The impact of antimicrobial stewardship interventions on appropriate use of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

Background: Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) is an effective infection prevention strategy used to reduce postoperative surgical site infection. Inappropriate use of SAP is a concern in low-middle-income countries (LMICs) due to increased mortality risks, adverse reactions, re-admission rates and length of hospital stay. Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASP) have been shown to be effective in improving the appropriate use of antibiotics including the use of SAP.

Building an antimicrobial stewardship model for a public-sector hospital: a pre-implementation study.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is recognized as an important global health risk, associated with increased mortality, morbidity and healthcare costs. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) involves a coherent set of processes that promote the rational use of antimicrobials. An AMS programme should be adapted and developed according to the available resources of a facility.

An Assessment of the Current Level of Implementation of the Core Elements of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Public Hospitals in Ghana.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is becoming a threat to global public health. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) program (ASP) is one of the 5 strategic areas in the Ghana National Action Plan to fight this menace. Assessment of the core elements of ASP in a hospital setting has been identified as a pragmatic way of identifying the barriers and facilitators for its effective implementation.

Interprofessional education in antimicrobial stewardship, a collaborative effort.

Introduction: Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) education and interprofessional collaboration are integral to the success of a stewardship programme. An interactive interprofessional AMS workshop, designed to encourage workplace interprofessional collaboration was piloted in a tertiary hospital.

Objectives: To obtain feedback to determine the suitability and sustainability of the AMS workshop.

A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Survey of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Healthcare Professionals towards Antimicrobial Stewardship in Ghana: Findings and Implications.

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs are part of the key activities that contribute to reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Good knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among healthcare professionals (HCPs) are essential to improving future antimicrobial use and reducing AMR, which is a priority in Ghana. A multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted in six public hospitals in Ghana among key HCPs to assess their level of KAP towards AMS using a validated self-administered electronic questionnaire.

Progestins in the symptomatic management of endometriosis: a meta-analysis on their effectiveness and safety.

Background: Endometriosis is a complex chronic disease that affects approximately 10% of women of reproductive age worldwide and commonly presents with pelvic pain and infertility.

Method & Outcome Measures: A systematic review of the literature was carried out using the databases Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrane and ClinicalTrials.gov in women with a confirmed laparoscopic diagnosis of endometriosis receiving progestins to determine a reduction in pain symptoms and the occurrence of adverse effects.

Antimicrobial Stewardship in Public-Sector Hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious global public-health threat. Evidence suggests that antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is a valuable tool to facilitate rational antibiotic use within healthcare facilities. A cross-sectional situational analysis using a questionnaire was conducted to determine the current status of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) activities in all public-sector hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

Lessons from COVID-19 in South Africa: Keeping our environment clean should be the first law of health.

In the wake of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the links between poor hygiene, unclean environments and human health cannot be overemphasised, particularly in South Africa with its high incidence of infectious diseases and overburdened health system. One very controllable factor that is often overlooked is the poor disposal of litter and waste management and its adverse effects on public health. By wearing masks, regular handwashing and sanitising, as well as making sure that neighbourhoods and public spaces are clean and safe, the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases can be prevented.

New InhA Inhibitors Based on Expanded Triclosan and -Triclosan Analogues to Develop a New Treatment for Tuberculosis.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (TB) has reinforced the need for the development of new anti-TB drugs. The first line drug isoniazid inhibits InhA. This is a prodrug requiring activation by the enzyme KatG.

Interprofessional collaborative learning in the workplace: a qualitative study at a non-governmental organisation in Durban, South Africa.

Background: The rapid progression of diseases and the complex, changing landscape of healthcare has increased the awareness that interprofessional collaboration is essential in ensuring safe and effective healthcare delivery. However, to develop a "collaborative practice-ready" workforce, organisations need to invest in the application of alternative approaches to the training of healthcare professionals.

Purpose Of The Study: To describe the perceptions of healthcare professionals attending an HIV interprofessional collaborative initiative at a non-governmental organization research site in South Africa and to provide suggestions regarding the improvement of this educational programme.

Antimicrobial stewardship in South Africa: a scoping review of the published literature.

Objectives: To map published data of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions that are currently being carried out in hospitals and clinics in the public and private health sectors of South Africa in line with the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) strategy of South Africa.

Methods: A systematic scoping review was conducted to identify AMS initiatives in the public and private health sectors of South Africa for the period 1 January 2000 to 31 March 2019. An electronic search of databases was made including PubMed, Scopus, a key medical journal (), University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) WorldCat iCatalogue and AMR networks: Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies in South Africa (FIDSSA).

Recent advancements in the development of anti-tuberculosis drugs.

Modern chemotherapy has significantly improved patient outcomes against drug-sensitive tuberculosis. However, the rapid emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis, together with the bacterium's ability to persist and remain latent present a major public health challenge. To overcome this problem, research into novel anti-tuberculosis targets and drug candidates is thus of paramount importance.

Multi-drug resistance profile of PR20 HIV-1 protease is attributed to distorted conformational and drug binding landscape: molecular dynamics insights.

The PR20 HIV-1 protease, a variant with 20 mutations, exhibits high levels of multi-drug resistance; however, to date, there has been no report detailing the impact of these 20 mutations on the conformational and drug binding landscape at a molecular level. In this report, we demonstrate the first account of a comprehensive study designed to elaborate on the impact of these mutations on the dynamic features as well as drug binding and resistance profile, using extensive molecular dynamics analyses. Comparative MD simulations for the wild-type and PR20 HIV proteases, starting from bound and unbound conformations in each case, were performed.