Correction: Vaccination and nutritional status of children in Karawari, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: PLOS ONE Staff
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5825154 | biostudies-literature | 2018
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Correction: Vaccination and nutritional status of children in Karawari, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.
PloS one 20180223 2
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187796.]. ...[more]
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Project description:Delivery of health care services to rural and remote populations in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is problematic. This is mainly due to difficulties with transportation and communication. Hence, the children in this region of PNG are likely to be at risk of malnutrition compounded by inadequate vaccination that may predispose them to preventable diseases. This study was conducted to determine the vaccination and nutritional status of children less than 5 years old in the remote and rural Karawari area of PNG. 105 children were included in the study, of whom 55% were male and 45% female. The mean age of children included in the study was 32.6 months. Their age, height, and weight by gender was not significantly different. Overall, 85% of children had incomplete vaccination. However, children above the median age of 32 months (34%) were more likely to be fully vaccinated for their age, χ2 (1) = 23.294, p < 0.005. In addition, 25% of children were below the -1 SD (Z-scores) for weight-for-height, 33% below the -1 SD for weight-for-age, and 25.5% below the -1 SD for height-for-age compared to WHO standards. A large proportion of children had poor nutrition status and lack protection from vaccine preventable diseases. This study recommends that the government should introduce a surveillance system for detecting issues of importance to the rural majority. We also recommend that the PNG government reopen the nearby health centre, and/ or establish new facilities within the region, with adequately trained and compensated staff.
| S-EPMC5679557 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Iodine deficiency is the single most common cause of preventable mental impairment in communities with suboptimal iodine intake. Objective of the present study was to assess in more detail the iodine status and knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) relating to use of iodised salt in a remote community in Kotidanga area, Kerema district, Gulf province, Papua New Guinea. This prospective school and community based cross-sectional study was carried out in 2017. Simple random sampling was used to select schools. Multistage sampling was used to randomly select 300 children aged 6 to 12 years, of which 289 consented to participate in the study. A single urine sample was collected from each of the consenting children, as well as a salt sample from their households. Discretionary salt intake was assessed in a sub-sample of the children's households. Salt iodine content and urinary iodine concentration (UIC) were analysed. A semi-structured modified Food and Agriculture Organisation questionnaire was used to assess KAP of three different community groups. Only 64% of households had salt on the day of data collection. Mean iodine content in household salt samples was 29.0 ± 19.1 ppm. Iodine content was below 30.0 ppm in 54.8% and below 15.0 ppm in 31.2% of salt samples. Mean per capita discretionary intake of household salt was 2.9 ± 1.8 g/day. Median UIC was 25.5 μg/L and Interquartile Range was 15.0 to 47.5 μg/L, indicating moderate status iodine nutrition. Median UIC was 34.3 μg/L for children in households with salt, compared to 15.5 μg/L for children in households without salt, indicating severe iodine deficiency in the latter group. The three community groups had limited knowledge about importance of using iodised salt and consequences of iodine deficiency on health outcomes. This remote community has limited access to adequately iodised household salt due to high cost, inappropriate packaging, storage and food preparation, resulting in iodine deficiency. Strategies to increase iodine intake are needed.
| S-EPMC6261389 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundMale circumcision (MC) is a well-established component of HIV prevention in countries with high HIV prevalence and heterosexually driven epidemics. Delivery and monitoring of MC programs are reliant on good quality MC data. Such data are often generated through self-reported MC status surveys. This study examined self-reported MC status in comparison with genital photographs from men in Papua New Guinea (PNG).MethodsThis retrospective non-interventional study collated self-reported MC status data from the 'acceptability and feasibility of MC' study at 4 sites in PNG during 2010-2011. Participants reported their MC status based on an 8-category photographic classification covering the range of foreskin cutting practices in PNG. Genital photographs of 222 participants from this study were independently classified by 2 investigators. The 8-category photographic classification was simplified into a 3 category classification of 'no cut', 'straight cut' and 'round cut' before comparing for agreement between self-reporting and investigator assessment using Cohen's Kappa measure.ResultsUsing the 3-category classification, there was 90.6% (201/222) agreement between self-assessment and investigator classification (κ value 0.805). Of the discordant 9.4% (21/222), 3.6% (8/222) self-classified as having a cut foreskin (5 straight cut; 3 round cut) while investigators classified as having no cut; 4.1% (9/222) self-classified as having no cut while investigators classified them as having had a cut (6 straight cut; 3 round cut) and 1.8% (4/222) self-classified as having a round cut while investigators classified as having a straight cut. Given the great variety of foreskin cutting practices and appearances, feasible explanations are suggested for two-thirds (13/21) of these discordant results.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates a high level of agreement between self-reporting and investigator assessment of MC status in PNG and suggests self-reporting of MC status to be highly reliable among men in PNG.
