How to analyze palliative care outcome data for patients in Sub-Saharan Africa: an international, multicenter, factor analytic examination of the APCA African POS.

Context: The incidence of life-limiting progressive disease in sub-Saharan Africa presents a significant clinical and public health challenge. The ability to easily measure patient outcomes is essential to improving care.

Objectives: The present study aims to determine the specific factors (if any) that underpin the African Palliative Care Association African Palliative Outcome Scale to assist the analysis of data in routine clinical care and audit.

What palliative care-related problems do patients experience at HIV diagnosis? A systematic review of the evidence.

Context: Palliative care is an essential element of HIV care throughout the disease trajectory, but there is a lack of information to guide clinical care at HIV diagnosis.

Objectives: This systematic review aimed to identify and appraise the evidence of palliative care-related problems at HIV diagnosis.

Methods: The search strategy combined the term "HIV" with seven key words derived from the World Health Organization definition of multidimensional palliative care, in a systematic search of four databases.

Household pit latrines as a potential source of the fly Musca sorbens--a one year longitudinal study from The Gambia.

Objectives: To assess whether the trachoma vector Musca sorbens was breeding in household latrines in a trachoma-endemic part of The Gambia.

Methods: Longitudinal study of flies emerging from 16 sentinel household latrines selected at random from a list of all latrines present in four Gambian villages. Latrines were surveyed and fly traps were set over the drop hole for 24 h once per month for a year.

Sustainability and acceptability of latrine provision in The Gambia.

All households in 32 villages were provided with improved pit latrines as part of a trachoma control programme in a rural part of The Gambia. Latrine provision was externally driven and was not in response to a request from the communities involved. Materials were provided for free and labour was paid for.