Interventions to enhance corporate sector engagement in tuberculosis response in Africa: a scoping review protocol.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health crisis in Africa. TB control programmes implemented by various state and non-state actors in different African countries over the years have recorded significant gains in the reduction of the incidence and prevalence of TB through the vehicle of private care provider engagement in the diagnosis, treatment and care. However, the corporate sector, which often represents a large pool of resources and access to individuals, is neglected or underestimated in the public-private mix of TB control efforts.

Personal and Social Transformative Learning through Community‑Based Education: Insights from Training Socially Accountable Medical Doctors at a Historically Disadvantaged University in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

In 2014, the Faculty of Health Sciences at Walter Sisulu University introduced a 20‑week long integrated longitudinal clinical clerkship (ILCC) rotation block as part of its commitment to community‑based education and social responsiveness, with the goal of ensuring that the curriculum is updated to align with the contemporary health system challenges in South Africa. To explore whether medical student participants underwent social and personal transformative learning in understanding complex societal health needs during their integrated longitudinal community clerkship program. This was an exploratory qualitative research study conducted among 113 5 year medical students based at 8 selected hospitals during their 20‑week‑long community clerkship.

Patterns of availability and accuracy of risk factor data for cardiovascular diseases among people initiated on antiretroviral therapy at selected health facilities in Khomas region, Namibia: a retrospective, cross-sectional, quantitative study.

Introduction: quality data is a prerequisite for timely decision-making and measuring health outcomes in public health settings. Comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) among people living with HIV (PLHIV), require a robust system that ensures credible data at all data-producing levels. The study at determining the level of availability and completeness of CVDs risk factors data of PLHIV.

Tobacco use and behaviour among South African adolescents and young adults: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Tobacco use, particularly the initiation of smoking during adolescence and young adulthood, represents a significant public health concern in South Africa. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive review of published literature about tobacco use and behaviour among adolescents and young adults and to determine an aggregated prevalence estimate of tobacco use within this demographic.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Determinants and acceptability of HIV self-testing among vulnerable groups in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review protocol.

Introduction: HIV self-testing (HIVST) is where individuals collect their specimens and perform the HIV test privately. HIVST has improved testing uptake and coverage, especially among vulnerable groups of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Vulnerable groups include key populations such as men who have sex with men, sex workers, people who inject drugs, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons and young women.

A Scoping Review Protocol of Social Determinants of HIV/TB Coinfections in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remain major public health issues in sub-Saharan Africa. The co-occurrence of these diseases is a growing concern in the region, and social determinants, the circumstances under which people are born, live, work, and age, are known to influence the risk of disease transmission, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. Here, we present a protocol for the evidence synthesis on the social determinants of HIV/TB coinfections in sub-Saharan Africa.

Barriers and facilitators for interventions to improve ART adherence in Sub-Saharan African countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The HIV/AIDS pandemic remains a significant public health issue, with sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) at its epicentre. Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been introduced to decrease new infections and deaths, SSA reports the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS, constituting two-thirds of the global new infections. This review aimed to elucidate the predominant barriers and facilitators influencing ART adherence and to identify effective strategies to enhance ART adherence across SSA.

A Comparative Analysis of Patient Profiles and Health Service Utilization between Patent Medicine Vendors and Community Pharmacists in Nigeria.

Background: This study examined Nigeria's socio-demographic profiles and health service utilization patterns of Patent Medicine Vendors (PMVs) and Community Pharmacists (CPs).

Method: A cross-sectional study using a structured self-administered questionnaire among 405 retail outlets (322 PMVs and 83 CPs) across 16 Lagos and Kebbi Local Government Areas (LGAs) between June 2020 and December 2020.

Results: Results showed that 60.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Cigarette Smoking among South African Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol.

Tobacco use, particularly the initiation of smoking during adolescence and young adulthood, represents a significant public health concern in South Africa. The influence of socio-cultural factors, marketing strategies of the tobacco industry, and accessibility of tobacco products have all been implicated in this context. This systematic review and meta-analysis protocol aims to scrutinise the body of literature on this issue, providing a comprehensive understanding of the patterns and determinants of tobacco use among South African adolescents and young adults, with an eye towards informing more effective policy interventions.

Barriers and facilitators to ART adherence among ART non-adherence people living with HIV in Cameroon: A qualitative phenomenological study.

Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) needs to be taken for life with near perfect levels of adherence for it to be effective. Nonetheless, ART non-adherence is still observed in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries such as Cameroon. The objective of this study was to assess the factors influencing non-adherence and or adherence among people living with HIV (PLWH) who have experienced non-adherence to ART in Cameroon.

Exploring health insurance and knowledge of the ovulatory cycle: evidence from Demographic and Health Surveys of 29 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Unplanned pregnancy continues to be a major public health concern in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Understanding the ovulatory cycle can help women avoid unplanned pregnancy. Though a wide range of factors for ovulatory cycle knowledge in SSA countries has not been well assessed, the influence of health insurance on ovulatory cycle knowledge is largely unknown.

Health-Seeking Behavior Regarding Coughs in Urban Slums in Lagos, Nigeria.

