Local Regulatory Bodies Research Articles

Mine reclamation practices and effects of stakeholder perception — a case study of Saoner mines, Maharashtra, India

The Saoner mine reclamation study conducted in Maharashtra, India, meticulously investigates the practicality and efficacy of ecological restoration initiatives post-mining operations. Employing multifaceted research approach, including field observations, interviews, and questionnaires, the study captures a diverse array of perspectives from stakeholders representing local communities, mining companies, regulatory bodies, and environmental organizations. Within this complexity, the research uncovers spectrum of viewpoints. Encouragingly, positive outcomes emerge from specific reclamation practices like revegetation and soil stabilization. However, substantial challenges linger in vital areas such as water management, soil quality restoration, and post-reclamation monitoring, demanding targeted interventions. Stakeholders’ diverse concerns reflect varying priorities. Local communities express apprehension about the adequacy of reclamation efforts and potential health implications, underscoring immediate impact on their lives. Mining companies prioritize regulatory compliance and economic contributions, emphasizing their immediate obligations. Simultaneously, environmental organizations advocate for stringent monitoring and the adoption of more robust practices, reflecting long-term ecological perspective. The study suggests a holistic approach to mining, beyond regulatory compliance, involving integrated planning, ongoing monitoring, and stakeholder engagement. This approach can reduce the industry’s environmental footprint, promote sustainable development, and foster harmony between mining activities and local communities, making it a crucial foundation for Saoner and other Indian mining regions.

Understanding Stakeholders’ Perceptions: Assessing the Effectiveness and Fulfilment of Expectations in the Post Basic Nursing Programme at IIUM

Background:TheInternationalIslamicUniversityMalaysia(IIUM)Post-BasicNursing Programme prepares registered nurses with advanced knowledge and specialized skills to excel in clinical practice and contribute effectively to healthcare services. The programme's success depends on meeting key stakeholders' needs. Understanding stakeholder viewpoints is crucial to programme evaluation and improvement. Semi-structured interviews with stakeholders will fill the research gap in this study. The study explored the perspectives of local preceptors, practicing nurses, healthcare institutions, and regulatory bodies to assess their expectations in the IIUM Post Basic Nursing Programme. Objectives: This study aimed to explore stakeholders' perceptions of the effectiveness of the IIUM Post Basic Nursing Programme and evaluate the fulfilment of expectations from multiple perspectives. Methods:Aqualitative descriptive study was conducted with nine stakeholders from three sub-specialties: emergency care, critical care, and peri-operative care. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, and the themes and sub-themes were verified with NVivo 12 Plus. Results:The study identified three main themes: (i) Perceptions and fulfilment of stakeholder's expectations for students' learning (ii) Barriers and challenges to the fulfilment of stakeholder's expectations on the post-basic nursing program; and (iii) Suggestions and expectations for future programs. Conclusion: Incorporating stakeholder feedback and continuous programme evaluation will ensure a nursing education that meets dynamic healthcare industry needs and serves the community effectively.

Exploring Strategies Post-Revocation of Licensing Exemption for Malaysia's Tailing Processing Industry

The extraction of heavy metals and rare-earth elements from tailing residue has caused a significant impact towards the environment as well as the industrial workers as a result from the contamination caused by the processing activities. The radionclide concentration of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in soil and tailing residue were found to be within the range of 0.31 - 4.97 Bqg-1 and 1.24 - 4.47 Bqg-1, 0.16 - 11.07 Bqg-1 and 1.08 - 8.56 Bqg-1, 0.22 - 1.24 and 0.18 - 1.32 Bqg-1, respectively. The radiological impack assessment findings indicated significant overexposure risks where the annual effective dose was estimated to be within the range of 0.7 – 207.6 mSvy-1 while the excess lifetime cancer risks we found to have exceeded the limit let by the local regulatory body. The correlation between study findings and the enactment of the licensing exemption order was done to identify the effects of non-regulatory compliance to the Atomic Energy Licensing Act. The study also emphasized on the remediation importance of industrial sites before implementing any form of changes towards new regulatory adherence. Hence, the study recommeneds potential remediation techniques but taking into account the operational status of each proceesing plant, degree of contation and possible future use of the contaminated site.

