Papers by Dr M. Mofizul Islam
Venomous snakebite is an important cause of preventable death. The World Health Organization (WHO... more Venomous snakebite is an important cause of preventable death. The World Health Organization (WHO) set a goal to halve snakebite mortality by 2030. We used verbal autopsy and vital registration data to model the proportion of venomous animal deaths due to snakes by location, age, year, and sex, and applied these proportions to venomous animal contact mortality estimates from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study. In 2019, 63,400 people (95% uncertainty interval 38,900–78,600) died globally from snakebites, which was equal to an age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) of 0.8 deaths (0.5–1.0) per 100,000 and represents a 36% (2–49) decrease in ASMR since 1990. India had the greatest number of deaths in 2019, equal to an ASMR of 4.0 per 100,000 (2.3-5.0). We forecast mortality will continue to decline, but not sufficiently to meet the WHO’s goals. Improved data collection should be prioritized to help target interventions, improve burden estimation, and monitor progress.
Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy
Global Health Action
Currently, around a million Rohingya refugees live in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. This study examine... more Currently, around a million Rohingya refugees live in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. This study examines the attitudes toward physical abuse and experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) of Rohingya refugee women who experienced child marriage. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Rohingya refugee settlement at Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Attitudes towards physical abuse have been assessed by a set of five questions that asked the situation under which 'hitting or beating' one's wife is justifiable. Multivariable logistic regressions are used to examine the associations of exposure to child marriage with (i) attitudes towards the justification of physical abuse by one's husband and (ii) experiences of IPV in the 12 months prior to the survey. Data are available for 486 participants. Overall, 61.32% of women experienced child marriage (married before 18 years of age) and they were more likely to have strongly justified beatings/hitting one's wife under certain circumstances (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.71; 95%CI: 1.78, 4.11), and to have experienced such IPV by their husbands in the 12 months prior to the survey (AOR = 1.72; 95%CI: 1.13, 2.61). These AORs are higher for women married at ages 12-14 than those married at 15-17. Having some formal education among husband and wife is protective of abuse within a marriage. Rohingya women's attitudes towards and experiences of IPV are associated with their exposure to child marriage. Interventions for stopping child marriage, marriage registration, social support group, and legal interventions are needed. Offering formal education to all children needs to be prioritized.
The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific
BMJ Open
Background and objectiveIncreasing numbers of Rohingya refugees have been found to be infected wi... more Background and objectiveIncreasing numbers of Rohingya refugees have been found to be infected with HIV since they arrived in Bangladesh after being ousted from Myanmar in 2017. This study aimed to examine the knowledge about HIV transmission among Rohingya refugee women and to identify factors that are associated with that knowledge.DesignA cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire that was based on the standard questionnaire of the Demographic and Health Survey programme.SettingRohingya settlements in the Kutupalong refugee camp at Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.ParticipantsInterviews were conducted with 508 women who had married or given birth in the 2 years before the survey was done.Outcome measureThe participants were asked to answer a set of questions to assess their knowledge about HIV transmission.ResultsAround 70% of the women could not accurately answer four of the eight questions, and there were substantial misconceptions about the modes of H...
Frontiers in Public Health
In recent times, social prescribing has been introduced in some countries, and substantially in t... more In recent times, social prescribing has been introduced in some countries, and substantially in the U.K. The objective of this scheme is to offer non-medical care mainly to primary care patients. Although the idea of this scheme is not new, its formalization is. Using a narrative synthesis of peer-reviewed and gray literature, this article discusses the social prescribing scheme, some of its compelling aspects and challenges in offering non-medical care, particularly regarding referrals being made from primary care settings. The social prescribing scheme has several impelling forces that include its potential to turn primary care to primary healthcare, tackle social determinants of health and social needs, improve wellbeing and physical health, offer person-centered care, strengthen preventive care, and bridge healthcare organizations with the third sector. This scheme also faces several challenges including service standards and boundaries, sustainability, availability of appropria...
