Women’s health-what’s new worldwide

This report, published by the Royal Institute of International Affairs, provides an overview of the current evidence base regarding gender equality and economic growth. The authors propose that achieving gender equality in the developing world could enhance economic growth through population growth, increasing labour productivity, improving agricultural productivity and attracting and increasing the investment in physical capital. In relation to women’s health, the report highlighted that empowering women with better education tends to result in women undertaking higher economic value employment. Women with professional careers tend to have smaller family sizes and better maternal health to contribute towards economic growth. The report uses the eight key factors (namely human capital, physical capital, the rule of law, competitive markets, macroeconomic stability, infrastructure, encouragement of trade and investment, and increased agricultural production), developed in the UK by the Department for International Development, that are most likely to produce a strong and stable economic situation in individual countries. A number of implications for policy-makers and programme planners are discussed, including investing in context-specific programmes to maximise the economic impact of gender-related investments and in using growth diagnostics to identify current constraints and to highlight the most effective gender-related investment and collaborative opportunities. The authors state that achieving the gender equality-related Millennium Development Goals (MDG) is vital as this will in turn promote the attainment of all the MDGs. http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/download/-/id/952/file/17416_0910gender.pdf This report, published by the World Health Organization (WHO), outlines the nature, extent and consequences of intimate partner violence, identifies and emphasises the importance of addressing risk and protective factors for violence, provides an overview of the current evidence base for primary prevention strategies, and presents a six-step framework for tackling intimate partner violence. The report aims to provide comprehensive information for policy-makers, programme managers and planners to aid in the development of evidence-based programmes to prevent violence against women. The authors conclude by stating that the current evidence base assessing effective strategies or programmes for addressing violence against women is lacking. They outline a number of future research directions and methodological problems with current research, including identifying new settings for the delivery of primary-prevention programmes, investigating the cost-effectiveness of successful programmes, increasing research capacity and encouraging collaborative working. http://www.who.int/entity/violence_injury_prevention/publications/violence/9789241564007_eng.pdf Published in September 2010 by the United Nations Population Fund, this report assesses current data, trends and inequalities in universal access to reproductive health services. Using three key indicators of access to reproductive health services (adolescent birth rate, contraceptive prevalence rate, unmet need for family planning), the report outlines areas where progress has been achieved since 1990 and also areas where there continues to be a need for access to reproductive health services. The report highlighted that significant progress has been achieved in reducing adolescent pregnancies and increasing access to and use of contraceptive services in most regions of the world from 1990 to 2000. From 2000 onwards, continued progress has been recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as Southern Asia. Unfortunately, this trend has not been seen in countries from the Sub-Saharan region. Annex II comprehensively outlines, in tabular form, recent country estimates for the three key indicators of reproductive health. The report concludes that earlier substantial progress towards meeting the second target of MDG 5 has slowed during the last decade and that increasing international efforts are required to ensure that this important MDG can be met. http://www.unfpa.org/webdav/site/global/shared/documents/publications/2010/universal_rh.pdf Pathfinder International has recently launched a clinical and community action model that aims to help to prevent, diagnose, manage and treat postpartum haemorrhage and shock in clinical settings. A training curriculum that includes sessions on simulation skills practice, case studies and clinical practice has been designed to train doctors, nurses, midwives and community health workers in the knowledge, skills and techniques required to prevent postpartum haemorrhage. A toolkit has also been developed containing competency-based checklists, a birth planning card, health facility assessment tools, community survey and data collection tools. Eight wall charts have been designed for prominent display highlighting key protocols, for example, for managing hypovolaemic shock. A postpartum haemorrhage clinical training film has also been produced to complement the curriculum and toolkit. As postpartum haemorrhage is still a significant cause of maternal mortality, this teaching guide and toolkit form a valuable resource for maternity healthcare workers. http://www.pathfind.