Point-of-care testing performed by healthcare professionals outside the hospital setting: consensus based recommendations from the IFCC Committee on Point-of-Care Testing (IFCC C-POCT).

The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) Committee on Point-of-Care Testing (C-POCT) supports the use of point-of-care testing (POCT) outside of the hospital setting performed by healthcare professionals without formal laboratory education because of its numerous benefits. However, these benefits are associated with risks that must be managed, to ensure the provision of reliable test results and minimize harm to the patient. Healthcare professionals, local regulatory bodies, accredited laboratories as well as manufacturers should actively be engaged in education, oversight and advice to ensure that the healthcare professional selects the appropriate equipment and is able to analyze, troubleshoot and correctly interpret the point-of-care (POC) test results.

A Tale of Three Cities: Medical Marijuana, Activism, and Local Regulation in California

This article examines important differences taken by California’s three largest metropolitan areas to regulating medical cannabis dispensaries and the role activists and organizations play in shaping regulatory practices. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, medical marijuana activists and providers have faced vastly different “political opportunity structures.” I operationalize political opportunity structures as composed of district attorney policies, police department policies, city initiatives and resolutions, the presence or absence of dispensary regulations, and the presence or absence of city level task forces or commissions. Activists use ballot initiatives, lobbying, civil disobedience, protests, and referenda to further open the political opportunities they faced. Cities in the San Francisco Bay Area are “pro-regulation,” while Los Angeles has taken a “laissez faire” approach, and San Diego a “prohibitionist” approach. Successful local ballot initiatives, pro-medical marijuana city council resolutions, sympathetic local law enforcement personnel, and the presence of local regulatory bodies contribute to favorable political opportunities and viable local regulations. Local officials have responded differently to a federal campaign to eliminate dispensaries and dissuade local regulation that began in late 2011.

Vaccine safety in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned on the frontline.

Surveillance of Adverse Events Following Vaccination in the Community (SAEFVIC), Victoria's vaccine safety service for reporting adverse events following immunisation (AEFI), has provided integrated spontaneous surveillance and clinical services for individuals affected by AEFI since 2007. We describe SAEFVIC's response to the COVID-19 vaccine program, and reflect on lessons learned for vaccine safety. The massive scale of the Australian COVID-19 vaccine program required rapid adaptations across all aspects of SAEFVIC's vaccine safety services. Collection of AEFI reports was streamlined and expanded, incorporating both spontaneous and active surveillance data. Dramatically increased report volumes were managed with additional staffing, and innovations to automate, filter, and triage reports for priority follow up. There were two major adverse events of special interest (AESI): thrombosis with thrombocytopaenia syndrome and myocarditis, with multiple other AESI also investigated. Rapid escalation mechanisms to respond to AESI were established, along with AESI-specific databases for enhanced monitoring. Vaccine education and training resources were developed and public-facing vaccine safety reports updated weekly. Frequent communication with local and national government and regulatory bodies, and consultation with specialist groups was essential. The COVID-19 vaccine program has highlighted the importance of vaccine safety in supporting public confidence in vaccines and informing evidence-based immunisation policy. Supporting the COVID-19 vaccine program has required flexibility in adapting to policy changes and evolving vaccine safety signals, careful triage and prioritisation, informatics innovation, and enhanced engagement with the public regarding vaccine safety. Long-term investment to continue strengthening vaccine safety systems, building on lessons learned, will be essential for the ongoing success of Australian vaccination programs.

