Malaria is the leading cause of acute kidney injury among a Zambian paediatric renal service cohort retrospectively evaluated for aetiologies, predictors of the need for dialysis, and outcomes.

Background: Whilst malaria is a prominent aetiology associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) in many parts of Africa, a shift in the traditional AKI aetiologies has been witnessed in sections of the continent. Additionally, limited access to dialysis worsens patient outcomes in these low-resource settings. This retrospective cross-sectional study aimed to determine the associated aetiologies, predictors of need for dialysis and malaria-associated AKI (MAKI), and outcomes of AKI and dialysis among children evaluated by the renal service in Lusaka, Zambia.

Zambia Assessment of Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV in the Mines (ZATHIM): implications for programs and policies.

Background: Mineworkers in Southern Africa have the highest rates of tuberculosis (TB) among working populations in the world (The World Bank, Benefits and costs associated with reducing tuberculosis among Southern Africa's mineworkers, 2014), making mineworkers a key population for TB program efforts. The current evaluation aimed to characterize mineworkers and former (ex-) mineworkers, and assess knowledge, attitudes and practices related to TB and HIV care among mineworkers and healthcare workers (HCWs) in Zambia.

Methods: A mixed-methods evaluation of current and former (ex-) mineworkers and HCWs was conducted in the Copperbelt and North-Western provinces, Zambia.

Safety and efficacy of intermittent presumptive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine using rapid diagnostic test screening and treatment with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine at the first antenatal care visit (IPTp-SP+): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is recommended by the World Health Organization for the prevention of malaria in pregnancy (MIP)-associated adverse outcomes in high burden areas. However, the efficacy of IPTp-SP has decreased in step with increasing parasite drug resistance. Suitable alternative strategies are needed.

Assessment of the tuberculosis case-finding and prevention cascade among people living with HIV in Zambia - 2018: a cross-sectional cluster survey.

Background: The Ministry of Health Zambia recommends tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) with 6 months daily isoniazid for all people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) after ruling out active tuberculosis disease. We sought to estimate the percentage of people living with HIV who progress through each stage of the tuberculosis case-finding and prevention cascade in two provinces with the highest tuberculosis burden in Zambia.

Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, we used a two-stage cluster sampling method.

Prevalence and characteristics of HIV drug resistance among antiretroviral treatment (ART) experienced adolescents and young adults living with HIV in Ndola, Zambia.

Background: HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) poses a threat to the HIV epidemic control in Zambia especially in sub-populations such as the 15-24 years where there is poor virological suppression. Understanding the prevalence and patterns of HIVDR in this population (15-24 years) will contribute to defining effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens, improving clinical decision making, and supporting behavioral change interventions needed to achieve HIV epidemic control.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of study enrollment data from the Project YES! Youth Engaging for Success randomized controlled trial was conducted.

A cross-sectional study of the factors associated with male circumcision status among college youth in Ndola, Zambia, 2016.

Background: New cases of HIV are increasing among young adults in Zambia; yet voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) coverage as an HIV prevention measure remains low. Despite having the highest HIV burden in the province, Ndola district had a VMMC coverage of 23% in 2015 compared to the national target of 80% among high-risk groups.

Objectives: To determine predictive factors associated with circumcision status among male students in Ndola district.

Artemisinin-based combination therapy in pregnant women in Zambia: efficacy, safety and risk of recurrent malaria.

Background: In Zambia, malaria is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, especially among under five children and pregnant women. For the latter, the World Health Organization recommends the use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. In a context of limited information on ACT, the safety and efficacy of three combinations, namely artemether-lumefantrine (AL), mefloquine-artesunate (MQAS) and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHAPQ) were assessed in pregnant women with malaria.

Safe and efficacious artemisinin-based combination treatments for African pregnant women with malaria: a multicentre randomized control trial.

Background: Asymptomatic and symptomatic malaria during pregnancy has consequences for both mother and her offspring. Unfortunately, there is insufficient information on the safety and efficacy of most antimalarials in pregnancy. Indeed, clinical trials assessing antimalarial treatments systematically exclude pregnancy for fear of teratogenicity and embryotoxicity.

Safety of daily co-trimoxazole in pregnancy in an area of changing malaria epidemiology: a phase 3b randomized controlled clinical trial.

Introduction: Antibiotic therapy during pregnancy may be beneficial and impacts positively on the reduction of adverse pregnancy outcomes. No studies have been done so far on the effects of daily Co-trimoxazole (CTX) prophylaxis on birth outcomes. A phase 3b randomized trial was conducted to establish that daily CTX in pregnancy is not inferior to SP intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) in reducing placental malaria; preventing peripheral parasitaemia; preventing perinatal mortality and also improving birth weight.

Management of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in an urban setting in Zambia: a patient's perspective.

Background: Zambia continues to grapple with a high tuberculosis (TB) burden despite a long running Directly Observed Treatment Short course programme. Understanding issues that affect patient adherence to treatment programme is an important component in implementation of a successful TB control programme. We set out to investigate pulmonary TB patient's attitudes to seek health care, assess the care received from government health care centres based on TB patients' reports, and to seek associations with patient adherence to TB treatment programme.

Diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis genotypes circulating in Ndola, Zambia.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the major public health problems in Zambia. However, information about lineages of M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates useful for epidemiology investigations is unknown.