High noise levels in hospitals can affect patients’ well-being, staff productivity, and medical error rates. This study measured noise in two intensive care units (ICUs) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). An occupant’s survey and a continuous field sampling were conducted in May and June 2021 in each ICU, using a T Tocas SL 1361 digital sound level meter and an online questionnaire. In GH-ICU, variations in the noise levels for the day, evening, and night-time were recorded as measuring 60.5–94.6 dBA, 61.9–90.0 dBA and 33.3–80.2 dBA respectively, while respective values of 58.8–75.5 dBA, 57–75 dBA, and 33.9–74.8 dBA were recorded for CH-ICU. The weekly noise equivalent level (L_eq) of 82.8 dBA and L_den of 83.8 dBA for GH-ICU was computed, and 68.6 dBA and L_den 72.1 dBA for CH-ICU. This study found that the noise levels in both ICUs exceeded the recommended limits of the World Health Organization (WHO) for hospitals, while three-quarters of occupants expressed dissatisfaction with the acoustic environment. The results suggest the need for immediate intervention, including implementing suitable noise mitigation measures since hospital workers and patients are prone to long-term exposure to high noise, which can decrease working performance and health problems.

This systematic literature review (SLR) focuses on indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in passenger transport vehicles within tropical and subtropical regions. It specifically examines indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort (TC), acoustic comfort (AC), and visual comfort (VC) of passenger vehicle cabins (PVCs) in auto rickshaws, sedans, trucks, bus rapid transits (BRTs), buses, trains, trams, metro systems, aircraft and ferries of tropical and subtropical regions. The SLR used the PRISMA approach to identify and review scientific studies between 2000 and 2024 on the IEQ of PVCs in the tropics. Studies reviewed were found in SCOPUS, Web of Science, Science Direct, and EBSCO databases including relevant citation references. Findings reveal a significant geographical imbalance in research, with most studies concentrated in tropical Asia (78.2%), while sub-Saharan Africa (8.2%), South America (11.8%), and Oceania (1.8%) are considerably underrepresented. In 113 studies, most addressed IAQ and TC but limited attention to AC and VC. Moreover, fewer studies have jointly addressed all the IEQ parameters, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive approach to IEQ for tropical PVCs. Several studies alluded to in-cabin commuter risk linked to PM_2.5, PM₁₀, carbon monoxide (CO), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These risks are exacerbated by traffic hotspots, poor ventilation, ambient pollution, overcrowding, and poor vehicle conditions. Additionally, thermal discomfort is compounded by extreme heat loads, inefficient HVAC systems, and high vehicle occupancy. Common gaps include a paucity of IEQ studies and inadequate IEQ regulations or adapted standards in developing tropics. Infrastructural and regulatory deficiencies have been identified, along with strategies for mitigation. Recommendations are for more holistic IEQ studies in the tropics, including exposure studies for emerging gaps in new indoor pollutants, integration of AI and IoT for sustainable ventilation strategies, and development of effective regulatory frameworks considering region-specific conditions. Finally, Policymakers are encouraged to establish localized IEQ standards, enforce regulations, and prioritize upgrades to transport infrastructure. The SLR findings emphasize the urgent need for targeted interventions in developing tropical regions to address disparities in IEQ, ensuring healthier and more sustainable transport environments that could be replicated across transport systems worldwide.

An indoor climate impacts human comfort, well-being, and safety. Therefore, it remains an important topic since, nowadays, people spend a significant amount of time indoors. Additionally, as tropical geographical zones become more populated, urbanised, and industrialised, the energy demand for air conditioning will rise significantly. In terms of the indoor climate, hospitals are particularly demanding due to the special needs of their occupants, however there is a paucity of studies about the tropics. Through a systematic analysis of accessible data and peer-reviewed articles, this study performed a quantitative and qualitative review of the scientific studies selected by the defined inclusion and exclusion parameters. A total of 65 tropics-related scientific publications, 28 on indoor thermal comfort and 37 on indoor air quality published between 2000 and 2023, were systematically reviewed. This study’s findings corroborated those from the previous studies, alluding that there is a paucity of scientific studies on the indoor climate conditions of buildings in tropical countries. A total of 42 studies (65%) were conducted in Asia and 15 studies (23%) in Africa. Six studies (9%) were reported in South America and two studies (3%) were obtained from Oceania, Australia. The results indicated that tropical Africa recorded the lowest number of indoor climate studies considering the population indices. Many of the reviewed indoor climate studies employed mixed methods, whereas only very few considered a seasonal approach. Meanwhile, in the developing tropics, only one record was found regarding an indoor climate study of hospitals based on their locations (correlating the outdoor and indoor air quality). Additionally, no record was found regarding the IC studies of hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa, in which, the IC impact on the occupant’s performance, productivity, and behaviour was assessed. Inferably, gaps still exist in the indoor climate of tropical hospitals. The current study highlights the need to improve the indoor climate considerations in the design, siting, awareness, regulations, and policy implementations concerning the hospitals in developing tropical countries. In conclusion, the study emphasises the need for more scientific studies on the indoor climate of tropical hospitals and highlights the relevant areas of the indoor climate studies in future works for considering the climate, environmental, socio-economic, infrastructural, and demographic peculiarities of the tropics for the betterment of hospital indoor climates in developing tropical countries.

