Intestinal schistosomiasis among secondary school students in Northern Tanzania: prevalence, infection intensity and associated risk factors.

Objective: Our study investigated the prevalence, infection intensity and associated risk factors of intestinal schistosomiasis among secondary school students in Shinyanga Municipal Council, Northern Tanzania. Methods: A quantitative school-based cross-sectional study was conducted from June to August 2022 among 620 secondary students. One stool specimen per participant was collected and screened for Schistosoma mansoni ova by microscopy using the Kato-Katz technique. Ova were counted to estimate infection intensity in all positive stool samples. Participants' socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors for intestinal schistosomiasis were gathered using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and logistic regression. Results: Overall prevalence of S. mansoni was 1.9%. All infected participants had light infection intensity. Overall prevalence of other intestinal parasites was 2.7%, with Hookworm spp (17.6%) and Entamoeba coli (52.9%) the most observed intestinal helminth and protozoa, respectively. Among assessed factors, being in form II or III, visiting water sources and doing activities in water sources were statistically significantly associated with increased risk of S. mansoni transmission. Conclusions: There is ongoing transmission of intestinal schistosomiasis among secondary students. Hence, the need for extending praziquantel administration in this group, health education provision, and improvement of water supply, sanitation and hygienic practices.

Lessons in ambivalence: The Shanghai Municipal Council's opium policies, 1906-1917.

BACKGROUND: Shanghai was considered to be a "capital of opium" in modern China, hence the history of opium in the city has received significant attention. In the Shanghai International Settlement, where Chinese and foreigners lived as neighbours, drugs were considered by the administration as both "trouble maker", and important financial resource. This paper explores how the Shanghai Municipal Council (SMC), the most senior governing body in the settlement, used its position to maximize political and economic profit from the trade and consumption of opium. METHODS: The paper is based on documentary analysis of records of the SMC board meetings and other related material stored at Shanghai Municipal Archives. Interpretive approaches were used to analyze the shifting SMC strategies on opium consumption, the competing power relations and the way they were negotiated between actors with a stake in the region, including semi-colonialism and world systems analysis. RESULTS: With the dual purpose of preventing damage and enhancing municipal management, the SMC introduced a licensing system permitting the consumption and trade of drugs. However, the anti-opium policies of the late Qing government and the Anglo-Chinese 10 Year Agreement meant SMC had to shut down opium "houses" (opium dens) and "shops" (for the sale of opium to be consumed off the premises). CONCLUSIONS: Over almost a decade, the SMC shifted emphasis from political regulation of a social, recreational practice to maximizing financial benefit. In the process, SMC made full use of the opportunities it gained from a period of ambivalent Chinese and British power relations and local community rule.

O Conselho Municipal de Saneamento de Belo Horizonte: desafios e possibilidades / Municipal Council of Water Supply and Sanitation of Belo Horizonte: challenges and possibilities

O Conselho Municipal de Saneamento de Belo Horizonte (COMUSA) foi criado em abril de 2004. Por ser um conselho municipal de criação recente, principalmente quando comparado a outros conselhos existentes em Belo Horizonte (Conselhos Municipais de Saúde e Meio Ambiente, dentre outros), o COMUSA foi concebido com expectativas de bom funcionamento, já que poderia se pautar nos êxitos desses conselhos mais experientes. No entanto, o COMUSA ainda apresenta algumas fragilidades, principalmente estruturais, que precisam ser sanadas. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar o funcionamento do COMUSA e o papel exercido por este Conselho no controle social do setor e na definição de políticas públicas na área de saneamento no município de Belo Horizonte.

The Municipal Council of Sanitation (COMUSA) of Belo Horizonte (MG, Brazil) was created in April, 2004. Since it is recently founded, mainly when compared to other existent municipal councils in Belo Horizonte (environmental and health, among others), COMUSA was conceived with expectations of a good operation, since it could be guided by the previous experience of the oldest councils. However, the Council still has some fragility, mainly structural, which brings barriers to its operation. This study aims to evaluate COMUSA's performance and the role played by this Council in social control and definition of public policies in Belo Horizonte's sanitation area.

Conselhos municipais: prática e impasses no cenário contemporâneo / Municipal councils: practice and dilemmas in the contemporaneous scenary / Consejos municipales: práctica y dilemas en el panorama contemporáneo

Pela experiência de inserção militante em dois conselhos municipais, apresentamos informações sistematizadas e essenciais sobre a composição desses espaços de controle social. Quais são alguns dos problemas essenciais no funcionamento concreto dos conselhos? Pela perspectiva social crítica, procuramos apreender as contradições que atravessam esses dispositivos de controle social. Oferecemos pistas orientadoras para os profissionais da Psicologia que buscam atuar na linha do compromisso social e que se engajam na participação nesses importantes mecanismos sociais de discussão e deliberação no âmbito das políticas públicas.

From an experience of activist insertion in two municipal councils, we present essential and systematized information on the composition of these areas of social control. What are some of the key problems in the practical functioning of the councils? From a critical social perspective, we sought to understand the contradictions in these devices of social control. We offer guidance cues to professionals in psychology who seek to work in the field of social commitment and are engaged in these important social mechanisms of discussion and deliberation in the context of public policy.