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
Currently, around a million Rohingya refugees live in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Displacement from ... more Currently, around a million Rohingya refugees live in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Displacement from homelands and restrictions on movement in the refugee camps may exacerbate intimate partner abuse (IPA) against refugee women and their abilities to reject husbands’ advances to unwanted sex. This study examines Rohingya refugee women’s attitudes toward and experience of intimate partner abuse (IPA) and their impact on the abilities to reject husbands’ advances to unwanted sex. A survey was conducted among Rohingya refugee women in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Women’s attitudes toward IPA, and experience of IPA were the exposure variables. Women’s abilities to say “no” to husbands’ advances to unwanted sexual intercourse was the outcome variable. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the relationships. Participants’ median age was 22 years (range: 13-41). Most women perceived hitting/beatings by their husbands in certain situations as justifiable, 72% had experienced ...
Public Health in Practice
Lancet, 2020
Background Rigorous analysis of levels and trends in exposure to leading risk factors and quantif... more Background Rigorous analysis of levels and trends in exposure to leading risk factors and quantification of their effect on human health are important to identify where public health is making progress and in which cases current efforts are inadequate. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 provides a standardised and comprehensive assessment of the magnitude of risk factor exposure, relative risk, and attributable burden of disease.
Background Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) involves all people receiving the health ser... more Background Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) involves all people receiving the health services they need, of high quality, without experiencing financial hardship. Making progress towards UHC is a policy priority for both countries and global institutions, as highlighted by the agenda of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO's Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW13). Measuring effective coverage at the health-system level is important for understanding whether health services are aligned with countries' health profiles and are of sufficient quality to produce health gains for populations of all ages.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
Objective: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHO... more Objective: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) have been identified as having an important role in improving the health and wellbeing of individuals in prison; however, a lack of information exists on how to strengthen this role. This paper explores the experiences of ACCHO staff in primary health care to individuals inside or leaving prison. Methods: Nineteen staff from four ACCHOs were interviewed. ACCHO selection was informed by proximity to prisons, town size and/or Local Government Area offending rates. Thematic analysis of the interviews was undertaken. Results: While most ACCHOs had delivered post-release programs, primary health care delivery to prisoners was limited. Three themes emerged: i) a lack of access to prisoners; ii) limited funding to provide services to prisoners; and iii) the need for a team approach to primary health care delivery. Conclusion: A holistic model of care underpinned by a reliable funding model (including access to certain Medicare items) and consistent access to prisoners could strengthen ACCHOs' role in primary health care delivery to people inside or leaving prison. Implications for public health: ACCHOs have an important role to play in the delivery of primary health care to prisoners. Existing models of care for prisoners should be examined to explore how this can occur.
Women and Birth
BACKGROUND Maternal alcohol or other drug use during pregnancy is associated with a range of adve... more BACKGROUND Maternal alcohol or other drug use during pregnancy is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes for mothers and their unborn child. The antenatal period presents an opportunity for health professionals to offer routine screening for alcohol or other drugs, to then provide intervention and referral for treatment and/or specialised support services. However, literature indicates that limited screening practices currently exist in maternity care settings. AIM To identify barriers to screening pregnant women for alcohol or other drugs in maternity care settings, from the perspectives of healthcare professionals. METHODS A comprehensive literature search was conducted in October 2017 to identify relevant studies. Seven databases that index health and social sciences literature, and google scholar, were searched. Eligible articles were subjected to critical appraisal. Extracted data from the eligible studies were synthesised using narrative synthesis. FINDINGS Nine studies were eligible for this review. The review identified seven key barriers to screening for alcohol or other drugs in pregnancy, namely competing priorities and time constraint; lack of adequate screening skills and clear protocol; relationship between healthcare providers and pregnant women; healthcare providers' perceptions; under-reporting or none/false disclosure; inconclusive evidence regarding the risk of alcohol or other drug use in pregnancy; and concerns about guilt and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS The narrative review revealed a range of barriers to screening for alcohol or other drugs in pregnancy. Further research in minimising the barriers is required to establish women-centred, evidence-base screening practices.
