User experiences of selfcare interventions for sexual and reproductive health services in community pharmacies in Rwanda: A qualitative study.

Self-care interventions for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) empower individuals to autonomously access services, reducing their reliance on traditional healthcare settings. However, there is limited knowledge about community pharmacy-based SRH services in Rwanda. Therefore, this study aims to explore the experiences of community pharmacy-based SRH users and inform strategies to enhance service delivery effectiveness.

Availability of self-care products for sexual and reproductive health provided by community pharmacists in Rwanda: A cross-sectional study.

Access to and use of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services remain a global public health concern, particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to understand the attitudes and perceptions of pharmacists in Rwandan community pharmacies and to assess the availability of sexual and reproductive health products in these pharmacies.In a cross-sectional study conducted in Rwanda from 1 September 2023 to 30 November 2023, registered and licensed pharmacists from 864 community pharmacies were surveyed, employing a quantitative research approach.

A cross-sectional assessment of the effects of select training modalities on vaccine cold chain management.

Background: Vaccines offer arguably the most cost-effective public health intervention. Vaccine supply chain management which is a critical building block faces many Human resources challenges mainly due to the special attributes of vaccines.

Objective: This study attempted to measure the effect of training on vaccine cold chain handler knowledge and practices.

Teaching Scottish medical students about global health in partnership with LMIC institutions. Does it change their views on volunteering in LMIC settings?

Context: An elective placement is a core part of most United Kingdom (UK) medical degrees, and a significant proportion of students choose to pursue their elective in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). There is a risk that students are ill-prepared for some of the ethical challenges that they will face during these placements, and that they have little appreciation for some of the negative effects that their placement can have on the host healthcare system. This study sought to address some of these negative consequences by exploring the preparation of medical students for these experiences, and the effect of including the LMIC perspective in preparation materials.

Influence of inventory management practices on the availability of emergency obstetric drugs in Rwandan public hospitals: a case of Rwanda Southern Province.

Background: Stock-outs of some life-saving drugs, such as emergency obstetric drugs, are evident in many health facilities and have been reported to be the leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity for women from low and middle income countries (LMICs). For many cases, this situation is associated with poor inventory management practices. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of inventory management practices on the availability of emergency obstetric drugs in Rwandan public hospitals: case of the Rwanda Southern Province.

Analysis of pharmaceutical inventory management based on ABC-VEN analysis in Rwanda: a case study of Nyamagabe district.

Background: Pharmaceuticals account for a large portion of healthcare spending in healthcare organizations. Their effective inventory management is required to match the cost of stocks with the customer demand and avoid shortage of supplies at any health facility level. This study aimed to analyze pharmaceuticals' inventory management using ABC-VEN analysis.

Investigation of the Quality of the 12 Most-Used Antibiotics Available in Retail Private Pharmacies in Rwanda.

Using poor-quality antibiotics leads to increased risk of the development of microorganism-resistant strains, treatment failure, loss of confidence in health systems, and associated socio-economic impacts. The prevalence of poor-quality antibiotics has been found to be high in some of the Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), but no data were available on the situation in Rwanda. This study was conducted to obtain data and inform health professionals on the quality of the 12 most-used selected antibiotics from private retail pharmacies in Rwanda.

Changes in the Proteome in the Development of Chronic Human Papillomavirus Infection-A Prospective Study in HIV Positive and HIV Negative Rwandan Women.

Background: Effects on the proteome when a high risk (HR)-HPV infection occurs, when it is cleared and when it becomes chronic were investigated. Moreover, biomarker panels that could identify cervical risk lesions were assessed.

Methods: Cytology, HPV screening and proteomics were performed on cervical samples from Rwandan HIV+ and HIV- women at baseline, at 9 months, at 18 months and at 24 months.

A review of recent advances in anti-tubercular drug development.

Tuberculosis is a global threat but in particular affects people from developing countries. It is thought that nearly a third of the population of the world live with its causative bacteria in a dormant form. Although tuberculosis is a curable disease, the chances of cure become slim as the disease becomes multidrug-resistant and the situation gets even worse as the disease becomes extensively drug-resistant.

Radiation of the urinary bladder attenuates the development of lipopolysaccharide-induced cystitis.

In the present study we assessed how ionizing radiation affects TLR4-stimulated immune activation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cystitis. LPS or saline was administered intravesically to female rats followed by urinary bladder irradiation (20 Gy) 24 h later or sham treatment. Presence in the urinary bladder of inflammatory cells (mast cells, CD3+, ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba-1)+, CD68+, CD40+, CD80+, CD11c + and CD206 + cells) and expression of oxidative stress (8-OHdG), hypoxia (HIF1α) and anti-oxidative responses (NRF2, HO-1, SOD1, SOD2, catalase) were assessed 14 days later with western blot, qPCR and/or immunohistochemistry.

Radiation induces changes in toll-like receptors of the uterine cervix of the rat.

Radiotherapy is an important therapeutic approach against cervical cancer but associated with adverse effects including vaginal fibrosis and dyspareunia. We here assessed the immunological and oxidative responses to cervical irradiation in an animal model for radiation-induced cervicitis. Rats were sedated and either exposed to 20 Gy of ionising radiation given by a linear accelerator or only sedated (controls) and euthanized 1-14 days later.

Effectiveness and safety of concurrent use of first-line antiretroviral and antituberculous drugs in rwanda.

Background. Overlapping toxicity between drugs used for HIV and TB could complicate the management of HIV/TB coinfected patients, particularly those carrying multiple opportunistic infections. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes and adverse drug events in HIV patients managed with first-line antiretroviral and first-line anti-TB drugs.