Improving routine immunization data quality using daily short message system reporting platform: An experience from Nasarawa state, Nigeria.

Routine immunization (RI) delivery was declared a public health concern in Nigeria in 2017 because of persistently low immunization coverage rates reported in independent surveys. However, administrative coverage rates remain high, suggesting serious data quality issues. We posit that a shorter timespan between service provision and data reporting can improve the monitoring of RI data, and developed a short message system (SMS) text reporting strategy to generate daily RI data points from health facilities (HFs).

Comparison of Micro-Census Results for Magarya Ward, Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State, Nigeria, with Other Sources of Denominator Data.

Routine immunization coverage in Nigeria is suboptimal. In the northwestern state of Sokoto, an independent population-based survey for 2016 found immunization coverage with the third dose of Pentavalent vaccine to be 3%, whereas administrative coverage in 2016 was reported to be 69%. One possibility driving this large discrepancy is that administrative coverage is calculated using an under-estimated target population.

Ethnicity and child health in northern Tanzania: Maasai pastoralists are disadvantaged compared to neighbouring ethnic groups.

The Maasai of northern Tanzania, a semi-nomadic ethnic group predominantly reliant on pastoralism, face a number of challenges anticipated to have negative impacts on child health, including marginalisation, vulnerabilities to drought, substandard service provision and on-going land grabbing conflicts. Yet, stemming from a lack of appropriate national survey data, no large-scale comparative study of Maasai child health has been conducted. Savannas Forever Tanzania surveyed the health of over 3500 children from 56 villages in northern Tanzania between 2009 and 2011.

Effects of a behavioral intervention to reduce serodiscordant unsafe sex among HIV positive men who have sex with men: the Positive Connections randomized controlled trial study.

Few behavioral interventions have been conducted to reduce high-risk sexual behavior among HIV-positive Men who have Sex with Men (HIV+ MSM). Hence, we lack well-proven interventions for this population. Positive Connections is a randomized controlled trial (n = 675 HIV+ MSM) comparing the effects of two sexual health seminars--for HIV+ MSM and all MSM--with a contrast prevention video arm.

Methods for recruiting men of color who have sex with men in prevention-for-positives interventions.

Men who have sex with men (MSM), especially MSM of color, are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS compared to heterosexuals and Caucasians. Nonetheless, fewer sexual and ethnic minorities participate in prevention interventions for people with HIV. We consider recruitment for Positive Connections, a randomized controlled trial comparing unsafe sex prevention interventions primarily for HIV-positive (HIV+) MSM in six US epicenters.