First identification of the SARS-COV-2/XBB.1.5 sublineage among indigenous COVID-19 cases through the influenza sentinel surveillance system in Niger.

The emergence of the Omicron variant in November 2021, has caused panic worldwide due to the rapid evolution and the ability of the virus to escape the immune system. Since, several Omicron sublineages (BA.1 to BA.

Community-based surveillance contribution to the response of COVID-19 in Niger.

Introduction: the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across all countries in Africa, with much of the model forecasting disastrous results owing to weak health services and political uncertainty. In Niger, an adaptive solution to the COVID-19 pandemic has been implemented by community-based surveillance system (CBS) to complement passive case-finding in health systems.

Methods: the CBS program was designed to use the current CBS polio network spanning 37 health districts in six regions.

Field Evaluation of the Performance of Two Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Meningitis in Niger and Burkina Faso.

New lateral flow tests for the diagnosis of (Nm) (serogroups A, C, W, X, and Y), MeningoSpeed, and (Sp), PneumoSpeed, developed to support rapid outbreak detection in Africa, have shown good performance under laboratory conditions. We conducted an independent evaluation of both tests under field conditions in Burkina Faso and Niger, in 2018-2019. The tests were performed in the cerebrospinal fluid of suspected meningitis cases from health centers in alert districts and compared to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction tests performed at national reference laboratories (NRLs).

Task Shifting the Management of Non-Communicable Diseases to Nurses in Kibera, Kenya: Does It Work?

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa there is an increasing need to leverage available health care workers to provide care for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study was conducted to evaluate adherence to Médecins Sans Frontières clinical protocols when the care of five stable NCDs (hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, epilepsy, asthma, and sickle cell) was shifted from clinical officers to nurses.

Methods: Descriptive, retrospective review of routinely collected clinic data from two integrated primary health care facilities within an urban informal settlement, Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya (May to August 2014).

Medication Adherence Clubs: a potential solution to managing large numbers of stable patients with multiple chronic diseases in informal settlements.

Objectives: To assess the care of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and/or HIV patients enrolled into Medication Adherence Clubs (MACs).

Methods: Retrospective descriptive study was carried out using routinely collected programme data from a primary healthcare clinic at informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. All patients enrolled into MACs were selected for the study.

Supporting 'medicine at a distance' for delivery of hospital services in war-torn Somalia: how well are we doing?

Background: We describe an innovative strategy implemented to support national staff at Istarlin Hospital in the conflict setting of Somalia; and report on inpatient morbidities, mortality and adverse hospital exit outcomes.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of hospital data for 2011.

Results: Of 8584 admitted patients, the largest numbers were for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) (2114; 25%), normal deliveries (1355; 16%) and diarrhoeal diseases (715; 8%).