Sexual Behavior Among Emerging Adults in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Estimates on sexual behavior (SB) among emerging adults (EmA) is varied in literature, which presents a challenge when designing targeted interventions. We aimed to summarize literature on prevalence and risk factors of SB among EmA in Africa.

Methods: A search for studies published in PubMed, Embase, and Psych Info by March 2023 was done.

Associations between disordered eating behaviour and sexual behaviour amongst emerging adults attending a tertiary education institution in Coastal Kenya.

Background: Sexual behavior (SB) is a well-documented pathway to HIV acquisition in emerging adults and remains common amongst African emerging adults. Previous research in high-income countries indicates a correlation between disordered eating behavior (DEB) and engaging in sexual behaviors. We aimed to describe the relationship between DEB and SB amongst emerging adults attending a tertiary educational institution at the Kenyan Coast.

A scoping review on tsetse fly blood meal sources and its assay methods since 1956 to 2022.

Background: Tsetse flies (Glossina spp.) are the definitive biological vectors of African trypanosomes in humans and animals. Controlling this vector is the most promising method of preventing trypanosome transmission.

Burden of HIV and treatment outcomes among TB patients in rural Kenya: a 9-year longitudinal study.

Background: Although tuberculosis (TB) patients coinfected with HIV are at risk of poor treatment outcomes, there is paucity of data on changing trends of TB/HIV co-infection and their treatment outcomes. This study aims to estimate the burden of TB/HIV co-infection over time, describe the treatment available to TB/HIV patients and estimate the effect of TB/HIV co-infection on TB treatment outcomes.

Methods: This was a retrospective data analyses from TB surveillance in two counties in Kenya (Nyeri and Kilifi): 2012‒2020.

Farmers' knowledge, perceptions, and practices on animal trypanosomosis and the tsetse fly vector: A cross-sectional study around Kenya's Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve at the livestock-wildlife interface.

Animal African trypanosomosis (AAT) is a veterinary disease caused by trypanosomes transmitted cyclically by tsetse flies. AAT causes huge agricultural losses in sub-Saharan Africa. Both tsetse flies and trypanosomosis (T&T) are endemic in the study area inhabited by smallholder livestock farmers at the livestock-wildlife interface around Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve (ASFR) in Kilifi County on the Kenyan coast.

Tuberculosis poor treatment outcomes and its determinants in Kilifi County, Kenya: a retrospective cohort study from 2012 to 2019.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of deaths in Africa, monitoring its treatment outcome is essential to evaluate treatment effectiveness. The study aimed to evaluate proportion of poor TB treatment outcomes (PTO) and its determinants during six-months of treatment at Kilifi County, Kenya.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of data from the TB surveillance system (TIBU) in Kilifi County, Kenya from 2012 to 2019.

Tuberculosis infection among youths in overcrowded university hostels in Kenya: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a top global health problem and its transmission rate among contacts is higher when they are cohabiting with a person who is sputum smear-positive. Our study aimed to describe the prevalence of TB among student contacts in the university and determine factors associated with TB transmission.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study with an active contact case finding approach among students receiving treatment at Kilifi County Hospital from January 2016 to December 2017.

Digital mHealth and Virtual Care Use During COVID-19 in 4 Countries: Rapid Landscape Review.

Background: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing health care while maintaining social distancing has resulted in the need to provide care remotely, support quarantined or isolated individuals, monitor infected individuals and their close contacts, as well as disseminate accurate information regarding COVID-19 to the public. This has led to an unprecedented rapid expansion of digital tools to provide digitized virtual care globally, especially mobile phone-facilitated health interventions, called mHealth. To help keep abreast of different mHealth and virtual care technologies being used internationally to facilitate patient care and public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, we carried out a rapid investigation of solutions being deployed and considered in 4 countries.

The effect of empirical and laboratory-confirmed tuberculosis on treatment outcomes.

The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for diagnosing and treating Tuberculosis (TB) includes clinical signs, therefore not requiring bacteriological laboratory confirmation. In resource-limited settings, including Kenya, this empirical TB treatment is routine practice however limited data exist on patient clinical outcomes when comparing the method of diagnosis. We evaluated TB treatment outcomes comparing clinically diagnosed and bacteriologically confirmed TB, 6 months after starting treatment of TB in a rural county in Kenya.

Upper airways colonisation of Streptococcus pneumoniae in adults aged 60 years and older: A systematic review of prevalence and individual participant data meta-analysis of risk factors.

