Community Needs Assessment on Immigrant Bangladeshi Womens Mental Health

This case summary conducted by the Urban Institute and Sapna NYC, a community-based organization serving low-income Bangladeshi women through health and empowerment programs, explores the findings of a community needs assessment focused on the mental health challenges and needs of Bangladeshi immigrant women living in the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn and can help inform practice and policy in New York City. Data from our interviews indicated that the three major contributing factors to the mental health of women in our study were economic and financial insecurity, home life and social networks, and traumatic events. Based on these insights, we propose recommendations for policymakers and funders to better support the mental health of vulnerable and immigrant communities

A Study on Unmet need for Family Planning among Mothers having under five children attending Routine Immunization Clinic and Paediatric Out Patient Department of NRS Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata

Introduction Addressing unmet needs in pregnancy is crucial for reducing unintended births, unsafe abortions, and maternal deaths, and for improving maternal and child health. Understanding the extent and addressing the reasons behind it is essential for improving maternal and child health, reducing unintended pregnancies, and supporting women\u27s reproductive rights Objective The present study was undertaken to estimate the extent of unmet needs among reproductive age group mothers with under five children and the reasons for the same. Materials and methods A descriptive, observational, hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted among 258 consecutive mothers in reproductive age group having less than five years old children, attending the  Paediatrics OPD and Routine immunization Clinic of NRS Medical College and Hospital, between October and November 2022. A predesigned semi structured interview schedule was used to collect data. Collected data were entered into Microsoft Excel and analysed using SPSS (Version 20). Results Among socio-demographic characteristics, more than one-third (11.6%) of the study population had unmet need for family planning. Unmet needs were more common in the age group of 15-19 years (24%), had children in the 49- 56-month aged children (23.1%), from rural areas (12.7%), lived in joint families (13.2%), belonged to Hindu religion (11.7%), belonged to the scheduled tribe (25%), were educated above HS levels (14.7%), in service (14.3%), belonged to SES (Class IV) and had no autonomy (13.5%). Among obstetric characteristics patients with age at marriage between 26-30 years (37.5%), age at first pregnancy of 26-30 years (23.1%), duration of marriage < 2 years (15.6%), parity of the mother ≥ 4 (23.1%) and having only female child (23.1%) were more likely to have unmet needs of pregnancy. Overall, the most common reason for unmet needs of contraception were distance from local centre (11.6%). Among client related reasons the most common cause was fear of side effects (10.5%) and among health facility related reasons, distance from local centre (11.6%) and among opposition. The most common source of opposition towards contraceptive use was from family members other than partner (8.1%). Conclusion Unmet need for family planning was seen in 11.6% of the study population. The significant reasons for the unmet needs were Hindu religion, age at marriage between 26-30 years, age at first pregnancy of 26-30 years and having only female child. Overall, the most common reason for unmet needs of contraception were distance from local centre

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education of medical, dental and non-medical healthcare professionals in Bangladesh : findings and connotation

Lockdown measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic had an appreciable impact on the education of all medical, dental, and non-medical healthcare professional (HCP) students. These included the closure of universities necessitating a rapid move to e-learning and new approaches to practical’s. However initially, there was a lack of knowledge and expertise regarding e-learning approaches and the affordability of internet bundles and equipment. We initially con-ducted two pilot studies to assess such current challenges, replaced by a two-stage approach including a full investigation involving 32 private and public universities during the early stages of the pandemic followed by a later study assessing the current environment brought about by the forced changes. Top challenges at the start of the pandemic included a lack of familiarity with e-learning approaches, cost of the internet, lack of IT equipment and the quality of the classes. Universities offered support to staff and students to a varying degree to address identified challenges. Since then, e-learning approaches have widened the possibilities for teaching and learning at convenient times. However, challenges remain. In conclusion, there were considerable challenges at the start of them pandemic. Several key issues have been addressed with hybrid learning here to stay. Remaining challenges include a lack of ICT equipment. However, new innovations will continue

Prevalence of Salmonella in Apparently Healthy Chickens in Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Salmonella spp. are the most frequently reported cause of food-borne illnesses worldwide that are closely associated with the consumption of contaminated poultry and egg products. This study was designed to isolate and identify Salmonella, and evaluate its prevalence in chickens of different lines and ages during summer and rainy seasons. Cloacal swab samples (n=200) of apparently healthy chickens were collected. Isolated Salmonella were characterized using cultural, biochemical and serological examinations. A total of 104 samples (52%) were found to be positive for Salmonella spp. The prevalence of Salmonella spp. was significantly higher (p&lt;0.01) during summer (67.78%) as opposed to rainy season (39.09%). Prevalence of Salmonella was 71.11% in broiler, 38.89% in layer and 25% in indigenous chicken. Broilers showed significantly higher prevalence of Salmonella as compared to layer and indigenous chickens (p&lt;0.01). Among the five age groups, the highest prevalence was observed in chickens of 18-week of age (65%) and the lowest was in chickens of 2-week age (16.67%). The data of this study showed higher prevalence of Salmonella in broilers and underscored the need for detail epidemiological investigations as well as strict hygienic practices in farm and live bird markets all over Bangladesh. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/mh.v1i1.13711 Microbes and Health Vol.1(1) June 2012 pp.30-33</jats:p

Developing A Linear Programming Model to Maximize Profit with Minimized Lead TIME of A Composite Textile Mill

In the competitive market of apparel manufacturing, lead time for production plays a significant role in the delivery of the produces impacting the entire supply chain. Nowadays, composite manufacturers are leaning towards delivering within the shortest possible time to retain customers in this competitive market. To meet this challenge, proper production planning either using the correct method or the appropriate tools is a prerequisite condition; otherwise, mills will inevitably suffer losses or fail to drain out the maximum possible profit from the produces and may also suffer from promoting more expenses rather than yielding revenues. This study deals with the development of a linear programming model in order to reduce the complexity of the scheduling problem of a Composite Textile Industry in pursuit of maximizing profit or minimizing production costs. The model is developed considering process segmentation, utilization of machines and other resources, with respect to lead time. Four different components of the lead time are derived and an excel solver is used in solving the model