Extensive cervical lesion and treatment outcomes in women with HIV/HPV co-infection.

Background: Cervical cancer is a common cancer worldwide, with > 85% of deaths occurring in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries where resources for screening programs are limited. Women living with HIV (WLHIV) are at increased risk. HPV test-and-treat is a screening strategy where women with HPV are offered ablative treatment of the cervix to reduce the risk of invasive cancer.

Examining teen club attendance and viral load suppression among adolescents under differentiated HIV care in Malawi: a sub-optimal scenario.

Background: In Malawi, compared to adults, adolescents have higher rates of high HIV viremia and poorer antiretroviral therapy (ART) outcomes. The Ministry of Health, supported by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), implemented the provision of differentiated care clubs for adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV), called "teen clubs," to provide psychosocial support and an HIV care package to improve clinical outcomes. We evaluated teen club attendance and factors associated with unsuppressed viral load (VL) in ALHIV enrolled in these teen clubs.

Exploring the use of solid fuels for cooking and household air pollution in informal settlements through photovoice: The Fuel to Pot study in Ndirande (Malawi) and Mukuru (Kenya).

Introduction: Worldwide, 2.4 billion people rely on solid fuels such as wood or charcoal for cooking, leading to approximately 3.2 million deaths per year from illnesses attributable to household air pollution.

Ten-year trends in clinical characteristics and outcome of children hospitalized with severe wasting or nutritional edema in Malawi (2011-2021): Declining admissions but worsened clinical profiles.

Background: Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) constitutes a substantial burden in African hospitals. Despite adhering to international guidelines, high inpatient mortality rates persist and the underlying contributing factors remain poorly understood.

Objective: We evaluated the 10-year trend (2011-2021) in clinical factors and outcomes among children with severe wasting and/or nutritional edema at Malawi's largest nutritional rehabilitation unit (NRU).

Experience of conductive hearing loss and impacts of hearing aid use throughout life.

Introduction: Hearing loss and Deafness/deafness affects as much as 5% of the world's population and has a considerable health and economic burden. We explored the relationship with hearing and hearing aids as well as other assistive technology for health in general with a cohort of UK adults who have conductive hearing loss. We anticipated that insights could lead to greater understanding for the delivery of assistive technology (AT) for conductive hearing loss and the participant's lived experience related to technology and society.

Early warning systems for identifying severe maternal outcomes: findings from the WHO global maternal sepsis study.

Background: Infections and sepsis are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in women during pregnancy and the post-pregnancy period. Using data from the 2017 WHO Global Maternal Sepsis Study, we explored the use of early warning systems (EWS) in women at risk of sepsis-related severe maternal outcomes.

Methods: On April 27, 2023, we searched the literature for EWS in clinical use or research in obstetric populations.

Determinants of gender-equitable attitudes among adult men in a health education program: a cross-sectional study in Southern Malawi.

Background: Malawi ranks 142 out of 170 countries on the UN's Gender Inequality Index (GII). Women and men in Malawi have unequal access to and control over resources. Previous research has primarily examined gender roles and norms from a women's perspective, but few studies have investigated men's attitudes and behaviors regarding gender equality.

Weekly dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine versus monthly sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for malaria chemoprevention in children with sickle cell anaemia in Uganda and Malawi (CHEMCHA): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: In many sub-Saharan African countries, it is recommended that children with sickle cell anaemia receive malaria chemoprevention with monthly sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine or daily proguanil as the standard of care. However, the efficacy of these interventions is compromised by high-grade antifolate resistance of Plasmodium falciparum and poor adherence. We aimed to compare the efficacy of weekly dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine and monthly sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for the prevention of clinical malaria in children with sickle cell anaemia in areas with high-grade sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance of P falciparum in Uganda and Malawi.

Building global collaborative research networks in paediatric critical care: a roadmap.

Paediatric critical care units are designed for children at a vulnerable stage of development, yet the evidence base for practice and policy in paediatric critical care remains scarce. In this Health Policy, we present a roadmap providing strategic guidance for international paediatric critical care trials. We convened a multidisciplinary group of 32 paediatric critical care experts from six continents representing paediatric critical care research networks and groups.

Evaluation of IMPALA 2.0: Addressing Patient Monitoring in Low-Resource Hospitals in Malawi.

