Publications by authors named "B Vwalika"
Pre-eclampsia is a leading cause of maternal and neonatal mortality; 30,000 pre-eclampsia-related maternal deaths occur annually, with 70% in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and 16% in South Asia. We have shown that early, accurate detection of hypertension combined with planned early delivery in women with late preterm pre-eclampsia significantly reduces stillbirth and severe maternal hypertension. We describe co-development and delivery of policy labs, working with The Policy Institute (King's College London), and local stakeholders in Sierra Leone and Zambia, to expedite integration of new knowledge into pre-eclampsia care pathways, to improve care for women and babies with the worst outcomes.
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- The study aimed to evaluate healthcare providers' knowledge of cardiovascular disease risks associated with preeclampsia across five facilities in Lusaka, Zambia, between August and October 2023.
- It utilized a self-administered questionnaire for various healthcare professionals and found the average knowledge score to be 4.7 out of 7, indicating good awareness, particularly regarding hypertension and heart disease.
- The results suggested a disparity in knowledge based on professional role and experience, with nurses generally less informed than doctors, highlighting a need for targeted interventions to improve understanding and practice in this area.
Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) and male genital schistosomiasis (MGS) are gender-specific manifestations of urogenital schistosomiasis. Morbidity is a consequence of prolonged inflammation in the human genital tract caused by the entrapped eggs of the waterborne parasite, Both diseases affect the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of millions of people globally, especially in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). Awareness and knowledge of these diseases is largely absent among affected communities and healthcare workers in endemic countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: Accurate assessment of gestational age (GA) is essential to good pregnancy care but often requires ultrasonography, which may not be available in low-resource settings. This study developed a deep learning artificial intelligence (AI) model to estimate GA from blind ultrasonography sweeps and incorporated it into the software of a low-cost, battery-powered device.
Objective: To evaluate GA estimation accuracy of an AI-enabled ultrasonography tool when used by novice users with no prior training in sonography.
Background: Despite attempts to increase Universal Health Coverage, availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality-related challenges remain barriers to receiving essential services by women who need them. We aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of women receiving post-abortal care services in Zambia, within a human-rights framework.
Methods: A qualitative case study was conducted between August and September 2021 in Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces of Zambia.