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Dementia is on the rise worldwide due to the ageing population. This also poses new challenges for diagnostics. Nuclear medicine has been complementing neurology for over 20 years with its standardised test methods in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, hybrid technologies have become established. A major focus is PET/CT and PET/MRI. These enable fused morphological and anatomical cross-sectional images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imagine your body as a medieval castle protected by countless little knights, ensuring that no stranger ever breaches the castle's walls. These protectors are our mast cells. In a healthy individual, mast cells are crucial for defending against pathogens, regulating physiological processes, and managing inflammation. Like vigilant knights, they patrol the body and shield us from invaders. But what happens when these knights suddenly misunderstand their task, and instead of defending the castle walls, they start to loosen or dismantle them? Welcome to the world of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), the mysterious illness that affects more and more people and challenges medical professionals across the globe at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the efforts of Seed Global Health, a non-governmental organization, in developing emergency medicine in Uganda. The organization takes a three-pronged approach, focusing on education, practice, and policy. They have partnered with universities to train emergency medicine professionals, provided equipment and support for clinical practice, and collaborated with the Ministry of Health to create a conducive policy environment. Despite challenges, Seed Global Health remains committed to supporting emergency care in Uganda and believes that investing in human resources for health saves lives. [Extracted from the article]

Pay is an important issue for the profession, not least because it is widely recognised that nursing staff are not paid what they deserve. After years of pay stagnation and real-terms cuts for NHS staff, many feel the remuneration for nurses does not reflect the skills and experience required and the value of this safety-critical profession. But what happens in other nations? How does the way nurse pay is agreed across the UK compare with that in countries that have healthcare systems with similar features to the NHS and what are your international nursing peers being paid? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the annual conference of the Consortium of Universities of Global Health (CUGH) held in Los Angeles, California. The theme of the conference was "Global Health without borders: Acting for impact," and it brought together over 1,400 global health practitioners from more than 50 nations. The conference covered various subthemes, including social determinants of health, pandemic prevention, decolonization, and non-communicable diseases. The African Forum For Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth) was represented at the conference, and two members of its governing council received the CUGH Distinguished Leadership award. One of the highlighted sessions focused on building a resilient global health workforce and discussed training models, adaptability, global collaboration, and strategies for addressing gaps in underserved regions and marginalized populations. [Extracted from the article]

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of joining the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's (ASHA) S.T.E.P. mentoring program wherein she worked with a mentor who helped her with her bilingualism research and taught her cutting-edge concepts.

The article tackles the problem of unaddressed vision impairments and avoidable blindness and unveils the economic returns of eye care. It presents the case of tea pickers in Assam, India who were screened for presbyopia and provided with eyeglasses which resulted in increased productivity compared to those delayed with provision of eyeglasses. Other social and economic benefits of eye care include personal boost, increased income and ability to do daily activities, jobs or domestic duties.

The article offers information on the measurement of happiness and well-being, highlighting the World Happiness Report and Greater Good Magazine as key projects in this field. The World Happiness Report, published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, tracks global happiness components based on the Gallup World Poll's survey.

