Publications by authors named "Alex Emilio Fischer"

HIV self-testing (HIVST) complements traditional HIV testing programmes by removing barriers and increasing access to testing for key populations, and digital interventions have been developed for HIVST to improve the testing and linkage to care experience for users. The first HIVST kit was proposed in 1986, but it took 10 years for the home sample collection (HSC) HIVST to become available and another 16 years for rapid diagnostic test HIVST to be approved by the Federal Drug Administration. Since then, studies have shown high usability and performance of HIVST, which led the World Health Organization formally recommending HIVST in 2016, and currently almost 100 countries have incorporated HIVST into their national testing strategy.

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Background: In South Africa, diabetes is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, which was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most education and counseling activities were stopped during the lockdown, and the GREAT4Diabetes WhatsApp Chatbot was innovated to fill this gap.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of the chatbot in Cape Town, South Africa, between May and October 2021.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a significant global issue, especially for long-distance truck drivers in South Africa, who face increased risks due to their sedentary lifestyle and night shift work.
  • A study involving 607 male truck drivers found high rates of CVD risk factors like hypertension, obesity, and abnormal lipid levels, regardless of whether they worked day shifts or a combination of day and night shifts.
  • The research concluded that while both groups exhibited considerable CVD risk, no significant differences in overall CVD risk measures were noted between those working only day shifts and those working both shifts.
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Background: In late March 2020, South Africa implemented a 5-stage COVID-19 Risk Adjusted Strategy, which included a lockdown that required all residents to remain home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Due to this lockdown, individuals have been forced to find and use alternatives for accomplishing tasks including shopping, socializing, working, and finding information, and many have turned to the internet and their mobile devices.

Objective: This study aimed to describe how South Africans consume and internalize information surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak in order to determine whether the COVID-19 lockdown and social isolation have influenced technology behavior, particularly in terms of health communication and information.

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Introduction: The first 90 of the 90-90-90 initiative introduced by the World Health Organization(WHO) in 2015 requires 90% of people with HIV be aware of their status by 2020. In South Africa, conventional facility-based testing had reached 84.9% in 2018; innovative new methods, like HIV self-testing(HIVST) may close the testing gap.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the health status and risk factors of long-distance truck drivers in South Africa, focusing on their lifestyle, working conditions, and prevalence of diseases.
  • A total of 614 male truck drivers participated, primarily from Zimbabwe, with data collected on demographics, health behaviors, and medical assessments, including cardiac and mental health evaluations.
  • Key findings revealed high rates of sexual activity, significant health issues such as obesity and depression, with notable occurrences of HIV and other health risks linked to their working conditions.
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Background: Over the past decade, mobile health has steadily increased in low-income and middle-income countries. However, few platforms have been able to sustainably scale up like the MomConnect program in South Africa. NurseConnect was created as a capacity building component of MomConnect, aimed at supporting nurses and midwives in maternal and child health.

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