A STUDY ON QUANTUM OF BIOMEDICAL WASTE GENERATED IN A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL OF SOUTH INDIA

Introduction: Management of biomedical waste (BMW) has become a very serious health problem in developing countries. Every day, in the health care hospitals and in various facilities large amount of hazardous and potentially infectious wastes is generated. Inappropriate waste management and chaotic disposal of biomedical waste that occur in hospital cause various types of health effect on society. Objectives: To estimate the quantity of BMW generated by various departments of a hospital and to determine their compliance with BMW norms. Materials and methods: With regards to quantum of BMW generated a retrospective study was conducted for a period of 3 years from January 2019 to December 2021, and with regards to compliance of bio-medical waste management an observational study was conducted for a period of 3 months from July 2021 to September 2021. Selected areas of hospital were included in the study. Area wise waste collected, segregated and disposed off was observed and recorded on checklist designed on existing BMW management rules 2016. Results: The quantum of BMW generated during 3 years is in 20-19-106563 kg/year, 2020-98353 kg/year, and 2021-75951 kg/year. Yellow waste constituted the maximum of all during all 3 years(52%). Overall compliance with BMW rules 2016 was 85%. Conclusions: The quantum of biomedical waste generated is high as per permitted norms by local regulatory body. All the concerned staff should be frequently trained in this regard to avoid excess wastage, in order to bring down biomedical waste generated.

Rationale and design of ON-TRK: a novel prospective non-interventional study in patients with TRK fusion cancer treated with larotrectinib

BackgroundTropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) fusion proteins resulting from neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase (NTRK) gene fusions are rare primary oncogenic drivers in a wide array of tumors. Larotrectinib is a first-in-class, highly selective, central nervous system-active TRK inhibitor approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), and over 40 countries for the treatment of TRK fusion solid tumors in adult and pediatric patients. Due to the rarity of TRK fusion cancer, larotrectinib was granted accelerated approval based on a relatively small number of patients enrolled in three early phase trials. ON-TRK aims to evaluate the safety profile of larotrectinib in a broader population and over extended time periods.MethodsON-TRK is a prospective, non-interventional, open-label, multicenter, multi-cohort, post-approval study in adult and pediatric patients with locally advanced or metastatic TRK fusion cancer treated with larotrectinib that will describe the safety and effectiveness of larotrectinib in real-world practice conditions. Adult patients will be grouped by tumor type and followed for at least 2 years. Patients < 18 years old will be enrolled under a ‘pediatric’ cohort regardless of tumor type and will be followed for 5 years to evaluate the risk of potential long-term adverse effects of larotrectinib on their growth and development. The effectiveness of larotrectinib in the overall study population as well as in patient subgroups will also be evaluated. Procedures avoided in patients with infantile fibrosarcoma (e.g., amputation) and the number of patients who were able to undergo surgery with a curative intent (excluding amputation) because of the use of larotrectinib will be described. Larotrectinib treatment patterns in real-world practice, including dosing and duration of treatment, will be described.DiscussionThe FDA Accelerated Approval Program allows for earlier approval of and patient access to drugs that treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. This study is designed to fulfill post-approval requirements set by the FDA as well as post-marketing requirements set forth by local regulatory bodies and is part of the risk management plan for the EMA.Study registrationThis study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04142437).Protocol versionv2.5, 25 March 2021.

Development and implementation of the Bachelor of Nursing (Conversion) course in Vanuatu.

Vanuatu, a Pacific Island nation in the Western Pacific region, has to date educated its nurses by diploma program. Research evidence in developed countries has consistently shown that nurses educated by bachelor degree improve patient health outcomes and reduce hospital length of stay. In seeking to improve health outcomes, the Vanuatu Ministry of Health decided to introduce a new Bachelor of Nursing degree to provide a skilled, safe nursing workforce for the provision of health care to its peoples{1-3}. The curriculum for this degree was to be developed by Ni-Vanuatu nurse educators with the collaboration of educators from the WHO Collaborating Centre, University of Technology Sydney. However, it was first necessary to upgrade (from diploma to bachelor level) the qualifications of teachers and senior nursing practitioners who would lead the new degree course by introducing a Bachelor of Nursing (Conversion) course. In order to design and implement a Bachelor of Nursing (Conversion) course that would be relevant for the educational and healthcare context in Vanuatu and that would meet qualification requirements of the local regulatory bodies, it was essential to build collaborative relationships with key stakeholders in Vanuatu. A second key concern was to design a program that would cater for participants who were working full time, who were not all living in the same physical location, and who had limited access to internet technology and resources. The course also needed to take into account that participants were multilingual, and that English was not their first language. Lessons learned included the importance of coming to understand the sociocultural nexus within which this course was developed and implemented, as well as appreciating the constraints that affect nursing education within the Pacific.

