AJPH Global News

Effects of Heat on Cardiovascular Disease

Schulte et al. assessed the effect of daily maximum temperature on morbidity and mortality in 9 cardiovascular disease groups across Switzerland. The study was based on medical and death statistics from 1998 to 2016. The authors identified mortality increases for hypertension, heart failure, stroke of unknown origin, and arrhythmia—outcomes potentially exacerbated by antihypertensive medications. They observed decreases in emergency hospital admissions with rising temperature for hypertension, heart failure, and myocardial infarction, which may be explained by cardioprotective volume depletion and vasodilation. The main results agree with previous findings and inform strategies for the prevention and treatment of heat-related illnesses.

Citation. Schulte F, Röösli M, Ragettli MS. Heat-related cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in Switzerland: a clinical perspective. Swiss Med Wkly. 2021;151:w30013.

https://doi.org/10.4414/SMW.2021.w30013

Disproportionate Burden of COVID-19 on the Indigenous Population in Brazil

Using a nationwide registry-based study, Santos et al. estimated the incidence and mortality rates of COVID-19 among Indigenous people living in Brazil’s 5 regions (Northeast, North, Central-West, Southeast, and South) between February 26 and August 28, 2020. The national incidence and mortality rates were 3546.4 cases and 65.0 deaths per 100 000 people, respectively, and the case fatality rate (CFR) was 1.8%. Among the Indigenous population, rates were higher than the national estimate of the population in the Central-West and North regions. The Central-West region had incidence and mortality rates of 3135.0 and 101.2 per 100 000 people, and the CFR was 3.2%, whereas in the North region, incidence and mortality rates were 5664.4 and 92.2 per 100 000 people, respectively, and the CFR was 1.6%. These findings showed a disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on the Indigenous population in Brazil.

Citation. Santos VS, Souza Araújo AA, de Oliveira JR, Quintans-Júnior LJ, Martins-Filho PR. COVID-19 mortality among Indigenous people in Brazil: a nationwide register-based study. J Public Health (Oxf). 2021;43(2):e250–e251.

https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdaa176.

Traditional Healers as Client Advocates for HIV Services

Traditional healers hold positions of authority in communities and often occupy roles such as spiritualists, herbalists, and birth attendants. Estimates suggest that more than 800 000 traditional healers practice in Mozambique. Sundararajan et al. conducted a qualitative study to understand HIV-related knowledge among traditional healers in urban settings, where biomedical resources are more accessible, and their attitudes toward biomedicine. They used an inductive, grounded theory approach with 36 traditional healers in Maputo from April through November 2016. Prominent themes included healers having a positive attitude toward biomedicine and acting as advocates for their clients who are HIV positive. Healers self-identified as acting together with biomedical providers to facilitate health care access. Findings highlight the import role of traditional healers in improving uptake of HIV services and engagement.

Citation. Sundararajan R, Langa PV, Morshed T, Manuel S. Traditional healers as client advocates in the HIV-endemic region of Maputo, Mozambique: results from a qualitative study. SAHARA J. 2021;18(1):77–85.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17290376.2021.1909492

Cognitive Function of Children Living in Forest Fire–Prone Provinces

Seasonal forest fires that occur on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan can produce high concentrations of ambient particulate matter of less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5). Using data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey, Jalaludin et al. determined whether exposure to PM2.5 is associated with children’s cognitive function (assessed through Ravens Colored Progressive Matrices; RCPM) and whether cognitive function differed in children who have always lived in forest fire–prone provinces compared to children who have always lived in provinces not prone to forest fires. Using multilevel mixed linear regression models, Jalaludin et al. found a small positive association between PM2.5 exposure and RCPM scores (b = 0.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.01%, 0.19%) and lower RCPM scores for children who had lived in a forest fire–prone province all their lives (b = -1.50%; 95% CI = –2.94, –0.07) after adjusting for individual factors.

Citation. Jalaludin B, Garden FL, Chrzanowska A, et al. Associations between ambient particulate air pollution and cognitive function in Indonesian children living in forest fire–prone provinces. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2022;34(1):96–105.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10105395211031735