Service delivery models that promote linkages to PrEP for adolescent girls and young women and men in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an emerging biomedical prevention intervention. Documenting PrEP service delivery models (SDMs) that promote linkage to and continuation of PrEP will inform guidelines and maximise roll-out.

Objectives: To synthesise and appraise the effectiveness and feasibility of PrEP SDMs designed to promote linkage to PrEP care among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and men in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Service delivery models for enhancing linkage to and retention in HIV care services for adolescent girls and young women and adolescent boys and young men: a protocol for an overview of systematic reviews.

Introduction: Recent advances in the HIV care continuum have shown that an individual diagnosed with HIV should be initiated on antiretroviral therapy as soon as possible regardless of the CD4 count levels and retained in HIV care services. Studies have reported large losses in the HIV continuum of care, before and after the era of universal test and treat. Several systematic reviews have reported on the strategies for improving linkage to and retention in HIV treatment and care.

Investigating the quality of HIV rapid testing practices in public antenatal health care facilities, South Africa.

Monitoring HIV prevalence using antenatal HIV sentinel surveillance is important for efficient epidemic tracking, programme planning and resource allocation. HIV sentinel surveillance usually employs unlinked anonymous HIV testing which raises ethical, epidemiological and public health challenges in the current era of universal test and treat. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that countries should consider using routine prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) data for surveillance.

Participation in an HIV prevention intervention and access to and use of contraceptives among young women: A cross sectional analysis in six South African districts.

Objective: This study investigated whether young women's participation in a combination HIV-prevention intervention was associated with accessing and using condoms and other contraceptives.

Study Design: A cross-sectional household survey was conducted from 2017 to 2018 among a representative sample of young women aged 15-24 years old living in six South African districts in which the intervention was implemented. Cross-tabulations and multivariate regression analyses of weighted data were performed to examine access to and use of condoms and other contraceptives.

A risk measurement tool for targeted HIV prevention measures amongst young pregnant and lactating women in South Africa.

Background: We aimed to develop and validate a tool to identify which pregnant/lactating young South African women (≤ 24 years) are at risk of HIV infection.

Methods: Data from three national South African Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) evaluations were used to internally validate three HIV acquisition risk models for young postpartum women. We used univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine which risk factors were significant.

Eliminating HIV transmission through breast milk from women taking antiretroviral drugs.

argue that frequent testing of maternal viral load is needed to eliminate HIV transmission through breast milk in low and middle income settings

Eliminating postnatal HIV transmission in high incidence areas: need for complementary biomedical interventions.

The rate of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV from breastfeeding is increasing relative to other causes of MTCT. Early effective preconception and antenatal antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces intrauterine and intrapartum MTCT, whereas maternal post-partum HIV acquisition, untreated maternal HIV, and suboptimal postnatal maternal ART adherence increase the risk of MTCT through breastfeeding. Although the absolute number of cases of MTCT acquired through breastfeeding is decreasing, the rate of decrease is less than the decrease in intrauterine and intrapartum MTCT.

Impact of breastfeeding, maternal antiretroviral treatment and health service factors on 18-month vertical transmission of HIV and HIV-free survival: results from a nationally representative HIV-exposed infant cohort, South Africa.

Background: We analysed the impact of breastfeeding, antiretroviral drugs and health service factors on cumulative (6 weeks to 18 months) vertical transmission of HIV (MTCT) and 'MTCT-or-death', in South Africa, and compared estimates with global impact criteria to validate MTCT elimination: (1) <5% final MTCT and (2) case rate ≤50 (new paediatric HIV infections/100 000 live births).

Methods: 9120 infants aged 6 weeks were enrolled in a nationally representative survey. Of 2811 HIV-exposed uninfected infants (HEU), 2644 enrolled into follow-up (at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 months).

Infrastructural and human-resource factors associated with return of infant HIV test results to caregivers: secondary analysis of a nationally representative situational assessment, South Africa, 2010.

Background: In June 2015, South Africa introduced early infant HIV diagnosis (EID) at birth and ten weeks postpartum. Guidelines recommended return of birth results within a week and ten weeks postpartum results within four weeks. Task shifting was also suggested to increase service coverage.

What will it take for the Global Plan priority countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV?

Background: The 2016 'Start Free, Stay Free, AIDS Free' global agenda, builds on the 2011-2015 'Global Plan'. It prioritises 22 countries where 90% of the world's HIV-positive pregnant women live and aims to eliminate vertical  transmission of HIV (EMTCT) and to keep mothers alive. By 2019, no Global Plan priority country had achieved EMTCT; however, 11 non-priority countries had.

Longitudinal adherence to maternal antiretroviral therapy and infant Nevirapine prophylaxis from 6 weeks to 18 months postpartum amongst a cohort of mothers and infants in South Africa.

