Background: Hepatitis B is a serious chronic infection of the liver and caused by hepatitis B virus. It is an endemic disease in Sudan. Healthcare workers are occupationally[MS1] more prone to acquire the disease. Evaluation of their knowledge, attitude and practice, and their vaccination status, are very important in the control of the disease. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of healthcare workers towards hepatitis B and their vaccination status.
Critical disparities threaten health care in developing countries and hinder progress towards global development commitments. Almost a billion people and thousands of public services are not yet connected to electricity -a majority in sub-Saharan Africa. In economically fragile settings, clinics and health services struggle to gain and maintain their access to the most basic energy infrastructure. Less than 30% of health facilities in LMICs report access to reliable energy sources, truncating health outcomes and endangering patients in critical conditions. While 'universal health coverage' and 'sustainable energy for all' are two distinct SDGs with their respective targets, this review challenges their disconnect and inspects their interdependence in LMICs. To evaluate the impact of electrification on healthcare facilities in LMICs, this systematic review analysed relevant publications up to March 2021, using MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, CENTRAL, clinicaltrials.gov and CINAHL. Outcomes captured were in accordance with the WHO HHFA modules. A total of 5083 studies were identified, 12 fulfilled the inclusion criteria of this review -most were from Africa, with the exception of two studies from India and one from Fiji. Electrification was associated with improvements in the quality of antenatal care services, vaccination rates, emergency capabilities and primary health services; with many facilities reporting high-quality, reliable and continuous oxygen supplies, refrigeration and enhanced medical supply chains. Renewable energy sources were considered in six of the included studies, most highlighting their suitability for rural health facilities. Notably, solar-powered oxygen delivery systems reduced childhood mortality and length of hospital stay. Unavailable and unreliable electricity is a bottleneck to health service delivery in LMICs. Electrification was associated with increased service availability, readiness and quality of care -especially for women, children and those under critical care. This study indicates that stable and clean electrification allows new heights in achieving SDG 3 and SDG7 in LMICs.
Khalwa is one of the most ancient non-governmental educational institutions that are commonly found all over Sudan, playing a major role in the Sudanese society. The majority of Khalwa students are children. This study was part of a mixed-methods project, conducted by Khartoum Medical Students’ Association, aiming to investigate the health status of Khalwa students. It was a cross-sectional study, done in Mustafa Alfadni Khalwa, Sharg Al-Neel suburb in Khartoum State. The participants were clinically assessed by a doctor and data were collected by using a data entry tool made specially to screen for major infectious diseases among students. Results showed a mean age of 13.7 years. Most of the students (47.7%) were originally from Darfur, and 27.5% of them had only Khalwa education. Respiratory clinic results revealed that 10% were complaining of cough, and 3.4 % were diagnosed with pneumonia. Additionally, 44.6% of the students had Tinea capitis and 21% had scabies. On examination, 2.3% and 1.1% had mild splenomegaly and hepatomegaly, respectively. Infectious conjunctivitis and trachoma were reported among 11.7% and 10.9%, respectively. Blood films for malaria were positive in 51.3%. Macroscopic and microscopic hematuria was, respectively, evident among 13.4% and 10.8% of the participants. Stool examination results showed that 1.4% of the students had worms, 1.5% had ova and 18.8% had stool red blood cells. Infectious diseases are very common among Khalwa students and their living environment is facilitating the transmission of these diseases. agent control and sanitation improvement are crucial to decrease such infectious diseases.
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