A partir de una experiencia de inserción militante en dos consejos municipales, presentamos informaciones sistematizadas y esenciales sobre la composición de estos espacios de control social. ¿Cuáles son algunos de los problemas esenciales en el funcionamiento concreto de los consejos? Desde una perspectiva social crítica, buscamos aprehender las contradicciones que traspasan estos dispositivos de control social. Ofrecemos pistas orientadoras a los profesionales de la Psicología que procuran actuar en la línea del compromiso social y que se comprometen participando en estos importantes mecanismos sociales de debate y deliberación en el ámbito de las políticas públicas.

Conselhos municipais: prática e impasses no cenário contemporâneo / Municipal councils: practice and dilemmas in the contemporaneous scenary / Consejos municipales: práctica y dilemas en el panorama contemporáneo

Pela experiência de inserção militante em dois conselhos municipais, apresentamos informações sistematizadas e essenciais sobre a composição desses espaços de controle social. Quais são alguns dos problemas essenciais no funcionamento concreto dos conselhos? Pela perspectiva social crítica, procuramos apreender as contradições que atravessam esses dispositivos de controle social. Oferecemos pistas orientadoras para os profissionais da Psicologia que buscam atuar na linha do compromisso social e que se engajam na participação nesses importantes mecanismos sociais de discussão e deliberação no âmbito das políticas públicas.(AU)

From an experience of activist insertion in two municipal councils, we present essential and systematized information on the composition of these areas of social control. What are some of the key problems in the practical functioning of the councils? From a critical social perspective, we sought to understand the contradictions in these devices of social control. We offer guidance cues to professionals in psychology who seek to work in the field of social commitment and are engaged in these important social mechanisms of discussion and deliberation in the context of public policy.(AU)

A partir de una experiencia de inserción militante en dos consejos municipales, presentamos informaciones sistematizadas y esenciales sobre la composición de estos espacios de control social. ¿Cuáles son algunos de los problemas esenciales en el funcionamiento concreto de los consejos? Desde una perspectiva social crítica, buscamos aprehender las contradicciones que traspasan estos dispositivos de control social. Ofrecemos pistas orientadoras a los profesionales de la Psicología que procuran actuar en la línea del compromiso social y que se comprometen participando en estos importantes mecanismos sociales de debate y deliberación en el ámbito de las políticas públicas.(AU)

Participação, controle social e exercício da cidadania: a (des)informação como obstáculo à atuação dos conselheiros de saúde / Participation, social control and exercise of citizenship: (dis)information as an obstacle to health counselors

Para fortalecer o exercício do controle social na política de saúde, é necessário o efetivo conhecimento do SUS; da legislação; da realidade epidemiológica, assistencial, financeira, política, etc. Neste sentido, o presente estudo objetivou dimensionar o nível de informação e conhecimento dos Conselheiros Municipais de Saúde de Viçosa - MG, em relação a suas atribuições e funções. Os elementos de análise do estudo foram: entrevistas semiestruturadas, no período de abril a julho de 2006, e a observação direta das reuniões. Do total de 44 conselheiros, 34 (77,3 por cento) foram entrevistados; destes, 17 (50 por cento) são representantes dos usuários, oito (23,5 por cento) são representantes do Governo Municipal, sete (20,6 por cento) são representantes dos prestadores de serviço e dois (5,9 por cento) são representantes dos profissionais de saúde. Observa-se que 41,2 por cento de conselheiros desconhecem o Regimento Interno, o que poderia estar dificultando o exercício de suas competências. O Plano Municipal de Saúde não é utilizado como um instrumento de consulta para avaliação das ações e serviços de saúde pelos conselheiros, pois a maioria (73,5 por cento) afirma não o ter lido. A possibilidade de os conselheiros contribuírem para fiscalizar as execuções financeiras e orçamentárias do Fundo de Saúde Municipal se torna restrita, pois 67,6 por cento dos entrevistados não sabem analisar o Relatório de Gestão; 79,4 por cento dos conselheiros nunca receberam capacitação e 85 por cento relataram sentir necessidade de ser capacitados para atuar no conselho. A participação e o controle social conferem transparência ao bem público e, partindo do pressuposto que só se pode controlar aquilo que se conhece, justifica-se a necessidade contínua de cursos de capacitação para os conselheiros.

To strengthen the exercise of social control in health politics, it is really necessary to know the Unified Health System; the legislation; the epidemiological reality, assistance, financial, political, and so on. In this sense, this paper aims to analyze the level of information and knowledge of the Municipal Health Counselors in the city of Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, concerning their attributions and functions. The elements of analysis of the study were semi-structured interviews conducted from April to July 2006, and the direct observation of meetings. From 44 counselors, 34 (77.3 percent) were interviewed, 17 (50 percent) are users' representatives; eight (23.5 percent) are representatives of the municipal government; seven (20.6 percent) are representatives of the service; and two (5.9 percent) are representatives of health professionals. It can be noticed that 41.2 percent of counselors ignore the Internal Regiment, what could hinder the fulfillment of their competences. The health plan is not used for evaluation of health actions and services for the counselors, because most of them (73.5 percent) declared not having read it. The possibility of counselors helping supervise the financial and budgetary executions of the Municipal Health Fund restrains it, since 67.6 percent of the interviewees cannot analyze the administration report; 79.4 percent of the counselors never received training and 85 percent told need being qualified to act in the council. Participation and social control provide transparence to the public good and, based on the premise that one can only control what one knows, the need of continuing training courses for counselors is confirmed.