Facing medical care problems of victims of sexual violence in Goma/Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Background  

Since 1998, the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has been torn by a military conflict. A particular atrocity of the war is widespread sexual violence.     

Health economics: the start of clinical freedom

Background  

Since Professor Hampton announced the death of clinical freedom in 1983, the increasing influence of Evidence-based Medicine and Health Technology Assessment has contributed to augment the feeling that clinicians have a secondary role in the therapeutic decision-making process.     

HIV-1 prevalence and factors associated with infection in the conflict-affected region of North Uganda

Background  

Since 1986, northern Uganda has been severely affected by civil strife with most of its population currently living internally displaced in protected camps. This study aims at estimating the HIV-1 prevalence among this population and the factors associated with infection.     

Does the development of new medicinal products in the European Union address global and regional health concerns?

Background  

Since 1995, approval for many new medicinal products has been obtained through a centralized procedure in the European Union. In recent years, the use of summary measures of population health has become widespread. We investigated whether efforts to develop innovative medicines are focusing on the most relevant conditions from a global public health perspective.     

Subjective health legacy of the Chornobyl accident: a comparative study of 19-year olds in Kyiv

Background  

Since the Chornobyl accident in 1986, the physical health of exposed children in Ukraine has been monitored, but their perceived health has not been studied. This study examines health perceptions of Ukrainian adolescents exposed to radioactive fallout in utero or as infants, and the epidemiologic and Chornobyl-related influences on self-reported health.     

Attitudes to and management of fertility among primary health care physicians in Turkey: An epidemiological study

Background  

The subject of infertility has taken its place in the health sector at the top level. Since primary health care services are insufficient, most people, especially women, keep on suffering from it all over the world, namely in underdeveloped or developing countries.     

Unstable housing and hepatitis C incidence among injection drug users in a Canadian setting

Background  

There has emerged growing recognition of the link between housing and health. Since Vancouver, Canada has had increasing concerns with homelessness brought about by urban renewal in the lead-up to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, we evaluated hepatitis C virus (HCV) incidence among injection drug users (IDU) with and without stable housing.     

Changes in mental health services and suicide mortality in Norway: an ecological study

Background  

Mental disorders are strongly associated with excess suicide risk, and successful treatment might prevent suicide. Since 1990, and particularly after 1998, there has been a substantial increase in mental health service resources in Norway. This study aimed to investigate whether these changes have had an impact on suicide mortality.     

Parents' attitudes and behaviours towards recommended vaccinations in Sicily,Italy

Background  

Since a long time, Italy has maintained a dual system to administer childhood immunisations, that is a certain number of mandatory vaccinations and a number of recommended vaccinations. The study aimed to explore the issues surrounding parental acceptance or non-acceptance of the recommended vaccinations for children.     

Intentions to use contraceptives in Pakistan: implications for behavior change campaigns

Background  

Since 1990-91, traditional method use has increased at a faster rate in Pakistan than modern method use. The importance of hormonal methods or the IUD has diminished and that of traditional methods has increased in the method mix. There is a need to identify factors motivating and deterring the adoption of specific family planning methods among married men and women in Pakistan.     

A decade of inequality in maternity care: antenatal care,professional attendance at delivery,and caesarean section in Bangladesh (1991–2004)

Background  

Bangladesh is committed to the fifth Millennium Development Goal (MDG-5) target of reducing its maternal mortality ratio by three-quarters between 1990 and 2015. Since the early 1990s, Bangladesh has followed a strategy of improving access to facilities equipped and staffed to provide emergency obstetric care (EmOC).     

Utilization of delivery care among rural women in china: does the health insurance make a difference? a cross-sectional study

Background  

Since 2003, the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) has been implemented throughout rural China, usually covering delivery services in its benefit package. The objective of this study was to compare the difference of utilization of delivery services, expenditures, and local women's perceived affordability between women with and without reimbursement from NCMS.     

Trend in geographic distribution of physicians in Japan

Background  

Since the late 1980s, the policy of the Japanese government regarding physician manpower has been to decrease the number of medical students. However, the shortage of doctors in Japan has become a social problem in recent years. The aim of this study was to compare the numbers of physicians in Japan between 1996 and 2006 and the trends in distribution of physicians.     

Incarceration experiences among a community-recruited sample of injection drug users in Bangkok, Thailand

Background  

Since 2003 Thailand has waged an aggressive "war on drugs" campaign focused on arresting and incarcerating suspected drug users and dealers. However, little is known about incarceration experiences among IDU in the wake of the recent war on drugs. Therefore, we sought to examine incarceration experiences among IDU in Bangkok, Thailand.     

Induction of calcification by serum depletion in cell culture: a model for focal calcification in aortas related to atherosclerosis

Background  

Since aortic calcification has been shown to initiate in the lower zone of well-thickened plaques (LZP) adjacent to the aortic media of rabbits fed supplemental cholesterol diets, a restricted supply of serum to vascular cells could play a role in vascular calcification. This study was designed to use a cell culture model to support this hypothesis.     

Determinants of glycemic control in female diabetic patients: a study from Iran

Background  

Since microvascular and macrovascular complications are reduced through strict glycemic control, this study carried out to identify the factors that affect glycemic control.     

An analysis of farmers' perception of the new cooperative medical system in Liaoning Province, China

Background  

Since 2003, the number of pilot areas of the New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCMS) has increased in rural China. And the major efforts have been concentrated on the enrollment of prospective members. In this study, we examined the satisfaction of the rural residents with the NRCMS as well as factors affecting their attitudes towards the NRCMS.     

Validation of a modified-multidimensional prognostic index (m-MPI) including the mini nutritional assessment short-form (MNA-SF) for the prediction of one-year mortality in hospitalized elderly patients

Background  

The mortality prediction represents a key factor in the managing of elderly hospitalized patients. Since in older subjects mortality results from a combination of biological, functional, nutritional, psychological and environmental factors, a Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI) that predict short- and long-term mortality based on a standardized comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) has recently been developed and validated.     

Occupational contact allergy in the building trade in Germany: influence of preventive measures and changing exposure

Purpose  

Since 1993, assiduous efforts have been made in Germany to lower the incidence of allergic cement dermatitis by reducing the content of hexavalent chromium (Cr VI). Usage of epoxy resin systems has considerably increased in the building trade in the same period. We analysed data of the Information Network of Departments of Dermatology (IVDK) to evaluate the influence of these changing occupational exposures on frequencies of sensitization.     

Payer leverage and hospital compliance with a benchmark: a population-based observational study

Background  

Since 1976, Medicare has linked reimbursement for hospitals performing organ transplants to the attainment of certain benchmarks, including transplant volume. While Medicare is a stakeholder in all transplant services, its role in renal transplantation is likely greater, given its coverage of end-stage renal disease. Thus, Medicare's transplant experience allows us to examine the role of payer leverage in motivating hospital benchmark compliance.