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Corsaro A, Marotta R, Angelone DF, Biagiarelli FS, Terenzi F, Zampa A, Buonuomo E, Galizi MC, Giuffrida F, Giampaolo R. Mobile clinic approach towards hard-to-reach populations’ health in Roman suburban settings. Eur J Public Health 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Among other vulnerable populations, Sinti and Roma ethnicity people are the ones more likely living in precarious housing conditions such as settlements, especially in Roman suburban and deprived neighbourhood. These hard-to-reach communities usually present poor health outcomes and reduced life expectancy. Since 2016, the project Nontiscordardimé (a partnership of Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, OSA Health Workers Cooperative and Vicariatus Urbis) provided 3 outreach per week in two different peripheral settings ensuring to children specialized visits, nutritional screening, growth monitoring and vaccinations by means of a mobile clinic. When necessary, second level examinations have been arranged in the hospital. Personal data, detected pathologies and services provided have been collected from January 2016 to December 2018.
Main diseases detected during 2.226 examinations in Gipsy settlements were respiratory infection (26,3%), skin infection and parasitosis (13.3.%). Moreover 7,5% of visited children had malnutrition and 3,4 % presented oral hygiene related issues. Only 40% of planned second level examination and only 51% of planned hospital admission have been carried out. During outreach in parishes of suburban areas, 1.411 examinations have been performed, encountering mostly respiratory disease (30%), asthmatic bronchitis (8%), dermatitis (5,8%) and allergic rhinitis (3,8%). Adherence to hospital examination and admission reach respectively 72% and 85%.
Poor housing, isolation and overcrowding are significant barriers to prevention and health care even if the national health system provides universal coverage, and free care. Indeed disease prevalence in gipsy settlements was mainly related to socio-economical and housing condition (poor hygiene, overcrowding) whereas others peripheral urban setting, even when deprived, showed an epidemiological framework close to the general population where asthmatic and allergic disorders are prevalent.
Key messages
Mobile clinics can close the gap between health services and disadvantaged children and hard-to-reach populations. Outreach can be a mean of promotion, prevention and health services inclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Corsaro
- Health Management Office, OSA Associated Health Workers Cooperative, Rome, Italy
| | - R Marotta
- Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - F Terenzi
- Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - A Zampa
- Comunità di Sant’Egidio, Rome, Italy
| | | | - M C Galizi
- Health Management Office, OSA Associated Health Workers Cooperative, Rome, Italy
| | - F Giuffrida
- Health Management Office, OSA Associated Health Workers Cooperative, Rome, Italy
| | - R Giampaolo
- Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy
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Divizia M, Gabrieli R, Donia D, Macaluso A, Bosch A, Guix S, Sánchez G, Villena C, Pintó RM, Palombi L, Buonuomo E, Cenko F, Leno L, Bebeci D, Bino S. Waterborne gastroenteritis outbreak in Albania. Water Sci Technol 2004; 50:57-61. [PMID: 15318487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Three different studies are reported concerning the environmental pollution caused by viruses in Albania. The first study describes an outbreak of gastroenteritis in the capital city, involving 2,722 children attending the Paediatric Unit of Tirana Hospital. The age group with the highest morbidity was 0-5 years, with 89.5%; no fatalities were recorded during the outbreak. Rotavirus was detected in 26/28 faecal samples by RT-PCR, although astrovirus, adenovirus and calicivirus were also present. The second study describes an outbreak of hepatitis A virus involving the city of Lac. Two hundred cases were recorded, with the highest incidence in the age-group 5-9 years. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP1/2A region showed the presence of a unique sequence: genotype IA. Rotavirus was identified in drinking-water samples collected during the outbreak. The third study describes the prevalence of HAV and HEV in 202 sera randomly collected from 12 different cities in Albania. HAV showed a high incidence (66.2%), whereas none was positive for HEV. The genomic analysis of the VP1/2A junction revealed the presence of only one genotype (IA) with few point mutations and just two amino acid substitutions at codons 22 and 34. Additionally, two potential antigenic variants were detected, the first at position 46 of VP3 and the second at position 23 of VP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Divizia
- Dept of Public Health, Tor Vergata University, Via Montpellier, 1 00133-Rome, Italy.
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