Protocol: Implementation evaluation of a combination intervention for sustainable blood pressure control in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (IMPACT BP): A three-arm, unblinded, parallel group individually randomized clinical trial.

Background: Hypertension is the primary risk factor for stroke and heart disease, which are leading causes of death in South Africa. Despite the availability of treatments, there is an implementation gap in how best to deliver hypertension care in this resource-limited region.

Methods: We describe a three-arm parallel group individually randomized control trial to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of a technology-supported, community-based intervention to improve blood pressure control among people with hypertension in rural KwaZulu-Natal.

Access to primary healthcare during lockdown measures for COVID-19 in rural South Africa: an interrupted time series analysis.

Objectives: We evaluated whether implementation of lockdown orders in South Africa affected ambulatory clinic visitation in rural Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN).

Design: Observational cohort SETTING: Data were analysed from 11 primary healthcare clinics in northern KZN.

Participants: A total of 46 523 individuals made 89 476 clinic visits during the observation period.

Access to primary healthcare during lockdown measures for COVID-19 in rural South Africa: a longitudinal cohort study.

Objectives Public health interventions designed to interrupt COVID-19 transmission could have deleterious impacts on primary healthcare access. We sought to identify whether implementation of the nationwide lockdown (shelter-in-place) order in South Africa affected ambulatory clinic visitation in rural Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN). Design Prospective, longitudinal cohort study Setting Data were analyzed from the Africa Health Research Institute Health and Demographic Surveillance System, which includes prospective data capture of clinic visits at eleven primary healthcare clinics in northern KwaZulu-Natal Participants A total of 36,291 individuals made 55,545 clinic visits during the observation period.

Primary healthcare and school health service utilisation by adolescents and young adults in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Background: Young people aged 10-24 years are a vulnerable group with poor health service access relative to other populations. Recent South African initiatives, the She Conquers campaign, the Integrated School Health Policy and the Adolescent & Youth Health Policy, include a focus on improving the breadth and quality of youth-friendly health service delivery. However, in some settings the provision and impact of scaled-up youth friendly health services has been limited indicating a gap between policy and implementation.

Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among young people in South Africa: A nested survey in a health and demographic surveillance site.

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and bacterial vaginosis (BV) are associated with increased transmission of HIV, and poor reproductive and sexual health. The burden of STIs/BV among young people is unknown in many high HIV prevalence settings. We conducted an acceptability, feasibility, and prevalence study of home-based sampling for STIs/BV among young men and women aged 15-24 years old in a health and demographic surveillance site (HDSS) in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.