Background: TB is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, with slum residents being disproportionately affected. This study aimed to assess health-seeking behavior among adult residents of slum communities presenting with coughs in Lagos, Nigeria.

Methods: A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted across six urban slums in Nigeria as part of community outreaches to mark World TB Day.

Causes and Outcomes of Intensive Care Admission Refusals: A Retrospective Audit from a Rural Teaching Hospital in Eastern Cape, South Africa.

(1) Background: Patients who deserve intensive care unit (ICU) admission may be denied due to a lack of resources, complicating ICU triage decisions for intensive care unit (ICU) clinicians. Among the resources that may be unavailable are trained personnel and monitored beds. In South Africa, the distribution of healthcare resources is reflected in the availability of ICU beds, with more ICU beds available in more affluent areas.

Computer Skills and Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in a State Tertiary Hospital in Southwest Nigeria.

Adopting change is something that is often resisted, as is often the case in the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) in healthcare organizations. Embracing this will require computer knowledge to handle the system for the management of patients and their care. This study aims to determine the computer skills required for the uptake of electronic health records (EHR) by healthcare workers in an annex of the state teaching hospital, Okela Health Centre (OHC) Ado-Ekiti.

Health facility delivery and early initiation of breastfeeding: Cross-sectional survey of 11 sub-Saharan African countries.

Background And Aims: Early initiation of breastfeeding (EIB) remains one of the promising interventions for preventing neonatal and child deaths. EIB is positively associated with healthcare delivery or childbirth. Meanwhile, no study in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) appears to have investigated the relationship between health facility delivery and EIB; thus, we assessed the correlation between health facility delivery and EIB.

Barriers to the provision of smoking cessation intervention/services: A mixed-methods study among health care workers in Zambezi region, Namibia.

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) can play a significant role in tobacco prevention by delivering smoking cessation (SC) interventions to patients who smoke.

Objective: To identify and explore the perceived barriers which prevent healthcare workers from delivering SC counselling to patients in Zambezi region, Namibia.

Methods: A regional-based, concurrent mixed-methods study was conducted between March and October 2020 among HCWs of the 8 constituencies of Zambezi region, Namibia.

Tuberculosis management and referral practices among traditional medicine practitioners in Lagos, Nigeria.

Introduction: Despite the potential role of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and Traditional Healers (THs), little is known about their knowledge of tuberculosis (TB) management and referral practices in Nigeria.

Objective: To determine knowledge and self-reported practices of traditional birth attendants and traditional healers in managing TB in Lagos, Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 120 THs and TBAs in three high TB burden Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Lagos, Nigeria.

Prevalence and factors associated with HIV treatment non-adherence among people living with HIV in three regions of Cameroon: A cross-sectional study.

Background: In Cameroon, HIV care decentralization is enforced as a national policy, but follow-up of people living with HIV (PLWH) is provider-driven, with little patient education and limited patient participation in clinical surveillance. These types of services can result in low antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and predictors of ART non-adherence among PLWH in Cameroon.

Stocking Practices of Anti-Tuberculosis Medications among Community Pharmacists and Patent Proprietary Medicine Vendors in Two States in Nigeria.

Background: Evidence has shown that non-fixed-dose combination (non-FDC) anti-TB drugs could promote the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). We aimed to determine anti-TB medication stocking and dispensing practices among patent medicine vendors (PMVs) and community pharmacists (CPs) and their determinants.

Method: This was a cross-sectional study using a structured, self-administered questionnaire among 405 retail outlets (322 PMVs and 83 CPs) across 16 Lagos and Kebbi local government areas (LGAs) between June 2020 and December 2020.

Gender and Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Nigeria.

We conducted a retrospective study of 2555 DR-TB patients admitted to treatment between 2010 and 2016 in six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. We characterized the gender distribution of DR-TB cases and the association between demographics and clinical data, such as age, treatment category, number of previous TB treatment cycles, and geopolitical zone, with gender. The independent effects of being a male or female DR-TB patient were determined using bivariate and multivariate analyzes with statistical significance of < 0.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Coronavirus Disease Prevention Practices among University Staff and Students in Durban, South Africa in 2020-2021.

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on individuals, education, and the economy. During its peak, the pandemic forced school closures. Although there is currently no cure for corona virus, non-pharmaceutical measures can help prevent its spread.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Professional Nurses' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Organ Donation in Critical Care Units of Public and Private Hospitals in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Background: Globally, there is an overwhelming increase in the number of patients waiting for donated organs for transplantation, with a gross shortage of available organs. Lack of clear practice guidelines and the knowledge and attitudes of health care providers were hypothesized as possible reasons. We aimed to determine the attitudes, level of knowledge, and practices of professional nurses working in critical care units in public and private hospitals in Eastern Cape Province regarding organ donation.

Prevalence and Causes of Elective Surgical Cancellations: Findings from a Rural Tertiary Hospital in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Cancellations of elective surgeries adversely affect the patient, hospital staff, facility, and health system. Cancellations potentially result in hospital financial losses, theatre inefficiency, and substandard patient care. A common benchmark for the cancellation rate of elective surgeries is less than five percent, and most operating rooms fall short of this standard.