Publications by authors named "Ana Mocumbi"

African research capacity is challenged by insufficient infrastructure to solicit and manage grants from local and international funding agencies. The manuscript provides an overview and discusses lessons learned about the pioneering role of the Mozambique Institute for Health Education and Research (MIHER) as the first research support center (RSC) in supporting the management of research grants in Mozambique, emphasizing its impact on research capacity development. Using mixed methods, data were comprehensively collected to identify MIHER's primary achievements from 2010 to 2023.

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  • Hypereosinophilia (HE) is characterized by an eosinophil count over 1500 cells/microL in blood tests, confirmed by either blood tests or high eosinophil percentages in bone marrow samples. Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) involves organ damage due to eosinophils and can be classified as primary, secondary, or idiopathic.
  • Cardiac issues occur in 5% of acute cases and 20% of chronic cases of HES, presenting symptoms like heart failure and arrhythmias, but the severity of heart problems isn't always proportional to eosinophil levels.
  • Diagnosis of cardiac involvement relies on advanced imaging techniques, particularly
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In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), a rising burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) coexists with a persistent high burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Integrating care for chronic conditions is potentially beneficial, but the optimal approach remains unclear. By use of a narrative review of 14 recent case studies from different SSA countries, examples of NCD and HIV healthcare integration were described.

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We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of hypertension in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We searched the PubMed, Google Scholar, African Index Medicus, and Embase databases to identify studies published from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2021. We used a random-effects model to estimate the pooled prevalence of hypertension and mean SBP/DBP level on a sex-specific basis.

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Introduction: Contemporary data on the burden of chronic respiratory diseases in sub-Saharan Africa is limited. More so, their economic burden is not well described. This study aims to establish a chronic respiratory disease observatory for Africa.

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  • The document addresses corrections made to a previously published article identified by DOI: 10.5334/gh.1313.
  • It highlights specific errors or omissions that needed rectification to ensure accuracy and clarity in the research.
  • The corrections aim to enhance the reliability of the findings and conclusions presented in the original article.
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Background: There is minimal data on the number of adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with elevated blood pressure (BP) at increased risk of future cardiovascular events. Combining country-specific population data with data derived from two previously conducted meta-analyses (one African-specific, one based on international cohorts), we sought to address this knowledge deficit.

Methods: We used meta-analysis data from 37 926 adolescents participating in 36 contemporary SSA studies to generate sex-specific proportions of adolescents aged 10-14 and 15-19 years with elevated BP.

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Background: The World Heart Federation (WHF) published the first evidence-based guidelines on the echocardiographic diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in 2012. These guidelines have since been applied internationally in research and clinical practice. Substantial research has assessed the utility of the 2012 WHF criteria, including its applicability in low-resource settings.

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Background: Humanitarian emergencies are a major global health challenge with the potential to have a profound impact on people's mental and psychological health. Displacement is a traumatic event that disrupts families and affects physical and psychological health at all ages. A person may endure or witness a traumatic incident, such as being exposed to war, and, as a result, develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

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  • Rheumatic and congenital heart diseases, along with cardiomyopathies and hypertensive heart disease, lead to significant health issues and fatalities in low- and lower middle-income countries (LLMICs), impacting the poorest populations.
  • Access to advanced cardiac care is limited, primarily concentrated in urban areas, creating a gap in healthcare for rural communities due to shortages of diagnostics, medications, and trained personnel.
  • The Package of Essential NCD Interventions - Plus (PEN-Plus) aims to improve access to cardiac care in these regions by decentralizing services, and a coalition of global cardiac organizations is collaborating to implement effective strategies for managing severe cardiac diseases in high-poverty settings.
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Background: Undiagnosed and untreated hypertension is a main driver of cardiovascular disease and disproportionately affects persons living with HIV (PLHIV) in low- and middle-income countries. Across sub-Saharan Africa, guideline application to screen and manage hypertension among PLHIV is inconsistent due to poor service readiness, low health worker motivation, and limited integration of hypertension screening and management within HIV care services. In Mozambique, where the adult HIV prevalence is over 13%, an estimated 39% of adults have hypertension.

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The prevalence of hypertension, the commonest risk factor for preventable disability and premature deaths, is rapidly increasing in Africa. The African Control of Hypertension through Innovative Epidemiology, and a Vibrant Ecosystem [ACHIEVE] conference was convened to discuss and initiate the co-implementation of the strategic solutions to tame this burden toward achieving a target of 80% for awareness, treatment, and control by the year 2030. Experts, including the academia, policymakers, patients, the WHO, and representatives of various hypertension and cardiology societies generated a 12-item communique for implementation by the stakeholders of the ACHIEVE ecosystem at the continental, national, sub-national, and local (primary) healthcare levels.

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Introduction: The Package of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions-Plus (PEN-Plus) is a strategy decentralising care for severe non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including type 1 diabetes, rheumatic heart disease and sickle cell disease, to increase access to care. In the PEN-Plus model, mid-level clinicians in intermediary facilities in low and lower middle income countries are trained to provide integrated care for conditions where services traditionally were only available at tertiary referral facilities. For the upcoming phase of activities, 18 first-level hospitals in 9 countries and 1 state in India were selected for PEN-Plus expansion and will treat a variety of severe NCDs.

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  • - Pulmonary hypertension is a condition with elevated pressures in the pulmonary arteries, classified into five main groups, including pulmonary arterial hypertension (rare) and pulmonary hypertension linked to left-sided heart disease (very common), among others.
  • - It affects at least 1% of the global population, with a more significant impact in low and middle-income countries, and can lead to serious complications such as right ventricle failure if not managed properly.
  • - Current treatments focus on the underlying causes, especially for pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, but more research is needed to improve understanding and treatment options for other forms.
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Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and dental caries (DC) disproportionately affect children and young adults in sub-Saharan countries, with major impact on schoolchildren's health and education. DC in children with RHD constitutes an important risk for fatal complications. Our study aimed at assessing the feasibility of simultaneous RHD and DC screening in school environment.

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The African region of the World Health Organization (WHO) recently adopted a strategy aimed at more comprehensive care for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the region. The WHO's World Health Assembly has also newly approved several ambitious disease-specific targets that raise the expectations of chronic care and plans to revise and update the NCD-Global Action Plan. These actions provide a critically needed opportunity for reflection and course correction in the global health response to NCDs.

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Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is an important and preventable cause of morbidity and mortality among children and young adults in low-income and middle-income countries, as well as among certain at-risk populations living in high-income countries. The 2012 World Heart Federation echocardiographic criteria provided a standardized approach for the identification of RHD and facilitated an improvement in early case detection. The 2012 criteria were used to define disease burden in numerous epidemiological studies, but researchers and clinicians have since highlighted limitations that have prompted a revision.

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Secondary prevention of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) involves continuous antimicrobial prophylaxis among affected individuals and is recognised as a cornerstone of public health programmes that address these conditions. However, several important scientific issues around the secondary prevention paradigm remain unresolved. This report details research priorities for secondary prevention that were developed as part of a workshop convened by the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in November 2021.

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