Availability and readiness of public health facilities to provide differentiated service delivery models for HIV treatment in Zambia: implications for better treatment outcomes.

Background: There is persistent pressure on countries with a high burden of HIV infection to reach desired targets for HIV treatment outcomes. This has led to moving from the "one-size-fits-all" model to differentiated service delivery (DSD) models, which are meant to be more patient-centered and efficient but without compromising on the quality of patient care. However, for DSD models to be efficient, facilities should have indicators of HIV services available and ready to provide the DSD models.

Exploring the barriers, facilitators, and opportunities to enhance uptake of sexual and reproductive health, HIV and GBV services among adolescent girls and young women in Zambia: a qualitative study.

Introduction: Adolescents and young women in low-middle-income countries face obstacles to accessing HIV, Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), and related Gender-Based Violence (GBV) services. This paper presents facilitators, opportunities, and barriers to enhance uptake of HIV, GBV, and SRH services among Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in selected districts in Zambia.

Methods: This study was conducted in Chongwe, Mazabuka, and Mongu Districts among adolescent girls and young women in Zambia.

Early Infant Male Circumcision Decisions in Zambia: Demographic and Familial Influences.

Public health initiatives in Zambia encourage the uptake of early infant male circumcision (EIMC) as an HIV prevention strategy. This study assessed EIMC parental decision-making during perinatal care in Lusaka, Zambia, focusing on the influence of sociodemographic factors, family, and friends. A longitudinal pilot perinatal intervention, Like Father Like Son (LFLS), was implemented among 300 couples attending antenatal clinics in four urban community health centers.

HIV, syphilis and sexual-risk behaviours' prevalence among in-and out-of-school adolescent girls and young women in Zambia: A cross-sectional survey study.

Background: In Zambia, 3.8% of young women and men aged 15-24 are HIV positive. However, like in most developing nations, HIV prevalence is higher among young women than young men (5.

Perspectives and experiences of Zambian pregnant and postpartum women receiving two intervention models to increase uptake of male partner HIV testing.

This study explored the experiences of pregnant women who received two intervention models for increasing uptake of male partner HIV testing in antenatal settings. As part of a randomised trial, we interviewed twenty participants who received partner notification services only while 22 received the partner notification plus HIV self-testing. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Factors influencing neonatal male circumcision uptake among expecting couples in Zambia: formative findings.

Male circumcision is a protective HIV prevention strategy. However, uncircumcised Zambian men are reluctant to undergo voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC). Tailored interventions are necessary to stimulate the uptake of early infant male circumcision (EIMC) and VMMC in Zambia.

Psychosocial challenges and coping strategies among people with minority gender and sexual identities in Zambia: health promotion and human rights implications.

Background: Sexual and gender minorities face high levels of stigma, discrimination, and violence. In many countries, they are often criminalized and are at risk of mental health challenges. In Zambia, little is known about the psychosocial challenges and coping strategies of sexual and gender minorities.

Achieving SDGs and addressing health emergencies in Africa: strengthening health promotion.

In 1986, the World Health Organization (WHO) convened the first Global Conference on Health Promotion held in Ottawa, Canada. This conference yielded the Ottawa Charter which defined health promotion as the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. A series of conferences followed and in 2005, WHO convened the Sixth Global Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, which yielded the Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion.

A health promotion approach to emergency management: effective community engagement strategies from five cases.

Community engagement is crucial for controlling disease outbreak and mitigating natural and industrial disasters. The COVID-19 pandemic has reconfirmed the need to elevate community engagement to build equity, trust and sustained action in future health promotion preparedness strategies. Using the health promotion strategy of strengthening community action enhances the opportunity for better outcomes.

Addition of HIV self-test kits to partner notification services to increase HIV testing of male partners of pregnant women in Zambia: two parallel randomised trials.

Background: Testing men for HIV during their partner's pregnancy can guide couples-based HIV prevention and treatment, but testing rates remain low. We investigated a combination approach, using evidence-based strategies, to increase HIV testing in male partners of HIV-positive and HIV-negative pregnant women.