| S-EPMC4395044 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Papua New Guinea birds Genome sequencing and assembly
| PRJNA637995 | ENA
Project description:BackgroundWHO recommends two annual rounds of mass drug administration (MDA) with ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine, and albendazole (IDA) for lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination in treatment naïve areas that are not co-endemic for onchocerciasis such as Papua New Guinea (PNG). Whether two rounds of MDA are necessary or sufficient and the optimal sampling strategies and endpoints for stopping MDA remain undefined.Methods and findingsTwo cross-sectional studies were conducted at baseline (N = 49 clusters or villages) and 12 months after mass drug administration (MDA) with IDA (N = 47 villages) to assess lymphatic filariasis (LF) by circulating filarial antigenemia (CFA) and microfilariae (Mf). Before MDA, children aged 6-9 years (N~50) and those ≥ 10 years (N~50) in each village were randomly sampled. Before MDA, the population mean prevalence of LF in East New Britain Province (ENBP), Papua New Guinea, was estimated using population proportionate sampling (PPS, N = 30) to be 59/2,561 (2.3%) CFA positive and 14/2,561 (0.6%) Mf positive. No children were Mf positive. However, LF infection was highly heterogeneous; 8 villages (26.7%) had a CFA prevalence >2%, and 7 villages (23.3%) had an Mf prevalence >1%. To identify sentinel villages with LF in areas under-sampled by PPS, 19 additional villages suspected to have LF were sampled, with 15 (79%) having >2% CFA prevalence and 7 (38%) >1% Mf (range 1-22%). Twenty-four villages were evaluated before and after MDA in age-matched adults ( ≥ 18 years). Treatment reduced CFA prevalence by 34% and Mf prevalence by 90%. Post-MDA model-based geostatistics efficiently selected an additional 23 villages, of which 20 (87%) had a CFA prevalence > 2%. None of these villages had >1% Mf. Post-MDA, two of four districts had no villages with >1% Mf.ConclusionsModel-based geostatistics was more effective than PPS in sampling high-risk LF sites in a heterogeneous area. Low LF prevalence and partial reduction of CFA limit children's effectiveness as sentinels. A single round of high-coverage MDA with IDA achieved elimination targets in low-prevalence villages in PNG. Higher-prevalence areas will need additional MDA rounds, which could be targeted to smaller evaluation units to cut costs.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT04124250.
| S-EPMC11798438 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundIn the past decade, national malaria control efforts in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have received renewed support, facilitating nationwide distribution of free long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), as well as improvements in access to parasite-confirmed diagnosis and effective artemisinin-combination therapy in 2011-2012.MethodsTo study the effects of these intensified control efforts on the epidemiology and transmission of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infections and investigate risk factors at the individual and household level, two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in the East Sepik Province of PNG; one in 2005, before the scale-up of national campaigns and one in late 2012-early 2013, after 2 rounds of LLIN distribution (2008 and 2011-2012). Differences between studies were investigated using Chi square (χ2), Fischer's exact tests and Student's t-test. Multivariable logistic regression models were built to investigate factors associated with infection at the individual and household level.ResultsThe prevalence of P. falciparum and P. vivax in surveyed communities decreased from 55% (2005) to 9% (2013) and 36% to 6%, respectively. The mean multiplicity of infection (MOI) decreased from 1.8 to 1.6 for P. falciparum (p = 0.08) and from 2.2 to 1.4 for P. vivax (p < 0.001). Alongside these reductions, a shift towards a more uniform distribution of infections and illness across age groups was observed but there was greater heterogeneity across the study area and within the study villages. Microscopy positive infections and clinical cases in the household were associated with high rate infection households (> 50% of household members with Plasmodium infection).ConclusionAfter the scale-up of malaria control interventions in PNG between 2008 and 2012, there was a substantial reduction in P. falciparum and P. vivax infection rates in the studies villages in East Sepik Province. Understanding the extent of local heterogeneity in malaria transmission and the driving factors is critical to identify and implement targeted control strategies to ensure the ongoing success of malaria control in PNG and inform the development of tools required to achieve elimination. In household-based interventions, diagnostics with a sensitivity similar to (expert) microscopy could be used to identify and target high rate households.
