World Health Organization African Region national heads of units of diagnostics and laboratory services meetings proceedings.

Background: In the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region, many cases of serious and preventable diseases remain unmanaged because appropriate and good quality diagnostic support is not available at all levels within countries' health systems. Diagnostic and laboratory services influence the efficiency and effectiveness of both clinical and public health functions, including diagnosis, treatment, health promotion, disease prevention, surveillance and response, and research. Essential to global health security, these services are vital to decision-making processes by clinicians, epidemiologists, public health specialists, and health policymakers.

The use of artificial intelligence for delivery of essential health services across WHO regions: a scoping review.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a broad outlet of computer science aimed at constructing machines capable of simulating and performing tasks usually done by human beings. The aim of this scoping review is to map existing evidence on the use of AI in the delivery of medical care.

Methods: We searched PubMed and Scopus in March 2022, screened identified records for eligibility, assessed full texts of potentially eligible publications, and extracted data from included studies in duplicate, resolving differences through discussion, arbitration, and consensus.

Responding to Africa's burden of disease: accelerating progress.

Although Africa is home to about 14% of the global population (1.14 billion people), it is growing three times faster than the global average [1]. The continent carries a high burden of disease, but there has been real progress in eradication, elimination, and control since 2015.

Towards a Healthcare Innovation Scaling Framework-The Voice of the Innovator.

This paper investigates the systemic challenges that African healthcare innovators experience in the quest to scale their innovations. The aim is to aggregate insights and to conceptualize a foundation towards building a framework that can be used as a guide by intermediary organizations and global partners to support collaborative innovation in African countries. These insights were gained from analyzing a dataset of survey responses obtained from a follow-up on 230 innovators who took part in the inaugural WHO Africa Innovation Challenge that was held in 2018.

COVID-19 vaccination rollout in the World Health Organization African region: status at end June 2022 and way forward.

In October 2021, the WHO published an ambitious strategy to ensure that all countries had vaccinated 40% of their population by the end of 2021 and 70% by mid-2022. The end of June 2022 marks 18 months of implementation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in the African region and provides an opportunity to look back and think ahead about COVID-19 vaccine set targets, demand and delivery strategies. As of 26 June 2022 two countries in the WHO African region have achieved this target (Mauritius and Seychelles) and seven are on track, having vaccinated between 40% and 69% of their population.

COVID-19 in the 47 countries of the WHO African region: a modelling analysis of past trends and future patterns.

Background: COVID-19 has affected the African region in many ways. We aimed to generate robust information on the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in this region since the beginning of the pandemic and throughout 2022.

Methods: For each of the 47 countries of the WHO African region, we consolidated COVID-19 data from reported infections and deaths (from WHO statistics); published literature on socioecological, biophysical, and public health interventions; and immunity status and variants of concern, to build a dynamic and comprehensive picture of COVID-19 burden.

On the resilience of health systems: A methodological exploration across countries in the WHO African Region.

The need for resilient health systems is recognized as important for the attainment of health outcomes, given the current shocks to health services. Resilience has been defined as the capacity to "prepare and effectively respond to crises; maintain core functions; and, informed by lessons learnt, reorganize if conditions require it". There is however a recognized dichotomy between its conceptualization in literature, and its application in practice.

Data revolution, health status transformation and the role of artificial intelligence for health and pandemic preparedness in the African context.

Background: Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms, increasingly deployed in public health, utilize robust data systems as a critical component for health emergency preparedness. Yet, Africa faces numerous challenges in the availability, analyses, and use of data to inform health decision-making. Countries have limited access to their population data.

The effect of educational attainment and other factors on HIV risk in South African women: results from antenatal surveillance, 2000-2005.

Objectives: To assess the effect of educational attainment and other factors on the risk of HIV in pregnant South African women.

Design: Repeated cross-sectional surveys.

Methods: Pregnant women attending public antenatal clinics were tested for HIV annually between 2000 and 2005, and provided demographic information.

Antiretroviral drug resistance surveillance among drug-naive HIV-1-infected individuals in Gauteng Province, South Africa in 2002 and 2004.

Background: Surveillance for transmitted HIV-1 drug resistance was conducted among drug-naive HIV-1-infected pregnant women in South Africa, where single-dose nevirapine has been in use since 2001 and a national antiretroviral treatment programme started in 2004.

Methods: All subjects were from the Gauteng Province and were part of the 2002 and 2004 annual antenatal HIV seroprevalence survey conducted by the South African National Department of Health. All subjects met the inclusion criteria as set out by the World Health Organisation guidelines for HIV-1 transmitted drug resistance surveillance (women <22 years of age and in first pregnancy).

Masking through averages--intraprovincial heterogeneity in HIV prevalence within the Western Cape.

Objective: To measure HIV prevalence at health-district level in the Western Cape (WC) and to compare these findings with those of the National HIV Antenatal Surveys (NHASs). This investigation aimed to estimate the degree of heterogeneity of HIV prevalence within the province in order to inform the design of appropriate and targeted HIV interventions.

Method: Annual cross-sectional, unlinked district HIV antenatal surveys were implemented in all 25 health districts of the WC for the years 2001 - 2004, concurrently with the NHAS.