Background: Despite improved policies to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT), adherence to maternal antiretroviral therapy (ART) and infant Nevirapine prophylaxis (NVP) is low in South Africa. We describe ART adherence amongst a cohort of HIV-positive mothers and HIV-exposed but uninfected infants from 6 weeks until 18 months post-delivery and identify risk factors for nonadherence.

Methods: Data were collected in 2012-2014 through a nationally representative survey of PMTCT effectiveness.

Is elimination of vertical transmission of HIV in high prevalence settings achievable?

argue that more realistic targets are needed to maintain momentum on reducing vertical transmission in countries with a high HIV prevalence

How are countries in sub-Saharan African monitoring the impact of programmes to prevent vertical transmission of HIV?

describe how five countries in sub-Saharan Africa are monitoring the effectiveness of national programmes to prevent vertical transmission of HIV

Completeness of patient-held records: observations of the Road-to-Health Booklet from two national facility-based surveys at 6 weeks postpartum, South Africa.

Background: Continuity of care is important for child well-being in all settings where postnatal retention of mother-infant pairs in care remains a challenge. This analysis reports on completeness of patient-held infant Road to Health Booklets (RtHBs), amongst HIV exposed and unexposed infants during the first two years after the RtHB was launched country-wide in South Africa.

Methods: Secondary data were analysed from two nationally representative, cross-sectional surveys, conducted in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Happy life expectancy and correlates of happiness among older adults in South Africa.

: This paper examines factors associated with happiness and to estimate happy life expectancy for older people in South Africa. The study uses data from the first wave of the Study on Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) survey, which is a nationally representative population-based survey with a sample of 3,840 individuals aged 50 years and above. The Sullivan method and multivariate linear regression analysis were used in the analysis.

Uptake and predictors of early postnatal follow-up care amongst mother-baby pairs in South Africa: Results from three population-based surveys, 2010-2013.

Background: Achieving World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for postnatal care (PNC) within the first few weeks of life is vital to eliminating early mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT) and improving infant health. Almost half of the annual global deaths among children under five occur during the first six weeks of life. This study aims to identify uptake of three PNC visits within the first six weeks of life as recommended by WHO among South African mother-infant pairs, and factors associated with uptake.

Health status and years of sexually active life among older men and women in South Africa.

Little is known about sexual activity in old age, particularly in Africa. The objective of this paper is to estimate years of sexually active life for older men and women, and examine the association between sexual activity and self-rated health status. Data were extracted from two large cross sectional HIV household surveys conducted in 2005 and 2012 in South Africa.

Comparative study of disability-free life expectancy across six low- and middle-income countries.

Aim: There is a knowledge gap about the disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) in low- and middle-income countries. The present study aimed to compute and compare DFLE in six such countries, and examine sex differences in DFLE in each country.

Methods: Based on data from the World Health Organization Study on Global Aging and Adult Health wave 1 survey, we used the Sullivan method to estimate DFLE among persons aged years 50 years and older.

Correlates of inconsistent condom use among youth aged 18-24 years in South Africa.

This paper examines the correlates of inconsistent condom use with most recent sexual partner among sexually experienced youth (N = 2 138) in South Africa. A cross-sectional population based survey with youth aged 18 to 24 years was conducted in 4 provinces (Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga). More women than men (57.

Social and structural factors associated with vulnerability to HIV infection among young adults in South Africa.

There is increasing focus on social and structural factors following the marginal success of individual-level strategies for HIV prevention. While there is evidence of decreased HIV prevalence among young individuals in South Africa, there is still a need to monitor HIV incidence and prevalence in this vulnerable group as well as track and prevent high-risk sexual behavior(s). This study investigated the social and structural factors that shape the context of vulnerability to increased risk of exposure to HIV infection.

Self-reported prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases and associated factors among older adults in South Africa.

Introduction: Little is known about the prevalence and predictors of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) of older adults in South Africa. This study aims to investigate the self-reported prevalences of major chronic NCDs and their predictors among older South Africans.

Methods: We conducted a national population-based cross-sectional survey with a sample of 3,840 individuals aged 50 years or above in South Africa in 2008.

Sociodemographic predictors of multiple non-communicable disease risk factors among older adults in South Africa.

Background And Objective: Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours are important risk factors of morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to explore the sociodemographic predictors of multiple non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors experienced by elderly South Africans.

Methods: We conducted a national population-based cross-sectional survey with a sample of 3,840 individuals aged 50 years or above in South Africa in 2008.

Self-rated health and associated factors among older South Africans: evidence from the study on global ageing and adult health.

Background: Population ageing has become significant in South African society, increasing the need to improve understandings of health and well-being among the aged.

Objective: To describe the self-reported ratings of overall health and functioning, and to identify factors associated with self-rated health among older South Africans.

Design: A national population-based cross-sectional survey, with a sample of 3,840 individuals aged 50 years and older, was completed in South Africa in 2008.