ABSTRACT
As the health disparities among children indirectly reflect the unfair distribution of national child healthcare, education, and other infrastructure, early childhood health development is a globally significant public health concern. On a global scale, 193 countries have endorsed The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and have explored various development strategies. The government placing children′s interests and their rights at the core of their efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) is essential, China has made substantial progress in improving children′s well-being over several decades of continuous effort and practice. However, challenges persist, including regional development imbalances, insufficient service capabilities in impoverished rural areas, and emerging issues like obesity, myopia, and mental health problems. China still needs to meet the growing health needs of children fully. From a global health perspective, this article systematically reviews the current status of global early childhood health development, outlines the significant milestones and best practices in China′s early childhood development efforts, and also anticipates the focus and challenges in early childhood development in China based on global trends, hoping to contribute to further research in this field.
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Background: Global spread and impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are determined to a large extent,by resistance to the pandemic and public response of all countries in the world;while a country's resistance and response are in turn determined by its political and socio economic conditions.To inform future disease prevention and control,we analyzed global data to exam the relationship between state vulnerabilities and COVID-19 incidences and deaths.Methods: Vulnerability was measured using the Fragile States Index (FSI).FSI is created by the Fund for Peace to assess levels of fragility for individual countries.Total FSI score and scores for 12 specific indicators were used as the predictor variables.Outcome variables were national cumulative COVID-19 cases and deaths up to September 16,2020,derived from the World Health Organization.Cumulative incidence rates were computed using 2019 National population derived from the World Bank,and case fatality rates were computed as the ratio of deaths/COVID-19 cases.Countries with incomplete data were excluded,yielding a final sample of 146 countries.Multivariate regression was used to examine the association between the predictor and the outcome measures.Results: There were dramatic cross-country variations in both FSI and COVID-19 epidemiological measurements.FSI total scores were negatively associated with both COVID-19 cumulative incidence rates (β =-0.0135,P ＜ 0.001) and case fatality rates (β =-0.0147,P ＜ 0.05).Of the 12 FSI indicators,three negatively associated with COVID-19 incidences were E1(Economic Decline and Poverty),E3 (Human Flight and Brain Drain),and S2 (Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons);two positively associated were P1 (State Legitimacy) and X1 (External Intervention).With regard to association with case fatality rates,C1 (Security Apparatus) was positive,and P3 (Human Rights and Rule of Law) and X1 was negative.Conclusion: With FSI measures by the Fund of Peace,overall,more fragile countries are less likely to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,and even if affected,death rates were lower.However,poor in state legitimacy and lack of external intervention are risk for COVID-19 infection and lack of security apparatus is risky for COVID-19 death.Implications of the study findings are discussed and additional studies are needed to examine the mechanisms underpinning these relationships.
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Public Health Emergency Operation Center (PHEOC) was conceptualized and established for coordinating information and resources towards goal-oriented response in large scale public health emergency. Yet, the activities undertaken by PHEOCs and their intended goals have not been fully optimized in current scenario. This paper revisited the collective efforts invested in PHEOC conceptualization and development, identified the opportunities and challenges in compliance with standards and framework, demonstrated the accountability of PHEOC network, thereby promoted best practice guidance for global public health emergency preparedness and response. This review will help navigate emergency response complexities leveraging PHEOC partnerships and advance the ability to detect and respond to public health emergencies in low resource settings. The review shows that the information on how to adapt best practice guidance to local circumstances could incentivize the full implementation of prevention, early detection and response to outbreaks. Identifying and correcting deficiencies in effectiveness evaluation will provide the basis for continuous PHEOC improvement. With the gradually reopening economies and public services in some countries, there is an urgent need to emphasize and validate the collective efforts undertaken by PHEOCs for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
The outbreak of COVID-19 has spread quickly across 114 countries/territories/areas in six continents worldwide and has been announced as a pandemic by WHO. This study analyzed global COVID-19 epidemiological trends, examined impact of the pandemic on global health security, diplomacy, and social environment in China, and provided short- and long-term strategic policy recommendations for China’s subsequent preparedness and responses.
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Abstract@#During the yellow fever epidemic in Angola in 2016, cases of yellow fever were reported in China for the first time. The 11 cases, all Chinese nationals returning from Angola, were identified in March and April 2016, one to two weeks after the peak of the Angolan epidemic. One patient died; the other 10 cases recovered after treatment. This paper reviews the epidemiological characteristics of the 11 yellow fever cases imported into China. It examines case detection and disease control and surveillance, and presents recommendations for further action to prevent additional importation of yellow fever into China.
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Chinese scientist Tu You?you won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015,due to her outstanding contri?bution to the discovery of antimalarial drug artemisinin. The discovery of artemisinin is a great breakthrough using modern phar?maceutical technology to excavate ancient Chinese traditional medicine resources,based on government’s coordination mecha?nisms. This article analyzes the research and development status of the current global antiparasitic products,as well as China’s needs and strengths in related areas. The authors propose that China should take the advantage of government financing and re?search capacity to strengthen the research and development of antiparasitic products,so as to contribute more to improving glob?al health equity.
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Objective To explore the factors relating to serum lutein level in elderly patients with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Methods 102 early AMD patients diagnosed by international diagnostic criteria were selected.The level of serum lutein was measured by HPLC,and dietary intake was estimated by food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ).The factors relating to serum lutein level were analyzed by Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis models.Results Serum lutein level was higher in female AMD patients than in male AMD patients [(0.33±0.31) μmol/L vs.(0.21 ±0.19) μmol/L,t=2.21,P＜0.05].Serum lutein level was positively correlated with dietary lutein (r=0.49,P＜ 0.001),but not correlated with age,BMI,and other nutrient intake after adjustment for caloric intake.Dietary lutein was mainly from corn,spinach,leeks,eggs,chrysanthemum,pumpkin,broccoli,lettuce,asparagus and peas.Intakes of spinach,pumpkin,asparagus were significantly associated with serum lutein level.Conclusions Elderly patients with AMD should increase the intakes of lutein-rich vegetables to increase the serum lutein level.