Air pollution and other risk factors might buffer COVID-19 severity in Mozambique

Mozambique is located on the East Coast of Africa and was one of the last countries affected by COVID-19. The first case was reported on 22 March 2020 and since then the cases have increased gradually as they have in other countries worldwide. Environmental and population characteristics have been analyzed worldwide to understand their possible association with COVID-19. This article seeks to highlight the evolution and the possible contribution of risk factors for COVID-19 severity according to the available data in Mozambique. The available data highlight that COVID-19 severity can be magnified mainly by hypertension, obesity, cancer, asthma, HIV/SIDA and malnutrition conditions, and buffered by age (youthful population). Due to COVID-19 epidemic evolution, particularly in Cabo Delgado, there is the need to increase laboratory diagnosis capacity and monitor compliance of preventive measures. Particular attention should be given to Cabo Delgado, including its isolation from other provinces, to overcome local transmission and the spread of SARS-CoV-2

Childhood respiratory morbidity and cooking practices among households in a predominantly rural area of Ghana

Background: Household air pollution is a leading risk factor for respiratory morbidity and mortality in developing countries where biomass fuel is mainly used for cooking. Materials and Method: A household cross-sectional survey was conducted in a predominantly rural area of Ghana in 2007 to determine the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and their associated risk factors. Household cooking practices were also assessed as part of the survey. Results: Household heads of twelve thousand; three hundred and thirty-three households were interviewed. Fifty-seven percent 7006/12333) of these households had at least one child less than five years of age. The prevalence of symptoms of acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) was 13.7% (n= 957; 95% CI 12.8 - 15.5%). A majority (77.8%; 95% CI; 77.7 - 78.5%) of households used wood as their primary fuel. Majority of respondents who used wood as their primary fuel obtained them by gathering wood from their neighborhood (95.6%; 9177/9595) and used a 3-stone local stove for cooking (94.9%; 9101/9595). In a randomly selected subset of respondents; females were the persons who mostly gathered firewood from the fields (90.8%; 296/326) and did the cooking (94.8%; 384/406) for the household. Conclusion: Symptoms of ALRI reported by caregivers is high in the Kintampo area of Ghana where biomass fuel use is also high. There is the need to initiate interventions that use improved cook stoves and to test the health benefits of such interventions

Ambient Pollution and Respiratory Outcomes among Schoolchildren in Durban; South Africa

Objectives. To examine associations between ambient air pollutants and respiratory outcomes among schoolchildren in Durban; South Africa.Methods. Primary schools from within each of seven communities in two regions of Durban (the highly industrialised south compared with the non-industrial north) were selected. Children from randomly selected grade 4 classrooms were invited to participate. Standardised interviews; spirometry; methacholine challenge testing and skin-prick testing were conducted. Particulate matter (PM); sulphur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide were monitored at each school; while nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other pollutants were monitored at other sites.Results. SO2 was significantly higher in the south than in the north; while PM concentrations were similar across the city. The prevalence of symptoms consistent with asthma of any severity was 32.1. Covariate-adjusted prevalences were higher among children from schools in the south than among those from the north for persistent asthma (12.2 v. 9.6 ) and for marked airway hyperreactivity (AHR) (8.1 v. 2.8); while SO2 resulted in a twofold increased risk of marked AHR (95 confidence interval 0.98 - 4.66; p=0.056).Conclusions. Schoolchildren from industrially exposed communities experienced higher covariate-adjusted prevalences of persistent asthma and marked AHR than children from communities distant from industrial sources. Our findings are strongly suggestive of industrial pollution-related adverse respiratory health effects among these children

Self-Reported Hypertension in Embalenhle; Mpumalanga; South Africa: Findings from a Vulnerability to Air Pollution Assessment

The study determined the prevalence of self-reported hypertension and evaluated the relationship between self-reported hypertension and associated risk factors among adults who participated in the 2006 vulnerability to air pollution study in eMbalenhle; Mpumalanga; South Africa. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in September 2006 with the heads of 377 randomly selected households to obtain information on the household status of health and disease risk factors. eMbalenhle data were compared to the published provincial data on variables of interest. Logistic regression analysis was employed to determine associations between self-reported hypertension and individual risk factors. The prevalence of self-reported hypertension (7.0); arthritis (3.9); diabetes (3.8) and asthma (2.2) were comparable to provincial self-reported disease figures of 9.0; 3.5; 2.3 and 3.4; respectively. self reporting of hypertension increased significantly with age (OR: 1.07; 95 CI: 1.05-1.09; p 0.001); being female (OR: 3.35; 95 CI: 1.84-6.01; p 0.001); and having doctor-diagnosed arthritis (OR: 2.42; 95 CI: 1.12-5.23; p 0.01) and diabetes (OR: 6.00; 95 CI: 2.08-17.26; p 0.01). The study demonstrates that self-reported hypertension and other chronic diseases in eMbalenhle mirrored the general provincial chronic diseases' patterns despite the poor socio-economic status of this community relative to the province. Self-reported hypertension was strongly related to age; gender; and self-reported arthritis and diabetes

Magnitude and variation of traffic air pollution as measured by CO in the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Air pollution level in Addis Ababa is presumed to be high due to the prevalence of old vehicles and substandard road infrastructures. This study assessed CO concentration as a measure of traffic air pollution. Materials and methods: a total of 80 road side and 24 on-road daily traffic air samples during wet and dry seasons of 2007 and 2008; respectively; were taken using CO data logger. A structured checklist was used to document related data. Downloaded data from the CO sampler was used to generate summary statistics and data presentations. Data quality of CO measurement was ensured using calibration checks. Results: The mean for 15 minutes CO concentration was 2.1 ppm (GM=1.3) and 2.8 ppm (GM=2.2) for wet and dry seasons; respectively. The concentrations from season to season varied statistically. The CO temporal and spatial profiles among the two seasons were similar. The overall mean on-road CO concentration was 5.4 ppm (GM=5.3). Fifteen percent of roadside samples and all on-road samples exhibited more than 50of the 8-hr CO WHO guideline.. Daily CO maxima were observed in early mornings and late afternoons. Conclusions: The consistency in spatial and temporal profiles and the variation on both on-road and road side traffic lines imply that vehicles are the main source of traffic air pollution. There is a concern that the CO 8-hr World Health Organization guideline might be exceeded in future. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2010;24(3):156-166]