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  1. Fulltext A pilot study on the willingness of premarital Malays on premarital thalassaemia screening
    Nor Ezzati Nor Albashri, Noor Fadzilah Zulkifli, Asral Wirda Ahmad Asnawi, Zetty Nadia Mohd Zain, Rashidah Mohamed, Sathar, Jameela, et al.
    Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, 2017;2(202):33-34.
    MyJurnal
    Thalassaemia is one of the most common autosomal recessive blood disorders in the world and its carrier status is prevalent in nearly 15% of Malaysian population. The global and economic burden for lifelong care of those affected increases every year. Currently, there is no policy on thalassaemia-carrier screening for couples prior to marriage besides HIV/AIDS screening in Malaysia. Other countries such as Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have established a policy for thalassaemia prevention by conducting premarital thalassaemia screening. Zero thalassaemia cases in new-born child in Cyprus have proven that thalassaemia can be prevented. This study aimed to investigate the willingness of premarital Malays on premarital thalassaemia screening.

    A set of questionnaire was distributed to 57 persons at premarital course sites and wedding fairs and expositions held in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Components in the questionnaire included: 1) demographic 2) knowledge about thalassaemia, signs and screening method 3) attitudes towards thalassaemia premarital screening 4) practices of premarital thalassaemia screening. Analysis for the questionnaire was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 23.0.
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  2. Fulltext A qualitative insight on complementary and alternative medicines used by hypertensive patients
    Ibrahim IR, Hassali MA, Saleem F, Al Tukmagi HF
    J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2016 Oct-Dec;8(4):284-288.
    PMID: 28216951 DOI: 10.4103/0975-7406.199349
    BACKGROUND: The self-treatment with complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) in chronic diseases is portraying an expanding trend worldwide. Yet, little is known concerning patients' motives to use CAM in the control of blood pressure.
    OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the self-use of CAM in the management of hypertension and explore patients' attitudes, perceived benefits, and disclosure to the physician.
    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative technique was adopted and face-to-face interviews, using a validated interview guide, were carried out among twenty hypertensive patients. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit patients at Al-Karama Teaching Hospital in Baghdad; the capital of Iraq; from January to April 2015. All the interviews were audio-recorded, then transcribed verbatim and examined for thematic relationships.
    RESULTS: Three major themes were identified through thematic content analysis of the interviews. These encompassed patients' understanding of CAM; experience and perceived benefits; and communication with the doctors. The use of CAM was prevalent among the majority of the respondents. The most commonly used therapies were biological-based practices (herbal remedies, special diet, vitamins, and dietary supplements); traditional therapies (Al-Hijama or cupping); and to a less extent of manipulative body-based therapies (reflexology). Factors influencing the use of CAM were traditions, social relationships, religious beliefs, low-cost therapy, and safety of natural products.
    CONCLUSION: The use of CAM was common as a practice of self-treatment among hypertensive patients in Iraq. This was underpinned by the cultural effects, social relationships, religious beliefs, and the perception that natural products are effective and safe. Understanding patients' usage of CAM is of great importance as long as patient's safety and interaction with the standard prescribed treatment are major concerns.
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  3. Appraisal of domestic solid waste generation, components, and the feasibility of recycling in Erbil, Iraq
    Shuokr Qarani Aziz, Hamidi Abdul Aziz, Mohammed Jk Bashir, Mohd Suffian Yusoff
    Waste Manag Res, 2011 Aug;29(8):880-7.
    PMID: 21242179 DOI: 10.1177/0734242X10387462
    Solid waste collection and disposal are among the most vital services provided to about 700 770 residents of the city of Erbil in northern Iraq. As such, proper waste management systems that consider both the quantity and composition of domestic solid waste are strongly required to address the increasing amount of solid waste. Unfortunately, these essential data are not easily available. The present study sought to gather data on the quantity and composition of domestic solid waste collected from different quarters in Erbil, and the feasibility of recycling these wastes. The solid waste generation rate (GR), uncompacted density, and weight percentages of combustible and incombustible materials were determined based on the collected materials (i.e., food, plastic, paper, metal, glass and cloth). The results show that the average GR and uncompacted density were 0.654 kg capita(-1) day(-1) and 175.72 kg m(-3), respectively. The weight percentages of food, plastic, paper, metal, glass, and cloth as components of domestic solid waste were 79.34, 6.28, 5.9, 3.6, 3.42 and 1.45%, respectively.
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  4. Assessment of groundwater nitrate contamination hazard in a semi-arid region by using integrated parametric IPNOA and data-driven logistic regression models
    Rizeei HM, Azeez OS, Pradhan B, Khamees HH
    Environ Monit Assess, 2018 Oct 04;190(11):633.
    PMID: 30288624 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-018-7013-8
    Groundwater hazard assessments involve many activities dealing with the impacts of pollution on groundwater, such as human health studies and environment modelling. Nitrate contamination is considered a hazard to human health, environment and ecosystem. In groundwater management, the hazard should be assessed before any action can be taken, particularly for groundwater pollution and water quality. Thus, pollution due to the presence of nitrate poses considerable hazard to drinking water, and excessive nutrient loads deteriorate the ecosystem. The parametric IPNOA model is one of the well-known methods used for evaluating nitrate content. However, it cannot predict the effect of soil and land use/land cover (LULC) types on calculations relying on parametric well samples. Therefore, in this study, the parametric model was trained and integrated with the multivariate data-driven model with different levels of information to assess groundwater nitrate contamination in Saladin, Iraq. The IPNOA model was developed with 185 different well samples and contributing parameters. Then, the IPNOA model was integrated with the logistic regression (LR) model to predict the nitrate contamination levels. Geographic information system techniques were also used to assess the spatial prediction of nitrate contamination. High-resolution SPOT-5 satellite images with 5 m spatial resolution were processed by object-based image analysis and support vector machine algorithm to extract LULC. Mapping of potential areas of nitrate contamination was examined using receiver operating characteristic assessment. Results indicated that the optimised LR-IPNOA model was more accurate in determining and analysing the nitrate hazard concentration than the standalone IPNOA model. This method can be easily replicated in other areas that have similar climatic condition. Therefore, stakeholders in planning and environmental decision makers could benefit immensely from the proposed method of this research, which can be potentially used for a sustainable management of urban, industrialised and agricultural sectors.
