Publications by authors named "Arnold Sadio"
Background: Female Sex Workers (FSW) in Sub Saharan Africa face multiple challenges increasing their vulnerability to poor health, particularly poor sexual and reproductive (SRH) health outcomes and violence. The aim of this study was to assess the use of gynecology health care services and factors associated with its use as well as experiences of violence among FSW in Togo.
Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2021 among FSW in two cities of Togo.
HIV self-testing: A highly acceptable and feasible strategy for reconnecting street adolescents with HIV screening and prevention services in Togo (The STADOS study).
PLoS One
October 2024
Introduction: HIV self-testing is a complementary screening strategy that could facilitate access to HIV care services for street adolescents. The objectives of this study were to assess the acceptability and feasibility of HIV self-testing and their associated factors, to estimate HIV prevalence among street adolescents in Togo, and to describe the sexual behavior of this population.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2021 and May 2022 in Lomé and Kara (Togolese cities with the highest number of street adolescents).
Background: In Togo, few data are available on viral hepatitis in street adolescents, a vulnerable population due to their lifestyle. The aim of this study was to describe the lifestyle of street adolescents (sexual practices and drug use), to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B and C viruses, and to describe their HBV immunization profile in Togo.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Lomé (Togo) in July 2021.
Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of health care professionals regarding dengue fever: need for training and provision of diagnostic equipment in Togo in 2022, a cross-sectional study.
Front Public Health
June 2024
Article Synopsis
- Health professionals in the Kara region of Togo lack training and resources related to dengue fever, with only 3% receiving relevant training in the past 3 years and 10% having access to diagnostic tests.
- The study found that while nearly half of the surveyed healthcare workers had good knowledge of dengue, only 30% showed positive attitudes, and only 9.4% applied appropriate practices when diagnosing and treating the disease.
- Ongoing training for healthcare workers was shown to significantly improve their ability to diagnose and manage dengue fever, highlighting the need for enhanced education and resource availability in Togo.*
Objective Of The Study: To estimate the prevalence of four STIs in women of reproductive age in the Kara region.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2022. Data were collected using a standardized questionnaire.
Article Synopsis
- In 2015, Togo implemented a "test-and-treat" strategy to combat mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV, yet the MTCT rate was still 3.6% in 2020, prompting a study in Lomé aimed at estimating HIV seroconversion in pregnancy and identifying at-risk pregnant women.
- The study involved a cross-sectional analysis of 3,148 umbilical cord blood samples collected from women after delivery, revealing a 3.8% seroprevalence of HIV-1, with most of the positive cases having previous knowledge of their HIV status before pregnancy.
- The findings indicated that a majority of the HIV-positive women were on antiretroviral treatment prior
COVID-19 pandemic management leads to new health policies including the requirement of a vaccination pass or a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test for cross-border flights. The objective of this study was to estimate COVID-19 vaccination coverage among travellers, as well as factors associated with a full vaccination. A cross sectional study was conducted in July 2022 at the Gnassingbé Eyadema International Airport (LFW) in Lomé.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There is almost no data on the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 among street adolescents. We conducted a study to document the immunization status of street adolescents in Togo against different variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2021 in Lomé, the city with the highest number of COVID 19 cases in Togo (60%).
Background: The extent of SARS-CoV-2 circulation in African countries is still unclear. Seroprevalence studies are a common approach to epidemiological surveillance, allowing estimation of the proportion of people who have had contact with the virus. We aimed at estimating the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and associated factors in Togo at the national level in 2021 according to age groups, gender, and place of residence (rural or urban).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Yellow fever virus is an arbovirus transmitted to humans by Aedes and Haemogogus mosquito species. To date, there is no specific treatment for yellow fever. However, an effective vaccine is available for the prevention.
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- In Togo, where malaria is common, there is a concern that treating malaria first can delay the diagnosis of dengue fever due to their similar symptoms, highlighting the need for better knowledge among healthcare workers (HCW).
- A study conducted from November 2020 to March 2021 surveyed 334 HCW to assess their understanding of dengue, revealing that only 47.1% had good knowledge about the disease and its prevention, with senior managers being more informed than lower-level staff.
- The majority of HCW (91.3%) indicated a lack of diagnostic tools for dengue, suggesting that improving access to these tools and training could help manage dengue cases effectively alongside malaria.
Article Synopsis
- * Out of 1,055 participants, only 33.7% exhibited good knowledge of STIs, with factors like prior HIV testing, sexual experience, and higher education levels positively influencing this knowledge.
