Publications by authors named "S G S Vreden"
Introduction: Mobile migrants are subject to restricted healthcare access, which may result in the spread of certain infectious diseases. The aim of this study is to evaluate the burden of a subset of priority infectious diseases in mobile migrants in remote gold mining areas in the forested interior of Suriname.
Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled mobile migrants in 13 study sites between January and June 2022.
Objectives: Diagnosis of HIV-associated histoplasmosis remains challenging. Our objective was to compare the performances of (1→3)-β-D-Glucan (BDG) and aspergillus galactomannan (GM) antigen for the diagnosis of HIV-associated histoplasmosis.
Methods: We performed a diagnostic accuracy study using frozen primary serum specimens issued from consecutive hospitalized people living with HIV (PLWH) and blindly tested for BDG and GM using Fungitell and PlateliaAspergillus, respectively.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for making testing readily available was recognized as an important factor for individuals to help make informed decisions, including to isolate or seek care, and for policymakers to control transmission. Toward this end, FIND and the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator funded 16 rapid operational research studies and one implementation project in Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia evaluating the utility, acceptability, and feasibility of different community-based SARS-CoV-2 testing approaches. Here, we discuss common factors and challenges encountered during study implementation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCommunity engagement in mobile and hard-to-reach populations: a community-based intervention for malaria elimination in a tri-national region of the Guiana Shield.
Front Public Health
September 2024
Several countries of the Guiana Shield are aiming at the control and elimination of malaria in areas where Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) activities predominate, raising questions about how to strengthen community engagement to improve the effectiveness of health programs. The Curema project focuses its intervention on the mobile and hard-to-reach ASGM population, complementing the efforts of national programs in the Guiana Shield. The Curema intervention combines targeted drug administration for suspected asymptomatic carriers, the Malakit distribution, and health education activities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The text discusses the challenges of malaria elimination in isolated and mobile populations, particularly those involved in informal activities, with a specific focus on Plasmodium vivax, which requires special treatment to prevent relapses.
- It introduces the CUREMA study, an international public health research project targeting artisanal gold miners in the Amazon, who are often hard to reach for healthcare.
- The CUREMA project includes health education, targeted treatment for at-risk individuals, and the distribution of self-testing and self-treatment kits to manage malaria symptoms in remote areas.