ABSTRACT
Expatriate workers must be medically examined in their country of origin at accredited centres prior to their arrival in any Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country and are reexamined when they enter the country. This review investigated the epidemiological profile of registered expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia who were found medically unfit to work. A descriptive analysis was performed on 4,272,480 records of a Ministry of Health database from 1997 to 2010. The greatest proportion of workers was from Indonesia (34.3%). The total proportion of unfit expatriate workers was low (0.71%). The highest rate of unfitness was among workers from Ethiopia (4.06%), followed by Somalia (2.41%). Hepatitis B infection was the most common cause (57.5%), followed by noncommunicable diseases (21.2%) and hepatitis C infection (17.4%). This review suggests that the total number of workers registered in the Saudi Ministry of Health was underestimated, and the rate of unfit workers was lower than for other GCC countries, suggesting that standards and quality assurance in Saudi laboratories require revision.
Subject(s)
Chronic Disease/epidemiology , Communicable Diseases/epidemiology , Emigrants and Immigrants/statistics & numerical data , Foreign Professional Personnel/statistics & numerical data , Global Health/statistics & numerical data , Health Status , Communicable Diseases/diagnosis , Databases, Factual , Employment/statistics & numerical data , Female , Humans , Male , Mass Screening/statistics & numerical data , Saudi Arabia/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Expatriate workers must be medically examined in their country of origin at accredited centres prior to their arrival in any Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] country and are reexamined when they enter the country. This review investigated the epidemiological profile of registered expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia who were found medically unfit to work. A descriptive analysis was performed on 4 272 480 records of a Ministry of Health database from 1997 to 2010. The greatest proportion of workers was from Indonesia [34.3%]. The total proportion of unfit expatriate workers was low [0.71%]. The highest rate of unfitness was among workers from Ethiopia [4.06%], followed by Somalia [2.41%]. Hepatitis B infection was the most common cause [57.5%], followed by noncommunicable diseases [21.2%] and hepatitis C infection [17.4%]. This review suggests that the total number of workers registered in the Saudi Ministry of Health was underestimated, and the rate of unfit workers was lower than for other GCC countries, suggesting that standards and quality assurance in Saudi laboratories require revision
Subject(s)
Mass Screening , Hepatitis B , Hepatitis C , Physical FitnessABSTRACT
A study was carried out to identify the microbial contaminants of weaning foods in an Egyptian village and the sources of contamination. All 300 households containing infants (< 24 months) were visited. Information regarding food preparation and household sanitation was gathered. Samples of weaning foods (270) were collected and analysed for the presence of Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Shigella and parasites. The first two pathogens were detected in 43.7 per cent and 21.4 per cent of samples respectively. The others were not detected in any sample. The risk of contamination by E. coli and B. cereus was significantly associated with the presence of dung and/or refuse in the house, lack of indoor latrine, non-use of latrine by children, weaning foods not freshly prepared, uncovered storage of foods, and the presence of a case of diarrhoea in the house.