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) a threat to agriculture in Mexico: biology, current control strategies, and perspectives.

Root-knot nematodes (RKN) are sedentary parasites of the roots of plants and are considered some of the most damaging pests in agriculture. Since RKN target the root vascular system, they provoke host nutrient deprivation and defective water transport, causing above-ground symptoms of growth stunting, wilting, chlorosis, and reduced crop yields. In Mexico RKN infestations are primarily dealt with by treating with synthetic chemically based nematicides that are preferred by farmers over available bioproducts. However, due to environmental and human health concerns chemical control is increasingly restricted. Biological control of RKNs can help reduce the use of chemical nematicides as it is achieved with antagonistic organisms, mainly bacteria, fungi, other nematodes, or consortia of diverse microorganisms, which control nematodes directly by predation and parasitism at different stages: eggs, juveniles, or adults; or indirectly by the action of toxic diffusible inhibitory metabolites. The need to increase agricultural production and reduce negative environmental impact creates an opportunity for optimizing biological control agents to suppress nematode populations, but this endeavour remains challenging as researchers around the world try to understand diverse control mechanisms, nematode and microbe life cycles, ecology, metabolite production, predatory behaviours, molecular and biochemical interactions, in order to generate attractive products with the approval of local regulatory bodies. Here, we provide a brief review of the biology of the genus Meloidogyne, biological control strategies, and a comparison between chemical and bioproducts in the Mexican market, and guidelines emitted by national agencies to ensure safety and effectiveness of new developments.

Wykluczenie transportowe i systemowe sposoby jego przezwyciężania

This article aims to identify the instances of transport-related social exclusion in local communities and seeks solutions, to include domestic and foreign concepts. It claims that the inhabitants of local communities have the right to inclusion and explores the ways of achieving it. It considers the need to provide a local regulatory body created by local governments to oversee and coordinate the efforts to grant an equal access to transportation. It also explores the already existing regulatory features at the local level. It is recommended to free the entrepreneurial potential so far restricted by lawmakers convinced that the only solution is to support traditional forms of transportation based established routs and timetables as well as public aid. Without prejudice to such organizational forms, more individualized approached is needed, achievable within the new model of dispersed economy, more commonly known as shared economy. The transportation policy also needs to be more open to new technologies applicable in transportation such as drones and autonomous vehicles.

Dental continuing professional development - Part II: The Malta CPD Pilot Project.

Continuing professional development (CPD) remains voluntary in nine European countries. Evidence suggests a move towards mandatory CPD across Europe with the objective of harmonisation of dental CPD. Although the importance of CPD is acknowledged, the literature regarding its effectiveness is limited and under debate. The main aim was to measure the effectiveness and success of a new CPD programme with the objective to devise a strategy, guidelines and recommendations for the establishment of a dental CPD programme in Malta. This project was divided into two phases; Phase 1 was the analysis of a survey sent out to 135 members of the Dental Association of Malta. Phase 2 involved the evaluation of eight verifiable CPD events, through pre-event and post-event tests and feedback forms, to investigate the effect on short-term knowledge retention and the respective satisfaction levels of participants at each event. The survey had a response rate of 78%. The CPD events in Phase 2 all showed statistically significant improvement in short-term knowledge retention on each subject (p<0.05). Satisfaction levels ranged from 70% to 99%. The information gathered from this project was used to provide guidelines and recommendations for the local regulatory body and CPD providers for the set-up of a dental CPD framework and programmes in Malta, a country where dental CPD is still voluntary. This article is the second article from a two-part series of articles about the Malta Dental CPD Pilot project.

