Implementation and contribution of temperature screening and handwashing practice at points of entry for COVID-19 pandemic response in a humanitarian crisis setting

Introduction: over the last decade, insecurity in the Lake Chad Basin has triggered an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Niger´s Diffa Region with a significant population movement. In this humanitarian setting, we reviewed the implementation process and the contribution of temperature screening and handwashing practice at points of entry as part of non-pharmaceutical interventions against COVID-19. Methods: in Diffa, border officers were trained on the fundamentals of infection prevention and control in relation to COVID-19 readiness and response and a 14-day district response team was constituted. To examine the significance of the implementation process of temperature screening and handwashing practices at points of entry, we conducted a secondary analysis of data submitted by the six health districts of the Diffa Region between March and July 2020. Results: travellers screened for fever ranged from 10,499 (in March 2020) to 62,441 (in April 2020) with the health districts of Diffa (mean: standard error of the mean: 25,999: 9,220) and of Bosso (mean: standard error of the mean: 30.4: 19.1) accounting for the most and the least of activities during the entire period, respectively. Overall, 125/169,475 travellers presented fever and were effectively quarantined. Only the Ngourti Health District reported travellers who declined handwashing (54/169,475); this was during the first three months of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: we have documented a successful implementation of measures related to temperature screening with some unsubstantial denial of handwashing. Given the importance of border traffic due to insecurity in the Diffa Region, maintaining temperature screening and handwashing in this humanitarian setting is necessary but requires coordinated actions of all stakeholders involved in the region.

Caso Venezuela: Reflexiones desde la bioética / Venezuela Case: Reflections from Bioethics / O caso da Venezuela: reflexões da bioética

Resumen: En este artículo se presenta el caso de Venezuela, país que, luego de haber tenido el mayor potencial de desarrollo de Latinoamérica, sufre una debacle política, económica y social que lo ha llevado a convertirse en el más pobre de la región, con la inflación más elevada, y a ser calificado en "emergencia humanitaria compleja". También se describen las graves violaciones a los derechos humanos: civiles, políticos, económicos, sociales, culturales y ambientales que ocurren allí sobre la base de la Declaración Universal sobre Bioética y Derechos Humanos, de la Unesco (2005). Además, se proporciona información sobre el desarrollo y la enseñanza de la bioética en Venezuela. El artículo concluye con el análisis de la situación del país desde otras perspectivas bioéticas enfocadas en Latinoamérica: bioética social y bioética de intervención; las repercusiones del problema en la región y la descripción de los esfuerzos realizados a nivel nacional e internacional para solventar la emergencia humanitaria y recuperar el país.

Abstract: This article presents the case of Venezuela, a country that, after having had the greatest development potential in Latin America, suffers a political, economic and social debacle that led it to become the poorest in the region, with the highest inflation, and to be qualified as a country in a "complex humanitarian emergency". It also describes the serious violations to human rights -civil, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental - that occur there based on the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights by Unesco (2005). Additionally, information on the development and teaching of bioethics in Venezuela is provided. The article ends with an analysis of the country situation from other bioethical perspectives focused on Latin-America: social bioethics and intervention bioethics; the repercussions of the problem in the region and the description of the efforts made at national and international level to solve the humanitarian emergency and to recover the country.

Resumo: Este artigo apresenta o caso da Venezuela que, depois de ter o maior potencial de desenvolvimento da América Latina, sofre um desastre político, económico e social que a levou a se tornar o país mais pobre da região, além de apresentar a mais alta taxa de inflação e estar sob "emergência humanitária complexa". Também há relatos de graves violações dos direitos humanos (civil, político, económico, social, cultural e ambiental), com base na Declaração Universal de Bioética e Direitos Humanos, da Unesco (2005). Além disso, algumas informações sobre o desenvolvimento e ensino da bioética na Venezuela são fornecidas. O artigo é concluído com a análise da situação desse país, a partir de outras perspectivas bioéticas que estão enfocadas na América Latina, como a bioética social e a bioética de intervenção, as repercussões do problema na região e a descrição dos esforços realizados, em nível nacional e internacional, para solucionar a emergência humanitária e recuperar esse país.

Amenazas al bienestar de la infancia venezolana: un reto para el pediatra ante una emergencia humanitaria compleja / Threats to the well-being of the Venezuelan child: a challenge for the pediatrician faced with a complex humanitarian crisis

Venezuela atraviesa una emergencia humanitaria compleja de acuerdo a la Organización de Naciones Unidas, la cual es el resultado de una combinación de inestabilidad política, conflictos y violencia, desigualdades sociales y una pobreza subyacente. El impacto de esta situación en las condiciones de vida de la población, en especial, de la infancia, ha sido registrado por organizaciones internacionales y nacionales no gubernamentales ante el silencio cómplice del Estado. Se revisan los indicadores que permiten evaluar el grado de bienestar de la población infantil venezolana en cuanto a nivel de pobreza, nutrición y seguridad alimentaria, salud, educación y otros determinantes sociales. Conclusión: Como consecuencia de la emergencia humanitaria compleja, la infancia venezolana está amenazada por el incremento de la pobreza, a partir de la cual, se ha generado un aumento de todas las formas de desnutrición e inseguridad alimentaria, un incremento de la mortalidad materna, neonatal e infantil, la aparición de enfermedades prevenibles por vacunas y aquellas transmitidas por artrópodos, un grave deterioro del sistema educativo y la obligación de muchas familias a migrar para sobrevivir. El pediatra cumple un papel fundamental en la atención de niños, niñas y adolescentes al identificar factores de riesgo, denunciar la violación de sus derechos y aglutinar esfuerzos para garantizar su bienesta(AU)

Venezuela through a complex humanitarian emergency, according to the Organization of United Nations, which is the result of a combination of political instability, conflicts and violence, social inequality and underlying poverty. The impact of this situation on the living conditions of the population, especially children, has been registered by national non-governmental and international organizations to silence an accomplice of the State. Reviews of the indicators that allow evaluating the degree of welfare of the Venezuelan child population in terms of level of poverty, nutrition and food security, health, education and other social determinants. Conclusion: As result of the complex humanitarian emergency, Venezuelan children is threatened by the increase in poverty, from which it has generated an increase in all forms of malnutrition and food insecurity, an increase of the maternal, neonatal and child mortality, the emergence of diseases preventable by vaccines and those transmitted by arthropods, a serious deterioration of the educational system and the obligation of many families to migrate to survive. The pediatrician has an important role in the care of children and adolescents to identify risk factors denounce the violation of their rights and unite efforts to ensure their well-being(AU)