Newborn and infant hearing screening for early detection of hearing loss in Nairobi, Kenya.

Background: Early detection of hearing loss and subsequent intervention leads to better speech, language and educational outcomes giving way to improved social economic prospects in adult life. This can be achieved through establishing newborn and infant hearing screening programs.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hearing loss in newborns and infants in Nairobi, Kenya.

Cohort profile: longitudinal and population comparison of children who are HIV-exposed uninfected and children who are HIV unexposed in Kenya (HOPE study).

Purpose: Globally, the number of children/adolescents exposed to HIV but uninfected (HIV-exposed uninfected, HEU) is growing. The HEU outcomes: population-evaluation and screening strategies study was designed to provide population-level evidence of the impact of HIV and recent antiretroviral therapy regimen exposure on neurodevelopmental, hearing and mental health outcomes from infancy to adolescence.

Participants: The study includes a prospective mother-infant cohort and cross-sectional child/youth-caregiver cohorts conducted in Kenya.

Hearing Loss Detection and Early Intervention Strategies in Kenya.

Background: Thirty-four million children globally have disabling hearing loss, with the highest prevalence in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Early identification and management is crucial, yet barriers to screening and treatment of hearing loss are extensive in LMICs. Unaddressed hearing loss negatively impacts individuals and communities.

Redesigning care for older people to preserve physical and mental capacity: WHO guidelines on community-level interventions in integrated care.

Islene Araujo de Carvalho and coauthors discuss the WHO guidelines on integrated care for older people.

Otitis Media and Its Sequelae in Kenyan Schoolchildren.

Background: The goal of this study was to obtain representative Kenyan data on the point prevalence of acute otitis media (AOM) and its sequelae (otitis media with effusion [OME] and chronic suppurative otitis media [CSOM]), a major cause of preventable hearing loss in children in developing countries. In Africa, there are limited studies on the prevalence of AOM and its sequelae in children.

Methods: Study subjects were children aged 2 to 15 years and were enrolled from randomly selected preprimary and primary schools.

GDP Matters: Cost Effectiveness of Cochlear Implantation and Deaf Education in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Hypothesis: Cochlear implantation and deaf education are cost effective in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Cost effectiveness of pediatric cochlear implantation has been well established in developed countries but is unknown in low resource settings, where access to the technology has traditionally been limited. With incidence of severe-to-profound congenital sensorineural hearing loss 5 to 6 times higher in low/middle-income countries than the United States and Europe, developing cost-effective management strategies in these settings is critical.

Sodium stibogluconate (SSG) & paromomycin combination compared to SSG for visceral leishmaniasis in East Africa: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Alternative treatments for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are required in East Africa. Paromomycin sulphate (PM) has been shown to be efficacious for VL treatment in India.

Methods: A multi-centre randomized-controlled trial (RCT) to compare efficacy and safety of PM (20 mg/kg/day for 21 days) and PM plus sodium stibogluconate (SSG) combination (PM, 15 mg/kg/day and SSG, 20 mg/kg/day for 17 days) with SSG (20 mg/kg/day for 30 days) for treatment of VL in East Africa.