Stem cells and the pursuit of youth, a tale of limitless possibilities and commercial fraud.

This article examines the hype generated around the term “stem cell”, and the capitalization of the stem cell craze by the cosmetic industry. It started by introducing product lines containing active ingredients derived from plant stem cells. Then, evolved to using own cells for skin regeneration and hair loss treatment, and allogenic cells for the manufacturing of stem cell-derived products. This article also discusses the missing links for safe and reliable stem cell applications in cosmetics, and why local regulatory bodies, members of the industry and consumers must all work together to stop the illegitimate use of the “stem cell” good name in unsafe or fraudulent commercial practices.

Impact of Long-Term Azithromycin Therapy on Carriage and Resistance of Respiratory Bacteria Among Children with HIV-Associated Chronic Lung Disease: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Background: Long-term azithromycin (AZM) therapy is increasingly used to prevent acute exacerbations of chronic lung diseases (CLD). However, selection for resistance to macrolides and other antibiotics remains a concern. We investigated the impact of 48 weeks of AZM therapy on the carriage and antibiotic resistance of common respiratory bacteria in children and adolescents with HIV-associated CLD. Methods: Nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs and sputa were collected at baseline, 48 and 72 weeks from children and adolescents with HIV-associated CLD randomised to receive weekly AZM or placebo for 48 weeks and followed post-intervention up to 72 weeks. The primary outcomes were the prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP), Staphylococcus aureus (SA), Haemophilus influenzae (HI), and Moraxella catarrhalis (MC) and their antibiotic resistance between the trial arms at 48 and 72 weeks. Mixed-effects logistic regression and Fisher's exact test were used to compare carriage and resistance, respectively. Findings: Between June 2016, and September 2018, 347 participants (174 AZM, 173 placebo arm) were enrolled (median age, 15 years [IQR = 13–18], females, 49%). NP carriage was significantly lower in the AZM compared to placebo arm at 48 weeks for SP (18% [29/159] vs 41% [64/153], adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0·2 [95% CI 0·1–0·4]), HI (7% [11/159] vs 16% [24/153], aOR 0·3 [0·1–0·8]), or MC (4% [7/159] vs 11% [17/153], aOR 0·3 [0·1–0·8]). SP resistance to AZM (62% [18/29] vs 13% [8/63], p <0·0001) or tetracycline (60% [18/29] vs 21% [13/63], p <0·0001) were higher in the AZM arm at 48 weeks. Although, carriage of SA did not differ between the two arms, carriage of SA resistant to AZM (NP= 91% [31/34] vs 3% [1/31], p <0·0001), tetracycline (NP= 35% [12/34] vs 13% [4/31], p = 0·05) or clindamycin (NP= 79% [27/34] vs 3% [1/31], p <0·0001) was significantly higher in the AZM arm at 48 weeks and persisted at 72 weeks. The above observations were mirrored in sputum samples. Interpretation: Long-term AZM reduced carriage of SP, HI and MC but promoted antibiotic resistance in SP and SA; antibiotic-resistant SA persisted at 72 weeks from randomisation. This risk of drug resistance should be taken into account when long-term AZM therapy is being considered. Trial Registration: The trial registration number is ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02426112 Funding: The Global Health and Vaccination Research (GLOBVAC) Programme of the Medical Research Council of Norway Declaration of Interest: None declared. Ethical Approval: Approval for the main trial was obtained from local regulatory bodies at the study sites and the research ethics committees of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the University of Cape Town, and the Medical and Health Research in Norway. This sub-study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Cape Town (HREC/REF: 092/2019).