Background: Colonisation with Streptococcus pneumoniae can lead to invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia. Pneumococcal acquisition and prevalence of colonisation are high in children. In older adults, a population susceptible to pneumococcal disease, colonisation prevalence is reported to be lower, but studies are heterogeneous.

Transmission and evolutionary dynamics of human coronavirus OC43 strains in coastal Kenya investigated by partial spike sequence analysis, 2015-16.

Human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) is a major contributor to seasonal outbreaks of acute respiratory illness (ARI). The origins of locally circulating HCoV-OC43 strains and characteristics of their genetic diversity are unknown for most settings despite significance to effective HCoV control strategies. Between December 2015 and June 2016, we undertook ARI surveillance in coastal Kenya in nine outpatients and one inpatient health facility (HF).

Mortality during treatment for tuberculosis; a review of surveillance data in a rural county in Kenya.

Background: Globally in 2016, 1.7 million people died of Tuberculosis (TB). This study aimed to estimate all-cause mortality rate, identify features associated with mortality and describe trend in mortality rate from treatment initiation.

Prevalence and correlates of home delivery amongst HIV-infected women attending care at a rural public health facility in Coastal Kenya.

Background: Home delivery, referring to pregnant women giving birth in the absence of a skilled birth attendant, is a significant contributor to maternal mortality, and is encouragingly reported to be on a decline in the general population in resource limited settings. However, much less is known about home delivery amongst HIV-infected women in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA). We described the prevalence and correlates of home delivery among HIV-infected women attending care at a rural public health facility in Kilifi, Coastal Kenya.

Rates of acquisition and clearance of pneumococcal serotypes in the nasopharynges of children in Kilifi District, Kenya.

Background: To understand and model the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines at the population level, we need to know the transmission dynamics of individual pneumococcal serotypes. We estimated serotype-specific clearance and acquisition rates of nasopharyngeal colonization among Kenyan children.

Methods: Children aged 3-59 months who were identified as carriers in a cross-sectional survey were followed-up approximately 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 days later and monthly thereafter until culture of 2 consecutive swabs yielded an alternative serotype or no pneumococcus.

Rates of acquisition of pneumococcal colonization and transmission probabilities, by serotype, among newborn infants in Kilifi District, Kenya.

Background: Herd protection and serotype replacement disease following introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) are attributable to the vaccine's impact on colonization. Prior to vaccine introduction in Kenya, we did an epidemiological study to estimate the rate of pneumococcal acquisition, by serotype, in an uncolonized population.

Methods: Nasopharyngeal swab specimens were taken from newborns aged ≤ 7 days and weekly thereafter for 13 weeks.

Estimating rates of carriage acquisition and clearance and competitive ability for pneumococcal serotypes in Kenya with a Markov transition model.

Background: There are more than 90 serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae, with varying biologic and epidemiologic properties. Animal studies suggest that carriage induces an acquired immune response that reduces duration of colonization in a nonserotype-specific fashion.

Methods: We studied pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage longitudinally in Kenyan children 3-59 months of age, following up positive swabs at days 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 and then monthly thereafter until 2 swabs were negative for the original serotype.

The prevalence and risk factors for pneumococcal colonization of the nasopharynx among children in Kilifi District, Kenya.

Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) reduce nasopharyngeal carriage of vaccine-serotype pneumococci but increase in the carriage of non-vaccine serotypes. We studied the epidemiology of carriage among children 3-59 months old before vaccine introduction in Kilifi, Kenya.

Methods: In a rolling cross-sectional study from October 2006 to December 2008 we approached 3570 healthy children selected at random from the population register of the Kilifi Health and Demographic Surveillance System and 134 HIV-infected children registered at a specialist clinic.

The descriptive epidemiology of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae nasopharyngeal carriage in children and adults in Kilifi district, Kenya.

Background: Transmission and nasopharyngeal colonization are necessary steps en route to invasive pneumococcal or Haemophilus influenzae disease but their patterns vary geographically. In East Africa we do not know how these pathogens are transmitted between population subgroups nor which serotypes circulate commonly.

Methods: We did 2 cross-sectional nasopharyngeal swab surveys selecting subjects randomly from a population register to estimate prevalence and risk-factors for carriage in 2004.

Validation of nasopharyngeal sampling and culture techniques for detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae in children in Kenya.

We compared nasopharyngeal swabs against nasal wash cultures for detecting colonizing pneumococci and examined the effect of frozen storage in skim milk-tryptone-glucose-glycerin on culture. Among the 55 children with positive nasal wash cultures, swab cultures were positive for 47 (85%). Of the 96 swabs positive on direct plating, 94 (98%) were positive when recultured after freezing.