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Biomedical subjects

A O Lucas

Publications and source records attributed to A O Lucas.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Research in hospitals: inserting the missing link.

In another 210 days, we will cross the threshold to a new age of the 21st century and the third millennium. This is the time for reminiscing with nostalgia, looking back to where we have been. This is the time for stocktaking, candidly and objectively assessing where we are now. This is the time, at the gateway of a new century, for looking forward with bold vision to where we hope to be in the next millennium. In this paper, the author will seek to present reasons why hospitals in developing countries should play a more active role in research, why all hospitals, from the smallest first referral hospitals to the largest, tertiary specialist hospitals, should intensify their research activities and how to expand and intensify hospital based research. The central role of hospitals in health development is clear and indisputable. Hospitals are universally appreciated but society will not continue to accept uncritically all hospital activities and the attendant costs.

Benchmarking↗
PubMed1998

Tropical medicine: 100 years of progress.

Over the past century, tropical medicine has passed through several overlapping phases. Initially, the picture was of endemic and epidemic diseases that wreaked havoc on people living in warm climates and visitors to these areas. High morbidity and mortality associated with these diseases reflected the poor state of knowledge about their causes and epidemiology and the lack of effective technologies for their control. At this stage, tropical medicine was dominated by parasitic and infectious diseases that had affinity for warm climates and some specific nutritional disorders. The next phase involved the steady accumulation of knowledge about the aetiological agents and, in the case of parasitic and infectious diseases, identification of reservoirs and vectors. The development of new and improved technologies for the control of tropical diseases characterised the third phase. The new products included drugs, diagnostic tools, vector control measures and vaccines. In the fourth phase, the new technologies are being deployed in programmes aimed at achieving disease control and, where feasible, total elimination of the problem. In the course of these operations, many useful lessons have been learnt from both the successes and failures of major schemes. In particular, experience has shown the important role of research not only in providing new technologies but also in optimising their effectiveness when applied in control programmes. The role of social and behavioural factors in the epidemiology and control of tropical diseases has drawn attention to the value of a multidisciplinary approach in designing and implementing control programmes. There is a sense of cautious optimism that, if the lessons learnt over the past century are carefully applied, further gains can be made in controlling and eliminating the classical problems that characterised tropical medicine at the beginning of this century.

Disease Outbreaks↗
PubMed1983

Recent advances in tropical diseases research.

The past few years have witnessed renewed effort to develop new tools for the conquest of parasitic and other infectious tropical diseases. The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases was initiated by the WHO, following a resolution of the World Health Assembly calling for the intensification of research into tropical diseases. The Programme, co-sponsored by UNDP and the World Bank, has developed a network of activities with two inter-related objective: Research and development towards new and improved tools to control six tropical diseases; and Strengthening of national institutions, including training, to increase the research capabilities of the tropical countries effected by the diseases. The six target diseases are: malaria, schistosomiasis, filariasis, trypanosomiasis (both African sleeping sickness and Chagas' disease), leishmaniasis and leprosy. Early scientific results include progress in chemotherapy for malaria, schistosomiasis and filariasis; in the developing and testing of a vaccine against leprosy; in the fundamental knowledge required to develop a vaccine against malaria; and in simple and accurate diagnostic field tests for malaria, leprosy and African trypanosomiasis. In addition, institution strengthening and training support, awarded exclusively to institutions and scientists of developing endemic countries, has increased rapidly. The programme has collaborated with other agencies which are active in this area and with the pharmaceutical industry. Additional scientists and institutions are involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the Programme.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Schistosomiasis in Africa.

Schistosomiasis remains endemic in many parts of the tropics and subtropics including Africa. In recent years, there have been two main trends with regard to the size and distribution of the problem posed by this infection. The increasing exploitation of water resources for agro-engineering projects has tended to increase the intensity of the transmission of this infection and to extend it into new foci. At the same time, however, there has been a significant improvement in the tools available for the control of this disease. Furthermore a number of interesting demonstration programmes have shown that control of the disease is feasible by using the appropriate combination of available measures. Why then is the situation mainly static in many endemic areas or even worsening in some others? Three factors will be discussed: a) In some endemic areas, low priority is accorded to the control of schistosomiasis probably because of failure to appreciate its public health significance. b) Insufficient guidance of control programmes from careful epidemiological assessments. c) Technical constraints in terms of efficacy and safety of drugs and other control measures.

Africa↗
PubMed1978

The immunological response of Nigerian infants to attenuated and inactivated poliovaccines.

A comparison was made of the immunity conferred by injected formalin-killed poliomyelitis vaccine and orally administered attenuated poliomyelitis vaccine in Nigerian infants under tropical conditions where interfering enteroviruses have caused poor conversion rates with attenuated poliomyelitis vaccine. Two hundred and thirty infants completed the immunization schedules. The levels of antibodies to polioviruses were assessed before immunization and at periodic intervals during the trial. Seventy-four per cent, 72% and 85% of the children lacked antibodies to poliovirus types 1, 2 and 3 respectively at 6 months if they received no vaccine, the comparative proportions respectively were 52%, 8% and 48% if they had oral attenuated poliovaccine and 2%, 4% and 0% if they had three doses of inactivated poliovaccine. It is suggested that killed poliovaccine incorporated in a quadruple vaccine may have a place in developing countries like Nigeria in the control of diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and poliomyelitis.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1978

Studies on the prevalence of renal disease and hypertension in relation to schistosomiasis. IV. Systemic blood pressure hypertension and related features.

Two comparable rural communities but with varying endemicity of urinary schistosomiasis in environs of Ibadan, Nigeria, have been studied by a total cross-sectional population survey. It has been found that:- (i) schistosomiasis does not predispose to raised blood pressure (ii) both diastolic and systolic blood pressure increase with age. (iii) prevalence of systemic hypertension is higher in females than males (iv) body weight and height are related to hypertension in both males and females (v) parity would seem to be related to hypertension in the females (vi) except in the younger female group (1--19 years) where polyuria, frontal headache, palpitations appear related to systolic hypertension, raised blood pressure would appear to have no symptoms. In particular headache in any part of the head bears no clear relationship. (vii) The majority of hypertensives would appear to belong to the primary variety but proteinuria among females has been found to be significantly related to hypertension.

Adolescent↗