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.

A review of sex differences in the epidemiology of tuberculosis

Abstract: Globally, the prevalence of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis is similar in males and females until adolescence, after which it is higher in males In industrialized countries in the middle of this century (1930s to 1950s), females aged 15 to 34 years had higher tuberculosis notification rates than males of the same age However, as notification rates in these countries decreased over time, rates in males became higher than those of females for all ages over 15 Present notification rates of both sexes combined in many developing countries are similar to those of industrialized countries in the middle of the century, although the sex and age pattern is similar to that in industrialized countries at present, with men's disease rates exceeding women's after the age of 15 These findings raise the possibility that cases of tuberculosis among women are being under-reported in developing regions This is supported by the results of a study comparing active and passive case-finding in which women with tuberculosis were under-notified to public health authorities when relying on passive case-finding In addition, epidemiological evidence from the pre-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) era shows that young to early-middle-aged women progress from infection to disease with greater frequency than do men This elevated frequency of progression among women now coincides with a peak in HIV prevalence among women of the same age National Tuberculosis Programmes must assess possible sex differences that exist in their countries In addition, information about the risks of tuberculosis in younger women should be incorporated into maternal and child health, and HIV/AIDS programmes Further research comparing sex differences in tuberculosis rates, preferably using active as well as passive case-finding, would be necessary to determine whether young women are undernotified in developing countries

Human health benefits from livestock vaccination for brucellosis: case study

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To estimate the economic benefit, cost-effectiveness, and distribution of benefit of improving human health in Mongolia through the control of brucellosis by mass vaccination of livestock. METHODS: Cost-effectiveness and economic benefit for human society and the agricultural sector of mass vaccination against brucellosis was modelled. The intervention consisted of a planned 10-year livestock mass vaccination campaign using Rev-1 livestock vaccine for small ruminants and S19 livestock vaccine for cattle. Cost-effectiveness, expressed as cost per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted, was the primary outcome. FINDINGS: In a scenario of 52% reduction of brucellosis transmission between animals achieved by mass vaccination, a total of 49,027 DALYs could be averted. Estimated intervention costs were US$ 8.3 million, and the overall benefit was US$ 26.6 million. This results in a net present value of US$ 18.3 million and an average benefit-cost ratio for society of 3.2 (2.27-4.37). If the costs of the intervention were shared between the sectors in proportion to the benefit to each, the public health sector would contribute 11%, which gives a cost-effectiveness of US$ 19.1 per DALY averted (95% confidence interval 5.3-486.8). If private economic gain because of improved human health was included, the health sector should contribute 42% to the intervention costs and the cost-effectiveness would decrease to US$ 71.4 per DALY averted. CONCLUSION: If the costs of vaccination of livestock against brucellosis were allocated to all sectors in proportion to the benefits, the intervention might be profitable and cost effective for the agricultural and health sectors.

Disability and treatment of specific mental and physical disorders across the world.

Abstract: Background Advocates of expanded mental health treatment assert that mental disorders are as disabling as physical disorders, but little evidence supports this assertion. Aims To establish the disability and treatment of specific mental and physical disorders in high-income and low- and middle-income countries. Method Community epidemiological surveys were administered in 15 countries through the World Health Organization World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative. Results Respondents in both high-income and low- and middle-income countries attributed higher disability to mental disorders than to the commonly occurring physical disorders included in the surveys. This pattern held for all disorders and also for treated disorders. Disaggregation showed that the higher disability of mental than physical disorders was limited to disability in social and personal role functioning, whereas disability in productive role functioning was generally comparable for mental and physical disorders. Conclusions Despite often higher disability, mental disorders are under-treated compared with physical disorders in both high-income and in low- and middle-income countries.