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Globally, over 2.3 million people die each year as a result of diseases or injuries related to their jobs, and 313 million suffer from non-fatal ailments. Welding is one such profession, which is a hazard-prone job with several potential risks, including burns, electrocution and the potentially deadly risk of fume exposure. In Nepal, people taking the welding profession are aware of the risks associated with their jobs, but they often do not take preventive measures because of ignorance, perceived discomfort in their jobs and lack of knowledge about occupational safety laws and regulations. This increases the probability of accidents.
The objective of this study was to explore occupational health risks and safety awareness among welders and their adherence to occupational safety and health regulations in Nepal.
A qualitative, cross-sectional study employing a thematic analysis approach was adopted.
The research was conducted in small-scale welding workshops located in a semiurban area in Bhaktapur District, central Nepal, reflecting the informal industrial sector.
26 male welders, aged 18–42 years, originally from nine districts across Nepal, participated, each from a different workshop, thus reaching 26 small-scale welding workshops. All were engaged in welding work at the time of the study. Participants were selected using snowball sampling. Most had not completed secondary education and had work experience ranging from 1 to 22 years.
As a qualitative study, the primary outcome was the thematic exploration of welders’ experiences. The main themes included occupational health risks and injury management, personal protective equipment (PPE) use and barriers, access to healthcare and insurance, and awareness of occupational health and safety (OHS) policies and training opportunities.
The study revealed significant occupational health risks, including eye burns, electric shocks and physical exhaustion among the welders. Further, the participating welders reported limited access to health insurance and inadequate awareness and access to PPE. Furthermore, awareness of safety policies is also low among welders. While support groups and associations exist, their support is often insufficient, thus perpetuating challenges in workplace safety.
This study provides a glimpse of the ground reality of welding workers in small-scale industries in Nepal, showing gaps and the need for safe occupational practices that must be addressed. Further study and work are needed to establish better occupational safety practices and improve the health and safety status of welders.
by Sishir Poudel, Laxman Wagle, Tara Prasad Aryal, Binay Adhikari, Sushan Pokharel, Dipendra Adhikari, Kshitiz Bhandari, Kshitiz Rijal, Jyoti Bastola Paudel
BackgroundMultidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) continues to be a major public health concern, especially in high-burden countries like Nepal. While individual risk factors are known, the cumulative impact of cardiometabolic factors on MDR-TB is not well understood.
MethodsA health-facility-based, age- and sex-matched 1:2 case-control study was conducted at MDR-TB treatment centers in Gandaki Province, Nepal. MDR-TB patients (cases) and drug-sensitive tuberculosis (DS-TB) patients (controls) were enrolled. Cases were defined as adults (≥18 years) with confirmed MDR-TB; controls were adults with sputum-positive DS-TB. Data on sociodemographics, cardiometabolic risk factors (alcohol, tobacco, abnormal body mass index, hypertension, diabetes), TB literacy, and treatment history were collected using a structured, pretested questionnaire by trained medical officers. Data were analyzed using Stata v13.0. Binary logistic regression was used to assess associations between risk factors and MDR-TB. Ethical approval was obtained from the Nepal Health Research Council and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
ResultsA total of 183 participants (61 cases, 122 controls) were included. Mean age of participants was 42.5 years (SD = 18.5); 73.8% were male. Most participants were from urban areas (74.9%), and 66.7% were unemployed. Cardiometabolic risk factors were present in 79.2% of participants. Alcohol and tobacco use were reported by 59.6% and 45.9%, respectively; 9.8% had diabetes and 7.1% had hypertension. Known TB contact and prior TB history were reported by 26.8% and 31.1% respectively. In multivariate analysis, unemployment (AOR: 5.24, 95% CI: 1.33–20.64), and known TB contact (AOR: 8.89, 95% CI: 2.46–32.15) were significantly associated with MDR-TB. Cardiometabolic risk factors were not significantly associated.
ConclusionKnown TB contact and unemployment were significantly associated with MDR-TB, while the cumulative effect of cardiometabolic risk factors showed no significant impact, indicating that interventions should prioritize established TB-related risk factors.
by Denis Sereno, Tahar Kernif, Renato Leon, Kholoud Kahime, Souad Guernaoui, Chaymaa Harkat, Mario J. Grijalva, Omar Hamarsheh, Anita G. Villacis, Bachir Medrouh, Thiago Vasconcelos Dos Santos, Razika Beniklef, Naouel Eddaikra, Phlippe Holzmuller
IntroductionLeishmaniases are a vector-borne parasitic diseases with diverse clinical manifestations involving multiple Leishmania species and animal hosts. While most leishmaniasis cases are caused by a few well characterized Leishmania species, reports describe infections by unconventional or emerging Leishmania taxa, atypical clinical presentations from classical species, and occurrences of atypical Leishmania in animal hosts. These underrecognized infections present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges and are rarely reflected in surveillance systems or clinical guidelines. A systematic mapping of this evolving landscape is needed to guide future diagnostics, policy, and research priorities.
Methods and analysisFollowing the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we will search PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), PROSPERO, Web of Science, and Global Index Medicus, as well as relevant grey literature. Eligible studies will include human cases with clinical presentations that diverge from those typically associated with well-characterized Leishmania species, reports involving unconventional or emerging Leishmania species, and animal cases of veterinary relevance caused by non-classical species, regardless of study design. Dual independent screening of records and data extraction using a standardized charting form will be conducted. Discrepancies between reviewers will be resolved by consensus. Data will be summarized descriptively through tables, figures, and thematic synthesis. Research gaps will be identified to inform future studies and public health strategies.
DisseminationThis review will use data from published sources and findings will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal, presentations at scientific conferences, and sharing with relevant stakeholders. The results are intended to inform clinicians, researchers, and policymakers about the evolving landscape of leishmaniasis and to highlight priorities for future research and surveillance.
FreshRSS 