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  5. Fulltext Association between drinking water sources and diarrhea with malnutrition among kindergarten's children in Baghdad city, Iraq
    Hasanain, F.G., Jamsiah, M., Zaleha, M.I., Azmi M. Tamil, Mohammed, A.A.
    Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2012;12(1):45-48.
    MyJurnal
    Malnutrition is associated with childhood diseases such as diarrhea or other severe illness. Children who suffer from
    repeated episodes of diarrhea are more likely to suffer from malnutrition. In addition, the source of drinking water is
    a very important factor affecting the nutritional status. The objective of this study was to find out the prevalence of
    malnutrition condition among children aged 3 to 5 years old and the factors associated with it. A cross sectional study
    using simple random sampling was conducted among 220 children aged 3 to 5 years old from four kindergartens in
    Baghdad city, Iraq. Nutritional assessment was carried out using the indicator weight-for-age z-score based on World
    Health Organization cut off points. Acute malnutrition was found in 18.2 % of the respondents. In this study 65 % of
    the respondents used tap water to drink as compared to 35 % who used sterilized bottles as source of drinking water.
    The environmental factors mainly the source of drinking water was significantly associated with child nutritional
    status (p=0.034). The prevalence of diarrhea and admissions to the hospital due to diarrhea were also significantly
    associated with malnutrition (p < 0.01, p
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  6. Fulltext Association of health literacy and nutritional status assessment with glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus
    Hashim SA, Barakatun-Nisak MY, Abu Saad H, Ismail S, Hamdy O, Mansour AA
    Nutrients, 2020 Oct 15;12(10).
    PMID: 33076406 DOI: 10.3390/nu12103152
    While the role of medical and nutrition factors on glycemic control among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been well-established, the association between health literacy (H.L.) and glycemic control is inconsistent. This study aims to determine the association of H.L. and nutritional status assessments with glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A total of 280 T2DM respondents (mean (SD) age = 49.7 (10.3) years, Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) = 9.9 (2.6) %, and Body Mass Index = 32.7 (15.1) kg/m2) were included in this study. A short-form Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA) assessed the H.L. levels. Nutritional status assessments included client history, glycemic control, anthropometric, and biochemical data. The mean (S.D.) H.L. score was 45.7 (24.6), with 56% of the respondents had inadequate H.L. Inadequate H.L. was more common among those females; housewives, low education, received oral antidiabetic therapy, and shorter diabetes duration. Respondents with inadequate H.L. were significantly older and had higher HbA1c than those with marginal and adequate H.L. Meanwhile, respondents with inadequate and marginal H.L. levels had significantly higher total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure than the respondents with adequate H.L. Low H.L. scores, self-employment status, received dual antidiabetic therapy (insulin with oral agents), received insulin alone, and had higher fasting blood glucose explained about 21% of the total variation in HbA1c (adjusted R2 = 0.21; p < 0.001). Respondents with inadequate H.L. had poor glycemic control. The H.L. scores, together with nutritional status assessments, were the factors that predicted poor glycemic control among adults with T2DM.
    Study site: Faiha Specialized Diabetes, Endocrine, and Metabolism Centre (FDEMC), Basrah, Iraq
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  7. Benchmarking of circular economy behaviors for Iraqi energy companies based on engagement modes with green technology and environmental, social, and governance rating
    Alnoor A, Chew X, Khaw KW, Muhsen YR, Sadaa AM
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2024 Jan;31(4):5762-5783.
    PMID: 38133762 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31645-8
    Greenhouse gas emissions and global warming are recent issues of upward trend. This study sought to underline the causal relationships between engagement modes with green technology, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratio, and circular economy. Our investigation also captured benchmarking of energy companies' circular economy behaviors. A hybrid-stage partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) analysis have been adopted. This study collected 713 questionnaires from heads of departments and managers of energy companies. The findings of this study claimed that engagement modes with green technology affect the circular economy and sustainability. The findings revealed that ESG ratings have a mediating role in the nexus among engagement modes with green technology and circular economy. The results of the MCDM application revealed the identification of the best and worst energy companies of circular economy behaviours. This study is exceptional because it is among the first to address the issues of greenhouse gas emissions by providing decisive evidence about the level of circular economy behaviors in energy companies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  8. Fulltext Beyond the crisis: building back better mental health care in 10 emergency-affected areas using a longer-term perspective
    Epping-Jordan JE, van Ommeren M, Ashour HN, Maramis A, Marini A, Mohanraj A, et al.
    Int J Ment Health Syst, 2015;9:15.
    PMID: 25904981 DOI: 10.1186/s13033-015-0007-9
    BACKGROUND: Major gaps remain - especially in low- and middle-income countries - in the realization of comprehensive, community-based mental health care. One potentially important yet overlooked opportunity for accelerating mental health reform lies within emergency situations, such as armed conflicts or natural disasters. Despite their adverse impacts on affected populations' mental health and well being, emergencies also draw attention and resources to these issues and provide openings for mental health service development.

