World Health Organization

About: World Health Organization is a government organization based out in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 13330 authors who have published 22232 publications receiving 1322023 citations. The organization is also known as: World Health Organisation & WHO.

Three Approaches to Understanding and Classifying Mental Disorder: ICD-11, DSM-5, and the National Institute of Mental Health’s Research Domain Criteria (RDoC):

Abstract: The diagnosis of mental disorder initially appears relatively straightforward: Patients present with symptoms or visible signs of illness; health professionals make diagnoses based primarily on these symptoms and signs; and they prescribe medication, psychotherapy, or both, accordingly. However, despite a dramatic expansion of knowledge about mental disorders during the past half century, understanding of their components and processes remains rudimentary. We provide histories and descriptions of three systems with different purposes relevant to understanding and classifying mental disorder. Two major diagnostic manuals-the International Classification of Diseases and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-provide classification systems relevant to public health, clinical diagnosis, service provision, and specific research applications, the former internationally and the latter primarily for the United States. In contrast, the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria provides a framework that emphasizes integration of basic behavioral and neuroscience research to deepen the understanding of mental disorder. We identify four key issues that present challenges to understanding and classifying mental disorder: etiology, including the multiple causality of mental disorder; whether the relevant phenomena are discrete categories or dimensions; thresholds, which set the boundaries between disorder and nondisorder; and comorbidity, the fact that individuals with mental illness often meet diagnostic requirements for multiple conditions. We discuss how the three systems' approaches to these key issues correspond or diverge as a result of their different histories, purposes, and constituencies. Although the systems have varying degrees of overlap and distinguishing features, they share the goal of reducing the burden of suffering due to mental disorder.

Iodine deficiency in 2007: global progress since 2003.

Abstract: Background. Iodine deficiency is a global public health problem, and estimates of the extent of the problem were last produced in 2003. Objectives. To provide updated global estimates of the magnitude of iodine deficiency in 2007, to assess progress since 2003, and to provide information on gaps in the data available. Methods. Recently published, nationally representative data on urinary iodine (UI) in school-age children collected between 1997 and 2006 were used to update country estimates of iodine nutrition. These estimates, alongside the 2003 estimates for the remaining countries without new data, were used to generate updated global and regional estimates of iodine nutrition. The median UI was used to classify countries according to the public health significance of their iodine nutrition status. Progress was measured by comparing current prevalence figures with those from 2003. The data available for pregnant women by year of survey were also assessed. Results. New UI data in school-age children were available for 41 countries, representing 45.4% of the world’s school-age children. These data, along with previous country estimates for 89 countries, are the basis for the estimates and represent 91.1% of this population group. An estimated 31.5% of school-age children (266 million) have insufficient iodine intake. In the general population, 2 billion people have insufficient iodine intake. The number of countries where iodine deficiency is a public health problem is 47. Progress has been made: 12 countries have progressed to optimal iodine status, and the percentage of school-age children at risk of iodine deficiency has decreased by 5%. However, iodine intake is more than adequate, or even excessive, in 34 countries: an increase from 27 in 2003. There are insufficient data to estimate the global prevalence of iodine deficiency in pregnant women. Conclusions. Global progress in controlling iodine deficiency has been made since 2003, but efforts need to be accelerated in order to eliminate this debilitating health issue that affects almost one in three individuals globally. Surveillance systems need to be strengthened to monitor both low and excessive intakes of iodine.

The cost of diabetes in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract: OBJETIVE: To measure the economic burden associated with diabetes mellitus in Latin America and the Caribbean. METHODS: Prevalence estimates of diabetes for the year 2000 were used to calculated direct and indirect costs of diabetes mellitus. Direct costs included costs due to drugs, hospitalizations, consultations and management of complications. The human capital approach was used to calculate indirect costs and included calculations of forgone earnings due to premature mortality and disability attributed to diabetes mellitus. Mortality and disability attributed to causes other than diabetes were subtracted from estimates to consider only the excess burden due to diabetes. A 3% discount rate was used to convert future earnings to current value. FINDINGS: The annual number of deaths in 2000 caused by diabetes mellitus was estimated at 339 035. This represented a loss of 757 096 discounted years of productive life among persons younger than 65 years (US$ 3 billion). Permanent disability caused a loss of 12 699 087 years and over US$ 50 billion, and temporary disability caused a loss of 136 701 years in the working population and over US$ 763 million. Costs associated with insulin and oral medications were US$ 4720 million, hospitalizations US$ 1012 million, consultations US$ 2508 million and care for complications US$ 2 480 million. The total annual cost associated with diabetes was estimated as US$ 65 216 million (direct US$ 10 721; indirect US$ 54 496). CONCLUSION: Despite limitations of the data, diabetes imposes a high economic burden to individuals and society in all countries and to Latin American and the Caribbean as whole.