Predatory journals as threats to the academic publishing: a review

Academic publishing has been increasing greatly with the spread of open access journals and the shift to online publishing. However, authors must be aware of predatory journals and publishers while submitting their academic works for publication. Publishing in predatory journals is just a waste of efforts, money, and time as it does not add any scientific merits to the authors. The practice of predatory publishing can also damage the reputation of institutions and funding agencies. Therefore, there is an urgent need for awareness among researchers regarding predatory publishing. Local, national and international regulatory bodies should take stern actions against predatory publications while granting research funds and evaluating the researchers’ performance for job promotion and academic degrees.

Use of psychiatric medication in three Arctic nursing homes: association with dementia and psychiatric symptoms

ABSTRACT As more people reaches advanced age, more people experience cognitive impairment and dementia. Dementia is a degenerative disease in which behavioural and psychological symptoms frequently occur, resulting in admissions to nursing homes (NHs), where the most common treatment has been medical treatment. The aim was to compare three rural Arctic NHs in Iceland in their use of psychiatric medication, type of dementia among residents, level of cognitive impairment and selected quality indicators, as well as considering national data, for the period 2016–2018. Data from the interRAI-MDS 2.0 evaluation were used. Residents with severe cognitive impairment used more antipsychotic medications, and residents with mild and severe cognitive impairment used more antidepressants than residents with no cognitive impairment did. Diagnoses of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) are more common in the capital area and the national average than they are in the rural NHs. This indicates need for diagnostic assessments of ADRD to be conducted in rural areas. Benchmarking is beneficial for local and national regulatory bodies to find areas for improvement. The NHs did not have a lower quality of care compared with the whole country, but areas for improvement were identified. One of the NHs has already started this process.

COVID-19 Outbreak and Dentistry: Guidelines and Recommendations for the Provision of Dental Healthcare Services.

After lockdown beginning from the third week of March 2020, face-to-face dentistry is gradually resuming with dental healthcare personnel feeling encouraged to safely provide treatment to the patients amid stringent infection control strategies. Having alerted to the associated infection threat, dentists will be better responding to the challenges of infection control in their clinics. Infection control strategies will follow the rapidly evolving guidelines of the local and international regulatory bodies that are relevant to this pandemic. Despite this, a concern exists as both the dental team members and the patients do not want to be the vectors for this deadly infection; and hence, the need for guidance. This article aims to inform dental healthcare professionals of the guidelines and recommendations to follow when receiving and treating patients in reopened practices. It appears that the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has significantly and adversely impacted dentistry. The impacts seem to have long-term effect on the pattern of dental care; and a need for significant changes in the way dentists will provide dental care from now onwards. A wider use of tele-dentistry consultation platforms will obviously reduce the need for patients 2019; visits to dentists and dental hospitals. Key Words: COVID-19, Dentistry, Guidelines, Standards, Healthcare services.

Credibility-enhancing mechanisms, other than external assurance, in integrated reporting

The purpose of this study is to identify which creditability-enhancing mechanisms other than external assurance are applied and reported on in integrated reporting. Owing to scant research on the assurance of integrated reports, this study adopted a qualitative, explorative research approach consisting of two phases. The first phase entailed a content analysis of the integrated reports of the JSE top 40 companies and seven South African companies which participated in the IIRC pilot programme. In the second phase data were collected from two case studies through semi-structured interviews, field notes and internal company documents. This study deals with a novel interpretation of ‘assurance’; and provides new empirical evidence on how the suggestions of the IIRC and GRI to have non-financial information ‘assured’ are being operationalised. This study presents empirical evidence of the mechanisms other than external assurance used to enhance the credibility of the integrated report. The results of this study support the concept that credibility-enhancing mechanisms, consisting of internal assurance mechanisms such as corporate governance practices, internal audit, management processes, internal control processes and risk identification processes can be genuine, cost-effective alternative assurance mechanisms in IR. Furthermore, the results of this study may inform local and international regulatory bodies of the significance of credibility-enhancing mechanisms consisting of internal assurance mechanisms in the integrated report and call on them to consider combined assurance provisions more seriously. The study was conducted in a South African setting. While limiting the study to a single jurisdiction may be seen as a limitation, JSE-listed companies have started preparing integrated reports since 2011. Furthermore, the local preparers and auditors have had at least 5 years of experience with the application of an integrated reporting framework and are therefore in a strong position to provide detailed insights into other credibility-enhancing mechanisms used in the integrated report. This study gives practical examples of what companies are doing and the insights of preparers and auditors on using credibility-enhancing mechanisms. This study proposes a practical solution to using credibility-enhancing mechanisms starting with the risk identification process as the foundation of assurance with the Board that governs the risk. The risk identification process should be supported by internal assurance measures consisting of a robust internal control process; relevant management assurance; internal auditors who work closely with the audit committee and a strong and effective corporate governance structure.