The authors note the disparity between leadership roles of men and women in global health and its effect on the response to COVID‐19. The work of their organization Women in Global Health is described, including "launching a Gender Equal Health and Care Workforce Initiative in 2021 in partnership with the Government of France and World Health Organization, convening governments and international organizations to leverage commitments for safe and decent work, equal pay and an equal say in leadership for women in health and social care." They note that women are "80 percent of the world's nurses and 90 percent of the frontline health workers." Yet the reality is that "women still deliver health systems led by men." The authors outline their vision for global health leadership; in brief, and in their words: First, we must change the narrative and see women as drivers of global health, not solely as users of health systems.... Second, women in health and social care need a new social contract... Third, COVID‐19 showed that viruses do not respect national borders and we live in an interconnected world... Fourth, beyond gender parity in global health leadership, we need leaders of all genders to be gender transformative leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AUTH Why you should read this article: • To enhance your awareness of the symptoms that patients with end-stage kidney disease may experience • To understand what conservative management of patients with end-stage kidney disease entails, including symptom management and advanced care planning • To count towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD, or you may wish to write a reflective account (UK readers) • To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers) The prevalence of end-stage kidney disease is increasing, particularly among older people and those with multiple comorbidities. Typically, patients who develop end-stage kidney disease receive renal replacement therapies such as dialysis; however, this treatment can significantly affect quality of life and may not prolong life in older patients. Therefore, some patients may choose not to undergo dialysis and instead choose conservative management, which involves a palliative approach that focuses on maintaining quality of life and advance care planning. This article details the steps involved in a conservative kidney management pathway for end-stage kidney disease, including symptom management and advance care planning. It also discusses the importance of a palliative approach for patients receiving dialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the author's reflections on leadership and creating and running a nonprofit; in this case, the global health organization Arogya World, started in 2010. In that year, I saw noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)—chronic diseases including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and mental illness—as the next big frontier in global health, and one worth dedicating the rest of my life to. Statistics from the World Health Organization are noted around the prevalence and prevention of NCDs. Diabetes and its prevention in India is Arogya World's focus area because I have seen firsthand what diabetes does. I have the disease, as do others in my family. ("Arogya" means freedom from disease in Sanskrit.) Arogya World is a small nonprofit, but it thinks big and aims to be mighty. It has partnered with such entities as Emory University and the multinational company Nokia; as well as Northwestern University and Stanford's CARE (Center for Asian Health Research and Education). The conclusion notes that leaders are both thinkers and doers, with a good sense of self‐worth and a deep sense of purpose. They make meaningful contributions to society through being authentic, accountable, and delivering on their promises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the global health workforce (HWF) crisis, particularly in Africa. It highlights concerns about demonstrations, strikes, and the unregulated recruitment and migration of health workers from low-income countries. Despite global efforts to address the crisis, shortages, maldistribution, and poor working conditions persist. The article emphasizes the importance of health workers in achieving universal health coverage (UHC) and other sustainable development goals (SDGs). It also calls for advocacy initiatives, engagement of political leaders, and building technical capacity in HWF leadership to address the crisis effectively. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents a case study of a 58-year-old female self-referred to another provider, but eventually made it back to my office— with more issues than she left with. The article discusses that new patient presented for a comprehensive evaluation secondary to blurred vision OS>OD; and she reported that her vision had been blurrier OU over the past 12 months.

'Globalisation' is the term used to describe the increasing economic and social interdependence between countries. Shifting patterns of health and disease are associated with globalisation. Global health refers to a health issue that is not contained geographically and that single countries cannot address alone. In response to globalisation and global health issues, nurses practise in new and emerging transnational contexts. Therefore, it is important that nurses respond proactively to these changes and understand the effects of globalisation on health worldwide. This article aims to increase nurses' knowledge of, and confidence in, this important area of nursing practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) which will be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on May 6-11, 2017.

The article discusses the Global State of Democracy 2021 (GSoD) report, which states that GSoD is a massive project that synthesizes large datasets into a coherent framework for understanding the troubled status of democratic institutions. It is noted that the 2021 GSoD covers 165 countries and its discussion concentrates on major dataset covers 1975–2020. It is noted that GSoD uses a two-level classification for organizing democratic institutions.

The article offers global news briefs related to information technology (IT) industry as of March 1, 2023. World Economic Forum (WEF) has partnered with publisher Frontiers to champion open science. Path to Open program is being launched by digital library JSTOR to support publication of scholarly books. Della has been acquired by software firm Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory.

The article discusses the achievements of the Nursing Now global campaign to raise the profile of the nursing profession to align with new models of health care and prevention in the developing nations. Topics discussed include the case of Mozambique where 90% of caesarian sections are done by trained nurses in extended roles. Also mentioned is the case of Uganda where nurses and midwives are initiating Acquire Immune Defficiency Syndrome treatment that greatly increased access to retrovirals.

The article discusses the role of nurses in battling the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) global health threat as of 2018. Topics covered include AMR's prevention of treatment of infections due to bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi, and nurses' need to completely understand the specific administration of antibiotics to patients. Also noted are inputs from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the issue, and recommendations for nurses on tackling AMR.