    CASE DESCRIPTION: Cases were considered if they represented a low- or middle-income country or territory affected by an emergency, were initiated between 2000 and 2010, succeeded in making changes to the mental health system, and were able to be documented by an expert involved directly with the case. Based on these criteria, 10 case examples from diverse emergency-affected settings were included: Afghanistan, Burundi, Indonesia (Aceh Province), Iraq, Jordan, Kosovo, occupied Palestinian territory, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste.

    DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION: These cases demonstrate generally that emergency contexts can be tapped to make substantial and sustainable improvements in mental health systems. From these experiences, 10 common lessons learnt were identified on how to make this happen. These lessons include the importance of adopting a longer-term perspective for mental health reform from the outset, and focusing on system-wide reform that addresses both new-onset and pre-existing mental disorders.

    CONCLUSIONS: Global progress in mental health care would happen more quickly if, in every crisis, strategic efforts were made to convert short-term interest in mental health problems into momentum for mental health reform.

    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  9. Fulltext Cannabis and amphetamine use among adolescents in five Asian countries
    Peltzer K, Pengpid S
    Cent Asian J Glob Health, 2017;6(1):288.
    PMID: 30881756 DOI: 10.5195/cajgh.2017.288
    Introduction: There has been a global increase in illicit drug use among young people. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of lifetime cannabis and amphetamine use, as well as to explore factors associated with substance use among adolescents in five Asian countries: Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mongolia, and Vietnam.
    Methods: 38,941 school children (mean age 15.4 years, SD=1.5) completed the cross-sectional Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS). Topics covered in the questionnaire included cannabis and amphetamine use. Personal, parental, and environmental attributes were explored as predictors of cannabis and amphetamine use. Logistic regression was used to assess the contribution of potential predictors on lifetime cannabis and lifetime amphetamine use.
    Results: Overall, the prevalence of lifetime cannabis use was 0.9% and lifetime amphetamine use was 1.0% among research participants. Cannabis use was influenced by male gender (Kuwait, Mongolia), parental smoking habits (Kuwait, Iraq), and current cigarette smoking in all countries. Amphetamine use was associated with suicidal ideation (Kuwait, Malaysia, Vietnam), school truancy (Malaysia, Mongolia, Vietnam), being a victim of physical assault (Kuwait, Mongolia), bullying victimization (Iraq, Malaysia, Vietnam), as well as anxiety and current cigarette use in all countries.
    Conclusions: Our preliminary results show the importance of personal attributes such as mental distress and environmental stressors on lifetime cannabis and lifetime amphetamine use. Future prospective studies are needed to identify causal relationships among personal attributes, parental attributes, environmental stressors, and illicit substance use.
    Study name: Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS)
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  10. Fulltext Comparability of Interview and Self-Administration of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Tuberculosis (Facit-Tb) Instrument in Iraqi Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients
    Dujaili JA, Syed SS, Hassali MA, Blebil AQ, Awaisu A, Bredle JM
    Value Health, 2014 Nov;17(7):A573.
    PMID: 27201920 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2014.08.1920
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  11. Comparison study of CR-39 and CN-85 detectors to evaluate the alpha radioactivity of some samples of drinks in Iraq
    Hashim AK, Hatif AR, Ahmed NM, Wadi IA, Al Qaaod AA
    Appl Radiat Isot, 2021 Jan;167:109410.
    PMID: 33065401 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109410
    Radon and progeny concentration measurements in various drink samples are intrinsically important for assessing the health risks resulting from daily consumption of these drinks. In this study the comparison between two Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs), the CR-39 and the CN-85 has been conducted for the purpose of evaluating the radon concentration, annual effective dose, the rate of exhalation of radon and the effective radium content in thirty-two different samples of soft drink, water, and milk available in the local Iraq markets. The results showed that there are significant differences in the measurement results for the two detectors. The annual effective dose of the investigated samples is still below the limit of International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommendation in the measurements of both detectors.
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  12. Consumer perception on generic medicines in Basrah, Iraq: preliminary findings from a qualitative study
    Sharrad AK, Hassali MA
    Res Social Adm Pharm, 2011 Mar;7(1):108-12.
    PMID: 21397885 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2009.12.003
    BACKGROUND: The use of generic medicines has been increasing steadily internationally, primarily because of cost concerns. Knowledge and use patterns of generic medicines in Iraq have not yet been measured.
    OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore consumers' perception and knowledge on issues relating to generic medicine use in Basrah, Iraq.
