Self-reported cardiovascular disease risk factor screening among people living with HIV vs. members of the general population in Botswana: a community-based study.

Background: Morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are high and increasing in low- and middle-income countries. People living with HIV (PLWH) are more likely to experience CVD than members of the general population. Therefore, we aimed to assess whether PLWH were more likely to have previously been screened for cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRFs) than people without HIV.

Breast cancer patient experiences in the Botswana health system: Is it time for patient navigators?

Background: New models of care are required to support women with breast cancer due to rising incidence and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study gives voice to the experiences of advanced-stage breast cancer patients in the Botswana healthcare system, to guide improved service provision and the potential utility of patient navigator (PN) programs.

Methods: focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted with advanced-stage breast cancer patients recruited from the oncology ward of the public Princess Marina Hospital located in Gaborone, Botswana.

Prevalence and control of hypertension in a high HIV-prevalence setting, insights from a population based study in Botswana.

In a population-based representative sample of adults residing in 22 communities in Botswana, a southern African country with high HIV prevalence, 1 in 4 individuals had high blood pressure. High blood pressure was less prevalent in adults with HIV than without HIV. Sixty percent of persons with high blood pressure had not previously been diagnosed.

Prevalence and predictors of depression, anxiety and stress among frontline healthcare workers at COVID-19 isolation sites in Gaborone, Botswana.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with mental health outcomes and healthcare workers (HCWs) are at the highest risk. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of depression, anxiety and stress, among frontline HCWs at COVID-19 isolation and treatment sites in Gaborone, Botswana.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaires at the six (6) isolation facilities.

Diabetes self-management: a qualitative study on challenges and solutions from the perspective of South African patients and health care providers.

Background: Health education and self-management are among key strategies for managing diabetes and hypertension to reduce morbidity and mortality. Inappropriate self-management support can potentially worsen chronic diseases outcomes if relevant barriers are not identified and self-management solutions are not contextualised. Few studies deliberately solicit suggestions for enhancing self-management from patients and their providers.

Predictors of mass psychogenic illness in a junior secondary school in rural Botswana: A case control study.

Background: In March 2019, students at Lempu Secondary School in Kweneng District, Botswana displayed symptoms including headache, abnormal leg movements and difficulty walking. Within days, 133 students were admitted to Scottish Livingstone Hospital where mass psychogenic illness (MPI) was diagnosed.

Aim: To identify predictors of this illness.

Incidence of Mortality among Under-Five-Year-Old Children Born to Women Living with HIV and Those Born to Women Not Living with HIV in Botswana: A 5-Year Retrospective Study.

Background: Child mortality is a core indicator for child health and wellness. Botswana reported an under-five-year-old children (UFC) mortality rate of 48 deaths per 1000 live births in 2017 against 152 deaths per 1000 live births in 1971. This was a commendable accomplishment.

Acceptance rate and risk perception towards the COVID-19 vaccine in Botswana.

Background: The COVID-19 disease burden continues to be high worldwide and vaccines continue to be developed to help combat the pandemic. Acceptance and risk perception for COVID-19 vaccines is unknown in Botswana despite the government's decision to roll out the vaccine nationally.

Objectives: This study aims to assess the acceptance rate and risk perception of COVID-19 vaccines amongst the general population in Botswana.

The Impact of China's Lockdown Policy on the Incidence of COVID-19: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

Background: Policy changes are often necessary to contain the detrimental impact of epidemics such as those brought about by coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In the earlier phases of the emergence of COVID-19, China was the first to impose strict restrictions on movement (lockdown) on January 23rd, 2020. A strategy whose effectiveness in curtailing COVID-19 was yet to be determined.

Governance of health research in four eastern and southern African countries.

Background: Health research governance is an essential function of national health research systems. Yet many African countries have not developed strong health research governance structures and processes. This paper presents a comparative analysis of national health research governance in Botswana, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia, where health sciences research production is well established relative to some others in the region and continues to grow.

Prevalence of disease complications and risk factor monitoring amongst diabetes and hypertension patients attending chronic disease management programmes in a South African Township.

Background: South Africa established chronic disease management programmes (CDMPs) called 'clubs' to ensure quality diabetes care. However, the effectiveness of these clubs remains unclear in terms of disease risk factor monitoring and complication prevention.

Aim: We assessed risk factor monitoring, prevalence and determinants of diabetes related complications amongst type-2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension (HTN) patients attending two CDMPs.

University of Botswana Public Health Medicine Unit contributions to the national COVID-19 response.

COVID-19 was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in January 2020 and a pandemic in March 2020. Botswana reported its first case on 30 March 2020 and as of 31 January 2021 had 21,293 cases and 46 deaths. The University of Botswana Public Health Medicine Unit has made significant contributions to the national preparedness and response to COVID-19.

May Measurement Month 2019: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Botswana.

The May Measurement Month (MMM) 2019 campaign aimed to raise awareness of the health issues surrounding raised blood pressure (BP) among the general public. It also sought to identify and facilitate reduction of BPs of participants who require intervention to lower their BP according to current country treatment guidelines. Participants aged ≥18 years were recruited on site through interactions with the study team, educational fliers, and as voluntary walk-ins in response to the media engagement prior to the campaign.

May Measurement Month 2018: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Botswana.

During the May Measurement Month 2018 (MMM18) campaign, we aimed to raise hypertension awareness and measure blood pressure (BP) across different communities in Botswana. Study sites included four large villages and Gaborone (capital city). Screening sites were shopping malls, train stations, churches, and workplaces.

