Publications by authors named "Aboubacar S Magassouba"

Article Synopsis
  • Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health issue in Guinea, with many cases going undetected; an intensified case finding strategy involved pharmacies and drug outlets targeting customers buying cough suppressants.
  • A study conducted in Conakry involved screening 916 individuals for TB, resulting in a 14% bacteriologically confirmed TB diagnosis, with gender and age influencing diagnosis likelihood.
  • The intervention cost approximately $32.66 per person referred and $237.45 for those diagnosed, showing that using pharmacies as a TB detection point is both feasible and effective in boosting detection rates.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study addresses the high mortality rates in rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) patients undergoing a short treatment regimen in Conakry, revealing that 18.9% of 869 patients died during treatment.
  • Significant predictors of death include age (≥ 55 years), certain treatment centers, lack of prior TB treatment, and co-infection with HIV.
  • The findings suggest that national TB programs should reassess their strategies for treating RR-TB and emphasize conducting more extensive studies to better understand the impact of these risk factors on patient survival.
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  • The study focuses on the Composite Coverage Index (CCI), which measures the effectiveness of maternal and child healthcare interventions in Guinea, showing an increase in optimal coverage from 43% in 2012 to 61% in 2018.
  • Using demographic and health surveys, researchers analyzed data from women aged 15-49 and their children aged 1-4 to identify factors influencing CCI, including socioeconomic status and antenatal care visits.
  • Results indicated lower optimal CCI probabilities for poorer women compared to wealthier ones, while those with planned pregnancies and more antenatal care visits had significantly higher chances of achieving optimal coverage.
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Article Synopsis
  • The project aimed to implement contact investigation (CI) methods in national tuberculosis programs across eight countries, focusing on children under 5 years and people living with HIV (PLHIV).
  • Over 9,000 home and clinic visits were conducted, revealing that 2.6% of children and 10.1% of PLHIV screened were diagnosed with active TB, with a high treatment uptake for both groups.
  • The initiative showed that CI can be effectively scaled up within existing TB programs in several African countries, leading to a successful implementation in six out of the eight participating nations by the end of 2021.
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Despite being bio-epidemiological phenomena, the causes and effects of pandemics are culturally influenced in ways that go beyond national boundaries. However, they are often studied in isolated pockets, and this fact makes it difficult to parse the unique influence of specific cultural psychologies. To help fill in this gap, the present study applies existing cultural theories linear mixed modeling to test the influence of unique cultural factors in a multi-national sample (that moves beyond Western nations) on the effects of age, biological sex, and political beliefs on pandemic outcomes that include adverse financial impacts, adverse resource impacts, adverse psychological impacts, and the health impacts of COVID.

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Background: Despite its effectiveness, the optimal use of the combination of insecticide-treated nets (ITN) and intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) remains low in malaria-endemic areas. Therefore, this study analyzed its variations and predictors in Guinea.

Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of the 2012 and 2018 Guinea Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS).

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Introduction: The advent of the effective COVID-19 vaccine was the most eagerly expected worldwide. However, this hope quickly became hesitation and denial in many countries, including Guinea. Understanding the reasons for low vaccine coverage is essential to achieving herd immunity leading to disease control.

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Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacts tuberculosis (TB) activities. As TB and COVID-19 have similar symptoms, we assessed the effectiveness of integrated TB/COVID-19 screening in Guinea and Niger. From May to December 2020, TB screening was offered to symptomatic patients after a negative COVID-19 PCR test or after recovery from COVID-19 in Guinea.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on all facets of life and has exacerbated many challenges faced by people living with tuberculosis (TB). This study aimed to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of TB patients in Guinea during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed methods study was conducted using two validated tools to assess HRQoL and qualitative interviews among TB patients enrolled in treatment at 11 health centers in Conakry, Guinea.

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Background: Malaria control interventions have been scaled up, particularly those in pregnant women in Guinea. Despite that, coverage of key malaria preventive measure (MPM) indicators remains low. Therefore, it is vital to understand the reasons behind that, especially for the low coverage of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) and long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLIN).

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Introduction: drug-resistant tuberculosis is a major global health problem and a threat to health security given the increase in the number of cases and the challenges associated with care. Besides, the relationship between poor nutritional status and tuberculosis is clearly established. For relevant and evidence-based public health decision-making regarding the management of malnutrition in patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis in the initial phase, it is essential to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition and understand the risk factors associated with it.

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Guinea, like many other African countries, has been facing an unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak, since March 2020. In April 2020, Guinean National agency for health security recorded 1351 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 313 recoveries and 07 deaths. To address this health crisis, some drastic measures were implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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Background: Most countries in Subsaharan Africa have well-established National Tuberculosis Control Programs with relatively stable routine performances. However, major epidemiological events may result in significant disruptions. In March 2014, the World Health Organization announced the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Guinea, a country with a high incidence of TB and HIV.

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Introduction: The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors associated with sexual practices among adolescent students in Matoto, Conakry.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study of students aged 10-19 years attending colleges and high schools in Matoto, Conakry over a period of 3 months (1 March -31 May 2018).

Results: Out of 500 students surveyed, 226 (162 girls and 64 boys; 45.

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Whereas the HIV prevalence in Guinea is among the lowest in Africa, many PLHIV in Guinea are malnourished. This study assessed the effect of a nutritional supplementation program on body mass index and CD4 count among adult PLHIV on ART. Study participants were PLHIV who came for consultation in the study sites between May and July 2016.

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Over the past decades, cancer has become one of the toughest challenges for health professionals. The epidemiologists are increasingly directing their research efforts on various malignant tumor worldwide. Of note, incidence of cancers is on the rise more quickly in developed countries.

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