Publications by authors named "Hugo Kavunga Membo"
Background: Conflict is known to impact maternal and neonatal health in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), an area of longstanding insecurity. We conducted a systematic review on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in this region to provide a comprehensive overview of maternal and neonatal outcomes over a 20-year period.
Methods: We systematically searched databases, such as Medline, EMBASE, Global Health, ClinicalTrials.
Recent reports raise concerns on the changing epidemiology of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). High-quality genomes were generated for 337 patients from 14/26 provinces to document whether the increase in number of cases is due to zoonotic spillover events or viral evolution, with enrichment of APOBEC3 mutations linked to human adaptation. Our study highlights two patterns of transmission contributing to the source of human cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDuring the 2018-2020 Ebola virus disease outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo, a phase 3 trial of the Ad26.ZEBOV, MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine (DRC-EB-001) commenced in Goma, with participants being offered the two-dose regimen given 56 days apart. Suspension of trial activities in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to some participants receiving a late dose 2 outside the planned interval.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- * While fewer than 1% of non-pregnant participants faced serious adverse events (SAEs), 30.4% of pregnant women experienced SAEs, primarily due to caesarean sections, but none were linked to the vaccine.
- * Among 1169 tracked pregnancies, there were some miscarriages, stillbirths, and low birth weights, yet the vaccine was generally well-tolerated, with a high uptake rate of 75.1%, prompting calls for more controlled trials for further insights.
With two endorsed and prophylactic vaccines against Zaire ebolavirus (referred to hereafter as EBOV), the number of individuals vaccinated against EBOV worldwide is estimated to range between 500 000 and 1 000 000 individuals, increasing with every renewed EBOV threat and vaccination campaign. Therefore, re-exposure of previously vaccinated health-care workers, and possibly community members, could become more frequent. In the absence of long-term data on vaccine efficacy and duration of protection, we urgently need to understand revaccination strategies that could maximise the level of protection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOur understanding of the burden and drivers of cholera mortality is hampered by limited surveillance and confirmation capacity. Leveraging enhanced clinical and laboratory surveillance in the cholera-endemic community of Uvira, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, we describe cholera deaths across 3 epidemics between September 2021 and September 2023 following mass vaccination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The Democratic Republic of the Congo has had 15 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks, from 1976 to 2023. On June 1, 2020, the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared an outbreak of EVD in the western Équateur Province (11th outbreak), proximal to the 2018 Tumba and Bikoro outbreak and concurrent with an outbreak in the eastern Nord Kivu Province. In this Article, we assessed whether the 11th outbreak was genetically related to previous or concurrent EVD outbreaks and connected available epidemiological and genetic data to identify sources of possible zoonotic spillover, uncover additional unreported cases of nosocomial transmission, and provide a deeper investigation into the 11th outbreak.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: A global shortage of cholera vaccines has increased the use of single-dose regimens, rather than the standard two-dose regimen. There is sparse evidence on single-dose protection, particularly in children. In 2020, a mass vaccination campaign was conducted in Uvira, an endemic urban setting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, resulting in largely single-dose coverage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis article examines the experience of healthcare professionals working in primary healthcare provision during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in Kambia District, Sierra Leone. Drawing on ethnographic observation, interviews and focus groups, we explore everyday narratives of 'crisis' in these two regions which had recently seen Ebola epidemics. In describing the impact of COVID-19 on their life, work, and relationships with patients, healthcare workers made sense of the pandemic in relation to broader experiences of structural economic and political crisis, as well as differing experiences of recent Ebola epidemics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevalence of immunoglobulin G and M to SARS-CoV-2 and other human coronaviruses in The Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, and Uganda: A longitudinal study.
Int J Infect Dis
June 2023
Objectives: We assessed the prevalence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM against four endemic human coronaviruses and two SARS-CoV-2 antigens among vaccinated and unvaccinated staff at health care centers in Uganda, Sierra Leone, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Methods: The government health facility staff who had patient contact in Goma (Democratic Republic of Congo), Kambia District (Sierra Leone), and Masaka District (Uganda) were enrolled. Questionnaires and blood samples were collected at three time points over 4 months.
During the 10th Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (2018-2020), two experimental EVD vaccines were deployed in North Kivu. This province has been at the centre of conflict in the region for the last 25 years. Amidst ambivalence towards protracted foreign intervention and controversy about introducing two experimental vaccines, the existing literature has focused on mistrust and 'resistance' towards the Ebola response and vaccines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis cross-sectional survey explored COVID-19 vaccine acceptability among public healthcare facility workers in Kambia (Sierra Leone), Goma (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Masaka (Uganda). Questionnaire-based interviews conducted between April-October 2021 explored participants' knowledge and perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 vaccines, as well as COVID-19 vaccine acceptability (defined as uptake of ≥1 dose or intent to get vaccinated). Whilst most ( = 444; 81.
