcomes in health care. Despite many advantages of EHR implementation, literature indicates that systems are not being used to their full potential. Staff resistance and low uptake of EHR systems has been found to be a problem particularly in developing countries, including the Gulf Cooperation Council States.
 
Aim: To present preliminary results of hermeneutic analysis of qualitative interviews with Healthcare Professionals in Kuwait in order to answer the research question: How can the EHR uptake in secondary care in Kuwait be enhanced? The study presented explored more specifically Health Care Professionals’ experiences with the implementation of electronic health records (EHR) in Kuwait secondary care setting.

Methods: Hermeneutic Analysis of semi-structured qualitative interviews with a range of Health care Professionals in three hospitals including assistant directors, quality officers, managers, doctors, nurses, administrators and technicians. Data was analyzed using hermeneutic analysis.
 
Results: Six major themes emerged. Trust in usefulness of EHR implementation, centered on error reduction and pride. Need to integrate knowledge address HCP’s wants. Ambiguity discussed internal and external disagreements. Experience of powerlessness highlighted how engagement did not always translate into the experience of change. EHR as a threat showed links with a fear of losing files, security breaches, misconduct and increased clinical error. The final theme Fear leads to resistance highlighted how resistance can be rooted in issues around power and dependency

Conclusion: The preliminary analysis to date suggests trust and resilience are important issues for acceptance and use of EHR. This suggests that work on these areas could potentially improve EHR uptake