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Displaying publications 21 - 29 of 29 in total

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Drug utilization studies: their transferability between industrialized and developing countries

Lee D, Balasubramaniam K, Ali HM

WHO Reg Publ Eur Ser, 1993;45:193-218.
PMID: 8442847
Matched MeSH terms: Health Priorities
Fulltext HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE HTAsiaLINK NETWORK AND ITS KEY DETERMINANTS OF SUCCESS

Teerawattananon Y, Luz K, Yothasmutra C, Pwu RF, Ahn J, Shafie AA, et al.

Int J Technol Assess Health Care, 2018 Jan;34(3):260-266.
PMID: 29911515 DOI: 10.1017/S0266462318000223

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe the historical development of the HTAsiaLink network, draw lessons for other similar initiatives globally, and to analyze key determinants of its success and challenges for its future development.
METHODS: This study is based on the collective and direct experiences of the founding members of the HTAsiaLink Network. Data were collected from presentations they made at various international forums and additional information was reviewed. Data analysis was done using the framework developed by San Martin-Rodriguez et al.Results and Conclusions:HTAsiaLink is a network of health technology assessment (HTA) agencies in Asia established in 2011 with the aim of strengthening individual and institutional HTA capacity, reducing duplication and optimizing resources, transfer and sharing of HTA-related lessons among members, and beyond. During its 6 years, the network has expanded, initiating several capacity building activities and joint-research projects, raising awareness of the importance of HTA within the region and beyond, and gaining global recognition while establishing relationships with other global networks. The study identifies the determinants of success of the collaboration. The systemic factors include the favorable outlook toward HTA as an approach for healthcare priority setting in countries with UHC mandates. On organizational factors, the number of newly established HTA agencies in the region with similar needs for capacity building and peer-to-peer support was catalytic for the network development. The interactional aspects include ownership, trust, and team spirit among network members. The network, however, faces challenges notably, financial sustainability and management of the expanded network.

Matched MeSH terms: Health Priorities
Fulltext Current vector research challenges in the greater Mekong subregion for dengue, Malaria, and Other Vector-Borne Diseases: A report from a multisectoral workshop March 2019

Christofferson RC, Parker DM, Overgaard HJ, Hii J, Devine G, Wilcox BA, et al.

PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2020 Jul;14(7):e0008302.
PMID: 32730249 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008302
Matched MeSH terms: Health Priorities
Fulltext The Use of Medicines with Anti-cholinergic Properties and Their Health Impacts among Hospitalised Malaysian Geriatric Patients

Wahab IA, Akbar B, Zainal ZA, Che Pa MF, Naina B

Malays J Med Sci, 2019 Mar;26(2):77-87.
PMID: 31447611 MyJurnal DOI: 10.21315/mjms2019.26.2.9

Background: Studies have shown that the use of medicines with anti-cholinergic (Ach) properties can increase elderly patients' risk of experiencing falls, confusion, and longer hospital stays (LOS). These adverse effects are preventable with appropriate intervention. Little is known about the use of medicines with Ach properties and their impact on Malaysian elderly patients. This study aimed to investigate the use of medicines with Ach properties and their impact on fall risk, confusion, and longer LOS among hospitalised elderly patients.
Methods: This study utilised a cross-sectional design and was conducted at a single centre where convenience sampling was employed to collect data from elderly patients (> 60 years) admitted to geriatric and medical wards at Hospital Tuanku Ja'afar during a 2-month period (July 2017-August 2017). Patients were excluded from this study if their hospital admission was planned for an elective procedure or if neurocognitive and hepatic impairment were diagnosed prior to the hospital admission. Medicines with Ach properties were identified and classified according to the anti-cholinergic drug scale (ADS). Univariate and multiple logistic regression statistical analyses were performed to assess its impacts on falls, confusion, and LOS.
Results: A total of 145 elderly patients with a mean age of 71.59 years old (SD = 8.02) were included in the study. Fifty-two percent of the participants were female, and the average hospital stay was 6 days (SD = 2.09). Medicines with Ach properties were administered in 62% (n = 90) of the cases. The most commonly prescribed medicine with Ach properties was furosemide (n = 59), followed by ranitidine (n = 44), warfarin (n = 23), and methylprednisolone (n = 22). Compared to patients who did not receive medicines with Ach properties, patients who received them had a significantly higher risk of falls [odds ratios (OR) = 2.61; 95%CI: 1.18, 5.78; P = 0.018], confusion (OR = 3.60; 95%CI: 1.55, 8.36; P = 0.003), and LOS (OR = 4.83; 95%CI: 2.13, 10.94; P < 0.001). Multiple comorbidities also showed a significantly increased risk of falls (OR = 3.03; 95%CI: 1.29, 7.07; P = 0.010).
Conclusion: Medicines with Ach properties had a significant impact on elderly patients' health. Strategies for rationally prescribing medicines with Ach properties to Malaysian elderly patients need to be improved and be recognised as an important public health priority.

Matched MeSH terms: Health Priorities
Fulltext Multiple gene targeting siRNAs for down regulation of Immediate Early-2 (Ie2) and DNA polymerase genes mediated inhibition of novel rat Cytomegalovirus (strain All-03)

Balakrishnan KN, Abdullah AA, Bala JA, Jesse FFA, Abdullah CAC, Noordin MM, et al.