- * The findings indicated concerning behaviors; among sexually active students, 32.5% reported inconsistent condom use, and 18.9% had multiple sexual partners, emphasizing the need for enhanced STI prevention measures on campus.
Background: Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) remain a public health challenge, especially for Female Sex Workers (FSW) who are particularly vulnerable. In sub-Saharan Africa where the overlapping epidemics of STI and HIV are concentrated among key populations, epidemiological data are needed in order to better understand STI trends in this population. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of self-reported STI symptoms and their risk factors among FSW in Togo in 2021.
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- The study aimed to determine how common malaria and Covid-19 are among febrile patients in Lomé, using various testing methods over two months in 2020.
- A total of 243 patients were tested, revealing a malaria prevalence of about 25%, while the presence of SARS-CoV-2 was found in approximately 7.4% of the participants.
- The findings suggest that there may be cross-reactivity between Covid-19 and malaria in rapid tests, indicating the need for PCR testing to accurately diagnose Covid-19 in areas where malaria is common.
Background: The HIV epidemic remains an important public health challenge for the sub-Saharan region. Female Sex Workers (FSW) in this region are among the most vulnerable of the key population groups with HIV prevalence as high as twice that of the general population. The aim of this study was to estimate HIV prevalence and explore sexual risk behaviors among FSW in Togo.
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- * A study conducted from June 14 to 29, 2021, involving 523 HCWs, found that 53.5% experienced burnout, with varying levels across personal (39.4%), work-related (38.4%), and patient-related factors (22.1%).
- * The findings emphasize the need for occupational health teams to implement strategies for preventing, screening, and addressing burnout among healthcare workers.
Background: Hepatitis B and C are endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, with prevalence among the highest in the World. However, several challenges impede the progression towards the elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030 as suggested by the World Health Organization Global health sector strategy on viral hepatitis, including the lack of knowledge on the scale of this epidemic in the region. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B and C among female sex workers (FSW) in Togo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevalence of severe adverse events among health professionals after receiving the first dose of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 coronavirus vaccine (Covishield) in Togo, March 2021.
Arch Public Health
November 2021
Article Synopsis
- * A total of 1,639 participants experienced various adverse events, with the most common being injection site pain (91%) and fatigue (74%), while some required medical consultations or were unable to work post-vaccination.
- * The research indicated that younger individuals and females were more likely to experience SAEs, suggesting the potential need for preemptive pain management strategies like antalgics for this demographic.
Article Synopsis
- A study conducted in Togo in 2017 aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors for Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis) among female sex workers (FSW) using respondent-driven sampling and molecular tests.
- The results showed a T. vaginalis prevalence of 6.5%, with additional findings of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the population, including HIV.
- Key factors associated with T. vaginalis infection included living in Lomé, having sexual intercourse before age 18, and being infected with Chlamydia trachomatis, highlighting the need for further research to understand its epidemiology in Togo.*
Objectives: This study aimed to describe HIV testing uptake, as well as HIV prevalence and its associated factors among older adults aged ≥50 years in health facilities in Togo.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from February 2018 to June 2019 among hospitalized older adults aged ≥50 years in tertiary and secondary hospitals in Togo. HIV testing was performed according to the national algorithm.
Background: To date, there is no effective treatment for COVID-19, which is a pandemic disease, caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. In Togo, where four in five people practice self-medication, the absence of a cure for COVID-19 and the constant progression of the disease requires an assessment of self-medication patterns in the context of the pandemic. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of self-medication to prevent COVID-19 and its associated factors in Lomé, Togo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Assessing hospital mortality and its predictors is important as some of these can be prevented through appropriate interventions. Few studies have reported hospital mortality data among older adults in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to assess the mortality and associated factors among hospitalized older adults in Togo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a public health problem in Togo and transmission to the child occurs mainly during childbirth. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of HBV among childbearing women and infants born to HBV positive mothers in Togo.
Methods: A national cross-sectional study was carried out in six cities in Togo in the six health regions in Togo.
Article Synopsis
- COVID-19 began in December 2019 in China and was declared a pandemic by March 2020, with Togo reporting its first case on March 5, 2020.
- A survey conducted from April 23 to May 8, 2020, aimed to estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among high-risk groups in Lomé, using oropharyngeal swabs and blood samples for testing.
- Results showed a low overall prevalence of 1.6% among 955 participants, with government measures likely contributing to the low rates of infection, leading to a recommendation for targeted screening in these high-risk populations.