    METHODS: A qualitative approach was used to gather information from consumers in Basrah, Iraq. A purposive sample of 14 consumers in Basrah was interviewed face-to-face using a semistructured interview guide.
    RESULTS: Thematic analysis of the interviews identified 5 major themes: understanding of the term "generic medicine," preference for generic medicine, refusal of generic medicine, generic substitution, and education on the use of generic medicines. Not all the consumers were familiar with the term "generic medicine;" they were familiar with the term "commercial medicine." Most of the participants understood that generics cost less compared with their branded counterparts. Most of the consumers said that their physicians and pharmacists had given them information on generics.
    CONCLUSION: Knowledge of generic medicines may be lacking among consumers in Iraq. Development of consumer education on generics by health care providers is required to support the implementation of the policy on generic medicines in Iraq.
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  13. Fulltext Critical Success Factors of Safety Program Implementation in Construction Projects in Iraq
    Buniya MK, Othman I, Sunindijo RY, Kashwani G, Durdyev S, Ismail S, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 08 11;18(16).
    PMID: 34444218 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18168469
    The construction sector is recognized as one of the most dangerous industries in the world. The situation is worsening in Iraq, as a result of a lack of attention to safety in the building industry and the poor implementation of safety programs. This research aims to identify the critical safety factors (CSFs) of safety program implementation in the Iraqi construction industry. The CSFs were first identified from a review of literature before being verified by construction practitioners, using semi-structured interviews. A questionnaire, based on the verified CSFs, was distributed to construction practitioners in Iraq. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to analyze the quantitative data, and the results show that the CSFs can be categorized into four constructs: worker involvement, safety prevention and control system, safety arrangement, and management commitment. Following that, partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was executed to establish the connection between safety program implementation and overall project success. The result confirms that safety program implementation has a significant, positive impact on project success. This article contributes to knowledge and practice by identifying the CSFs for implementing safety programs in the Iraqi construction industry. The successful implementation of a safety program not only improves safety performance, but also helps to meet other project goals.
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  14. Determination of biochemical oxygen demand and dissolved oxygen for semi-arid river environment: application of soft computing models
    Tao H, Bobaker AM, Ramal MM, Yaseen ZM, Hossain MS, Shahid S
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2019 Jan;26(1):923-937.
    PMID: 30421367 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-3663-x
    Surface and ground water resources are highly sensitive aquatic systems to contaminants due to their accessibility to multiple-point and non-point sources of pollutions. Determination of water quality variables using mathematical models instead of laboratory experiments can have venerable significance in term of the environmental prospective. In this research, application of a new developed hybrid response surface method (HRSM) which is a modified model of the existing response surface model (RSM) is proposed for the first time to predict biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and dissolved oxygen (DO) in Euphrates River, Iraq. The model was constructed using various physical and chemical variables including water temperature (T), turbidity, power of hydrogen (pH), electrical conductivity (EC), alkalinity, calcium (Ca), chemical oxygen demand (COD), sulfate (SO4), total dissolved solids (TDS), and total suspended solids (TSS) as input attributes. The monthly water quality sampling data for the period 2004-2013 was considered for structuring the input-output pattern required for the development of the models. An advance analysis was conducted to comprehend the correlation between the predictors and predictand. The prediction performances of HRSM were compared with that of support vector regression (SVR) model which is one of the most predominate applied machine learning approaches of the state-of-the-art for water quality prediction. The results indicated a very optimistic modeling accuracy of the proposed HRSM model to predict BOD and DO. Furthermore, the results showed a robust alternative mathematical model for determining water quality particularly in a data scarce region like Iraq.
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  15. Development and Psychometric Properties of a Tuberculosis-Specific Multidimensional Health-Related Quality-of-Life Measure for Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis
    Abdulelah J, Sulaiman SAS, Hassali MA, Blebil AQ, Awaisu A, Bredle JM
    Value Health Reg Issues, 2015 May;6:53-59.
    PMID: 29698193 DOI: 10.1016/j.vhri.2015.03.006
    BACKGROUND: Various generic instruments exist to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with tuberculosis (TB), but a psychometrically sound disease-specific instrument is lacking.

    OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to develop and psychometrically validate a multidimensional TB-specific HRQOL instrument relevant to the value of patients with pulmonary TB in Iraq with an eye toward cross-cultural application.

    METHODS: The core general HRQOL questionnaire is composed of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General items. A modular approach was followed for the development of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Tuberculosis (FACIT-TB) questionnaire in which a set of items assessing quality-of-life (QOL) issues not sufficiently covered by the core Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General items, but considered to be relevant to the target population, was added. Moreover, principal-component analysis was used to determine the new subscale structure of the questionnaire.

    RESULTS: In addition to the 27 items of the core questionnaire, a set of 20 items referring to disease symptoms related to the site of infection, adverse effects, and additional QOL dimensions such as fatigue, social stigma, and economic burden of the illness was included. Factor analysis demonstrated that the FACIT-TB construct comprised five domains.

    CONCLUSIONS: A rigorous method was applied in the development of the FACIT-TB measure to fully understand the impact of TB on patients' QOL. The instrument is psychometrically sound and portrays multiple important dimensions of HRQOL. FACIT-TB is relatively brief, is easy to administer and score, and is appropriate for use in clinical trials and practice.
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  16. Development and human resources in the Islamic world: a study of selected countries
    Duza MB
    Popul Sci, 1987;7:1-30.
    PMID: 12315536
    "The present paper attempts to provide an analytical profile of development and human resources in [12] selected [Islamic] countries." The countries--Bangladesh, Somalia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Malaysia, Algeria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and United Arab Emirates--vary in income levels from low to high and in population size from 1 million to 159 million. Using data from the World Bank and the Population Council, comparisons are made on the basis of mortality and fertility levels, family size, income, urbanization, labor force size and growth, education, nutrition, and health. Governmental policy changes and future directions are discussed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  17. Fulltext Development and validation of a comprehensive diabetes self-management scale
    Mikhael EM, Hassali MA, Hussain SA, Shawky N
    Diabetes Metab Syndr, 2019 03 18;13(3):1717-1721.
    PMID: 31235083 DOI: 10.1016/j.dsx.2019.03.025
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq; Iraq/epidemiology
  18. Diagnostics of intestinal parasites by light microscopy among the population of children between the ages of 4-12 in eastern Turkey
    Babat SO, Sirekbasan S, Macin S, Kariptas E, Polat E
    Trop Biomed, 2018 Dec 01;35(4):1087-1091.
    PMID: 33601855
    Intestinal parasitic infections are among important health problems in developing countries. In societies living in low socioeconomic conditions, it has been neglected and mostly affects children. It is important to determine the prevalence and type of intestinal parasites in order to determine the intervention strategies for these infections. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate intestinal parasite prevalence and IgE levels and the factors associated with the region in which the children population live, in Sirnak province, in the eastern of Turkey. A total of 357 symptomatic children aged 4 to 12 years, who were admitted to the Paediatric Polyclinic of Sirnak State Hospital, were examined prospectively. The collected stool samples were examined with direct wet-mount and concentration method under light microscope. In addition, total serum IgE levels were compared among 223 children with parasitic disease and 134 children without parasitic disease. One or more intestinal parasites were detected in 223 out of the 357 children participating in the study. The ratio of single, double, and triple parasitic infections in children was 32.5 %, 22.4 % and 7.6 %, respectively. The most common parasites determined in the study were Taenia spp. (39.9%), Enterobius vermicularis (38.6%) and Giardia intestinalis. (30 %). The difference between IgE levels determined in both groups was not regarded to be statistically significant. This study indicated that that intestinal polyparism is very common in children living in the province of Sirnak, which is located in the east of Turkey, neighbouring Iraq and Syria in the South. For this reason, sustainable control measures are urgently needed to improve personal hygiene and sanitation, to provide a healthy infrastructure and to improve the quality of existing water resources.