Methods: We did two parallel, unmasked randomised trials, enrolling pregnant women who had an HIV-positive test result documented in their antenatal record (trial 1) and women who had an HIV-negative test result documented in their antenatal record (trial 2) from an antenatal setting in Lusaka, Zambia.

Exploring The Challenges Faced by Informal Home Based Palliative (HBP) Caregivers in Ndola District, Zambia.

In order to explore informal Home-based palliative caregivers' challenging experiences, this study gives an overview of the need of Home-based palliative caregivers in communities. Dialogs using In-depth interviews (IDI's) with twenty-five (25) purposively and conveniently selected respondents aged 18 years and over were conducted. They were not professional caregivers but volunteers from within the community attached to health facilities in Ndola.

Re-envisioning health promotion: Thinking and acting salutogenically towards equity for historically resilient communities.

This paper explores how the salutogenic theory can enable us to re-envision health promotion work with marginalized communities, towards an approach that acknowledges and honours their resilience. We use the three core concepts in Antonovsky's salutogenic model of health - sense of coherence, generalized resistance resources and specific resistance resources - to explore the theory's relevance to health equity, thus presenting new opportunities for how we might radically re-evaluate current health promotion approaches. We conclude that a more equitable health promotion requires increased participation of marginalized communities in shaping their futures and suggest a new model for historically grounded salutogenic health promotion.

Contextualising men's role and participation in PMTCT programmes in Malawi and Zambia: A hegemonic masculinity perspective.

This study sought to explore and contextualise the man's role in antenatal services, and the barriers and strategies for engaging men in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT). We conducted 143 interviews with pregnant and breastfeeding women, male partners, health workers and policy makers in Malawi and Zambia. We employed thematic and critical discourse analysis using the hegemonic masculinity perspective.

Black Lives Matter in health promotion: moving from unspoken to outspoken.

Racism is a public health crisis. Black communities (including Africans, the African diaspora and people of African descent) experience worse health outcomes as demonstrated by almost any measure of health and wellbeing-e.g.

Support or control? Qualitative interviews with Zambian women on male partner involvement in HIV care during and after pregnancy.

Background: Efforts to promote male partner involvement in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) may inadvertently exploit gender power differentials to achieve programme targets.

Methods: We explored women's relative power and perceptions of male partner involvement through interviews with postpartum Zambian women living with HIV (n = 32) using a critical discourse analysis.

Results: Women living with HIV reported far-reaching gender power imbalances, including low participation in household decision-making, economic reliance on husbands, and oppressive gendered sexual norms, which hindered their autonomy and prevented optimal mental and physical health during and after their pregnancy.

Acceptability of the human papillomavirus vaccine in schools in Lusaka in Zambia: Role of community and formal health system factors.

Zambia has one of the highest cervical cancer rates in the world. This paper explores the acceptability of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine administered in girls (9-13 years) in Zambia. A qualitative case study was conducted in two schools in Lusaka district, which participated in the pilot for the Human Papillomavirus vaccine rollout.

Dismantling historical power inequality through authentic health research collaboration: Southern partners' aspirations.

Several health research organisations whose work focuses on international collaboration outline guidelines that support ethical practice in health research partnerships including building consensus around good collaborative research practice. This paper explores researcher's perspectives, experiences, and reflections on the elements of successful health research partnerships between Northern and Southern countries/institutions. The study adopted a qualitative research approach using in-depth interviews to explore what an authentic partnership is as experienced and aspired by stakeholders in health research partnerships in Zambia.

Exploring the Gender-Specific Impact of Educational Film on Maternal and Child Health Knowledge and Behavior: A Qualitative Study in Serenje District, Zambia.

Background: Educational film is a communication tool that helps to present complex information simply and clearly, keeping audiences interested for longer and helping to reinforce important learning. Medical Aid Films produces educational films targeted at communities and health workers, with a focus on maternal and child health (MCH) content. Pilot work suggests that film screenings have attracted male as well as female viewers and have started to increase male involvement in MCH care.