Prospective Intervention Study Using Immediate-Fit, Adjustable Prostheses for Persons With Lower Limb Loss in Botswana-A Feasibility and Patient Acceptance Trial.

Objective: The aim of the study is to test the feasibility of an immediate-fit, adjustable prosthesis (iFIT Prosthesis) for persons with limb loss in Botswana.

Design: As part of the University of Pennsylvania and University of Botswana's long-term partnership, 18 persons with limb loss were fit at four different locations in Botswana. Patients were followed for 4-9 mos after fitting with an interview and Prosthetic Comfort and Utility questionnaire.

Advanced HIV disease in the Botswana combination prevention project: prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes.

Objective(s): To determine the proportion of individuals linking to HIV-care with advanced HIV-disease (CD4 cell counts ≤200 cells/μl) in the Botswana Combination Prevention Project, describe the characteristics of these individuals, and examine treatment outcomes.

Design: A subanalysis of a cluster-randomized HIV-prevention trial. HIV status was assessed in 16-64-year-olds through home and mobile testing.

The knowledge and acceptance of the HIV prevention program in pregnant women in the Free State Province of South Africa.

HIV infection has a major impact on the health of children in South Africa because the current prevention programs are ineffective. We evaluated the knowledge of prevention of mother to child transmission at a level-two hospital in the Free State Province of South Africa. A descriptive study was done using interviews of postpartum mothers during a 1-month period.

Overestimates of survival after HAART: implications for global scale-up efforts.

Background: Monitoring the effectiveness of global antiretroviral therapy scale-up efforts in resource-limited settings is a global health priority, but is complicated by high rates of losses to follow-up after treatment initiation. Determining definitive outcomes of these lost patients, and the effects of losses to follow-up on estimates of survival and risk factors for death after HAART, are key to monitoring the effectiveness of global HAART scale-up efforts.

Methodology/principal Findings: A cohort study comparing clinical outcomes and risk factors for death after HAART initiation as reported before and after tracing of patients lost to follow-up was conducted in Botswana's National Antiretroviral Therapy Program.

Out-of-pocket costs of HAART limit HIV treatment responses in Botswana's private sector.

A large number of HIV-infected patients in sub-Saharan Africa pay out-of-pocket for HAART. This analysis from Botswana indicates that higher median out-of-pocket regimen costs to patients for the initial 30 days of HAART are associated with failure to achieve a viral load< 400 copies/ml [US$32; interquartile range (IQR), 20-84 compared with US$22; (IQR, 17-36), P = 0.001].