The article reviews the web site Global Health, located at www.cabi.org, from CABI.

The article reports that nonprofit organization Ophthalmology Foundation aims to improve global eye care through ophthalmic education. Topics covered include how the organization was formed, how the organization's ophthalmology education arm targets educating physicians worldwide so that they can teach fellows and colleagues and the organization's education programs which include online content and in-person learning. It also cites the organization's plan to establish a mentorship program.

The article presents a report on the progress of the global control and regional elimination of measles from 2000 to 2012. It is inferred that the increase in measles-containing vaccine (MCV) resulted in the reduction of the annual incidence for measles. The significance of strengthening the public health system in the elimination of measles is highlighted.

The article presents the discussion on Nadine Post arriving in Boston reporting a profile on the nonprofit Build Health International starting a fundraising campaign organizing plane shipments of medical supplies to Haiti.

The article features the Batesville (Indiana) Intermediate School, which won the American Library Association's 2020 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Excellence in Humanities Programming for using its book club in helping address global challenges like climate change and poverty. Also cited is the club's use of the United Nations' (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as basis for its initiatives.

The article discusses the importance of conducting baseline and subsequent assessments in determining the required medical intervention for children with epilepsy. Topics mentioned include the use of baseline assessment after a child's diagnosis to enable clinicians to monitor changes in brain function, statistics on the number of new cases of epilepsy among children every year, and difficulties in academic, social, and emotional functioning associated with the disorder.

The article discusses augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) approach to help Bolivian and Ghanian students with intellectual disabilities. Two speech-language pathologists from Teachers College, Columbia University, maintaining American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA's) Code of Ethics as a guide in their international work, talk about ways to provide beneficial services an insight to international work. Essentiality of long term commitment is also explored INSET: How to Establish an International Program.

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is a common infectious disease and a major cause of illness and death throughout the world, particularly in developing countries. This article explores the difference between latent TB infection and active TB disease, and discusses the pharmacological management of TB and issues around adherence to medication. Although TB is usually managed by specialist teams it is essential that all practitioners have an understanding of the signs and symptoms of the disease to ensure early referral and accurate diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem/Condition: Estimated trends in county-level vaccination coverage compared with national health objectives and associated with other variables (e.g., access to care, economic conditions, and demographic characteristics) have not been reported previously. Reporting Period: 1995-2008. Description of System: The National Immunization Survey (NIS) is an ongoing, random-digit-dialed telephone survey that gathers vaccination coverage data from households with children aged 19-35 months in 50 states and selected urban areas and territories. Results: During 1995-2008, 185,336 children aged 19-35 months sampled by NIS had adequate provider data and lived in one of the 257 counties where the combined sample size for at least one of the seven biennial periods during 1995-2008 was ?35. Statistically significant increases in estimated vaccination coverage occurred in 27 of 233 counties (12%) with ?4 doses of diphthe­ria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis (DTaP); for 38 of 233 counties (16%) with ?3 doses of polio vaccine; eight of 233 counties (3%) with ?1 dose of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR); nine of 233 counties (4%) with ?3 doses of Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine; 193 of 233 counties (83%) with ?3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine; 228 of 232 counties (98%) with ?1 dose of varicella vaccine; and 187 of 192 counties (97%) with ?4 doses of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7). Six of 233 (2%) counties had significant decreases in vaccination coverage for Hib. During the 2007-2008 biennial period, the percentage of 193 counties with estimated vaccine coverage that achieved the Healthy People 2010 objective of 90% vaccination coverage was 8% for DTaP/DTP vaccines, 93% for polio vaccine, 86% for MMR vaccine, 71% Hib vaccine, 94% for hepatitis B vaccine, 50% for varicella vaccine, and <1% for PCV7. Among 104 counties, the estimated percentage of children aged 6-23 months who were administered ?1 dose of the seasonal influenza vaccine during the 2007-2008 influenza vaccination season was 39.0% (range: 22.2%-68.8%). For most vaccines and vaccine series, higher levels of county-level vaccination coverage correlated with a higher number of pediatricians per capita, a higher number of people living in group quarters (e.g., college residence halls, residential treatment centers, skilled nursing facilities, group homes, military barracks, correctional facilities, workers' dormitories, and facilities for persons experiencing homelessness) per capita, higher per capita income, a higher number of Hispanics per capita, and having a service-dependent economy. Lower levels of county-level vaccination coverage correlated with higher number of persons in poverty per capita, a higher percentage of black children among children aged <5 years, higher levels of housing stress (i.e., ?30% income for rent or mortgage and certain inadequate housing characteristics), a higher number of pediatric intensive care beds per capita, and designation as a nonmetropolitan county with an economy dependent on recreation activities. Interpretation: During 1995-2008, significant increases in vaccination coverage for individual vaccines occurred in many coun­ties for the newly recommended vaccines, varicella and PCV7. Public Health Actions: In counties that did not meet the Healthy People 2010 vaccination coverage objectives, states should evaluate strategies to achieve these objectives. The Guide to Community Preventive Services provides a summary of interventions that increase community vaccination coverage, including provider reminder-recall systems that remind parents to return to clin­ics to administer missed doses to children and assessment and feedback on the performance of vaccination providers. In counties where significant decreases in Hib vaccination coverage occurred, additional research is warranted to determine whether the recent shortage in the Hib vaccine was the sole cause of these decreases. In counties with a high proportion of children living in poverty, interventions to increase vaccination coverage among these children are needed. Additional research is required to understand potential barriers to increased coverage with these vaccines, the role of vaccination providers and their resource constraints, and factors associated with access to health care among children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with U.S. Special Libraries Association (SLA) member Jeffrey Aubuchon is presented. When asked about his employer Management Sciences for Health, he states that it is classified as an international health organization which has offices in 33 countries around the world. Aubuchon mentions that his job is to ensure that the staff of the group have easy access to the evidence-based knowledge which they need to save lives. He says that he learned about the structure of big donors when he worked at the organization.

