| Literature DB >> 23452321 |
Jacqueline Deen1, Livio da Conceicao Matos, Beth Temple, Jiunn-Yih Su, Joao da Silva, Selma Liberato, Valente da Silva, Ana Isabel Soares, Vijaya Joshi, Sarah Moon, James Tulloch, Joao Martins, Kim Mulholland.
Abstract
Health research is crucial to understand a country's needs and to improve health outcomes. We conducted a scoping review and analysis of existing health data in Timor-Leste to identify the health research priorities of the country. Published and unpublished health research in Timor-Leste from 2001 to 2011 that reported objectives, methods and results were identified. Key findings were triangulated with data from national surveys and the Health Management Information System; 114 eligible articles were included in the analysis, the leading topics of which were communicable (malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and sexually transmitted diseases and dengue) and non-communicable (eye and mental health) diseases. There were 28 papers (25%) on safe motherhood, child health and nutrition, of which 20 (71%) were unpublished. The review of national indicators showed high infant, under-five and maternal mortality rates. Burden of disease is greatest in young children, with respiratory infections, febrile illnesses and diarrheal disease predominating. There is poor access to and utilization of health care. Childhood malnutrition is an important unresolved national health issue. There are several obstacles leading to under-utilization of health services. The following topics for future health research are suggested from the review: nutrition, safe motherhood, childhood illness (in particular identifying the causes and cause-specific burden of severe respiratory, febrile and diarrheal diseases) and access to and use of health services.Entities:
Mesh:
Year: 2013 PMID: 23452321 PMCID: PMC3599283 DOI: 10.1186/1478-4505-11-8
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Health Res Policy Syst ISSN: 1478-4505
Description of health indicators across the continuum of care
| Mortality | Infant mortality rate | Probability of dying between birth and one year of age, per 1,000 live births |
| Under-five mortality rate | Probability of dying between birth and five years of age, per 1,000 live births | |
| Maternal mortality rate | Annual number of maternal deaths per 1,000 women aged 15 to 49 years | |
| Maternal mortality ratio | Age-standardized maternal mortality rate divided by age-standardized general fertility rate, per 100,000 live births. It is often considered the more useful measure of maternal mortality as it measures the obstetric risk associated with each live birth. | |
| Causes of morbidity | Incidence of top 10 notifiable diseases | Annual number of cases presenting for treatment to health facilities divided by the projected population for that year, by age group |
| Family planning | Total fertility rate for women aged 15 to 49 years | Total estimated number of births a woman would have by the end of her childbearing period |
| Contraceptive use | % of married women 15 to 49 years currently using any method of contraception | |
| Perinatal care | Antenatal care | % of mothers who had at least four antenatal care visits |
| % of mothers who received antenatal care from skilled health personnel | ||
| Skilled birth attendance | % of births delivered by skilled health personnel | |
| Place of delivery | % of births delivered in a health facility | |
| Birth weight | % of births with reported birth weight | |
| Low birth weight | % of births less than 2.5 kg | |
| Immunization | DPT coverage | % children who received 3 doses of DPT (HMIS data is for children < one year of age, whereas for all other sources it is for children 12 to 23 months) |
| Full immunization | % children 12 to 23 months who are fully immunized (received BCG, measles and 3 doses of DPT and polio vaccines) | |
| Nutrition | Breastfeeding | % of children under six months old who were breastfed six or more times in the 24 hours preceding the interview |
| % children up to five months old exclusively breastfeeding | ||
| Complementary feeding | % children six to nine months old receiving complementary foods | |
| Anthropometric indices*- % children under five years old with: | Moderate stunting - height-for-age z-score below −2 standard deviations (SD) | |
| Severe stunting - height-for-age z-score below −3 SD | ||
| Moderate wasting - weight-for-height z-score below −2 SD | ||
| Severe wasting - weight-for-height z-score below −3 SD | ||
| Moderate undernutrition - weight-for-age z-score below −2 SD | ||
| Severe undernutrition - weight-for-age z-score below −3 SD | ||
| Anemia | % children under five years old with hemoglobin <110 g/dL |
*Anthropometric indices: Stunting reflects the cumulative and chronic effects of malnutrition and infection starting in-utero and has the most serious and long-lasting health impact. Wasting indicates acute weight loss. Although undernutrition is a composite indicator that may reflect stunting or wasting and be difficult to interpret, it may be more accurate as it does not include height in its calculation. The anthropometric indices were based on the former NCHS/CDC/WHO international reference values in the MICS and the 2003 DHS, and on the latest WHO Child Growth Standards in the SLS, 2009–10 DHS and WHO World Health Statistics.
Figure 1Selection of articles for the existing health data review in Timor-Leste, 2001 to 2011.
Figure 2Health research papers from Timor-Leste, 2001 to 2011, by year.
Figure 3Health research papers from Timor-Leste, 2001 to 2011, by topic.
Figure 4Estimates of infant and under-five-year old mortality. (a) For Timor-Leste, by approximate calendar period covered and data source [7-9,11,12]; (b) For Timor-Leste and neighboring lower middle-income countries in 2009 from the WHO World Health Statistics 2011 [12].
Figure 5Estimates of maternal mortality ratio/100,000 live births for Timor-Leste and neighboring lower middle-income countries in 2008 from the WHO World Health Statistics 2011[12].
Figure 6Top ten notifiable diseases, Timor-Leste Health Management Information System. (a) For all ages, by year (2006 to 2010); (b) In 2010, by age group.
National key health indicators, by data source [8-11]
| | | | | | ||||||
| Total fertility rate for women aged 15 to 49 years | 4 | 8 | 8 | | | | | | 6 | 6 |
| % married women 15 to 49 years of age currently using any method of contraception | 27 (1997) | 8 (2002) | 10 (2003) | 20 (2007) | | | | | 22 (2009 to 2010) | 22 (2000 to 2010) |
| % of mothers with at least four antenatal care visits (% with any antenatal care from skilled health personnel) | (70) | (43) | (61) | | 31 | 35 | 45 | 42 | 55 (86) | 55 |
| % live births delivered by skilled health personnel | 26 | 24 | 19 | 41 | 35 | 36 | 46 | 49 | 30 | 30 |
| % births delivered in a health facility | 16 | | 10 | | | | | | 22 | |
| % low birth weight deliveries (% of births with reported weight) | 6 (20) | 8 (10) | | | | | | | 10 (26) | 12 (2000 to 2009) |
| | ||||||||||
| % children who received three doses DPT | 63 | 17 | 38 | 76 | 70 | 79 | 73 | 72 | 66 | |
| % children 12 to 23 months fully immunized | 56 | 5 | 18 | 27 | | | | | 46 | |
| | | | | | | |||||
| % children under six months of age who were breastfed six or more times in the 24 hours preceding the interview | 95 | | | | | | | | 98 | |
| % children up to five months old exclusively breastfeeding | 31 | 44 | 31 | | | | | | 52 | |
| % children six to nine months old receiving complimentary foods | | 63 | 82 | | | | | | 80 | |
| % children six to 59 months old with any anemia | 32 | 38 | ||||||||
Figure 7Anthropometric indices of children under five years of age. (a) For Timor-Leste, by data source [8-11]; (b) For Timor-Leste and neighboring lower middle-income countries between 2000 to 2009 from the WHO World Health Statistics 2011 [12].