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Pubs_PPH Clinicians keen to keep up-to-date regarding clinical trials that are currently recruiting may find the following informative. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01237015 This randomised study aims to evaluate the effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on oral feeding in neonates, particularly on nutritive sucking and swallowing (including breathing–swallowing coordination). It is hypothesised that nasal CPAP will result in minimal alterations to the coordination of breathing–nutritive swallowing and that CPAP will not cause deleterious cardiorespiratory problems. Neonates will be evaluated during two bottle feeds, 24 hours apart, one with nasal CPAP 5 cm H2O and the other without CPAP. Sucking, swallowing, respiration, heart rate and oxygenation will be continuously recorded before, during and after feeding. Inclusion criteria: Gestational age 24 weeks or more; hospitalised in the neonatology unit of CHUS Fleurimont; weaned from infant flow nasal CPAP; fed by complete oral feeding for 24 hours or more. Primary outcome measure: Continuous monitoring of sucking, swallowing, breathing and cardiac parameters. Trial site: Quebec, Canada. Anticipated trial end date: September 2012. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01239836 This 2 × 2 factorial open-label cluster randomised controlled trial aims to compare the effectiveness of two community-based continence promotion interventions aimed at increasing the number of older women with urinary incontinence consulting health professionals or initiating self-care. Women will be randomly assigned to receive one of four interventions: (1) participation in an interactive constructivist continence workshop; (2) use of an evidence-based self-management tool for incontinence; (3) participation in both the workshop and the self management tool; (4) discussion about urinary symptoms and provision of a general talk on women’s health (control group). Inclusion criteria: Female; 60 years or older; urinary incontinence twice weekly; women who have not sought medical advice for incontinence symptoms in the last 2 years; fluent in English. Primary outcome measure: Incontinence frequency. Secondary outcome measures: Cost of pad use; self-efficacy for managing incontinence. Trial site: Middlesex, UK. Anticipated trial end date: April 2012. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01243216 This randomised study aims to determine whether pre-procedural ultrasound for neuraxial analgesia/anaesthesia for women in labour or having a caesarean delivery will improve the placing process of labour epidurals or spinal anaesthetics in women with poor spinal landmarks. This intervention may be particularly relevant to obstetric epidurals/spinal anaesthesia given the increased central weight gain that generally occurs in pregnancy and altered tissue consistency during pregnancy. Inclusion criteria: Women in labour; women scheduled for caesarean delivery. Primary outcome measure: Number of attempts needed for proper needle placement. Secondary outcome measures: Time taken to complete epidural/spinal anaesthesia; patient satisfaction. Trial site: Missouri, USA. Anticipated trial end date: October 2011. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01236768 This open-label, randomised, phase 3 study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a low-dose transdermal contraceptive delivery system that provides systemic exposure of ethinyl estradiol (EE) and levonorgestrel (LNG) compared with a combined oral contraceptive containing 150 μg LNG and 30 μg EE. Safety, contraceptive efficacy, hormone-related adverse events, lipid profile, cycle control, patient compliance, device wearability and acceptability, and serum concentrations of EE and LNG will be evaluated. Inclusion criteria: Sexually active women requesting contraception; regular menses lasting 24–35 days; good general health, confirmed by medical history, physical (including gynaecological) examination and screening laboratory values. Primary outcome measure: Pregnancy. Trial site: Various locations in USA. Anticipated trial end date: July 2011. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01242293 This randomised study aims to prove that maternal hydration with fluids containing glucose at a rate of 125 ml/hour during labour does not affect the duration of labour compared with the usual hydration protocol of Ringer Lactate at a rate of 250 ml/hour. The study will also investigate whether the amount and the content of intravenous hydration solutions administered during labour are sufficient to meet all the physiological requirements of the woman and her fetus. Inclusion criteria: Nulliparous women; gestational age 37–41 weeks; cervical dilatation 1–3 cm; vertex presentation; singleton. Primary outcome measure: Length of time from enrolment to delivery. Secondary outcome measures: Mode of delivery; neonatal outcome. Trial site: Afula, Israel. Anticipated trial end date: April 2012. US 7824383 Vaginal drug delivery system and method. This granted patent relates to a dispensing device, containing a flowable therapeutic or prophylactic formulation, which can be inserted into the vagina. Once in place, the device will release the formulation through its outer surface, which will be in contact with the surface of the vagina. This drug delivery system can be used to prevent diseases such as HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, to prevent pregnancy or for the treatment of other diseases. Sokal, DC., Joanis, CL., Butterworth, GAM., Reed, JD., Johnson, RA. Vaginal drug delivery system and method. 