Sociodemographic Predictors of HIV Infection among Pregnant Women in Botswana: Cross-Sectional Study at 7 Health Facilities.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and sociodemographic predictors of HIV among pregnant women in Botswana.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of randomly enrolled women aged 18 to 49 years, attending 7 health facilities in Botswana. Data were gathered from November 2017 to March 2018 and analyzed using SPSS version 24.

Prevalence and Determinants of Hypertension Awareness, Treatment, and Control in Botswana: A Nationally Representative Population-Based Survey.

Introduction: Hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular mortality and an emerging public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa. Few studies have examined performance on the management of hypertension in this region, where the context may be distinct from other developing regions.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of hypertension, awareness, treatment, and control among adults in Botswana, a middle-income African country undergoing rapid demographic transition and with high HIV burden.

Service-learning in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: Emerging lessons from the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Botswana.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted many lives worldwide. Training programmes in academic institutions have also been affected by the pandemic. Teaching and learning family medicine and public health medicine in the COVID-19 era require adjustments to training activities.

Overweight and Obesity among Recipients of Antiretroviral Therapy at HIV Clinics in Gaborone, Botswana: Factors Associated with Change in Body Mass Index.

Background: Factors associated with overweight/obesity among antiretroviral therapy (ART) recipients have not been sufficiently studied in Botswana.

Objectives: To: (i) estimate the prevalence and trends in overweight/obesity by duration of exposure to ART among recipients, (ii) assess changes in BMI categories among ART recipients between their first clinic visit (BMI-1) and their last clinic visit (BMI-2), (iii) identify ART regimen that predicts overweight/obesity better than the others and factors associated with BMI changes among ART recipients.

Methods: A 12-year retrospective record-based review was conducted.

Nature and sources of poisoning in patients admitted to a referral hospital in Gaborone, Botswana; findings and implications.

Background: Intentional poisoning is becoming an important public health concern particularly among young women globally. Consequently, there is a need to analyze this further within countries to establish pertinent policies to reduce current incidence rates. This includes sub-Saharan African countries where there has been a scarcity of information.

Integrated management of HIV/NCDs: knowledge, attitudes, and practices of health care workers in Gaborone, Botswana.

Background: The epidemiologic transition and double disease burden from chronic infections and Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide requires re-engineering of healthcare delivery systems. Healthcare workers (HCWs) need to adapt to new integrated disease management approaches and change from current disease-specific management.

Objectives: The study aimed to determine HCWs knowledge, capacity and skills for management of NCDs among HIV patients and their attitudes towards integrated HIV/NCDs disease management approaches for future clinical practice.

Socioeconomic and behavioural determinants of overweight/obesity among adults in Botswana: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To undertake a comprehensive assessment of socioeconomic and behavioural determinants of overweight/obesity among adult population in Botswana.

Design: The study adopted a cross-sectional design by selecting adult respondents in 3 cities and towns, 15 urban villages and 15 rural areas across Botswana using a multistage probability sampling technique.

Setting: The study was conducted in selected rural and urban areas of Botswana.

Mortality in adult patients with culture-positive and culture-negative meningitis in the Botswana national meningitis survey: a prevalent cohort study.

Background: CNS infections are a leading cause of HIV-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa, but causes and outcomes are poorly defined. We aimed to determine mortality and predictors of mortality in adults evaluated for meningitis in Botswana, which has an estimated 23% HIV prevalence among adults.

Methods: In this prevalent cohort study, patient records from 2004-15 were sampled from the Botswana national meningitis survey, a nationwide audit of all cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) laboratory records from patients receiving a lumbar puncture for evaluation of meningitis.

Integrating noncommunicable disease services into primary health care, Botswana.

Despite the rising burden of noncommunicable diseases, access to quality decentralized noncommunicable disease services remain limited in many low- and middle-income countries. Here we describe the strategies we employed to drive the process from adaptation to national endorsement and implementation of the . The strategies included detailed multilevel assessment with broad stakeholder inputs and in-depth analysis of local data; leveraging academic partnerships; facilitating development of supporting policy instruments; and embedding noncommunicable disease guidelines within broader primary health-care guidelines in keeping with the health ministry strategic direction.

Relationship between combination antiretroviral therapy regimens and diabetes mellitus-related comorbidities among HIV patients in Gaborone Botswana.

Background: Combination antiretroviral therapy (cARTs) regiments are known to prolong the recipients' life even though they are risk factors for diabetes mellitus-related comorbidities (DRCs). We sought to: (i) examine cART relationship with DRCs among patients attending HIV clinics in Gaborone, Botswana (which cART regimens are associated with shorter/longer time to the event), (ii) characterize patients' underlying biomedical and demographic risk factors of DRC and identify the most important, (iii) investigate survival of patients on different cART regimens in the presence of these risk factors.

Methods: Data from two major HIV clinics in Botswana were reviewed.

Incidence of diabetes mellitus-related comorbidities among patients attending two major HIV clinics in Botswana: a 12-year retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: Exposure to combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is associated with the development of diabetes mellitus related comorbidities (DRCs). This study aims to: (i) estimate the incidence of DRCs among cART recipients, (ii) assess the time-to-event (development of DRC) and, (iii) compare survival function between recipients on first-line regimen and those on second-, third-line cART regimen.

Results: The incidence of DRCs was 26.