Purpose of Review
Review comprehensive data on rates of toxoplasmosis in Panama and Colombia.
Recent Findings
Samples and data sets from Panama and Colombia, that facilitated estimates regarding seroprevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma and risk factors, were reviewed.
Summary
Screening maps, seroprevalence maps, and risk factor mathematical models were devised based on these data. Studies in Ciudad de Panamá estimated seroprevalence at between 22 and 44%. Consistent relationships were found between higher prevalence rates and factors such as poverty and proximity to water sources. Prenatal screening rates for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were variable, despite existence of a screening law. Heat maps showed a correlation between proximity to bodies of water and overall Toxoplasma seroprevalence. Spatial epidemiological maps and mathematical models identify specific regions that could most benefit from comprehensive, preventive healthcare campaigns related to congenital toxoplasmosis and Toxoplasma infection.
Background: Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women living in sub-Saharan Africa. Ethiopia has a high incidence of cervical cancer (35.9 per 100,000 women), with 7,095 women diagnosed annually and 4,732 dying every year from the disease. Low provider awareness and poor understanding of appropriate prevention, treatment, and screening interventions pose challenges to addressing this problem. To gauge the extent of this information gap, the study explores variation in healthcare providers' knowledge about HPV and cervical cancer at Debre Markos Referral Hospital, a tertiary public facility located in Ethiopia's Amhara region.
Methods:We conducted a survey of 140 randomly selected healthcare providers stratified by professional group. The verbal, in-person survey was conducted in English after participants gave verbal informed consent. The survey contained demographic questions and questions about cervical cancer and HPV infection risk factors, symptoms, treatment options, transmission routes, screening techniques, and prevention methods. A total knowledge scale (alpha ¼0.85) and several sub-scales were generated by summing correct responses. The data were analyzed using bivariate tests of association and multivariate linear regression.
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