BMJ Open
ObjectiveOpioids and benzodiazepines are recommended to use for a short duration. Clinicians face... more ObjectiveOpioids and benzodiazepines are recommended to use for a short duration. Clinicians face a challenge to appraise the risk of new users to become long-term users. This study examined the pattern and probability of opioids and benzodiazepines dispensing among the new users.DesignA unit-record data of an incident and a point-incident cohort of new users, who were not dispensed in the previous 2 years, was examined and retrospectively followed up for 24 months.SettingAustralia.ParticipantsA random 10% national sample.Primary and secondary outcome measuresDistribution of total dispensing in calendar months. Probability of staying in the cohort in each successive month. Effect of first month’s dispensing pattern on the total duration of dispensing during 2nd–24th month in total number of calendar months the dispensing was recorded.ResultsIn the incident cohort, 68.24% were dispensed opioids, 23.96% were dispensed benzodiazepines and 7.80% were dispensed both medicines. Over 70% i...
Injury Prevention
BackgroundWhile there is a long history of measuring death and disability from injuries, modern r... more BackgroundWhile there is a long history of measuring death and disability from injuries, modern research methods must account for the wide spectrum of disability that can occur in an injury, and must provide estimates with sufficient demographic, geographical and temporal detail to be useful for policy makers. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 study used methods to provide highly detailed estimates of global injury burden that meet these criteria.MethodsIn this study, we report and discuss the methods used in GBD 2017 for injury morbidity and mortality burden estimation. In summary, these methods included estimating cause-specific mortality for every cause of injury, and then estimating incidence for every cause of injury. Non-fatal disability for each cause is then calculated based on the probabilities of suffering from different types of bodily injury experienced.ResultsGBD 2017 produced morbidity and mortality estimates for 38 causes of injury. Estimates were produced in te...
Injury Prevention
BackgroundPast research in population health trends has shown that injuries form a substantial bu... more BackgroundPast research in population health trends has shown that injuries form a substantial burden of population health loss. Regular updates to injury burden assessments are critical. We report Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 Study estimates on morbidity and mortality for all injuries.MethodsWe reviewed results for injuries from the GBD 2017 study. GBD 2017 measured injury-specific mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) using the Cause of Death Ensemble model. To measure non-fatal injuries, GBD 2017 modelled injury-specific incidence and converted this to prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs). YLLs and YLDs were summed to calculate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).FindingsIn 1990, there were 4 260 493 (4 085 700 to 4 396 138) injury deaths, which increased to 4 484 722 (4 332 010 to 4 585 554) deaths in 2017, while age-standardised mortality decreased from 1079 (1073 to 1086) to 738 (730 to 745) per 100 000. In 1990, there were 354 064 302 (95% uncertainty...
SAGE Open
This study examined inequalities in the utilization of maternal reproductive health care services... more This study examined inequalities in the utilization of maternal reproductive health care services in urban Bangladesh. Data of 6,617 urban women were extracted from most recent two rounds of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, conducted in the years 2011 and 2014. Inequalities in the utilization of antenatal checkup, receiving care from a skilled birth attendant, delivery in health care facilities, and postnatal care were investigated through concentration index. Contributions of selected predictors to inequalities were estimated by using the regression-based decomposition method. Noticeable inequalities were observed. Concentration index for utilization of at least one antenatal care visit was 0.09, four or more antenatal visits was 0.17, care from skilled birth attendant was 0.16, delivery care in health care facilities was 0.17, and postnatal care within 2 days of delivery was 0.19. Exposure to mass media, educational status of women and their spouses, wealth status, employ...
