Publications by authors named "Hydara A"
Blood pressure and the hypertension care cascade in The Gambia: Findings from a nationwide survey.
J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich)
May 2024
Article Synopsis
- Community treatment of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa faces challenges due to significant gaps in the care continuum, affecting diagnosis and treatment.
- A survey conducted on adults 35 and older revealed that over half of the participants were normotensive, while those with hypertension showed significantly higher blood pressure levels, particularly among untreated individuals.
- The study found that blood pressure levels were generally elevated across all hypertension categories, and highlighted the need for comprehensive strategies to address hypertension at various stages of care.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined the prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and multimorbidity in older adults in The Gambia, revealing that as countries evolve, these conditions become more common than infectious diseases.
- Data was gathered from a nationally representative survey involving nearly 9,200 participants aged 35 and older, assessing factors such as blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and sociodemographic information.
- The findings showed that 47% of participants had hypertension, with higher rates in older adults; diabetes prevalence was 6.3%, particularly affecting urban women and increasing with age until a decline in the oldest groups.
Background: Hypertension is a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa with poor treatment coverage and high case-fatality rates. This requires assessment of healthcare performance to identify areas where intervention is most needed. To identify areas where health resources should be most efficiently targeted, we assessed the hypertension care cascade i.
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- Trichiasis occurs when eyelashes grow inward and touch the eyeball, potentially leading to permanent vision loss, caused mainly by repeated infections from Chlamydia trachomatis.
- A study in The Gambia assessed the prevalence of trachomatous trichiasis (TT) through surveys in five evaluation units, using a two-stage cluster sampling method involving nearly 12,000 individuals aged 15 and older.
- The results showed a very low prevalence of TT, with some regions reporting 0.0%, leading to The Gambia being validated in 2021 for achieving the elimination of trachoma as a public health issue, demonstrating the effectiveness of dedicated resources and political commitment in addressing the problem.
Objective: Monitoring health outcomes disaggregated by socioeconomic position (SEP) is crucial to ensure no one is left behind in efforts to achieve universal health coverage. In eye health planning, rapid population surveys are most commonly implemented; these need an SEP measure that is feasible to collect within the constraints of a streamlined examination protocol. We aimed to assess whether each of four SEP measures identified inequality-an underserved group or socioeconomic gradient-in key eye health outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This study aimed to determine the implications of including tympanometry in the Rapid Assessment of Hearing Loss survey protocol. A comparative study design was employed, with findings from otoscopy compared with the results of tympanometry.
Method: A population-based survey of the prevalence and causes of hearing loss among adults aged over 35 years in The Gambia was conducted.
Article Synopsis
- * The analysis reveals that the WG questions can identify people with mild or worse impairments, showing moderate sensitivity (44-79%) and specificity (73-92%), particularly when the cut-off used is "some/worse difficulty."
- * While a significant percentage of individuals needing referrals for medical services reported some difficulty, the WG questions still demonstrate limited effectiveness in identifying those with moderate impairments and their service needs.
Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness in the world and has been known to be a major public health problem in The Gambia for over 60 years. Nationwide blindness surveys, including trachoma, in 1986 and 1996 provided the foundation for a comprehensive plan to implement a trachoma elimination strategy. Impact and pre-validation surveillance surveys in 2011-13 demonstrated that active trachoma was below WHO threshold for elimination but trichiasis remained a public health problem.
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- The 2019 Gambia National Eye Health Survey aimed to assess the current state of eye health in the population, building on findings from previous surveys in 1986 and 1996.
- A total of 10,800 adults aged 35 and older were randomly sampled and undergone comprehensive eye examinations to determine the prevalence and causes of vision impairment (VI).
- Results indicated significant progress in reducing blindness rates since 1996, but an increase in moderate or severe visual impairment highlights the need for ongoing efforts in eye health services.
Article Synopsis
- Two national surveys on vision impairment and blindness were conducted in The Gambia in 1986 and 1996, leading to the creation of the National Eye Health Programme (NEHP).
- A recent National Eye Health Survey in 2019 aimed to assess vision impairment and comorbidities in adults aged 35 and above, allowing for comparisons with earlier data.
- The survey also gathered data on access to eye health services, assistive technologies, and set the stage for a five-year follow-up cohort study on the progression of eye disease within the population.
Article Synopsis
- A study in The Gambia assessed the need for assistive devices like glasses and hearing aids among adults aged 35 and over, using both clinical assessments and self-reported data.
- Findings showed that 5.6% needed distance glasses, 45.9% needed near glasses, and 25.5% needed hearing aids, but actual coverage for these devices was under 4%.
- The research indicated that self-reported awareness of the need for assistive devices poorly correlated with clinical assessments, suggesting that relying solely on self-reports may not accurately reflect the population's true needs.
Article Synopsis
- Primary open-angle glaucoma is more common and severe in people of African descent compared to those of European or Asian ancestry, yet they are often overlooked in genetic research on this condition.
- The study conducts a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving nearly 10,000 participants from various countries to identify genetic links to the disease.
- Results suggest significant genetic variants associated with primary open-angle glaucoma, highlighting the need for more focused research on affected populations for better understanding and treatment options.
Antenatal care in The Gambia: missed opportunity for information, education and communication.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth
March 2008
Background: Antenatal care is widely established and provides an opportunity to inform and educate pregnant women about pregnancy, childbirth and care of the newborn. It is expected that this would assist the women in making choices that would contribute to good pregnancy outcome. We examined the provision of information and education in antenatal clinics from the perspective of pregnant women attending these clinics.
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