Virol J, 2020 Oct 27;17(1):164.
PMID: 33109247 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-020-01436-5

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an opportunistic pathogen that causes severe complications in congenitally infected newborns and non-immunocompetent individuals. Developing an effective vaccine is a major public health priority and current drugs are fronting resistance and side effects on recipients. In the present study, with the aim of exploring new strategies to counteract CMV replication, several anti-CMV siRNAs targeting IE2 and DNA polymerase gene regions were characterized and used as in combinations for antiviral therapy.
METHODS: The rat embryo fibroblast (REF) cells were transfected with multi siRNA before infecting with CMV strain ALL-03. Viral growth inhibition was measured by tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50), cytopathic effect (CPE) and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) while IE2 and DNA polymerase gene knockdown was determined by real-time PCR. Ganciclovir was deployed as a control to benchmark the efficacy of antiviral activities of respective individual siRNAs.
RESULTS: There was no significant cytotoxicity encountered for all the combinations of siRNAs on REF cells analyzed by MTT colorimetric assay (P > 0.05). Cytopathic effects (CPE) in cells infected by RCMV ALL-03 had developed significantly less and at much slower rate compared to control group. The expression of targeted genes was downregulated successfully resulted in significant reduction (P

Matched MeSH terms: Health Priorities
The Role of Public Health Nutrition in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the Asia Pacific Region

Binns C, Lee MK, Low WY, Zerfas A

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2017 Oct;29(7):617-624.
PMID: 29094630 DOI: 10.1177/1010539517736441

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) replaced the Millennium Development Goals (MDCs) in 2015, which included several goals and targets primarily related to nutrition: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health. In the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) member countries as a group, infant and child mortality were reduced by more than 65% between 1990 and 2015, achieving the MDG target of two-thirds reduction, although these goals were not achieved by several smaller countries. The SDGs are broader in focus than the MDGs, but include several goals that relate directly to nutrition: 2 (zero hunger-food), 3 (good health and well-being-healthy life), and 12 (responsible consumption and production-sustainability). Other SDGs that are closely related to nutrition are 4 and 5 (quality education and equality in gender-education and health for girls and mothers, which is very important for infant health) and 13 (climate action). Goal 3 is "good health and well-being," which includes targets for child mortality, maternal mortality, and reducing chronic disease. The Global Burden of Disease Project has confirmed that the majority of risk for these targets can be attributed to nutrition-related targets. Dietary Guidelines were developed to address public health nutrition risk in the Asia Pacific region at the 48th APACPH 2016 conference and they are relevant to the achievement of the SDGs. Iron deficiency increases the risk of maternal death from haemorrhage, a cause of 300000 deaths world-wide each year. Improving diets and iron supplementation are important public health interventions in the APACPH region. Chronic disease and obesity rates in the APACPH region are now a major challenge and healthy life course nutrition is a major public health priority in answering this challenge. This article discusses the role of public health nutrition in achieving the SDGs. It also examines the role of APACPH in education and advocacy and in fulfilling the educational needs of public health students in public health nutrition.

Matched MeSH terms: Health Priorities
Integrating ethics, health policy and health systems in low- and middle-income countries: case studies from Malaysia and Pakistan

Hyder AA, Merritt M, Ali J, Tran NT, Subramaniam K, Akhtar T

Bull World Health Organ, 2008 Aug;86(8):606-11.
PMID: 18797618

Scientific progress is a significant basis for change in public-health policy and practice, but the field also invests in value-laden concepts and responds daily to sociopolitical, cultural and evaluative concerns. The concepts that drive much of public-health practice are shaped by the collective and individual mores that define social systems. This paper seeks to describe the ethics processes in play when public-health mechanisms are established in low- and middle-income countries, by focusing on two cases where ethics played a crucial role in producing positive institutional change in public-health policy. First, we introduce an overview of the relationship between ethics and public health; second, we provide a conceptual framework for the ethical analysis of health system events, noting how this approach might enhance the power of existing frameworks; and third, we demonstrate the interplay of these frameworks through the analysis of a programme to enhance road safety in Malaysia and an initiative to establish a national ethics committee in Pakistan. We conclude that, while ethics are gradually being integrated into public-health policy decisions in many developing health systems, ethical analysis is often implicit and undervalued. This paper highlights the need to analyse public-health decision-making from an ethical perspective.

Matched MeSH terms: Health Priorities
Building a tuberculosis-free world: The Lancet Commission on tuberculosis

Reid MJA, Arinaminpathy N, Bloom A, Bloom BR, Boehme C, Chaisson R, et al.

Lancet, 2019 Mar 30;393(10178):1331-1384.
PMID: 30904263 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30024-8
Matched MeSH terms: Health Priorities
Messages from the Malaysian Diabetes Registries on Diabetes Care in Malaysian public healthcare facilities

Chew BH, Lee PY, Cheong AT, Ismail M, Shariff-Ghazali S, Goh PP

Prim Care Diabetes, 2016 10;10(5):383-6.
PMID: 27459893 DOI: 10.1016/j.pcd.2016.07.003

A persistent and increasing prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes mellitus has recently been reported in the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015. This commentary recapitulates the relevant and valuable lessons in the Malaysian national diabetes registries to inform the healthcare stakeholders and policy makers on potential areas of clinical practice improvement and future researches. Under performance of the process measures and sub-optimal control of HbA1c, blood pressure and lipids profile were prevalent (<40% achieved treatment targets). Although these had improved slightly from 2009 to 2012, diabetes co-morbidities (hypertension and dyslipidaemia) and complications had also increased. Prevalence of insulin use had doubled, and lipid lowering agent use had increased about 50% in 2012 compared to 2009. We identified six clinical areas for urgent attention and improvement, and three potential areas for future research.

Matched MeSH terms: Health Priorities