WHO South-East Asia Journal of Public Health 

About: WHO South-East Asia Journal of Public Health is an academic journal published by Medknow. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Public health. It has an ISSN identifier of 2224-3151. Over the lifetime, 309 publications have been published receiving 4047 citations. The journal is also known as: South-East Asia journal of public health.

Current status of dengue and chikungunya in India

Abstract: Dengue, a Flavivirus and chikungunya, an Alphavirus, transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, are a cause of great concern to public health in India. Every year, thousands of individuals are affected and contribute to the burden of health care. Dengue outbreaks have continued since the 1950s but severity of disease has increased in the last two decades. Chikungunya outbreaks started in the 1960s and dwindled to sporadic cases until a resurgence in 2006. Based on the data of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), the number of cases reported in 2013 was about 74 454 for dengue with 167 deaths and 18 639 for chikungunya. The number of cases reported is increasing, probably because of the availability of IgM detection kits produced and distributed by National Institute of Virology through NVBDCP and better reporting. In the absence of well-structured epidemiological studies, this review attempts to summarize reports on dengue and chikungunya outbreaks from various regions of India. For dengue, young adults are the major group affected; the severity of disease in India is still lower than that reported elsewhere in South-East Asia; and paediatric cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever have a high mortality. For chikungunya, all age groups are affected but severe manifestations are more often seen in children. Persisting arthralgia, neurological syndromes and non-neurological manifestations are recorded. Changes in the genotype and mutations in the genome have been detected for both dengue and chikungunya viruses. The review ends with a short summary of the most recent vector-control studies.

Health workforce in India: assessment of availability, production and distribution

Abstract: Background: India faces an acute shortage of health personnel Together with inequalities in distribution of health workers, this shortfall impedes progress towards achievement of the Millennium Development Goals The aim of this study was to assess health-workforce distribution, identify inequalities in health-worker provision and estimate the impact of this maldistribution on key health outcomes in India Materials and Methods: Health-workforce availability and production were assessed by use of year-end data for 2009 obtained from the Indian Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Inequalities in the distribution of doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives were estimated by use of the Gini coefficient and the relation between health-worker density and selected health outcomes was assessed by linear regression Results: Inequalities in the availability of health workers exist in India Certain states are experiencing an acute shortage of health personnel Inequalities in the distribution of health workers are highest for doctors and dentists and have a significant effect on health outcomes Conclusion: Although the production of health workers has expanded greatly in recent years, the problems of imbalances in their distribution persist As India seeks to achieve universal health coverage by 2020, the realization of this goal remains challenged by the current lack of availability and inequitable distribution of appropriately trained, motivated and supported health workers

Changing epidemiology of dengue in South-East Asia

Abstract: The burden of dengue and its potential threat to global health are now globally recognized, with 2.5 billion people at risk worldwide. The pathogenesis of severe dengue is particularly intriguing with the involvement of different immune factors. Also, the epidemiology of dengue in South-East Asia is undergoing a change in the human host, the dengue virus and the vector bionomics. Shift in affected age groups, sex differences and expansion to rural areas are evident, while the virulence and genotype of the virus determine the severity and time interval between sequential infections. The Aedes mosquito, a potent and adaptive vector, has evolved in longevity and survival, affected by seasonality and climate variability, socio-cultural and economic factors of human habitation and development. This review provides insights into the changing epidemiology and its factors in South-East Asia, one of the most important epicentres of dengue in the world, highlighting the major factors influencing these rapid changes. Addressing the changes may help mitigate the challenges in the current dengue control and prevention efforts.

A review of Japanese encephalitis in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Abstract: Background: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a major public health problem in India When the first case was reported in 1955, the disease was restricted to south India The disease spread to north India in 1978 from where extensive and recurrent outbreaks of JE have been reported ever since An attempt has been made to review the epidemiology of JE over the past 30 years and suggestions made for its prevention and control Methods: An epidemiological profile of JE (1978–2009) has been compiled and analysed to understand the trend and status of the disease Results: In India, while 24 states are endemic for JE, Uttar Pradesh contributed more than 75% of cases during the recent past Over the years, the seasonal trend has changed and the epidemic peak of the disease has advanced by one month Conclusion: JE is closely associated with the pattern of precipitation, flooding and rice production systems Analysis of trends and influencing factors will help in designing suitable strategies for the prevention and control of JE in the country Continuous monitoring of vector populations and JE virus infection rates in vector mosquitoes will help in predicting an outbreak and in taking effective intervention measures

Composition and distribution of the health workforce in India: estimates based on data from the National Sample Survey.

Abstract: Background: The availability of reliable and comprehensive information on the health workforce is crucial for workforce planning. In India, routine information sources on the health workforce are incomplete and unreliable. This paper addresses this issue and provides a comprehensive picture of India’s health workforce. Methods: Data from the 68th round (July 2011 to June 2012) of the National Sample Survey on the Employment and unemployment situation in India were analysed to produce estimates of the health workforce in India. The estimates were based on self-reported occupations, categorized using a combination of both National Classification of Occupations (2004) and National Industrial Classification (2008) codes. Results: Findings suggest that in 2011–2012, there were 2.5 million health workers (density of 20.9 workers per 10 000 population) in India. However, 56.4% of all health workers were unqualified, including 42.3% of allopathic doctors, 27.5% of dentists, 56.1% of Ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and homoeopathy (AYUSH) practitioners, 58.4% of nurses and midwives and 69.2% of health associates. By cadre, there were 3.3 qualified allopathic doctors and 3.1 nurses and midwives per 10 000 population; this is around one quarter of the World Health Organization benchmark of 22.8 doctors, nurses and midwives per 10 000 population. Out of all qualified workers, 77.4% were located in urban areas, even though the urban population is only 31% of the total population of the country. This urban–rural difference was higher for allopathic doctors (density 11.4 times higher in urban areas) compared to nurses and midwives (5.5 times higher in urban areas). Conclusion: The study highlights several areas of concern: overall low numbers of qualified health workers; a large presence of unqualified health workers, particularly in rural areas; and large urban–rural differences in the distribution of qualified health workers.