BACKGROUND Patient monitoring systems (PMSs) are essential for monitoring and managing the condition of critically ill patients. In low-resource settings, limited access to technology, low-level digital literacy, and power outage challenges are usability concerns. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the usability of the IMPALA (Innovative Monitoring in Paediatrics in Low-resource settings: an Aid to save lives) PMS optimized for use in low-resource settings by assessing the opinions and experiences of 24 healthcare professionals.

Global impact of ten-valent and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on invasive pneumococcal disease in all ages (the PSERENADE project): a global surveillance analysis.

Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) that are ten-valent (PCV10) and 13-valent (PCV13) became available in 2010. We evaluated their global impact on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) incidence in all ages.

Methods: Serotype-specific IPD cases and population denominators were obtained directly from surveillance sites using PCV10 or PCV13 in their national immunisation programmes and with a primary series uptake of at least 50%.

Expediting pathogen genomics adoption for enhanced foodborne disease surveillance in Africa.

The role of genomics in public health surveillance has been accentuated by its crucial contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating its potential in addressing global disease outbreaks. While Africa has made strides in expanding multi-pathogen genomic surveillance, the integration into foodborne disease (FBD) surveillance remains nascent. Here we highlight the critical components to strengthen and scale-up the integration of whole genome sequencing (WGS) in foodborne disease surveillance across the continent.

Improving HIV testing and retention among adolescents and youths: Lessons from a quasi-experimental study of the Red-Carpet Program in Malawi.

Adolescents and youth living with HIV (AYLHIV) often face significant challenges in HIV care. Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation in Malawi implemented the Red-Carpet Program (RCP) to provide fast-tracked services for AYLHIV in care.This study aimed to assess the effect of RCP on Provider-Initiated HIV testing, linkage to care and antiretroviral therapy (ART), and retention in care among AYLHIV in Blantyre, Malawi.

Low concordance between QIAreach QuantiFERON-TB, a novel interferon-gamma release assay, and QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus, in a population-based survey in Blantyre, Malawi.

Unlabelled: Urgent improvements in the diagnosis and management of infection are required to reach End TB goals. Conventional interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs), such as QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus), require substantial laboratory infrastructure and large blood volumes, limiting use in high-burden settings. The QIAreach QuantiFERON-TB (QIAreach QFT) was developed to overcome these challenges but has not previously been evaluated in field conditions in a low-income, high-burden country, or at scale in children.

Population genetics and molecular xenomonitoring of Biomphalaria freshwater snails along the southern shoreline of Lake Malawi, Malawi.

Background: Intestinal schistosomiasis was confirmed endemic in Mangochi District, Malawi, in May of 2018 following an unexpected encounter with discreet populations of Biomphalaria spp. freshwater snails during routine malacological surveillance activities. Since then, only limited malacological surveillance of Biomphalaria has been carried out, and so the distribution of Biomphalaria populations in this area is currently unclear.

Barriers and facilitators in the acquisition of diabetes knowledge among tertiary-care nurses in central and southern Malawi: an exploratory-descriptive qualitative study.

Background: Numerous studies report low diabetes knowledge among nurses in sub-Saharan Africa. However, little is known about the factors that hinder and promote their acquisition of knowledge on diabetes mellitus. Understanding these factors is a pivotal step towards ensuring that nurses are knowledgeable and competent in the provision of care and education for patients with diabetes mellitus.

Assessing antimicrobial use patterns in Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) health facilities: A cross-sectional study protocol.

The threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Malawi is high with reported mortality of 19,300 annually, the 23rd highest age-standardised mortality. One of the drivers of AMR is misuse of antibiotics, a phenomenon that has not been adequately researched in Malawi. This study aims to investigate antimicrobial use using health facility, prescribing and patient indicators in Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) health facilities.

Human Defensins: Structure, Function, and Potential as Therapeutic Antimicrobial Agents with Highlights Against SARS CoV-2.

The human defensins are a group of cationic antimicrobial peptides that range in size from 2 to 5 kDa and share a common structural motif of six disulphide-linked cysteines. Several naturally occurring human α- and β-defensins have been identified over the past two decades. They have a wide variety of antimicrobial effects, and their potential to avoid the development of resistance to antimicrobial treatment makes them attractive as therapeutic agents.

Diversity in Naturally Acquired Immunity to Group B Streptococcus: A Comparative Study of Women from Bangladesh, Malawi, and the United Kingdom.

Background: Significant disparities in Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonisation and neonatal disease rates have been documented across different geographical regions. For example, Bangladesh reports notably lower rates compared to the United Kingdom (UK) and Malawi. This study investigates whether this epidemiological variability correlates with the immune response to GBS in these regions.