Bulletin of the World Health Organization
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Bull. World Health Organ. · Jan 1994
Comparative StudyAn evaluation of the HemoCue for measuring haemoglobin in field studies in Jamaica.
The HemoCue system utilizes the principle of oxidation of haemoglobin to hemiglobin by sodium nitrite and the subsequent conversion of hemiglobin to hemiglobinazide by sodium azide. The reagents for these reactions are contained within a small disposable microcuvette of approximately 10 microliters in volume. ⋯ We compared haemoglobin values obtained by the HemoCue system with those from the Coulter Counter S-Plus IV in 366 pregnant women in urban Jamaica, and found a highly significant correlation (r = 0.78, P < 0.01). However, because of the convenience and ease of use of this instrument and considering the relatively high cost, we recommend it for use only as a research tool in field studies where accurate and rapid haemoglobin determinations are required.
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Bull. World Health Organ. · Jan 1994
ReviewNutritional status as a predictor of child survival: summarizing the association and quantifying its global impact.
By pooling the results from five previously published prospective studies, we have obtained estimates of the relative risks of mortality among young children 6-24 months after they had been identified as having mild-to-moderate or severe malnutrition. These risk estimates, along with global malnutrition prevalence data, were then used to calculate the total number of young-childhood deaths "attributable" to malnutrition in developing countries. Young children (6-60 months of age) with mild-to-moderate malnutrition (60-80% of the median weight-for-age of the reference population) had 2.2 times the risk of dying during the follow-up period than their better nourished counterparts (> 80% of the median reference weight-for-age). ⋯ Each year approximately 2.3 million deaths of young children in developing countries (41% of the total for this age group) are associated with malnutrition. The comparability of studies, methods used to derive pooled values, potentially confounding factors that may influence risk estimates, and the validity of the results are discussed. Child survival programmes should assign greater priority to the control of childhood malnutrition.
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Bull. World Health Organ. · Jan 1994
Comparative StudyEvaluation of the alkaline haematin D-575 method for haemoglobin estimation in east Africa.
In many health facilities in east Africa, haemoglobin estimation is performed using visual colour comparison methods. Efforts to establish colorimetric methods face numerous constraints, including the unavailability of standards for quality control. ⋯ The method has a precision of +/-0.3 g/dl (coefficient of variation = (1.8%) for whole blood, and is suitable for use with fixed-wavelength haemglobinometers (lambda = 565 nm) or with colorimeters at lambda = 580 nm. Stable quality control standards could be prepared at provincial, zonal, or reference laboratories and distributed regularly to outlying laboratories.
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Bull. World Health Organ. · Jan 1994
Priorities for pharmaceutical policies in developing countries: results of a Delphi survey.
The use of the Delphi method as a systematic and logical approach to establishing consensus among international experts on the priorities for interventions in national drug policies in developing countries is described. The Delphi survey showed a high degree of reliability, as evidenced by the high response rate, the quality of respondents, and the high standard for consensus. In addition to creating consensus on key issues and key components for priority intervention, the study identified six components that could constitute a basic framework for designing drug policy in developing countries. The study's conclusions have important implications for decision-makers within international development agencies and national governments.
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Bull. World Health Organ. · Jan 1994
Poliomyelitis surveillance in Shandong Province, China, 1990-92.
In Shandong Province, China, programmes were initiated in 1991 for mass immunization against poliomyelitis and for the immediate reporting of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP). The incidence of non-poliomyelitis AFP was found to be 0.46-0.61 cases per 100,000 children per annum. ⋯ Although laboratory investigations have improved, in 1992 they were still inadequate in nearly a third of confirmed poliomyelitis cases. As the prevalence of wild poliovirus declines in China, reliable laboratory support needs to be established and adequately sensitive and specific AFP surveillance be developed if poliomyelitis is to be eradicated.