Limited Sustained Local Transmission of HIV-1 CRF01_AE in New South Wales, Australia.

Australia's response to the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) pandemic led to effective control of HIV transmission and one of the world's lowest HIV incidence rates-0.14%. Although there has been a recent decline in new HIV diagnoses in New South Wales (NSW), the most populous state in Australia, there has been a concomitant increase with non-B subtype infections, particularly for the HIV-1 circulating recombinant form CRF01_AE.

The 2016 HIV diagnosis and care cascade in New South Wales, Australia: meeting the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets.

Introduction: The HIV Strategy in New South Wales (NSW) Australia aims to virtually eliminate HIV transmission by 2020. We estimated the 2016 HIV diagnosis and care cascade for the state of NSW, with a focus on introducing population-based data to improve data quality and assess progress towards the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets.

Methods: To estimate the number of people living with diagnosed HIV (PLDHIV) we used NSW data from the Australian National HIV Registry, enhanced by surveillance among people recently diagnosed with HIV to improve migration estimates.

Navigating the risks of prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV services in Kibera, Kenya: Barriers to engaging and remaining in care.

Within the first year of implementation, 43% of women who tested HIV positive at their first antenatal care visit were no longer retained and being followed in the free prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV program offered by the Kenyan Ministry of Health and Médecins Sans Frontières in the informal settlement of Kibera, Nairobi. This study aimed to explore barriers to enrolling and remaining engaged in PMTCT services throughout the pregnancy and postpartum periods. Qualitative data from 31 focus group discussions and 35 in-depth interviews across six stakeholder groups that included women, men, and PMTCT service providers were analyzed.

Effect of Community ART Groups on retention-in-care among patients on ART in Tete Province, Mozambique: a cohort study.

Objectives: Estimate the effect of participation in Community ART Groups (CAG) versus individual care on retention-in-care (RIC) on antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: High levels of attrition (death or loss-to-follow-up (LTFU) combined) on ART indicate that delivery models need to adapt in sub-Saharan Africa.

The impact of control strategies and behavioural changes on the elimination of Ebola from Lofa County, Liberia.

The Ebola epidemic in West Africa was stopped by an enormous concerted effort of local communities and national and international organizations. It is not clear, however, how much the public health response and behavioural changes in affected communities, respectively, contributed to ending the outbreak. Here, we analyse the epidemic in Lofa County, Liberia, lasting from March to November 2014, by reporting a comprehensive time line of events and estimating the time-varying transmission intensity using a mathematical model of Ebola transmission.

Sustainability of a community-based anti-retroviral care delivery model - a qualitative research study in Tete, Mozambique.

Introduction: To overcome patients' reported barriers to accessing anti-retroviral therapy (ART), a community-based delivery model was piloted in Tete, Mozambique. Community ART Groups (CAGs) of maximum six patients stable on ART offered cost- and time-saving benefits and mutual psychosocial support, which resulted in better adherence and retention outcomes. To date, Médecins Sans Frontières has coordinated and supported these community-driven activities.

Adapting a community-based ART delivery model to the patients' needs: a mixed methods research in Tete, Mozambique.

Background: To improve retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART), lessons learned from chronic disease care were applied to HIV care, providing more responsibilities to patients in the care of their chronic disease. In Tete--Mozambique, patients stable on ART participate in the ART provision and peer support through Community ART Groups (CAG). This article analyses the evolution of the CAG-model during its implementation process.

A qualitative assessment of a community antiretroviral therapy group model in Tete, Mozambique.

Background: To improve retention on ART, Médecins Sans Frontières, the Ministry of Health and patients piloted a community-based antiretroviral distribution and adherence monitoring model through Community ART Groups (CAG) in Tete, Mozambique. By December 2012, almost 6000 patients on ART had formed groups of whom 95.7% were retained in care.

Community-based antiretroviral therapy programs can overcome barriers to retention of patients and decongest health services in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.