The adequacy of the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in mass transit microenvironments is crucial to the well-being of exposed commuters. By 2050, many developing tropical countries will host even more megacities, which will feature an increase in people mobility and higher occupancy density. The paucity of IEQ studies, the technology gap, and inadequate policy measures to assure safer and sustainable mobility in many developing tropics have reinforced the current study objective. Also, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the IEQ links and risks to health in transport, which, given the climate peculiarities, transport reforms, and huge commuter traffic in Nigeria, inform the study motivation. The indoor air quality (CO₂, PM, VOCs, NO₂), thermal, acoustic, and visual environments were objectively assessed in train passenger cabins and waiting areas, during 15 trips in the dry and rainy seasons in Nigeria. The results were analyzed by following the IEQ requirements defined in the ISO, CEN, ASHRAE, and SAE standards. The results indicate gaps in the IAQ (inadequate ventilation in 9 trains), defective thermal comfort (9 trains), exceedance in the PM limit (PM₁₀: 47.9–115 μg/m³, PM_2.5: 22.5–51.3 μg/m³), noise (L_eq range: 64–85 dBA), and low illuminance levels (10 trains), hence the need for IEQ, interventions, stakeholder awareness, and broader IEQ studies on transport cabins in these regions.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness globally, with early diagnosis being crucial to preventing vision loss. Traditional diagnostic methods, including fundus photography, OCT imaging, and perimetry, often fall short in sensitivity and fail to integrate structural and functional data. This study proposes a novel multi-modal diagnostic framework that combines convolutional neural networks (CNNs), vision transformers (ViTs), and quantum-enhanced layers to improve glaucoma detection accuracy and efficiency. The framework integrates fundus images, OCT scans, and clinical biomarkers, leveraging their complementary strengths through a weighted fusion mechanism. Datasets, including the GRAPE and other public and clinical sources, were used, ensuring diverse demographic representation and supporting generalizability. The model was trained and validated using cross-entropy loss, L2 regularization, and adaptive learning strategies, achieving an accuracy of 96%, sensitivity of 94%, and an AUC of 0.97—outperforming CNN-only and ViT-only approaches. Additionally, the quantum-enhanced architecture reduced computational complexity from O(n²) to O (log n), enabling real-time deployment with a 40% reduction in FLOPs. The proposed system addresses key limitations of previous methods in terms of computational cost, data integration, and interpretability. The proposed system addresses key limitations of previous methods in terms of computational cost, data integration, and interpretability. This framework offers a scalable and clinically viable tool for early glaucoma detection, supporting personalized care and improving diagnostic workflows in ophthalmology.

This study critically examines the impact of indoor air quality (IAQ) on occupant health in two critical care units (ICUs) at Jason Sendwe Hospital (JSH) and General Carrier de Mine Hospital (GCMH) within the Southern DRC metropolitan area, focusing on their impact on occupant health and well-being. Utilizing a mixed methods approach that includes health questionnaires, continuous environmental monitoring (monitoring CO₂, VOCs, PM_2.5, PM₁₀, temperature, and relative humidity), and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis, this research aims to identify correlations between environmental factors and the health of hospital staff and patients. The investigation was conducted across both the rainy and dry seasons, revealing significant seasonal variations in IEQ parameters and exploring the incidence of symptoms commonly associated with sick building syndrome among hospital staff. Higher CO₂, VOCs, and particulate matter levels during the dry season indicated the inadequacy of current ventilation strategies to maintain optimal air quality. This study proposes the implementation of air filtration and purification systems and the refurbishment of natural ventilation systems as effective measures to improve IAQ. Additionally, alternative ventilation strategies, including occupancy reduction and the integration of supply and exhaust ventilation, were explored to address the challenges of inadequate ventilation. The findings reveal the urgent need for hospitals to adopt ventilation strategies that ensure the health and well-being of occupants, highlighting the importance of continuous IAQ monitoring, community engagement, and the integration of advanced ventilation technologies in healthcare settings. This comprehensive exploration offers valuable insights for improving ventilation in ICUs, contributing to creating healthier indoor environments in hospital settings, especially in regions facing unique environmental challenges.