Search results for "Disease Eradication"

Dogs and Guinea worm eradication

2016

After 30 years of control campaigns, guinea worm faces eradication. However, dogs are expected to thwart the eradication of dracunculiasis as they act as alternative hosts of the worm. The health community un doubtedly have to recognise the success of the Guinea Worm Eradication Program (GWEP), although some flaws cannot be overlooked. One of the most essential points when trying to achieve the control of parasitic infections is to determine the role of reservoirs that could maintain the disease. Erroneously, dogs are likely to have been ignored as reservoirs of Dracunculus medinensis so far. I fi nd it hard to believe that a parasite that has always been considered specific to humans is ab…

Impact of COVID-19 on global HCV elimination efforts.

2021

Background & Aims COVID-19 has placed significant strain on national healthcare systems at a critical moment in the context of hepatitis elimination. Mathematical models can be used to evaluate the possible impact of programmatic delays on hepatitis disease burden. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the incremental change in hepatitis C liver-related deaths and liver cancer, following a 3-month, 6-month, or 1-year hiatus in hepatitis elimination program progress. Methods Previously developed models were adapted for 110 countries to include a status quo or “no delay” scenario and a “1-year delay” scenario assuming significant disruption in interventions (screening, diagnosis and …

WHO delays guinea-worm disease eradication to 2020: are dogs the sole culprits?

2017

Guidelines Have a Key Role in Driving HCV Elimination by Advocating for Simple HCV Care Pathways.

2021

The availability of pangenotypic direct-acting antivirals for treatment of hepatitis C (HCV) has provided an opportunity to simplify patient pathways. Recent clinical practice guidelines have recognised the need for simplification to ensure that elimination of HCV as a public health concern remains a priority. Despite the move towards simplified treatment algorithms, there remains some complexity in the recommendations for the management of genotype 3 patients with compensated cirrhosis. In an era where additional clinical trial data are not anticipated, clinical guidance should consider experience gained in real-world settings. Although more experience is required for some pangenotypic the…

Will the COVID-19 pandemic affect HCV disease burden?

2020

Tailored screening and dedicated funding for direct acting antiviral drugs: How to keep Italy on the road to hepatitis C virus elimination?

2020

Background and aims. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination for Italy is an ambitious, but achievable goal. In Italy, there is political will, which aims to achieve the World Health Organization (WHO) elimination goals recognizing the need to identify undiagnosed individuals in key high-risk groups and in the general population, however there is concern regarding HCV treatment implementation in Italian Regions. Methods. A modelling analysis was conducted, using the “Italy Polaris” model, to forecast the impact of different HCV treatment rates in achieving the HCV elimination goals in Italy. The model assessed two treatment scenarios: 2018 Scenario and 2019 Scenario, using the annually HCV trea…

Optimizing patient referral and center capacity in the management of chronic hepatitis C: Lessons from the Italian experience

2019

Abstract Aims In 2017 the Italian Drug Agency (Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco, AIFA) revised the criteria for access to therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C as part of a three-year plan to eradicate HCV. We conducted a Delphi study to determine strategies to identify and treat patients with HCV and to develop through a shared pathway, a model to manage patient referral and optimize prescription center capacity with the overall aim of increasing access to therapy. Methods The process took place in two phases – Phase I (January 2017), before the criteria for treatment of HCV were revised and Phase II (May 2017) when AIFA developed a framework for the eradication of HCV infection in Ita…

Dracunculiasis: water-borne anthroponosis vs. food-borne zoonosis.

2019

Abstract Dracunculiasis is the first parasitic disease set for eradication. However, recent events related to the Dracunculus medinensis epidemiology in certain African countries are apparently posing new challenges to its eradication. Two novel facts have emerged: the existence of animal reservoirs (mainly dogs but also cats and baboons), and possibly a new food-borne route of transmission by the ingestion of paratenic (frogs) or transport (fish) hosts. Therefore, instead of being exclusively a water-borne anthroponosis, dracunculiasis would also be a food-borne zoonosis. The existence of a large number of infected dogs, mainly in Chad, and the low number of infected humans, have given ris…

The role of cefditoren in the treatment of lower community-acquired respiratory tract infections (LRTIs): from bacterial eradication to reduced lung …

2014

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), including pneumonia and acute exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), are among the most common diagnoses in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Due to the burden of LRTIs healthcare providers must adopt practices focused on improving outcomes with the aim to reduce treatment failure and antibiotic resistances. Moreover, the role of acute and chronic infection in the pathogenesis of COPD has received considerable attention, since chronic infection can contribute to airways inflammation and COPD progression. This review discusses the role of cefditoren for the treatment of LRTIs, compared with the definition of "appropria…

Forecasting Hepatitis C liver disease burden on real-life data. Does the hidden iceberg matter to reach the elimination goals?

2018

Abstract Background & Aims Advances in direct‐acting antiviral treatment of HCV have reinvigorated public health initiatives aimed at identifying affected individuals. We evaluated the possible impact of only diagnosed and linked‐to‐care individuals on overall HCV burden estimates and identified a possible strategy to achieve the WHO targets by 2030. Methods Using a modelling approach grounded in Italian real‐life data of diagnosed and treated patients, different linkage‐to‐care scenarios were built to evaluate potential strategies in achieving the HCV elimination goals. Results Under the 40% linked‐to‐care scenario, viraemic burden would decline (60%); however, eligible patients to treat w…