5 results match your criteria: "Botswana-University of Maryland School of Medicine Health Initiative (Bummhi)[Affiliation]"

Article Synopsis
  • Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is a major health issue in Botswana, especially linked to high HIV rates, and prior to 2016, TB testing was limited to mycobacterial cultures, making diagnosis difficult.
  • The introduction of the GeneXpert platform significantly improved TB-specific investigations in cerebrospinal fluid samples, increasing from 4.5% to 29% from 2016 to 2022, as access to testing became more widespread.
  • Despite a decline in total CSF samples analyzed, the proportion of microbiologically confirmed TBM cases rose slightly, indicating that better testing methods are leading to more accurate diagnoses in remote healthcare settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: In 2014, UNAIDS set a goal to end the AIDS epidemic by achieving targets for the percentage of people living with HIV who were aware of their status, on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and virally suppressed. In 2020, these targets were revised to 95% for each measure (known as 95-95-95), to be reached among people living with HIV by 2025. We used data from the Fifth Botswana AIDS Impact Survey (BAIS V) to measure progress towards these testing and treatment targets in Botswana.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Adolescent girls and young women accounted for 25% of all new HIV infections despite representing only 10% of the population in Sub Saharan Africa. PEPFAR has launched the Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe (DREAMS) initiative, a comprehensive HIV prevention program including PrEP services. Among adolescent girls and young women, PrEP adherence is currently sub-optimal.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Testing modality associated with fast-track ART initiation in Botswana.

Trop Med Int Health

May 2022

Center for International Health, Education, and Biosecurity (Ciheb), Institute of Human Virology (IHV), University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify community testing modalities associated with fast-track ART initiation in Botswana.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study that included all Botswana citizens 15 years or older who were newly identified as HIV-positive from 1 May 2017 to 31 January 2019, in Mahalapye and Southern districts. We used Poisson regression with robust error variance and generalised linear mixed models to control for cluster effects to model risk of ART initiation within 7 and 30 days of HIV diagnosis, testing modality factors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: In 2019, the Botswana Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) implemented an HIV national Reboot program, which was needed for refocusing and intensifying efforts for achieving epidemic control. The strategies deployed as part of Reboot were reviewed and evaluated for their effect on same-day and within-seven-days (fast-track initiation) antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation among adults newly identified with HIV.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of patients aged 18 years or older who were newly diagnosed with HIV from October 2018 to September 2019 across 41 health facilities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF