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Cross-border Tuberculosis Control along the Viet Nam and Cambodia Border

In 2020, Viet Nam was one of the 30 highest-burden countries globally with tuberculosis (TB) and multi-drug resistant TB, whereas Cambodia was one of the 30 highest-burden countries with TB. While both nations have made significant progress in reducing TB rates in recent years, they lack the financial resources needed to eliminate TB as a public health problem. Within this context of strained health resources, migrant populations – internal migrants within each of the two countries and cross…

Health profile of adult special immigrant visa holders arriving from Iraq and Afghanistan to the United States, 2009–2017: A cross-sectional analysis

Abstract

Background
Between 2,000 and 19,000 Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders (SIVH) from Iraq and Afghanistan resettle in the United States annually. Despite the increase in SIV admissions to the US over recent years, little is known about the health conditions in SIV populations. We assessed the burden of select communicable and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in SIV adults to guide recommendations to clinicians in the US.

Methods and…

Research on the Health Vulnerabilities of the Cross Border Migrants from Nepal

Reliable information on the health vulnerabilities and resilience factors of cross-border migrants and associated possible preventive measures is lacking. To remedy this gap and thereby facilitate the development of evidence-informed policy and programme development, this study was undertaken to assess the health vulnerabilities of Nepali migrants to India.

The performance and yield of tuberculosis testing algorithms using microscopy, chest x-ray, and Xpert MTB/RIF

Abstract

Using artificial intelligence to read chest radiographs for tuberculosis detection: A multi-site evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of three deep learning systems

Deep learning (DL) neural networks have only recently been employed to interpret chest radiography (CXR) to screen and triage people for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). No published studies have compared multiple DL systems and populations. We conducted a retrospective evaluation of three DL systems (CAD4TB, Lunit INSIGHT, and qXR) for detecting TB-associated abnormalities in chest radiographs from outpatients in Nepal and Cameroon. All 1196 individuals received a Xpert MTB/RIF assay and a CXR…

Migration histories of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients from the Thailand-Myanmar border, 2012-2014

SETTING: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a growing public health threat in South-East Asia. TB is typically a disease of poverty and can be spread by infected humans who migrate from one region to another.

DESIGN: We interviewed 20 MDR-TB patients on the Thailand-Myanmar border with regard to their migration histories. Migration origins and destinations were mapped.

RESULTS: All but one participant had a history of migration, and maps of…

Migration Health Research to advance evidence based policy and practice in Sri Lanka

Despite the growing recognition of the importance that migration health plays in advancing global health and sustainable development goals, there is a paucity of technical guidance and “lessons learned” documents to guide Member States, international organizations, academia, civil society and other stakeholders seeking to develop effective migration health policies and interventions using evidence-based approaches. Governments today are faced with the challenge of…

Tuberculosis in migrants moving from high-incidence to low-incidence countries: a population-based cohort study of 519 955 migrants screened before entry to England, Wales, and Northern Ireland

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis elimination in countries with a low incidence of the disease necessitates multiple interventions, including innovations in migrant screening. We examined a cohort of migrants screened for tuberculosis before entry to England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and tracked the development of disease in this group after arrival.

METHODS: As part of a pilot pre-entry screening programme for tuberculosis in 15 countries with a high incidence of the disease, the…

Prevalence of and risk factors for active tuberculosis in migrants screened before entry to the UK: a population-based cross-sectional study

Background: An increasing number of countries with low incidence of tuberculosis have pre-entry screening programmes for migrants. We present the fi rst estimates of the prevalence of and risk factors for tuberculosis in migrants from 15 high-incidence countries screened before entry to the UK.

Methods: We did a population-based cross-sectional study of applicants for long-term visas who were screened for tuberculosis before entry to the UK in a…

Introducing new tuberculosis diagnostics: the impact of Xpert MTB/ RIF testing on case notifications in Nepal

SETTING: The Xpert® MTB/RIF assay is a highly sensitive molecular test with the potential to improve tuberculosis (TB) case detection. However, evidence supporting this potential at a programme level is minimal.

METHODS: Xpert testing following smear microscopy and chest X-ray was implemented as part of routine case finding in 16 districts of Eastern Nepal. Changes in TB case notification were evaluated based on a pre/post analysis, as were expected notifications…