The impact of war on the health system of the Tigray region in Ethiopia: a response to complaints

Gesesew, Hailay Abrha; Berhane, Kiros; Siraj, Elias S.; Siraj, Dawd; Gebregziabher, Mulugeta; Tesema, Azeb Gebresilassie; Siraj, Amir; Aregawi, Maru; Gezahegn, Selome; Tesfay, Fisaha Haile

doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2022-008839

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 6 publications

(8 reference statements)

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“…Conflict situations, sometimes called human‐induced disasters, can be defined as the force or violence of opposition states with detrimental effects on human wellbeing 1 . The ongoing Russia‐Ukraine war and several others across the globe 2 have weakened economies, caused famines, resulted in the mass killing of civilians, destroyed communities and negatively impacted the overall health and wellbeing of millions of individuals including through causing significant psychological distress 3–7 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1 The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and several others across the globe 2 have weakened economies, caused famines, resulted in the mass killing of civilians, destroyed communities and negatively impacted the overall health and wellbeing of millions of individuals including through causing significant psychological distress. [3][4][5][6][7] Older persons (≥65 years) form a rapidly growing proportion of persons living in conflict situations, 8 and thus age-related vulnerability is becoming an increasing concern for both them and their caregivers. 9 Several health agencies have called for a better understanding of the experiences of older persons during conflict situations to inform age-appropriate supports, 10 given that older persons are often not prioritized in disaster relief budgets 11 and responses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exacerbated inequalities: A scoping review of the experiences of older persons during conflict situations

Kokorelias

Grosse

Kazberouk

et al. 2023

J American Geriatrics Society

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BackgroundWe conducted the first known comprehensive literature review to (1) identify, categorize, and summarize the existing knowledge about the experiences of older persons and their caregivers during conflict situations; (2) identify the support needs of older persons and their caregivers, and; (3) identify gaps in the literature and understanding that may inform future research.MethodsA scoping review methodology of academic peer‐reviewed and gray English language literature was employed using six academic literature databases and one gray literature database. We further performed comprehensive searches of relevant search engines and organization websites and bibliographic hand searches to identify additional academic and gray literature. Two authors screened for eligibility of identified studies and documents. One reviewer extracted data regarding authors, article type, geographic origin, key participant characteristics, aims, study design and data collection method, results, conclusions and limitations. Data were analyzed thematically.Results83 documents met this review's inclusion criteria, including 21 academic documents and 62 from the gray literature. Thematic analysis revealed that conflict situations exacerbate existing inequalities experienced by older persons. Within this overarching theme were three interconnected sub‐themes: (1) Older adults are particularly vulnerable during conflict situations; (2) Older persons are inadequately supported in conflict situations; (3) In the face of great challenges, many older adults still manage to endure through conflict situations. We identified 15 recommendations from the reviewed documents to better support older adults in conflict situations.ConclusionsExisting inequalities, such as ageism and ableism, targeted discrimination, and poor health outcomes, become exacerbated during conflict situations, resulting in older persons being less able to flee and meet their daily needs with sufficient access to necessities and healthcare. Little is known of the experiences and needs of family caregivers during conflict situations. We identified several opportunities to improve the experience and support of older persons in conflict situations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exacerbated inequalities: A scoping review of the experiences of older persons during conflict situations

Kokorelias

Grosse

Kazberouk

et al. 2023

J American Geriatrics Society

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Assessment of adverse events among healthcare workers following the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in Tigray, Ethiopia

Abera,

Teka,

Berhe

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Apart from the inequality in vaccination, war zones and areas where communication is disrupted are affected by myths and misconceptions about COVID-19 vaccines, heightening vaccine hesitancy. Local data on adverse events of the vaccines and their mildness can increase confidence and acceptance of the vaccines in the respective population. In areas of conflict and communication blackouts, the perception of the vaccines by health workers is of paramount importance as public health recommendations may not reach the public. Therefore, the scientific evaluation of adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination in such areas is invaluable. This cross-sectional, facility-based study was conducted using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire to assess the adverse events experienced by healthcare workers who received the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. The sample was divided proportionally to the number of vaccinated healthcare workers for the different healthcare professions, and participants were then randomly selected from each profession. Prior to data collection, a pilot test was conducted with 5% of the sample size outside the selected hospital. The study was conducted using a structured questionnaire completed by an interviewer to assess adverse events in 442 healthcare workers who had received the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine between July 11 and 25, 2022. The study period was from August 15 to September 15, 2022. A significant number of healthcare workers [366 (83.3%); 95% CI 79.5%, 86.5%] experienced at least one adverse event. Nearly 90% of participants reported that the adverse events were mild to moderate. Pain at the injection site [307 (69.5%); 95% CI 65.0%, 73.6%] and headache [247 (55.9%); 95% CI 51.2%, 60.4%] were the most common local and systemic adverse events, respectively. Two HCWs experienced anaphylactic reaction. Younger age was significantly associated with the occurrence of adverse events. We deciphered that the adverse events reported by the study participants were not different from the typically occurring vaccine-related adverse reactions, and therefore concluded that post-vaccination reactions in healthcare workers were minor. Although vaccination in Tigray is currently stalled due to the siege, responsible stakeholders should develop a mechanism to track population-wide adverse events once the vaccines start to rollout.

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The impact of war on the health system of the Tigray region in Ethiopia: a response to complaints

Cited by 2 publications

References 6 publications

Exacerbated inequalities: A scoping review of the experiences of older persons during conflict situations

Exacerbated inequalities: A scoping review of the experiences of older persons during conflict situations

Assessment of adverse events among healthcare workers following the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in Tigray, Ethiopia

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