Epstein-Barr Virus DNA Is Associated With Conjunctival Squamous Cell Carcinomas: A Case-Control Study From Zimbabwe.

Incidence of conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in Zimbabwe is >30-fold higher than the global average. cSCC risk is notably higher among people with human immunodeficiency virus, implicating impaired immune response and a yet unknown infectious etiology. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks from Zimbabwe, comprising conjunctival precancer (n = 78), invasive cSCC cases (n = 148) and nonmalignant eye lesions (n = 119), were tested for multiple DNA viruses using Luminex bead-based technology.

Assessment of Preparedness for Remote Teaching and Learning to Transform Health Professions Education in Sub-Saharan Africa in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study With a Case Study Approach.

Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic is affecting all aspects of society worldwide. To combat the pandemic, measures such as face mask-wearing, hand-washing and -sanitizing, movement restrictions, and social distancing have been introduced. These measures have significantly disrupted education, particularly health professions education, which depends on student-patient contact for the development of clinical competence.

Mentored postdoctoral training in Zimbabwe: A report on a successful collaborative effort.

Low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) have high disease burdens, necessitating increased research. However, LMIC research output constitutes only 2% of global total. To increase output, researchers must be capacitated.

Competency based ophthalmology training curriculum for undergraduate medical students in Zimbabwe.

Background: The establishment of a credible, defensible and acceptable “formal competency based ophthalmology training curriculum for undergraduate medical and dental students” is fundamental to program recognition, monitoring and evaluation. The University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences (UZ-CHS) has never had a formal ophthalmology training curriculum for medical graduates since its inception. This has cast doubts on the quality of medical graduates produced with regards to delivery of basic primary eye care in the community.

The prevalence, types and effects of traditional eye medicine use among newly presenting patients at Sekuru Kaguvi Hospital Eye Unit in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Background: The use of Traditional Medicines (TM) is common practice world over. Traditional Eye Medicine (TEM) use may be associated with various ocular complications including blindness. A study on the prevalence of TEM use was carried out at Sekuru Kaguvi Hospital Eye Unit (SKHEU) in Harare, with emphasis on the types ofTEM used and associated ocular complications.