The article provides an update on the international fight towards the elimination of malaria as of 2015. Topics discussed include a claim by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) that 57 countries have reduced their malaria cases by 75%, in line with the World Health Assembly's target for 2015, the existing and arising biological difficulties to elimination in Africa, and the need for political will to eliminate malaria in endemic countries.

The article discusses the global effort to diagnose, treat and prevent tuberculosis (TB). TB is the second leading infectious cause of death worldwide. The World Health Organization recommends a treatment regimen for active, drug-susceptible TB consisting of four antibiotics which include isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide. Pharmaceutical companies such as Sandoz, Novartis and Lilly are helping to make anti-TB drugs more accessible.

The article offers information on the legal and library responses to a global coronavirus pandemic. Topics include revamp disaster plans and/or create pandemic policy; make sure policy allows discretion depending on the type of disaster or crisis include policy for pay, leave, social distancing; and library or system should offer online library card signup.

Mental health issues present in every clinical environment, yet most students on adult nursing courses only spend a small amount of time learning about mental health in the classroom and on a relevant clinical placement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the role of globalization in disease transmission. There are a variety of ways in which epidemics affect societies including loss of life, political instability, and economic stagnation. With the advent of new technology, societies must contend with the speed at which people and goods move around the planet. There is a need for countries toward a global health infrastructure that responds quickly and effectively to epidemics such as the avian flu, severe acute respiratory syndrome, or terrorist-induced disease outbreaks. Chinese leaders have been taking steps to fight the rising HIV/AIDS epidemic that experts predict in their country. In the corporate world, Pfizer is helping build the necessary infrastructure to fight against infectious diseases.

The article discusses several photographs and stories by the author, which portray a photojournalist's thoughts on fifteen years spent at the frontlines of the global health war. These include a photograph of a boy who had yellow fever and was very sick. His brother had died the week, before of the same disease. The author went to some of the poorest, most unstable countries in the world. He was arrested in Sierra Leone, had AK-47's pointed at him, walked through human waste in the worst poverty imaginable, and became dangerously ill while covering brothels in Bombay, India.

Tens of thousands of deaths a year in the developing world could be prevented by training and access to information. Erin Dean reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]