Comprehensive mental health action plan 2013-2020.

Abstract: Twenty years ago, a book was published entitled World mental health: problems and priorities in low-income countries (1). A few years later in 2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) devoted its World Health Report to Mental health: new understanding, new hope (2), and the Institute of Medicine in the United States of America brought out Neurological, psychiatric, and developmental disorders: meeting the challenge in the developing world (3). These publications were among the first to seize upon the finding that, due to their chronic course and disabling nature, mental, neurological and substance use disorders contribute very significantly to the global burden of disease. Each report also drew strong attention to the desperate situation in most lowand middle-income countries regarding the availability, quality and range of treatment services, and produced a series of recommendations for research and training, service provision and policy. In a number of respects, much progress has been made since then. Awareness and acceptance of the value of mental health and the challenge posed by mental ill-health has continued to grow, both at the international level and in an increasing number of countries. New alliances and partnerships have been formed, including civil society organizations advocating for better rights and service access for persons with mental disorders and their families. In addition, the evidence base around what resources are available in countries and which interventions are effective, feasible and affordable to implement in the context of lowand middle-income countries has improved dramatically (4–7). In other respects, however, the situation now is not greatly different to how it was 20 years ago. There continues to be widespread stigma, discrimination and human rights violations against persons with mental disorders and psychosocial disabilities (8). Resources allocated to mental health remain extremely modest; the treatment gap is as large as ever (5,9). This, then, was the backdrop against which a concerted new effort has taken place to put mental health higher on the health and development agenda of countries throughout the world. Culminating in the endorsement of the Comprehensive mental health action plan 2013–2020 in May 2013 by the 194 Member States of WHO (10), this new effort now commits governments, as well as WHO and other partners, to taking defined actions across a number of areas of implementation. This article briefly sets out what these actions are, whose responsibility they are, and how they support the proposed regional framework to scale up action on mental health in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Refractive Error and Visual Impairment in African Children in South Africa

Abstract: Purpose To assess the prevalence of refractive error and visual impairment in school-aged African children in South Africa. Methods Random selection of geographically defined clusters was used to identify a sample of children 5 to 15 years of age in the Durban area. From January to August 2002, children in 35 clusters were enumerated through a door-to-door survey and examined in temporary facilities. The examination included visual acuity measurements, ocular motility evaluation, retinoscopy and autorefraction under cycloplegia, and examination of the anterior segment, media, and fundus. In nine clusters, children with reduced vision and a sample of those with normal vision underwent independent replicate examinations for quality assurance. Results A total of 5599 children living in 2712 households were enumerated, and 4890 (87.3%) were examined. The prevalence of uncorrected, presenting, and best-corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or worse in the better eye was 1.4%, 1.2%, and 0.32%, respectively. Refractive error was the cause in 63.6% of the 191 eyes with reduced vision, amblyopia in 7.3%, retinal disorders in 9.9%, corneal opacity in 3.7%, other causes in 3.1%, and unexplained causes in the remaining 12.0%. Exterior and anterior segment abnormalities were observed in 528 (10.8%) children, mainly corneal and conjunctival. Myopia (at least -0.50 D) in one or both eyes was present in 2.9% of children when measured with retinoscopy and in 4.0% measured with autorefraction. Beginning with an upward trend at age 14, myopia prevalence with autorefraction reached 9.6% at age 15. Myopia was also associated with increased parental education. Hyperopia (+2.00 D or more) in at least one eye was present in 1.8% of children when measured with retinoscopy and in 2.6% measured with autorefraction, with no significant predictors of hyperopia risk. Conclusions The prevalence of reduced vision is low in school-age African children, most of it because of uncorrected refractive error. The high prevalence of corneal and other anterior segment abnormalities is a reflection of the inadequacy of primary eye care services in this area.