Intimate Partner Violence: Barriers to Action and Opportunities for Intervention Among Health Care Providers in São Paulo, Brazil.

Health care providers (HCPs) who directly interact with women play a critical role in intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention and response. The aim of this study was to identify the structural and interpersonal barriers to IPV response among HCPs working in public health clinics in Santo André, Brazil. Eligible participants included all HCPs providing direct care to individuals at three public health clinics.

Actives, passives and power: heteronormative gender norms and their implications for intimate partner violence among men who have sex with men in Tajikistan.

Global research reveals that gender-role norms have a profound effect on socio- and psycho-sexual expression (e.g. sexual positioning) among gay and bisexual men, which in turn may affect mental health and sexual risks.

Conducting a secondary data analysis to estimate the incidence of congenital syphilis in South Africa, 2010 - 2016.

Analysis of existing health data is often used as a cost-effective and time-efficient means to provide evidence to inform important public health decisions. However, the accuracy of the resultant decisions largely depends on the quality of the accessible data, and how the data are processed, analyzed, interpreted and reported. This case study, based on an actual secondary data analysis that was conducted by a trainee of the South African Field Epidemiology Training Programme during April 2017, was designed to provide a classroom simulation of practical considerations that should be taken into account when planning an analysis of a secondary dataset.

Antiretroviral therapy outcomes among HIV infected clients in Gweru City, Zimbabwe 2006 - 2011: a cohort analysis.

The government of Zimbabwe began providing antiretroviral therapy (ART) to People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in public institutions in 2004. In Midlands province two clinics constituted the most active HIV care service points, with patients being followed up through a comprehensive patient monitoring and tracking system which captured specific patient variables and outcomes over time. The data from 2006 to 2011 were subjected to analysis to answer specific research questions and this case study is based on that analysis.

Conducting a surveillance problem analysis on poor feedback from Reference Laboratory, Liberia, February 2016.

The laboratory plays a major role in surveillance, including confirming the start and end of an outbreak. Knowing the causative agent for an outbreak informs the development of response strategies and management plans for a public health event. However, issues and challenges may arise that limit the effectiveness or efficiency of laboratories in surveillance.

Contact tracing following outbreak of Ebola virus disease in urban settings in Nigeria.

An outbreak of Ebola virus disease occurred in Nigeria between July and September 2014. Contact tracing commenced in Lagos, and extended to Port Harcourt and Enugu as the outbreak continued to spread. A total of 899 contacts were traced.

Response to an unusual outbreak in a high-risk situation.

In 2010, a series of lead poisoning outbreaks linked to artisanal gold processing killed at least 400 young children in Zamfara State in northwestern Nigeria. There were several efforts to respond to the outbreaks as they occurred. Subsequent recurrence of lead poisoning outbreaks within Zamfara and beyond suggested that there were no efforts to mitigate the outbreaks as recommended for disaster management.

An epidemic of spastic paraparesis of unknown aetiology in Northern Mozambique.

This case study is based on a real-life outbreak investigation undertaken in Mozambique in 1981. This case study describes and promotes one particular approach to unknown disease outbreak investigation. Investigational procedures, however, may vary depending on location and outbreak.

Investigating an outbreak of measles in Margibi County, Liberia, October 2015.

The emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases highlights the need to have well-trained field epidemiologists who will be at the forefront in the fight against these diseases, especially during an outbreak. Training for outbreak investigation is most effective when participants can develop their competencies in a practical exercise. To that end, this case study was based on a measles outbreak investigation conducted in Liberia during October 2015 by Liberia Frontline Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) residents, simulating steps to perform outbreak investigation in a real-life situation as a field epidemiologist.

Cholera outbreak in Homa Bay County, Kenya, 2015.

Cholera is among the re-emerging diseases in Kenya. Beginning in December 2014, a persistent outbreak occurred involving 29 out of the 47 countries. Homa Bay County in Western Kenya was among the first counties to report cholera cases from January to April 2015.

Unexplained haemorrhagic fever in Rural Ethiopia.

This case study was written based on events of an outbreak investigation of an unfamiliar disease in Ethiopia during October-December 2012. Ethiopia did not have reports of similar cases in the 50 years prior to this outbreak. In this case study, we recapitulate and analyse this outbreak investigation based on data gathered from the community, health facility, and laboratory systems.

Unheard Voices: The Need for HIV Research and Prevention Priorities for YMSM in the Global Context.

This commentary considers the AIDS Education and Prevention special issue (volume 28, number 3) entitled "Behavioral HIV Prevention Interventions for Diverse Young Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)." The research presented in this special issue highlights the importance of addressing sub-populations of young MSM in order to better understand the unique realities and risk-factors affecting HIV epidemics and intervention needs. Here, we focus on several broad topics raised in this special issue and comment on their implications for HIV research and practice targeting young MSM in low- and middle-income countries.

Differences in the relationship of marijuana and tobacco by frequency of use: A qualitative study with adults aged 18-34 years.

Co-use of marijuana and tobacco is increasing among adults in the United States, but little research exists examining why co-use occurs. Changing marijuana policies make understanding the relationship between marijuana and tobacco critical. This study aimed to assess how adult co-users of marijuana and tobacco qualitatively conceptualize and describe their use and whether variation exists by frequency of use.

Towards the development of an intimate partner violence screening tool for gay and bisexual men.

Introduction: Recent research suggests that gay and bisexual men experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at rates comparable to heterosexual women. However, current screening tools used to identify persons experiencing IPV were largely created for use with heterosexual women. Given the high prevalence of IPV among gay and bisexual men in the United States, the lack of IPV screening tools that reflect the lived realities of gay and bisexual men is problematic.