2 November 2010. http://www.patentlens.net/patentlens/patents.html?patnums=US_7824383 US 7824712 Method for reducing the likelihood of implantation failure during an assisted reproduction in a subject in need thereof. This US granted patent describes methods that prevent reproductive failure as a result of an immune system irregularity. Specifically, this invention outlines two methods to prevent spontaneous abortion or implantation failure during assisted reproduction (1) by administering an effective amount of a granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF or G-CSF) and (2) using GCSF-mobilised peripheral blood stem cells. The use of GCSF to prevent or treat pre-eclampsia and preterm labour is also described in this patent. Continuation of application No. 11/411,361, filed on 24 April 2006, now Pat. No. US 7470662, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. PCT/US2004/035468, filed on 25 October 2004. Provisional application No. 60/514472, filed on 24 October 2003. US 20090028819 A1 (20090129). Carter, D. Method for reducing the likelihood of implantation failure during an assisted reproduction in a subject in need thereof. 2 November 2010. http://www.patentlens.net/patentlens/patents.html?patnums=US_7824712 US 2010/0267003 A1 Methods and kit for endometriosis screening. Goldman, D. 21 October 2010. This patent application claims a method for diagnosing endometriosis. A bodily sample, such as saliva, is required and two assays are performed on the sample to identify two different physiological factors (for example estrogen metabolism imbalances or immune responses), the presence or absence of which correlates to endometriosis. It is hoped that this noninvasive screening system will encourage periodic testing and early-stage intervention. This is potentially an important screening tool for pelvic endometriosis as currently there is no such test and women are subjected to either expensive magnetic resonance imaging or invasive diagnostic laparoscopy. Goldman, D. Methods and kit for endometriosis screening. 21 October 2010. http://www.patentlens.net/patentlens/patents.html?patnums=US_2010_0267003_A1 US 2010/0267569 A1 Compositions, methods and kits for the diagnosis of carriers of mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and early diagnosis of cancerous disorders associated with mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. This US patent application outlines a number of diagnostic methods and kits for the detection of carriers of mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes to aid early diagnosis of cancers such as those of the breast and ovary. The invention describes marker genes that are differentially expressed in lymphocytes from BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers versus non-carriers following irradiation stress. Salmon, A., Peretz, T. Compositions, methods and kits for the diagnosis of carriers of mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and early diagnosis of cancerous disorders associated with mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. 21 October 2010. http://www.patentlens.net/patentlens/patents.html?patnums=US_2010_0267569_A1 Since 2000 IVF in Costa Rica has been illegal. As a result of an Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) decision in August 2010 that ruled that this ban on IVF was a violation of human rights, the Costa Rican Government has drafted a new law on in vitro fertilisation. The proposed law however, although legalising IVF, imposes a number of restrictions on the availability of IVF which it is argued infringe medical standards and best practice. http://reproductiverights.org/en/press-room/costa-ricas-new-ivf-law-unacceptable The Philippine Commission on Human Rights (PCHR) has recently called for Manila City’s ban on contraception to be repealed. Executive Order 003 has effectively banned government-funded public-health facilities from supplying or advising people living in Manila City about modern methods of contraception. By issuing this order, the PCHR claimed that the local government of Manila City is not maintaining its obligation to provide adequate reproductive healthcare to its women by not allowing them to adequately space and plan the number of children within their family other than with natural birth control methods. http://reproductiverights.org/en/feature/manila-city-denounced-for-contraception-ban

Fetched live from OpenAlex and de-inverted. Abstracts are not stored in this database: the inverted indexes are 8.6 GB of the frame’s 9.3 GB of text, and the host has 13 GB free.