Background: Studies suggest that less than 10% of the total population in the Philippines have been tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and only 2% of women ages 18-45. Improving access to testing is imperative to building the HIV Care Continuum, given the aims of the United Nations' 95-95-95 targets and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). International Public Health partnerships between several entities introduced a training program to certify a diverse spectrum of community providers to increase access to HIV counseling and testing in Davao City. Methods: A community assessment was conducted and stakeholders were identified based on accessibility to services for women and natural integration within operations. Invitations to the training were extended to the groups identified. Participants included representatives from three universities, two nonprofit organizations, local clinics, two social work programs, a midwifery practice, three religious organizations, and local tribal leaders. The comprehensive HIV education, counseling, and testing training conference covered the span of one week with all-day sessions. Participants were required to take a pre-test, attend all sessions, and complete a post-test. Results: Thirty-one participants in Davao City were trained and certified in HIV counseling and testing. Twenty-four participants met the inclusion criteria for analysis. Exams were composed of three parts designed by the Philippines Department of Health to measure competency for HIV certification. Pre-test scores indicated low levels of HIV knowledge with a mean score of 27.97% and a range of 9.59-54.79%. Post-tests were given one week later and the mean increased markedly to 87.61% with a range of 52.05-97.26%. A Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test showed a high level of statistical significance (p < 0.001) between the pre- and post-test scores. Conclusions: HIV education, counseling, and testing can now be made available from several community-based organizations for unreached populations including women at risk in the Philippines. The COVID-19 pandemic restricted plans for HIV program distribution and systems to provide HIV test kits and referrals. As COVID-19 has slowed, plans have resumed and data will be collected for tracking, linkage to care, and adherence. This vital phase is foundational in the HIV Care Continuum, core SDGs, and 95-95-95 targets for the Philippines.
Introduction: Traditional medicine is sometimes known as alternative medicine.It is an indigenous medical system based on the beliefs about the causes of illness as well as the customs and culture of the people.According to the World Health Organization (WHO), traditional medicine is "the knowledge, skills and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, used in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness."There are a lot of issues with using traditional remedies.First of all, unlike orthodox treatments, the body cannot metabolize traditional medicines naturally.There are very few standardized dosages available to avoid side effects.Objectives: To assess the prevalence of traditional medicine practices amongst mothers of under-five children at Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study done from 1stOctober to 31 st December 2022.A simple random sampling technique by balloting was used in the selection of the study participants.Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and were analyzed using SPSS version 23.Results: Seven (2.9%) of the respondents always use traditional medicine while, 65 (26.6%)sometimes engaged in traditional medicine practices but the majority of the respondents had never engaged in traditional medical practices, 98 (40.2%).Seventy-four (30.3%) had rarely used it.Forty-one (56.9%) people evaluated it years ago, out of the many.There was no statistically significant association between the socio-demographic factors and the reasons for the utilization of traditional medicine practices. Conclusion:The prevalence of traditional medicine practices among mothers of under-five children was found to be very low among the respondents who always use traditional medical practices and low among those who sometimes engage in traditional medicine practices.This study therefore recommends more health education on the advantages and benefits of orthodox medicine for these mothers.
There is substantial evidence linking the consumption of psychotropic medications with leading to mania, hostility, violence, and even homicidal ideation yet little is still known regarding the link between psychiatric drugs and acts of senseless violence.These drugs, whether administered to treat depression, mania, or anxiety, have neurological side effects that frequently enhance the probability of additional comorbid mental health outcomes.A special class of psychotropic medications, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are consistently involved in producing a varied range of maladaptive mental and behavioral conditions.The purpose of this paper is to examine in detail the neurological processes that may be involved in these negative outcomes and present a prospective for future research in neurosciences to develop a 'risk-benefit' profile for treating children and adolescents.
Background Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections, and appropriate antimicrobial therapy with agents that minimise resistance is crucial. Despite international concern, adherence to guidelines is still suboptimal. This study aims to determine the effect of the absence of national guidelines and the rate of conformity to international guidelines among physicians in antibiotic (ATB) prescriptions for the treatment of UTIs in adults and detect the factors that are associated with a higher rate of non-compliance.Methods Patient-related characteristics and the prescribed ATBs were gathered from patients' medical files, and a questionnaire was directed to physicians to elicit the factors involved in decision-making. Four criteria were evaluated: molecule conformity, daily dose conformity, duration conformity and global conformity.Results 37 Lebanese physicians and 185 prescriptions were included. The most prevalent class of ATBs was fluoroquinolones (30.3%). Global conformity to guidelines was 31.4%, while conformity on drug choice, daily dose and duration of treatment was 83.2%, 74.7% and 41.6%, respectively. There were no differences in conformity rates according to the physician’s specialty (p=0.135). Physicians who studied in an American-system university had an increased risk of non-conformity (adjusted OR (aOR=2.107, p=0.018). Patients with higher education levels, or presenting with fever or chills, were more likely to get a non-compliant prescription (aOR=2.140, p=0.032 and aOR=4.947, p=0.033, respectively).Conclusion In a country with no local guidelines, non-conformity to international guidelines is high. Larger national studies are needed with immediate interventions to enhance physicians’ prescribing practices. After local guidelines were established, it would be interesting to compare the rate of adherence to these guidelines.
