HIV viral suppression at different thresholds and duration of treatment in the dolutegravir treatment era in Sierra Leone: a nationwide survey.

Introduction: Viral load assessment for people living with HIV is key for monitoring treatment and achieving the 95-95-95. In this study, we aimed to assess the degree of viral suppression at different thresholds and treatment duration after the introduction of dolutegravir-based therapy in ten public hospitals in Sierra Leone.

Methods: We used a cross-sectional study design to recruits patients aged 18 years or older between August 2022 and January 2023.

Hand Hygiene Practices and Promotion in Public Hospitals in Western Sierra Leone: Changes Following Operational Research in 2021.

Hand hygiene is the most important intervention for preventing healthcare-associated infections and can reduce preventable morbidity and mortality. We described the changes in hand hygiene practices and promotion in 13 public hospitals (six secondary and seven tertiary) in the Western Area of Sierra Leone following the implementation of recommendations from an operational research study. This was a "before and after" observational study involving two routine cross-sectional assessments using the WHO hand hygiene self-assessment framework (HHSAF) tool.

Sero-prevalence of syphilis infection among people living with HIV in Sierra Leone: a cross-sectional nationwide hospital-based study.

Background: Globally, there were an estimated 7.1 million new syphilis infections in 2020, with more than 30% of these new infections reported in African countries such as Sierra Leone. Despite this, there is no HIV-specific syphilis screening program in Sierra Leone.

Have Hand Hygiene Practices in Two Tertiary Care Hospitals, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Improved in 2023 following Operational Research in 2021?

In 2021, an operational research study in two tertiary hospitals in Freetown showed poor hand hygiene compliance. Recommended actions were taken to improve the situation. Between February-April 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the same two hospitals using the World Health Organization hand hygiene tool to assess and compare hand hygiene compliance with that observed between June-August 2021.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Utilization of HIV Testing and Linkage Services in Sierra Leone: Experience from Three Public Health Facilities in Freetown.

The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected the delivery of essential health services globally. In this study, we aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on HIV testing and linkage services at three public health facilities in Freetown, Sierra Leone. We conducted a retrospective study to assess the impact of COVID-19 on HIV testing and linkage to treatment services (HTS) at Connaught Hospital (CH-tertiary), Lumley Government Hospital (LGH-secondary) and George Brooke Community Health Center (GBC-primary) in Freetown.

Assessing Changes in Surgical Site Infections and Antibiotic Use among Caesarean Section and Herniorrhaphy Patients at a Regional Hospital in Sierra Leone Following Operational Research in 2021.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a major public health threat to the success of surgery. This study assessed changes in SSIs and use of antibiotics among caesarean section (CS) and herniorrhaphy patients at a regional hospital in Sierra Leone following operational research. This was a comparative before and after study using routine hospital data.

Improvement in Infection Prevention and Control Compliance at the Three Tertiary Hospitals of Sierra Leone following an Operational Research Study.

Implementing infection prevention and control (IPC) programmes in line with the World Health Organization's (WHO) eight core components has been challenging in Sierra Leone. In 2021, a baseline study found that IPC compliance in three tertiary hospitals was sub-optimal. We aimed to measure the change in IPC compliance and describe recommended actions at these hospitals in 2023.

Antibiotic use and consumption in Freetown, Sierra Leone: A baseline report of prescription stewardship in outpatient clinics of three tertiary hospitals.

Objective: As there are no country-representative data on bacterial sensitivities to guide antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions, an AMS programme was established in the outpatient clinics of three tertiary hospitals in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional design to collect antibiotic prescribing data from 370 pregnant women and lactating mothers, 314 children and 229 regular patients in the outpatient clinics of the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH), Ola During Children's Hospital and Connaught Hospital (CH), respectively, in April 2022. All data were analysed using Stata Version 16.

The burden of surgical site infections and related antibiotic resistance in two geographic regions of Sierra Leone: a prospective study.

Despite the prolongation of hospitalization, increase in morbidity, mortality and cost of care associated with both surgical site infections (SSIs) and antibiotic resistance, there are limited data on SSIs and antibiotic resistance to guide prevention strategies in Sierra Leone. This study assessed the burden of SSIs and related antibiotic resistance in the 34 Military Hospital (MH) and Makeni Government Hospital (MGH) located in two geographic regions of Sierra Leone using a prospective study design to collect data from adults aged 18 years or older. Of the 417 patients, 233 (55.

Incidence and risk factors of surgical site infections and related antibiotic resistance in Freetown, Sierra Leone: a prospective cohort study.

Background: There is limited information on surgical site infections (SSI) and the related antibiotic resistance needed to guide their management and prevention in Sierra Leone. In this study, we aimed to establish the incidence and risk factors of SSI and the related antibiotic resistance among adults attending a tertiary hospital, and a secondary health facility in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study designed to collect data from adult (18 years or older) patients who attended elective and emergency surgeries at two hospitals in Freetown between February and July, 2021.

An Intra-COVID-19 Assessment of Hand Hygiene Facility, Policy and Staff Compliance in Two Hospitals in Sierra Leone: Is There a Difference between Regional and Capital City Hospitals?

Although hand hygiene (HH) is the most effective intervention to reduce the spread of infections, there are limited data on HH facilities, policy, and compliance in sub-Saharan Africa. This cross-sectional study is aimed at assessing HH using the WHO HH self-assessment framework, HH technical reference manual, and a modified infection control self-assessment tool in two hospitals in Sierra Leone. Only 10% and 9% of regional and capital city hospitals had running tap water, respectively.

Prevalence of sero-markers and non-invasive assessment of liver cirrhosis in patients with Hepatitis B virus infection in Freetown, Sierra Leone: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major global health problem. Although sub-Saharan Africa has a high proportion of the global burden of HBV, the epidemiology and clinical features of HBV in this region are poorly characterized, and access to diagnostic and treatment services remain limited.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of HBV-infected children and adults of all age groups who were evaluated at public and private health facilities in Freetown, Sierra Leone between January 2017 and January 2019.

The burden of serious fungal infections in Sierra Leone: a national estimate.

Sierra Leone is a small, resource-limited country that has a low national prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and a very high burden of tuberculosis (TB). Fungal diseases are probably common, but poorly documented. In this article, we reviewed the existing literature on fungal epidemiology in Sierra Leone using national, regional, and international data, identified knowledge gaps, and propose solutions to address the challenges on the prevention and control of fungal diseases in Sierra Leone and similar countries.