Improved quality of life following direct-acting antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection in Rwanda: Results from a clinical trial in sub-Saharan Africa (the SHARED study).

Around 71 million people are living with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, with approximately 14% residing in sub-Saharan Africa. Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies offer clear benefits for liver-related morbidity and mortality, and data from high-income settings suggest that DAA treatments also provide significant benefits in terms of health-related quality of life (HRQL). In this study, we assessed the effect of DAA treatment on HRQL for individuals treated for HCV in a clinical trial in Rwanda.

Effectiveness of Direct-acting Antivirals for the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C in Rwanda: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are becoming accessible in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined the effectiveness of DAAs in patients treated through the Rwandan national health system and identified factors associated with treatment outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective study used data from the national hepatitis C virus (HCV) program for patients who initiated DAAs between November 2015 and March 2017.

Prevalence and sociodemographic determinants of dyspepsia in the general population of Rwanda.

Introduction: Dyspepsia accounts for a significant burden of worldwide disease, but there is a relative paucity of data from the sub-Saharan African setting. We undertook to describe the burden, risk factors and severity of dyspepsia across Rwanda.

Methods: We performed a population-based clustered cross-sectional survey between November 2015 and January 2016, nationwide in Rwanda, using the Short Form Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire to describe the presence and severity of dyspepsia, and the Short Form Nepean Dyspepsia Index to describe the concomitant quality of life effects.

Safety and Efficacy of Limited Laboratory Monitoring for Hepatitis C Treatment: A Blinded Clinical Trial in Rwanda.

Direct-acting antivirals for hepatitis C virus (HCV) are highly effective and well-tolerated. However, only a small percentage of HCV-infected individuals globally have received therapy. Reducing the complexity of monitoring during HCV therapy, if shown to be safe, could facilitate greater access to HCV services, particularly in resource-limited settings such as sub-Saharan Africa.

Treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in Rwanda with ledipasvir-sofosbuvir (SHARED): a single-arm trial.

Background: Limited treatment data are available for hepatitis C virus (HCV) in sub-Saharan Africa, especially for genotype 4. Our objective was to establish the safety and efficacy of ledipasvir-sofosbuvir for chronic HCV genotype 1 or 4 infection in adults in Rwanda.

Methods: We did a single-arm trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ledipasvir-sofosbuvir in Rwandan adults with chronic HCV infection at a single study site (Rwanda Military Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda).

Efficacy of Helicobacter pylori eradication regimens in Rwanda: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Successful H. pylori treatment requires the knowledge of local antimicrobial resistance. Data on the efficacy of H.

Prevalence of Strongyloides stercoralis infection and other soil-transmitted helminths by cross-sectional survey in a rural community in Gisagara District, Southern Province, Rwanda.

Background: Strongyloides stercoralis is one of the most neglected tropical diseases. Sparse, dated central African and Rwandan data on seroprevalence are available to guide public health efforts and clinical care.

Methods: In February 2016 we conducted a community-based cross-sectional study among 539 asymptomatic participants in a rural area in the Gisagara District, Southern Province, Rwanda.

Effects of a lifestyle education program on glycemic control among patients with diabetes at Kigali University Hospital, Rwanda: A randomized controlled trial.

Aim: Evidence to show whether lifestyle intervention programs are beneficial for patients with diabetes in resource-limited countries is lacking. The present study assessed the additional efficacy of a structured lifestyle education program, as compared to the current standard of diabetic care in Rwanda.

Methods: 251 consecutive adult patients attending a tertiary diabetic care practice were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (standard of care plus monthly lifestyle group education sessions of 45min duration) or to a control group.

High prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among common bacterial isolates in a tertiary healthcare facility in Rwanda.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious public health threat in both developed and developing countries. Many developing countries, including Rwanda, lack adequate surveillance systems, and therefore, the prevalence of AMR is not well-known. We conducted a prospective observational study to assess the prevalence of AMR among common bacterial isolates from clinical specimens obtained from patients on the medical wards of Kigali University Teaching Hospital (KUTH).