Publications by authors named "Beverley Singh"
Background: Dual HIV/syphilis testing may be an acceptable intervention to identify men with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and at risk of HIV acquisition.
Objectives: We sought to determine the acceptability, and performance of dual HIV/syphilis testing among men attending voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) services at six public sector facilities in Gauteng.
Method: This was a cross-sectional study at VMMC facilities.
Population-based serological testing is important to understand the epidemiology and estimate the true cumulative incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to inform public health interventions. This study reports findings of a national household population SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey in people 12 years and older in South Africa. This cross-sectional multi-stage random stratified cluster survey undertaken from November 2020 to June 2021 collected sociodemographic data, medical history, behavioural data, and blood samples from consenting participants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This is the first large-scale assessment of the implementation of HIV Rapid Test Quality Improvement Initiative in South Africa.
Methods: We used a quasi-experimental one group post-test only design. The intervention implemented starting April 2014 comprised health-care worker training on quality assurance (QA) of HIV rapid testing and enrolment of the facilities in proficiency testing (PT), targeting 2,077 healthcare facilities in 32 high HIV burden districts.
We describe the accuracy of serial rapid HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM) in South Africa and discuss the implications for HIV testing and prevention.This was a cross-sectional survey conducted at five stand-alone facilities from five provinces.Demographic, behavioral, and clinical data were collected.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: In 2012, 7 years after the introduction of antiretroviral treatment (ART) in the South African township of Orange Farm, we measured the proportion of HIV-positive people who were virally suppressed, especially among high-risk groups (women 18-29 years and men 25-34 years).
Design: A community-based cross-sectional representative survey was conducted among 3293 men and 3473 women.
Methods: Study procedures included a face-to-face interview and collection of blood samples that were tested for HIV, 11 antiretroviral drugs and HIV-viral load.
Background: HIV infection increases measles susceptibility in infants, but little is known about this relationship among older children and adults. We conducted a facility-based study to explore whether HIV status and/or CD4 count were associated with either measles seroprotection and/or measles antibody concentration.
Methods: A convenience sample was recruited comprising HIV-infected patients presenting for follow-up care, and HIV-uninfected individuals presenting for HIV testing at Chiradzulu District Hospital, Malawi, from January to September 2012.
Background: Randomized controlled trials have shown that voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) reduces HIV infection by 50% to 60% in sub-Saharan African populations; however, little is known about the population-level effect of adult male circumcision (MC) as an HIV prevention method. We assessed the effectiveness of VMMC roll-out on the levels of HIV in the South African township of Orange Farm where the first randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the effect of VMMC on HIV acquisition was conducted in 2002-2005.
Methods And Findings: The Bophelo Pele project is a community-based campaign against HIV, which includes the roll-out of free VMMC.
Background: Since 1995, measles vaccination at nine and 18 months has been routine in South Africa; however, coverage seldom reached >95%. We describe the epidemiology of laboratory-confirmed measles case-patients and assess the impact of the nationwide mass vaccination campaign during the 2009 to 2011 measles outbreak in South Africa.
Methods: Serum specimens collected from patients with suspected-measles were tested for measles-specific IgM antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and genotypes of a subset were determined.
A regional external quality assessment scheme (REQAS) for anti-HIV serology aimed to objectively assess reliability and quality of HIV testing processes in the African region. This involved the distribution of proficiency testing (PT) panels to participating laboratories from 2002 to 2010. During the survey period, this included 16 distributions of PT panels to 49 laboratories in 30 countries, and the overall average score during the nine-year survey period was 98.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: To evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about adult male circumcision (AMC), assess the association of AMC with HIV incidence and prevalence, and estimate AMC uptake in a Southern African community.
Methods: A cross-sectional biomedical survey (ANRS-12126) conducted in 2007-2008 among a random sample of 1198 men aged 15 to 49 from Orange Farm (South Africa). Face-to-face interviews were conducted by structured questionnaire.
Background: The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of male circumcision (MC) on HIV acquisition estimated using HIV incidence assays and to compare it to the effect measured by survival analysis.
Methods: We used samples collected during the MC randomized controlled trial (ANRS-1265) conducted in Orange Farm (South Africa) among men aged 18 to 24. Among the 2946 samples collected at the last follow-up visit, 194 HIV-positive samples were tested using two incidence assays: Calypte HIV-EIA (BED) and an avidity assay based on the BioRad HIV1/2+O EIA (AI).