No abstract available.
Communicable Disease Control* ; Communicable Diseases* ; Quarantine* ; Republic of Korea*

The national strategy against pandemic influenza essentially consists of 3 prongs: (i) effective surveillance, (ii) mitigation of the pandemic's impact, and (iii) render the population immune through vaccination. When the pandemic hits Singapore, the response plan aims to achieve the following 3 outcomes: (i) maintenance of essential services to limit social and economic disruption, (ii) reduction of morbidity and mortality through antiviral treatment, and (iii) slow and limit the spread of influenza to reduce the surge on healthcare services. The biggest challenge will come from managing the surge of demand on healthcare services. A high level of preparedness will help healthcare services better cope with the surge.
Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Communicable Disease Control ; Contact Tracing ; Disease Outbreaks ; prevention & control ; statistics & numerical data ; Global Health ; Humans ; Influenza Vaccines ; administration & dosage ; Influenza, Human ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; Population Surveillance ; Quarantine ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; epidemiology ; Singapore ; epidemiology

The present status of control treasures for public health important helminthic infections in Korea was surveyed in 1969 and the following results were obtained The activities of parasitic examination and Acaris treatment for the positives which were done during 1966 to 1969 were brought in poor result and could not decrease the infection rate. It is needed to improve or strengthen the activities. The mass treatment activities for paragonimiasis and clonorchiasis in the areas which were designated by the Ministry of Health were carried out during 1965 to 1968 with no good results in decrease of estimated number of the patients. There were too many pharmaceutical companies where many kinds of anthelmintics were produced. It may be better to reduce the number of anthelmintics produced and control the quality. The human feces, the most important source of helminthic infection, was generally not treated in sanitary ways because of the poor sewerage system and no sewage treatment plant in urban areas and insanitary latrines in rural areas. The field soils of 170 specimens were collected from 34 areas out of 55 urban and tourist areas where night soil has been prohibited by a regulation to be used as a fertilizer, and examined for parasites contamination with the result of Ascaris egg detection in 44%. Some kinds of vegetables of 64 specimens each from the supply agents of parasite free vegetables and general markets were collected and examined for parasites contamination with the results of Ascaris egg detection in 25% and 36% respectively. The parasite control activities and the ability of parasitological examination techniques in the health centers of the country were not satisfactory. The budget of the Ministry of Health for the parasite control was very poor. The actual expenditure needed for cellophane thick smear technique was 8 Won per a specimen. As a principle the control of helminthic infections might be led toward breaking the chain of events in the life cycle of the prasites and eliminating environmental and host factors concerned with the infections, and the following methods may be pointed out. 1) Mass treatment might be done to eliminate human reservoirs of an infection. 2) Animal reservoirs which are related with human infections might be eliminated. 3) The excretes of reservoirs, particularly human feces, should be treated in sanitary ways by the means of sanitary sewerage system and sewage treatment plant in urban areas and sanitary latrines such as waterborne latrine, aqua privy and pit latrine in rural areas. The increase of national economical development and prohibition of the habit of using night soil as a Fertilizer might be very important factors to achieve the purpose. 4) The control of vehicles and intermediate hosts might be done by the means of prohibition of soil contamination with parasites, food sanitation, insect control and snail control. 5) The improvement of insanitary attitudes and bad habit which are related with parasitic infections might be done by the means of prohibition of habit of using night soils as a fertilizer, and improving eating habits and personal hygiene. 6) Chemoprohylactic measure and vaccination may be effective to prevent the infections or the development of a parasite to adult in the bodies were invaded by parasites. Further studies and development of this kind of measures are needed.
Acari ; Adult ; Animals ; Anthelmintics ; Ascaris ; Budgets ; Cellophane ; Clonorchiasis ; Communicable Disease Control ; Eating ; Feces ; Health Expenditures ; Helminths ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Insect Control ; Korea* ; Life Cycle Stages ; Ovum ; Paragonimiasis ; Parasites ; Plants ; Public Health ; Sanitation ; Sewage ; Snails ; Soil ; Toilet Facilities ; Vaccination ; Vegetables