Determinants influencing antibiotic use in Singapore's small-scale aquaculture sectors: A qualitative study.

Singapore’s Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) national strategic action plan includes inappropriate use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals as a specific priority. Although the use of antibiotics and other drugs are monitored by regulatory bodies, food fish farmers are allowed to buy and administer antimicrobials without a veterinary prescription. We conducted a qualitative study of Singaporean food fish farmers to understand patterns and determinants of antibiotic use, their knowledge of antibiotic resistance, as well as perceptions of on-farm infection prevention and control measures. During the interview, participants were asked about their farming processes, farm infrastructure, antibiotic use and any disease prevention measures. Thematic analysis of participants’ interviews showed that antibiotic for growth promotion and infection prevention was uncommon among local food fish farmers. The following three main themes influenced participants’ decisions to use antibiotics in their practice: 1) individual factors, 2) local regulatory factors as well as 3) market-related factors. Individual factors included their personal experience and knowledge both with antibiotics as well as with alternate options. In terms of local regulatory factors, we found that regular oversight was a strong deterrent in antibiotic use. Last, at the market level, the relatively high price of antibiotics in Singapore coupled with stiff competition was a strong disincentive for participants to use antibiotics in their farming practice. These factors were also influential in their relationships with local regulatory bodies as well as their counterparts. Although industries differ significantly across countries, lessons learnt from Singapore’s food fish farming demonstrate the importance of an environment where multi-dimensional factors come together to discourage the irrational use of antibiotics in food animal production. In addition, our results allow greater insight into food fish farmers’ perspectives on infection control and form a basis from which further research work can be undertaken.

Food Safety Practice and Associated Factors among Meat Handlers in Gondar Town: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction. Animal sources of foods (ASF), including meat, are a source of high-quality nutrients. However, meat composition makes it an ideal medium for the growth of a good number of microorganisms. Around 600 million foodborne illnesses and 420000 deaths occur each year due to poor food handling practice. Thus, probing into meat handling practice will be an insatiable input for the intervention. This study aims to investigate the level of meat handling practice and associated factors among meat handlers in butcheries in Gondar town, Ethiopia. Method The study was a community-based cross-sectional study among butcher shops in Gondar town from April 20 to 30, 2019. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire by trained data collectors among 214 meat handlers from butcher shops. Multivariable logistic regression analysis with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to identify the factors significantly associated with a good level of meat handling practice. Result More than half of the meat handlers 66.4% (95% CI: (59.8, 72.4)) in butcher shops had a good level of meat handling practice. Level of attitude (AOR = 4.45; 95% CI, 2.09–9.43) and knowledge (AOR = 2.04; 95% CI, 1.09–3.82) were significantly associated with a good level of meat handling practice. The majority of respondents wash their hands after disposing garbage (91.6%) with less vigilance after smoking, sneezing, or coughing (64.0%). Conclusion The study revealed that the level of food handling practice was unsatisfactory among meat handlers. This result is a testimony to the prevailing potential risk faced by consumers due to the disregarding of hygienic behaviors by food handlers. Considering attitude and knowledge are associated with the outcome variable, investing time on behavioral change activities that will contribute to the improvement of meat handler's attitude & practice, primarily focusing on reducing working while ill is essential. Therefore, much supervisory and coaching work will be expected from local health departments & regulatory bodies.