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- A lot of money has been spent on studying the COVID-19 virus in Africa, leading to over 100,000 virus samples being analyzed to understand the spread of the disease.
- *More countries in Africa are now able to do these studies themselves, which helps them get results faster and keep a close watch on the virus.
- *To keep fighting COVID and other diseases, more funding and support for testing and research in Africa is really important for the future.
Article Synopsis
- Ebola virus disease (EVD) remains a major health issue in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, prompting a clinical trial on a two-dose vaccine's effectiveness during an outbreak.
- The trial enrolled adults and children, offering VAC52150 (Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo) with doses 56 days apart, while tracking serious adverse events and assessing immune responses, especially in a subset of participants who faced delays in their vaccination.
- Ethical approvals were secured from various health committees in the DRC, and qualitative research is being conducted through interviews and focus groups to gather insights from participants and caregivers.
Influenza surveillance capacity improvements in Africa during 2011-2017.
Influenza Other Respir Viruses
July 2021
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluated influenza surveillance sustainability in Africa from 2011 to 2017, focusing on how external funding cuts affected the systems in place.
- A survey found that 75% of ANISE member countries maintained a high quality of laboratory standards and consistent testing for severe acute respiratory infections, though testing for influenza-like illnesses dropped slightly.
- Notably, half of surveyed countries improved their ability to type influenza B, and weekly reporting to WHO increased, indicating advancements in surveillance despite funding challenges.
Background: The World Health Organization recommends periodic evaluations of influenza surveillance systems to identify areas for improvement and provide evidence of data reliability for policymaking. However, data about the performance of established influenza surveillance systems are limited in Africa, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Methods: We used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to evaluate the performance of the influenza sentinel surveillance system (ISSS) in DRC during 2012-2015.
Article Synopsis
- Enteroviruses (EVs), including Non-Polio Enteroviruses (NPEVs) and circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs), are prevalent in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), but their genetic diversity was previously understudied.
- This research analyzed EVs from both healthy children and Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) patients, focusing on the genetic characteristics of these viruses and investigating the potential reasons behind the emergence of cVDPVs in the region.
- Findings revealed that a significant percentage of healthy children were infected by EVs, with evidence of genetic recombination in cVDPVs, suggesting complex viral evolution and interactions in the local population.
Article Synopsis
- The establishment of an influenza surveillance system in various provinces of the DRC provided important data on the types of influenza viruses present in the region during 2015, highlighting the need for broader surveillance efforts.
- A total of 2,376 nasopharyngeal swabs were analyzed, with 218 samples testing positive for influenza, predominantly type A (149 samples) and type B (67 samples), with a significant number of cases among children aged 5-14.
- All detected influenza viruses showed sensitivity to antiviral medications, underscoring the importance of monitoring and controlling the virus to prevent respiratory infections in the population.
Background: Worldwide, the highest malaria mortality is due to Plasmodium falciparum infection. However, other species of Plasmodium (Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae, and Plasmodium knowlesi) can also cause malaria. Therefore, accurate identification of malaria species is crucial for patient management and epidemiological surveillance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe national and provincial burden of medically attended influenza-associated influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory illness in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2013-2015.
Influenza Other Respir Viruses
November 2018
Background: Estimates of influenza-associated outpatient consultations and hospitalizations are severely limited in low- and middle-income countries, especially in Africa.
Methods: We conducted active prospective surveillance for influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) at 5 healthcare facilities situated in Kinshasa Province during 2013-2015. We tested upper respiratory tract samples for influenza viruses using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay.
The last confirmed wild poliovirus (WPV) case in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had paralysis onset in December 2011 (1). DRC has had cases of vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPVs) documented since 2004 (Table 1) (1-6). After an outbreak of 30 circulating VDPV type 2 (cVDPV2) cases during 2011-2012, only five VDPV2 cases were reported during 2013-2016 (Table 1) (1-6).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The last wild poliovirus (WPV) case in Africa was reported in July 2014, thus underscoring the tremendous progress towards polio eradication worldwide. This study aimed to analyze the results of a seven-year surveillance of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and to identify potential gaps that need to be addressed.
Methods: Epidemiological and virological data obtained from AFP surveillance among AFP cases less than 15 years from January 2008 to December 2014 in DRC were retrospectively considered and analyzed in this study.