1.Climate change and child malnutrition
Nasantogtokh E ; Mungunzaya Kh ; Gunbolor Kh ; Khaliun S ; Unurtsetseg G ; Enkhmaa D
Mongolian Journal of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Pediatrics 2024;34(1):2475-2482
Climate change and child malnutrition
Introductions: Globally, one billion children are living in areas at high risk of climate change exposure. Among them, over 200 million children under the age of five suffer from severe malnutrition, and 148 million experience growth and developmental stunting. Climate change affects key determinants of child health such as the nutritional value of food, environmental conditions, and living standards. Mongolia is classified among countries with a high climate vulnerability index. Therefore, it is essential to study the impact of climate change on children's health in the Mongolian context. We aimed at determining the prevalence and trends of nutritional deficiencies among children under five years of age and to assess the impact of climate change on these deficiencies.
Materials and methods: This study was conducted using international databases. Climate change was evaluated using indicators such as the Climate Change Index, average annual land surface temperature, air quality, soil contamination, and precipitation levels. Data on child nutrition were collected from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) database and the Mongolian National Statistical Information Service for the period 2000–2019. Nutritional deficiencies were measured using indicators including wasting and overweight among children under five. Trends in the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies were analyzed using the AR(I)MA model to forecast changes between 2020 and 2030. Regional variations were assessed using panel regression models, and the impact of regional climate variables on child nutrition was estimated.
Results: The climate vulnerability index in Mongolia has been increasing, with trends indicating further rises in temperature variability. From 2000 to 2019, the prevalence of wasting and stunting among children under five showed a decreasing trend, with annual reductions projected at 0.5% and 1.8%, respectively. In contrast, overweight and obesity among children under five are projected to increase until 2030, with Ulaanbaatar showing statistically significant high values. A correlation was found between climate change indicators and childhood overweight.
Conclusions: There is a rising trend in overweight and obesity among young children. Climate change has both direct and indirect impacts on child nutrition, food safety, and nutritional deficiencies. These associations must be taken into serious consideration in public health planning and policy.
2.A study on socio-economic condition of health care workers
Nadmidtseren G ; Zoljargalan G ; Yerkebulan M ; Jargalsaikhan T ; Avirmed D ; Unurtsetseg Ch ; Munkh-Uchral D ; Munkhnasan Ts ; Erkhes E ; Baigal D ; Sugarmaa M
Mongolian Medical Sciences 2023;205(4):16-27
Background:
It is stated in the Government Programme of 2016-2020 that public servants, including health care workers, shall be given a gradually increased salary based on their skill, dexterity, workload, and productivity, and such increase started from 2018 as planned. In the health sector of our country, regarding demand and regulation of the programme, the change shall be made that the system for median salary of physicians and overall staff employed at hospitals gets even constructive, and the required human resource for the sector shall be prepared. Thus, inferring from these claims, median salary, real wage, and socioeconomic condition are in critical need for further evaluation.
Objective:
To examine the current socio-economic condition of health care workers, and to study the influencing
factors at play.
Methods:
In this study, we used quantitative and qualitative methods. In the survey, we involved 655 health
care workers from 6 family health centers, 2 district hospitals, 3 health centers (district-based) in
Songinokhairkhan, Sukhbaatar, and Baganuur districts; and Provincial hospital, regional diagnosis and
health center, 16 soum health centers from Khovd, Uvs, Arkhangai, Bulgan, Khentii, Dornod, Umnugovi, and Dornogovi provinces, along with 3 National specialized health centers and 1 National central hospital. As for data gathering for the qualitative analysis, 30 focus group interviews and 47 key informant interviews were conducted for the purpose of examining socioeconomic condition, real wage sufficiency of health care workers.
Results:
Average household income of study participants was 1,880,269 tugrik, the real wage was 1,073,065
tugrik, and the overall household is seen to be composed of 2 different sources on average, namely,
self-wage and the income coming from family members or supplement of Child Money Programme. It
has come to notice that 19.5% of the participants have lower than average living standard, 89.2% have
2 different loans (mortgage, auto loan or mobile application based loans). Material deprivation index is
seen to be 2.73, hence deemed as insufficient. In order to increase the real wage of those workers, it
shall be taken into consideration that the basic salary is low, and some financial supplements need to
be given. Furthermore, the performance based funding system of health sector is seen to be in need of
improvement.
Conclusion
Real wage of the health care workers is, thus, insufficient. The fact that one in every five workers in this sector have lower than average living standard, and the material deprivation index is 2.73 implying that the financial lives of health care workers are immensely fragile.
3.Noise, vibration and general dust content in work place of mining, power plant and construction sectors, its hygienic assessment
Tsengelmaa A ; Erdenesuvd G ; Tsend-Ayush TS ; Unurtsetseg CH
Mongolian Medical Sciences 2015;173(3):23-26
BACKGROUND: Nowadays, in economy of Mongolia there are a lot of mining, construction, transportation and powerplant sectors with high risk, top rate of industrial accidents and occupational disease. Moreover, it’sbeen seen that noise, vibration and dust effect on worker’s health have a huge negative effects inthose sector’s workplaces.GOAL: Based on occupational condition assessment between 2010-2014 of Occupational condition andmonitoring department of Occupational Health Research Center, noise, vibration and general dustwere measured at workplace of mining, construction and power plant sectors.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Some issues of occupational hygiene were cross sectional studies. Based on archive of OHRC,information has been collected by fact methods. The results have been processed statistically onSPSS-17 statistic program and have been compared with relevant standards and normative.RESULTS: From 740 workplaces at 89 enterprises in 3 sectors, in 686 noises level has been measured. Theaverage level of noise measurements has been above the maximum allowed amount standards. Thehighest results were in sector of mining and construction.At total of 166 workplaces, the average vibration level was also above of maximum allowed amount.And also the highest results were seen in sector of mining.At total of 447 workplaces, the average general dust level was 3-5 times more than maximum allowedamount and the highest results were seen I sector of mining and construction.From some measurements of occupational hygiene at workplaces that attended in this study, generaldust amounts and vibration levels are straight low related and have a statistical importance.CONCLUTIONS:The amount of general vibration, noise and general dust in this research at sectors of construction,mining and power plant were higher than the standard of allowed amounts.
Result Analysis
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