We describe the public health control measures implemented in Singapore to limit the spread of influenza A (H1N1-2009) and mitigate its social effects. We also discuss the key learning points from this experience. Singapore's public health control measures were broadly divided into 2 phases: containment and mitigation. Containment strategies included the triage of febrile patients at frontline healthcare settings, admission and isolation of confirmed cases, mandatory Quarantine Orders (QO) for close contacts, and temperature screening at border entry points. After sustained community transmission became established, containment shifted to mitigation. Hospitals only admitted H1N1-2009 cases based on clinical indications, not for isolation. Mild cases were managed in the community. Contact tracing and QOs tapered off, and border temperature screening ended. The 5 key lessons learnt were: (1) Be prepared, but retain flexibility in implementing control measures; (2) Surveillance, good scientific information and operational research can increase a system's ability to manage risk during a public health crisis; (3) Integrated systems-level responses are essential for a coherent public health response; (4) Effective handling of manpower surges requires creative strategies; and (5) Communication must be strategic, timely, concise and clear. Singapore's effective response to the H1N1-2009 pandemic, founded on experience in managing the 2003 SARS epidemic, was a whole-of-government approach towards pandemic preparedness planning. Documenting the measures taken and lessons learnt provides a learning opportunity for both doctors and policy makers, and can help fortify Singapore's ability to respond to future major disease outbreaks.
Communicable Disease Control ; organization & administration ; Contact Tracing ; Delivery of Health Care ; Disease Outbreaks ; prevention & control ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; Influenza, Human ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; transmission ; Interviews as Topic ; Patient Isolation ; Public Health ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Triage

A survey was carried out in order to know the status of student health service and student medical insurance of universities and colleges in Korea from 1 July to 30 September, 1978. And the following results were obtained; 1. Out of seventy universities and colleges, 54.8% of them had student health service facility such as student health center(30.0%) or health room(24.8%). 2. Out of twenty-seven national and public universities and colleges, 44.4% of them had student health service facility and out of forty-three private universities and colleges, 60.5% of them had student health service facilities. 3. Each of 80.8% of 25 universities, 43.3% of 30 colleges and 33.3% of 15 junior colleges had student health service facility. 4. Major roles of student health service were physical examination (92.1%), health counselling (86.8%), primary medical care (78.9%), tuberculosis control (68.4%), insect and rodent control (52.6%), parasite control (47.4%), water source sanitation (44.7%), and dental health care (28.9%). 5. Out of 21 universities and colleges, 66.7% of them had full time doctor and 81.0% of them had full time nurse for student health center. And out of 17 universities and colleges, 5.9% of them had full time doctor and 35.3% of them had full time nurse for student health room. 6. The range of health fee was varied from 100 won to 1,400 won per student per semester and the average was 520 won. 7. Among 55 universities and colleges, 78.6% of them had carried out annual physical examination in 1977 and the rate of physical examination was 57.4%. 8. Out of 70 universities and colleges, 45.7% of them had tuberculosis control program and the prevalence rate was 6.0 per 1,000 students. 9. Student medical insurance program was developed by ten universities and one college among 25 universities and 45 colleges. 10. Student medical insurance benefit was varied according to university and college ; the reduction rate of medical fee was 20% to 80% for not only in-patient but also out-patient. 11. The upper limit of pay claim was varied according to the university and college from 5,000 won to no-limitation for out-patient and from 30,000 won to no-limitation for in-patient. 12. The highest utility rate of student medical insurance program was found in university "F" with the rate of 791 for out-patient and 12 for admitted patient per 1,000 students.
Communicable Disease Control ; Delivery of Health Care ; Fees and Charges ; Fees, Medical ; Humans ; Insects ; Insurance ; Insurance Benefits ; Korea* ; Outpatients ; Physical Examination ; Prevalence ; Rodent Control ; Sanitation ; Student Health Services* ; Tuberculosis ; Water

