Risk of hospitalization or death does not differ in children exposed to HIV, yet uninfected compared to non-exposed peers in the Zambia Infant Cohort Study (ZICS).

Objective: Increased mortality and morbidity has been observed among children who are HIV-exposed, uninfected (CHEU). It is unknown if health disparities remain despite promotion of exclusive breastfeeding and adoption of universal combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) for pregnant women.

Design: We conducted a longitudinal cohort study among pregnant women with and without HIV [Zambia Infant Cohort (ZICS)] with the primary goal to measure the morbidity/mortality experienced by CHEU in first 6 months of life, and secondarily whether such disparities could be explained by timing of cART initiation or elevated maternal immune activation.

Single-test syphilis serology: A case of not seeing the forest for the trees.

Introduction: There have been few empirical studies for diagnostic test accuracy of syphilis using a sequence of rapid tests in populations with low prevalence of syphilis such as pregnant women. This analysis describes syphilis test positivity frequency among pregnant women at an antenatal clinic in Zambia using a reverse-sequence testing algorithm for antenatal syphilis screening.

Methods: Between August 2019 and May 2023, we recruited 1510 pregnant women from a peri-urban hospital in Lusaka, Zambia.

Impact of COVID-19 on food security and diet quality in Chilanga District, Zambia.

Introduction: Food security and nutrition have been severely impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to quantify the impacts of the pandemic on food security and diet diversity within Chilanga District in Zambia and identify target areas for high-impact social protection and safety net programs.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Chilanga district immediately after the Omicron variant surge in February 2022.

Undernutrition in older children and adolescents in peri-urban Zambia.

Background: Adolescents make up roughly a quarter of the population in Zambia; however, most nutrition-related programming is targeted at the under-five population. Understanding the scale of undernutrition in older children and adolescents is fundamental to alleviating food insecurity and addressing undernutrition across all age groups.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed in four low-income, peri-urban compounds in Chilanga District which included anthropometric measurements of children between ages 6 months-19 years and a household-level diet diversity and food security questionnaire.

Impact of mHealth on contraceptive use among women and men of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Around the world, the use of modern contraceptives has risen significantly, but the quality and reach of sexual and reproductive health services remains weak in the poorest countries. To address the high unmet need, an opportunity arises for mobile health technology (mHealth) to empower both clients and providers. However, evidence that mHealth is effective in increasing modern contraceptive use is limited and mixed, and we set out to assess its impact.