Public Health and Preventive Medicine

COVID-19 is an ongoing pandemic that has infected millions and killed hundreds of thousands. This pandemic has led to massive socioeconomic problems across the world, while measures of lockdown were taken to contain the spread of the virus. This is a clinical review paper on COVID-19 to provide the current summary of the illness. COVID-19 spreads by droplets between humans during close contact and enters body through eyes, nose and mouth. It often presents mildly with fever, loss of smell and taste, a continuous dry cough and shortness of breath; however, it has the potential to be severe requiring hospital admission including intensive care. At risk groups include the elderly, those with hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular and lung diseases and other physical comorbidities. Current management is mainly prevention through isolation, and supportive treatment for symptoms. While the vaccines are being developed, and the search is on for an effective treatment around the world, currently, good hand hygiene along with social distancing are the suggested ways to control the spread of the virus and beat the pandemic.

Background: The polarization of the Nigerian society with a population of about 198 million people, growing at the rate of 3.2% per annum, into a large rural sector and a small urban component provides a basis for the inadequate provision of health infrastructure in the rural areas. For instance, over 65% of Nigerian population who live in the rural areas are most neglected and deprived of basic services as well as other modern infrastructural necessities that are essential to the maintenance and promotion of good health. Hence its supply is a major factor for consideration in the health of any community. This study aimed to assess the sources of water supply, sanitation facilities and hygiene practices in an island community of Amassoma, Bayelsa State.
Materials and Method: A cross sectional descriptive study design was used, the 357-sample size for housing units was determined using the appropriate statistical formula and systematic sampling method was used with a sampling interval of two. A 30-item administered closed-ended structured questionnaire was used. Data was collected from 198 households and analysed using descriptive statistics with frequency counts and simple percentages using computer aided statistical analysis by Microsoft Excel.
Results: The result identified multiple sources of water supply which includes rain, river/stream, pipe borne, borehole, sachet water and table water with borehole and sachet water being the major source. The sanitary condition of the water source shows that 28.8% dirty, 5.6% fairly clean, 68.7% admitted to not treating their water at home, while 15.2% just store at home, 10.1% use water guard and 6.0% practice boiling. For the toilet facilities, 40.9% use septic tank, 33.8% do open defecation, 15.7% use the river, 13.1% use traditional pit latrines, while 9.0% use ventilated improved toilet pit latrine. 5.6% were fairly clean, 28.8% dirty while 39.4% use the river for bathing purposes, 14.1% have open bathrooms while 1.6% have other forms of bathroom facilities. 63.6% dump their refuses at open dump sites while 10.6% burn theirs. 9.9% dump refuses in the river while 22.2% practice other forms of refuse disposal. Hand washing, an important hygiene practice with 95.9% practicing hand washing after visiting the toilet, 76.8% before cooking, 72.7% after cooking while 85.9% before eating. Common health problems show, 25.3% of the respondents had malaria, 20.7% diarrhoea, 9.1% skin rash, while 2.0% had cough. About 31.8% of them attributed poor sanitation as a causal factor, 23.2% of the respondents associated water as a possible causal factor, while 44.9% did not attribute their health challenges to any causal factor. 52.0% purchase drugs from patent drug stores for treatment, 36.9% visit hospitals, while 11.1% patronize traditional doctors.
Conclusion: Sanitation facilities and safe water supply are insufficient in Amassoma community. This along with hygienic practices led to the prevalence of common illnesses in the community. Poor sanitation and unhygienic practices are still widely practiced. The State and Local Government should provide adequate portable water and sanitation facilities in public places with emphasis on citizen advocacy in the area of health education campaign.
KEYWORDS: Community Stakeholders, Partnerships, Sustainable Development, Coordinated Engagement, Environmental Management, WASH Policy

Context: Domestic violence in the Indian setting has five major components: emotional abuse; physical violence; sexual violence; honor killing; dowry‑related abuse; and death.
Aims: The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of domestic violence and 3 of its components – emotional abuse, physical violence, and sexual violence among women in the age group of 15–49 years in Kaniyambadi block, rural Vellore, Tamil Nadu and to determine the risk factors of domestic violence.
Settings and Design: A community‑based cross‑sectional study among women between the ages 15 and 49 years at the rural setting of Kaniyambadi block, Tamil Nadu.
Results: Prevalence of all forms of domestic violence among women was 77.5%, and forty percent of women were classified as having ever been subjected to severe domestic violence. Prevalence of physical violence was 65.8%, sexual abuse was 17.5%, and emotional abuse was 54.2%. Alcohol consumption by husband (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 4.37; 1.35, 14.18), controlling behavior by family members (AOR 8.07; 2.47, 26.37), and woman’s employment (AOR 4.33; 1.27, 14.77) were statistically significant determinants of domestic violence. Three‑fourth (73.1%) of the women felt that being subjected to domestic violence has affected their physical and mental health.
Conclusions: The high prevalence of domestic violence in our community needs to be addressed as it has tacit implications on socioeconomic well‑being, physical and mental health of a woman, her family, and thereby, society as a whole.

This article presents part of the results of the ethnographic research that followed families of crack users from 2013 to 2017. The text seeks to describe dilemmas and management of mothers regarding what is offered to them as a treatment for their children's chemical dependence. Based on the events experienced, the actions taken concerning the various proposed therapies, and the family narratives, this article seeks to follow the paths chosen by the interlocutors and addresses the experiences of mothers in the Recomeço Program, the drug policy platform of the State of São Paulo.