COVID-19 Misinformation Sparks Threats and Violence Against Doctors in Latin America
Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina
Taylor describes an increase in reports of health care workers being attacked, intimidated, and evicted from their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia. As of April 28, 2020, Mexico has documented at least 47 cases of aggression toward health care workers and 265 complaints regarding discrimination because of COVID-19 among health care workers. Taylor suggests that the spread of misinformation, a history of violence in some Latin American countries, and a loss of trust in government could partly explain a lack of trust in doctors. To protect health care workers from abuse, Buenos Aires, Argentina, is issuing fines against people who perpetrate the abuse. The Pan American Health Organization and Amnesty International have called on governments to do more to protect health care workers, for example, by distributing simple, accessible information to combat the spread of misinformation.
Citation. Taylor L. COVID-19 misinformation sparks threats and violence against doctors in Latin America. BMJ. 2020;370:m3088. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m3088.
A Cholera Vaccination Campaign in a COVID-19 Environment
Cameroon, Africa
Cameroon has one of the highest cholera case fatality rates in the world, exhibiting an upward trend higher than 4%. In response, the Cameroon Ministry of Public Health organized an oral cholera vaccination campaign involving 2244 mobilizers and vaccinators to target the south, littoral, and southwest regions. Amani et al. assessed best practices and lessons learned from the campaign in 2020. The vaccine coverage rates varied widely by region (littoral was the lowest at 38.6%) and age (the 20 years and older group was the lowest), and were low overall (64%). Inadequate COVID-19 supplies, staff testing frequency, and distancing indicated that the challenge was to provide the vaccine to those who wanted it. The authors strongly recommend increasing communication activities at least 2 weeks before campaign implementation.
Citation. Amani A, Fouda AAB, Nangmo AJ, et al. Reactive mass vaccination campaign against cholera in the COVID-19 context in Cameroon: challenges, best practices and lessons learned. Pan Afr Med J. 2021;38:392. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2021.38.392.27754
Burden of Firearm-Related Injuries
New South Wales, Australia
Negin et al. highlight a gap in knowledge regarding gun violence in Australia with the aim of characterizing the burden and risk factors of firearm-related injuries in New South Wales. The authors use population-based record linkage data from January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2016 to explore firearm-related injuries resulting from assault, intentional self-harm, and accidents. Among the 2390 people included in the study, firearm-related injuries were mostly attributable to assault (36%), followed closely by self-harm (33%). The authors found that the injury rate was higher in rural and remote areas than in urban areas and that a decline in firearm-related injuries occurred over the study period. The highest rate of firearm injuries resulting from self-harm was among people older than 60 years. Negin et al. emphasize that these results can help develop strategies for people at higher risk of experiencing harm from firearm-related injuries.
Citation. Negin J, Bell J, Ivancic L, Alpers P, Nassar N. Gun violence in Australia, 2002–2016: a cohort study. Med J Aust. 2021;215(9):414–420. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.51251
Characteristics of Violent Incidents in Chinese Hospitals and Health Care Workers' Needs
China
Violence against health care workers is a growing public health issue. Ma et al. analyzed and described 341 violent incidents in hospitals from the China Judgments Online System. Additionally, the authors selected 72 health care workers from 20 secondary and tertiary hospitals in China for semistructured interviews. Most violent incidents (63%) were prompted by patient death or treatment dissatisfaction. Perpetrators were mainly males (80%), had attained high school education or less (87%), and were part of the patient’s family (76%). Out-of-hospital disputes were also an important cause of serious hospital violence (11%). Moreover, interviewed health care workers expressed an urgent need for legislation, increased security, and training to handle disputes to prevent the violent incidents against health care workers and protect their safety.
Citation. Ma Y, Wang L, Wang Y, et al. Causes of hospital violence, characteristics of perpetrators, and prevention and control measures: a case analysis of 341 serious hospital violence incidents in China. Front Public Health. 2022;9:783137. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.783137
Footnotes
Prepared by Stephen Lewandowski, Vrinda Kalia, Megan E. Marziali, and Luis E. Segura, Columbia University, New York, NY. Correspondence should be sent to the AJPH Global News Team at les2196@cumc.columbia.edu.