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  19. Fulltext Dispensing of antibiotics in community pharmacy in Iraq: a qualitative study
    Alkadhimi A, Dawood OT, Hassali MA
    Pharm Pract (Granada), 2020 12 12;18(4):2095.
    PMID: 33343772 DOI: 10.18549/PharmPract.2020.4.2095
    Objective: This study aimed to understand the dispensing practice of antibiotics in community pharmacy in Iraq, in addition to explore the community pharmacists' perception about dispensing antibiotics without prescription.

    Methods: A qualitative design was conducted on community pharmacists in Baghdad, Iraq. Pharmacists were selected conveniently from different gender, age group, pharmacy type and years of experience. Face-to-face semi-structure interview was used with all the pharmacists to get in-depth understanding about their dispensing practice of antibiotics without prescription in community pharmacy. The data was coded and classified for thematic analysis.

    Results: This study found that dispensing of antibiotics without prescription was a common practice in community pharmacy. Pharmacists' perception towards dispensing antibiotics without prescription was associated with the medical condition, safety and efficacy of antibiotics, patients request antibiotics by name, emergency cases, regular customer, promotions from pharmaceutical companies, saving time and cost, brand medications, and poor healthcare services. In addition, there were inadequate knowledge about antibiotic resistance and lack of awareness about antibiotic stewardship leading to inappropriate dispensing practice.

    Conclusions: Community pharmacists have poor perception towards dispensing antibiotics without prescription. Educational interventions about antibiotics use focusing on community pharmacists are needed. This will help to optimize the practice of dispensing of antibiotics in the community. In addition, training programs about antibiotic resistance are important to enhance pharmacists' understanding about antibiotic stewardship.

    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
  20. Fulltext Dual Regulation of Cell Death and Cell Survival upon Induction of Cellular Stress by Isopimara-7,15-Dien-19-Oic Acid in Cervical Cancer, HeLa Cells In vitro
    Abu N, Yeap SK, Pauzi AZ, Akhtar MN, Zamberi NR, Ismail J, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2016;7:89.
    PMID: 27065873 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00089
    The Fritillaria imperialis is an ornamental flower that can be found in various parts of the world including Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Himalayas. The use of this plant as traditional remedy is widely known. This study aims to unveil the anti-cancer potentials of Isopimara-7,15-Dien-19-Oic Acid, extracted from the bulbs of F. imperialis in cervical cancer cell line, HeLa cells. Flow cytometry analysis of cell death, gene expression analysis via cDNA microarray and protein array were performed. Based on the results, Isopimara-7,15-Dien-19-Oic acid simultaneously induced cell death and promoted cell survival. The execution of apoptosis was apparent based on the flow cytometry results and regulation of both pro and anti-apoptotic genes. Additionally, the regulation of anti-oxidant genes were up-regulated especially thioredoxin, glutathione and superoxide dismutase- related genes. Moreover, the treatment also induced the activation of pro-survival heat shock proteins. Collectively, Isopimara-7,15-Dien-19-Oic Acid managed to induce cellular stress in HeLa cells and activate several anti- and pro survival pathways.
    Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
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