Development of novel composite data quality scores to evaluate facility-level data quality in electronic data in Kenya: a nationwide retrospective cohort study.

Background: In this evaluation, we aim to strengthen Routine Health Information Systems (RHIS) through the digitization of data quality assessment (DQA) processes. We leverage electronic data from the Kenya Health Information System (KHIS) which is based on the District Health Information System version 2 (DHIS2) to perform DQAs at scale. We provide a systematic guide to developing composite data quality scores and use these scores to assess data quality in Kenya.

Social justice now for an equitable tomorrow: Reflections from the Consortium of Universities for Global Health Conference 2022.

PLOS Medicine editors Beryne Odeny and Callam Davidson report from the Consortium of Universities for Global Health conference.

Cancer Special Issue: Early detection and minimal residual disease.

Beryne Odeny discusses PLOS Medicine's Special Issue on early cancer detection and minimal residual disease.

Closing the health equity gap: A role for implementation science?

Beryne Odeny discusses strategies to improve equity in health care and health research.

A call for diversity, equity, and inclusion: Highlights from the Consortium of Universities for Global Health 2021 conference.

Beryne Odeny reports from the CUGH 2021 virtual conference.

Optimizing viral load suppression in Kenyan children on antiretroviral therapy (Opt4Kids).

Background: As many as 40% of the 1 million children living with HIV (CLHIV) receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) in resource limited settings have not achieved viral suppression (VS). Kenya has a large burden of pediatric HIV with nearly 140,000 CLHIV. Feasible, scalable, and cost-effective approaches to ensure VS in CLHIV are urgently needed.

"It was my obligation as mother": 18-Month completion of Early Infant Diagnosis as identity control for mothers living with HIV in Kenya.

Rationale: Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) is critical to timely identification of HIV and rapid treatment initiation for infants found to be infected. Completing the EID cascade involves a series of age-specific tests between birth and 18 months and can be challenging for mother- infant pairs in low-resource settings. Even prior to recent increases in Kenya's testing recommendations, approximately 22% of mother-infant pairs enrolled in EID were lost to follow-up.

Factors affecting acceptance of at-birth point of care HIV testing among providers and parents in Kenya: A qualitative study.

Background: At-birth and point-of-care (POC) HIV testing are emerging strategies to streamline infant HIV diagnosis and expedite ART initiation for HIV-positive infants. The purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate factors influencing the provision and acceptance of at-birth POC testing among both HIV care providers and parents of HIV-exposed infants in Kenya.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 26 HIV care providers and 35 parents of HIV-exposed infants (including 23 mothers, 6 fathers, and 3 mother-father pairs) at four study hospitals prior to POC implementation.

Male partner antenatal clinic attendance is associated with increased uptake of maternal health services and infant BCG immunization: a national survey in Kenya.

Background: Male partner antenatal clinic (ANC) attendance may improve maternal uptake of maternal child health (MCH) services.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of mother-infant pairs attending week-6 or month-9 infant immunizations at 120 high-volume MCH clinics throughout Kenya. Clinics were selected using probability proportionate to size sampling.

eHealth Interventions for Early Infant Diagnosis: Mothers' Satisfaction with the HIV Infant Tracking System in Kenya.

The HIV Infant Tracking System (HITSystem) is an eHealth intervention to improve early infant diagnosis (EID) through alerts to providers and text messages to mothers. This study explored mothers' experiences receiving standard and HITSystem-enhanced EID services to assess perceived intervention benefits, acceptability, and opportunities for improvement. This qualitative study was embedded within a cluster-randomized control trial to evaluate the HITSystem at six Kenyan government hospitals (3 intervention, 3 control).

Adapting the HIV Infant Tracking System to Support Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in Kenya: Protocol for an Intervention Development Pilot Study in Two Hospitals.

Background: Despite progress to expand access to HIV testing and treatment during pregnancy in Kenya, gaps still remain in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services. This study addresses the need for effective and scalable interventions to support women throughout the continuum of care for PMTCT services in low-resource settings. Our research team has successfully implemented the HIV Infant Tracking System (HITSystem), a Web-based, system-level intervention to improve early infant diagnosis (EID) outcomes.

Prevalence and correlates of non-disclosure of maternal HIV status to male partners: a national survey in Kenya.

Background: Prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programs usually test pregnant women for HIV without involving their partners. Non-disclosure of maternal HIV status to male partners may deter utilization of PMTCT interventions since partners play a pivotal role in decision-making within the home including access to and utilization of health services.

Methods: Mothers attending routine 6-week and 9-month infant immunizations were enrolled at 141 maternal and child health (MCH) clinics across Kenya from June-December 2013.

The Stigma of Exclusive Breastfeeding Among Both HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Women in Nairobi, Kenya.

Background: Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) means giving only breast milk to an infant. Although it is the optimal mode of feeding for infants younger than 6 months, its prevalence is low in HIV-endemic regions. Extensive promotion of EBF for 6 months in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programs could inadvertently result in stigma due to women's perceived association of EBF with HIV infection.

Maternal Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Use in Pregnancy and Growth Outcomes among HIV-Exposed Uninfected Infants in Kenya.

Background: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is commonly used in antiretroviral treatment (ART) and preexposure prophylaxis regimens. We evaluated the relationship of prenatal TDF use and growth outcomes among Kenyan HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infants.

Materials And Methods: We included PCR-confirmed HEU infants enrolled in a cross-sectional survey of mother-infant pairs conducted between July and December 2013 in Kenya.