In sub-Saharan Africa models of care need to adapt to support continued scale up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and retain millions in care. Task shifting, coupled with community participation has the potential to address the workforce gap, decongest health services, improve ART coverage, and to sustain retention of patients on ART over the long-term. The evidence supporting different models of community participation for ART care, or community-based ART, in sub-Saharan Africa, was reviewed.

Distribution of antiretroviral treatment through self-forming groups of patients in Tete Province, Mozambique.

Background: As antiretroviral treatment cohorts continue to expand, ensuring patient retention over time is an increasingly important concern. This, together with capacity and human resource constraints, has led to the consideration of out-of-clinic models for the delivery of antiretroviral therapy (ART). In 2008, Médecins Sans Frontières and the Provincial authorities launched a model of ART distribution and adherence monitoring by community groups in Tete Province, Mozambique.

Providing HIV care in the aftermath of Kenya's post-election violence Medecins Sans Frontieres' lessons learned January - March 2008.

Kenya's post-election violence in early 2008 created considerable problems for health services, and in particular, those providing HIV care. It was feared that the disruptions in services would lead to widespread treatment interruption. MSF had been working in the Kibera slum for 10 years and was providing antiretroviral therapy to 1800 patients when the violence broke out.

Implementation of a comprehensive program including psycho-social and treatment literacy activities to improve adherence to HIV care and treatment for a pediatric population in Kenya.

Background: To achieve good clinical outcomes with HAART, patient adherence to treatment and care is a key factor. Since the literature on how to care for pediatric HIV patients is limited, we describe here adherence interventions implemented in our comprehensive care program in a resource-limited setting in Kenya.

Methods: We based our program on factors reported to influence adherence to HIV care and treatment.

Evaluation of the system of surveillance for enteric disease outbreaks, New South Wales, Australia, 2000 to 2005.

Aim: To evaluate the NSW enteric disease outbreak surveillance system.

Evaluation Methods: We performed unstructured interviews with NSW Health Communicable Diseases Branch staff and analysed summary outbreak reports for July 2000 to June 2005. PERFORMANCE OF THE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM: The system provided a mechanism for meeting all of its objectives to some level.

Enteric disease outbreak reporting, New South Wales, Australia, 2000 to 2005.

Objective: To review enteric disease outbreaks reported to the NSW Department of Health.

Methods: Data from existing electronic enteric disease outbreak summary databases were used to describe the number and type of outbreaks reported, burden of illness and cause of the outbreaks.

Results: Between 2000 and 2005, 998 enteric disease outbreaks were reported (148 foodborne and 850 non-foodborne), affecting 24 260 people and associated with 771 hospitalisations and 21 deaths.

A multi-jurisdiction outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium phage type 135 associated with purchasing chicken meat from a supermarket chain.

A multi-jurisdiction case control study was conducted after an increase of Salmonella Typhimurium phage type 135 notifications (a local designated subgroup) was observed throughout Australia. Hypothesis generating interviews conducted in three jurisdictions identified consumption of chicken, eggs, beef and bagged carrots as common among cases and that a high proportion of cases (> 80%) reported purchasing their groceries from a particular supermarket chain (Supermarket A). We conducted a case control study to test whether S.

Probable psittacosis outbreak linked to wild birds.

In autumn 2002, an outbreak of probable psittacosis occurred among residents of the Blue Mountains district, Australia. We conducted a case-control study to determine independent risk factors for psittacosis by comparing exposures between hospitalized patients and other residents selected randomly from the telephone directory. Of the 59 case-patients with laboratory results supportive of psittacosis, 48 participated in a case-control study with 310 controls.

Before I was an embryo, I was a pre-embryo: or was I?

Issues surrounding human embryos are poignant and profound. Should research be conducted on them? Should they be discarded? Should they be donated to infertile couples? The Warnock Report was a landmark in providing guidelines limiting experimentation on human embryos to the first 14 days after fertilization, at which time implantation of the embryo is complete and the primitive streak has appeared. However, these embryological features were not considered sufficiently distinctive to bestow upon this 14-day period a separate classification.