| S-EPMC7275396 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundIn Papua New Guinea abortion is restricted under the Criminal Code Act. While safe abortions should available in certain situations, frequently they are not available to the majority of women. Sepsis from unsafe abortion is a leading cause of maternal mortality. Our findings form part of a wider, mixed methods study designed to identify complications requiring hospital treatment for post abortion care and to explore the circumstances surrounding unsafe abortion.MethodsThrough a six month prospective study we identified all women presenting to the Eastern Highlands Provincial Hospital following spontaneous and induced abortions. We undertook semi-structured interviews with women and reviewed individual case notes, extracting demographic and clinical information.FindingsCase notes were reviewed for 56% (67/119) of women presenting for post abortion care. At least 24% (28/119) of these admissions were due to induced abortion. Women presenting following induced abortions were significantly more likely to be younger, single, in education at the time of the abortion and report that the baby was unplanned and unwanted, compared to those reporting spontaneous abortion. Obtained illegally, misoprostol was the method most frequently used to end the pregnancy. Physical and mechanical means and traditional herbs were also widely reported.ConclusionIn a country with a low contraceptive prevalence rate and high unmet need for family planning, all reproductive age women need access to contraceptive information and services to avoid, postpone or space pregnancies. In the absence of this, women are resorting to unsafe means to end an unwanted pregnancy, putting their lives at risk and putting an increased strain on an already struggling health system. Women in this setting need access to safe, effective means of abortion.
| S-EPMC4201559 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundQuality maternal and newborn care is essential for improving the health of mothers and babies. Low- and middle-income countries, such as Papua New Guinea (PNG), face many barriers to achieving quality care for all. Efforts to improve the quality of maternal and newborn care must involve community in the design, implementation, and evaluation of initiatives to ensure that interventions are appropriate and relevant for the target community. We aimed to describe community members' perspectives and experiences of maternal and newborn care, and their ideas for improvement in one province, East New Britain, in PNG.MethodsWe undertook a qualitative descriptive study in partnership with and alongside five local health facilities, health care workers and community members, using a Partnership Defined Quality Approach. We conducted ten focus group discussions with 68 community members (identified through church, market and other community-based groups) in East New Britain PNG to explore perspectives and experiences of maternal and newborn care, identify enablers and barriers to quality care and interventions to improve care. Discussions were transcribed verbatim. A mixed inductive and deductive analysis was conducted including application of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Quality Maternal and Newborn Care framework.ResultsUsing the WHO framework, we present the findings in accordance with the five experience of care domains. We found that the community reported multiple challenges in accessing care and facilities were described as under-staffed and under resourced. Community members emphasised the importance of good communication and competent, caring and respectful healthcare workers. Both women and men expressed a strong desire for companionship during labor and birth. Several changes were suggested by the community that could immediately improve the quality of care.ConclusionsCommunity perspectives and experiences are critical for informing effective and sustainable interventions to improve the quality of maternal and newborn care and increasing facility-based births in PNG. A greater understanding of the care experience as a key component of quality care is needed and any quality improvement initiatives must include the user experience as a key outcome measure.
| S-EPMC10360243 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Marine metagenomes and metatranscriptomes from 3 sediment samples along a pH gradient in Papua New Guinea
| PRJEB9383 | ENA
Project description:BackgroundThe incidence and characteristics of tuberculosis (TB) in remote areas of Papua New Guinea (PNG) are largely unknown. The purpose of our study was to determine the incidence of TB in the Gulf Province of PNG and describe disease characteristics, co-morbidities and drug resistance profiles that could impact on disease outcomes and transmission.MethodsBetween March 2012 and June 2012, we prospectively collected data on 274 patients presenting to Kikori Hospital with a presumptive diagnosis of TB, and on hospital inpatients receiving TB treatment during the study period. Sputum was collected for microscopy, GeneXpert analysis, culture and genotyping of isolates.ResultsWe estimate the incidence of TB in Kikori to be 1290 per 100,000 people (95% CI 1140 to 1460) in 2012. The proportion of TB patients co-infected with HIV was 1.9%. Three of 32 TB cases tested were rifampicin resistant. Typing of nine isolates demonstrated allelic diversity and most were related to Beijing strains.ConclusionsThe incidence of TB in Kikori is one of the highest in the world and it is not driven by HIV co-infection. The high incidence and the presence of rifampicin resistant warrant urgent attention to mitigate substantial morbidity in the region.
| S-EPMC3936911 | biostudies-literature