The burden of imported malaria in Gauteng Province.

Objectives: To describe the burden of malaria in Gauteng Province, and to identify potential risk factors for severe disease.

Design: We conducted a prospective survey of malaria cases diagnosed in hospitals throughout Gauteng from December 2005 to end November 2006.

Outcome Measures: Malaria frequency, severity, and treatment.

Predictors of risk of alcohol-exposed pregnancies among women in an urban and a rural area of South Africa.

The study sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of being at risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy (AEP) among women of child-bearing age in an urban and rural location in South Africa. We conducted a cross-sectional household survey of 1018 women aged 18-44 years in one urban (n=606) and one rural (n=412) site. The women were interviewed using a structured questionnaire.

Safety and immunogenicity of two Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccines.

Objectives: Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infection remains a major public health problem in the developing world. We evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of a new PRP-CRM197 conjugate Hib vaccine (Vaxem Hib, Chiron Vaccines), compared with the HibTITER vaccine (Wyeth-Lederle Vaccines), following the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s accelerated schedule which allows 4-week intervals between doses.

Study Design: A phase II, observer-blind, multicentre, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority study.