International Journal of Nursing Studies
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Papers by Dr M. Mofizul Islam
The sensitivity, specificity and optimal cut-off score of alcohol screening tools may vary according to the population screened. Given the considerable differences between Indigenous
and non-Indigenous cultures and histories, and often differing drinking patterns, a screening tool effective in other populations may not be accurate and acceptable among Indigenous populations. However, to date there have been few investigations on this. This study examines brief alcohol screening tools that are likely to be suitable for routine use in primary healthcare services targeting Indigenous Australians, and provides an overview of available evidence which can inform the choice of tool.
Methods
A review of available literature (up to end July 2014) was undertaken using the following steps: (i) identification of appropriate brief alcohol screening tools containing no more than 10 questions based on clinical performance, cultural and practical criteria, (ii) assessment of systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and descriptive reviews on those brief screening tools, following AMSTAR guidelines, (iii) a narrative synthesis of Indigenous Australian-specific literature on alcohol screening, and (iv) synthesis of results from the above steps, based on their strengths/quality and authors’ clinical and public health experience of working with Indigenous clients, Aboriginal community controlled agencies and with Aboriginal health professionals.
Results and conclusions
Based on available literature on key instruments which have been validated in broader communities, in several cultural groups, and in some cases, among Indigenous Australians, we
recommend the 3-item AUDIT-C. Plain English translations of this tool, and assistance (by visual aids, clinicians or technology) should be available to assist in accurate description of quantity and frequency of consumption. To increase opportunity for sensitive and empathic discussion of unhealthy drinking, we recommend a relatively low screening cut-off, 3+ for women and 4+ for men, with the option of administering remaining AUDIT questions for those who screen
positive for AUDIT-C.
Methods: Data were collected from 4,574 senior Australians. Natural clusters were identified using cluster analysis and clinically relevant clusters were identified based on expert opinion. A set of linear multivariate regression models were estimated to explore OOPE, and logistic regression models to explore whether patients faced a heavy financial burden.
Principal findings: The mean OOPE on health care in the previous three months was AU$353 with 14% reporting facing a heavy burden from OOPE. Among the participants who reported OOPE, those who experienced cancer, high-blood pressure, diabetes and depression were likely to report higher OOPE, with cancer and diabetes being significant conditions in relation to the burden of OOPE. The examination of clusters, of dominant groupings and dominant pairs of conditions did not give any clear discrimination between groups of conditions, except for supporting the conclusion that some specific conditions do stand out from others, and that the best predictor of OOPE is the number of conditions.
Implications: Findings give an indication about the group facing severe financial burdens from excessive OOPE, and have policy implications for program design.
Understanding patterns and identifying common clusters of chronic conditions is useful and potentially can save both provider and patient time and costs. However, only limited research has been conducted and those limited studies used different approaches and study findings may vary with approaches.
Methods
This study estimates the prevalence of common chronic diseases and examines co-occurrence of diseases using four approaches: (i) identification of the most occurring pairs and triplets of comorbid diseases; performing (ii) cluster analysis of diseases (iii) principal component analysis and (iv) latent class analysis. Data were collected using a questionnaire mailed to a cross-sectional sample of senior Australians, with 4574 responses.
Lessons Learned
Eighty-two percent of participants reported having at least one chronic disease and over 52% reported having at least two chronic diseases. Three defined groups of chronic conditions were identified: (i) asthma, bronchitis, arthritis, osteoporosis and depression; (ii) high blood pressure and diabetes, and (iii) cancer, with heart disease and stroke either making a separate group or “attaching” themselves to different groups in different analyses. The groups were largely consistent across the approaches. Stability and sensitivity analyses also supported the consistency of the groups.
Implications
The consistency of the findings suggests there is co-occurrence of diseases beyond chance. The patterns of co-occurrence are important for clinicians, patients, policymakers and researchers. Further studies are needed to provide a strong evidence base which would benefit from appropriate guidelines for the care and management of patients with particular condition clusters.