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the content related to nosocomial infection control in the course on Fundamentals of Nursing. METHOD: Participants were 49 faculty who were teaching courses in Fundamentals of Nursing in universities and colleges in Korea. The questionnaire was composed of 55 items related to nosocomial infection control. RESULTS: Eighteen items out of 55 items were taught in more than 80% of the universities and colleges. These included principles of infection control, principles and effect of hand washing, method of hand washing, hand scrubs, and donning sterile gown and gloves. CONCLUSION: The most effective interventions for infection control, including asepsis, hand washing, infection control for urinary catheterization, and infection control for IV sites were taught in most universities and colleges. However, the time assigned for teaching these items and the importance placed on practice were not considered sufficient.
Asepsis ; Cross Infection* ; Education* ; Hand ; Hand Disinfection ; Infection Control ; Korea ; Nursing* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urinary Catheterization ; Urinary Catheters

Vaccination service is provided by public health centers and private hospitals in Korea. The central government (Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention, KCDC) and local governments support whole public health centers financially including vaccination cost. However, people who get vaccinated at private clinics are not included as beneficiaries, so that they have to cover the expenses by themselves. Under this situation, the immunization registry rate at private clinics is much lower than that of the public sectors, so it is difficult to manage the vaccination history of each person. Through the 2005~2006 year demonstration projects, the government could confirm the necessities of coverage expansion for the National Immunization Program. In addition, the "Communicable Disease Control Law" and its implementing ordinances have been amended in 2006. In 2007, the government is trying to comply with the budget and to prepare a Notification about vaccination charge and the vaccination cost repayment process for the project.
Budgets ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Communicable Diseases ; Hospitals, Private ; Humans ; Immunization Programs* ; Immunization* ; Korea ; Public Health ; Public Sector ; Vaccination

This research aimed to survey foodservice hygiene management practices performed by principals and teachers as well as examine foodservice employees' hygiene knowledge in kindergartens. Surveys were administered to principals, teachers, and foodservice employees at 392 kindergartens. The total average score of six categories was 4.28 out of 5.0. Average score of the production process management category was the lowest at 3.90 while safety management was the highest at 4.69. Other average scores were as follows: facilities and equipment 4.20, personal hygiene 4.14, food ingredient control 4.35, and environmental sanitation 4.39. Teachers' foodservice hygiene management practices scored 3.8 points out of 5 on average. Hygiene knowledge of foodservice employees was also tested. The mean score of foodservice hygiene knowledge was 76.29%. The lowest scoring category was personal hygiene, suggesting that foodservice employees require more knowledge on proper personal hygiene practices. Possession rates of dish sterilizer, ultraviolet sterilizer, and hand washing facilities in the kitchen were low. These equipment installation rates should be raised accordingly. To enhance control of foodservice hygiene, kindergarten management should pay more attention to education and training related to foodservice sanitation.
Hand Disinfection ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Safety Management ; Sanitation

No abstract available.
Hand Disinfection*

Purpose: This study aims to compare surgical scrubbing with and without a brush in decreasing the number of germ colonies on hands. Background: Surgical scrubbing with and without a brush are currently popular worldwide. To date, the optimal method in decreasing the number of germ colonies on the hands is not known. Methods: Systematic review of effectiveness was conducted. The databases and publisher websites included PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Wiley Online Library, Cochrane Library and recruitment studies published between 2009-2019. The risk of bias was assessed utilizing Cochrane Collaboration's tool. Results: Included clinical studies consisting of five randomized controlled trials. The procedures and duration of surgical scrubbing on each study varied depending on the protocol as a reference. All clinical studies found no difference in the number of colonyforming units (CFU) on the hand between surgical scrubbing with and without a brush. Conclusions Scrubbing with and without a brush showed similar efficacy in terms of the number of germ colonies on the hands.
Hand Disinfection