Publications by authors named "H Topazian"
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to improve lumbar puncture (LP) completion rates for diagnosing meningitis in children under five in Malawi, where such rates have been historically low.
- The intervention included refresher training for staff, automated reminders for LP procedures, and adding clinical officers specifically to support LP performance, leading to significant increases in LP rates.
- Results showed that LP rates rose dramatically from 10.4% to 60.4% in the before/after analysis, highlighting the effectiveness of the intervention and suggesting it could be useful for future meningitis surveillance planning.
Background: The R21/Matrix-M vaccine has demonstrated high efficacy against Plasmodium falciparum clinical malaria in children in sub-Saharan Africa. Using trial data, we aimed to estimate the public health impact and cost-effectiveness of vaccine introduction across sub-Saharan Africa.
Methods: We fitted a semi-mechanistic model of the relationship between anti-circumsporozoite protein antibody titres and vaccine efficacy to data from 3 years of follow-up in the phase 2b trial of R21/Matrix-M in Nanoro, Burkina Faso.
Article Synopsis
- Scientists have made good progress in reducing malaria around the world, but there isn’t enough money to keep improving and eventually get rid of it entirely.
- Research showed that the best way to spend funds is to help areas with the highest number of malaria cases, which could reduce cases by up to 76% with the right support.
- The study suggests that funding should mostly go to places with a lot of malaria cases, especially in Africa, but it also raises concerns about less money going to areas that need help to get rid of malaria completely.
Article Synopsis
- Malaria is a significant health issue in sub-Saharan Africa, with asymptomatic infections contributing to ongoing transmission challenges, especially as non-falciparum malaria becomes more prevalent.
- A study in Rwanda analyzed 4,596 individuals using quantitative PCR and found a 23.6% overall malaria infection rate, with asymptomatic falciparum malaria being widespread and low mixed-species infections common.
- The findings highlight the need for ongoing monitoring of malaria species, emphasizing the connection between falciparum infections and factors like socio-economic status and location.
Background: Domesticated animal ownership is an understudied aspect of the human environment that influences mosquito biting behaviour and malaria transmission, and is a key part of national economies and livelihoods in malaria-endemic regions. In this study, we aimed to understand differences in Plasmodium falciparum prevalence by ownership status of common domesticated animals in DR Congo, where 12% of the world's malaria cases occur and anthropophilic Anopheles gambiae vectors predominate.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we used survey data from individuals aged 15-59 years in the most recent (2013-14) DR Congo Demographic and Health Survey and previously performed Plasmodium quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to estimate P falciparum prevalence differences by household ownership of cattle; chickens; donkeys, horses, or mules; ducks; goats; sheep; and pigs.