Barriers and facilitators to implementing six monthly multi-month dispensing of antiretroviral therapy in two urban HIV clinics during the COVID-19 Era in Malawi.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Malawi Government released a policy that promoted the scale-up of six-monthly multi-month dispensing (6-MMD) of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to people living with HIV in order to decrease congestion at health facilities and transmission of COVID-19. We evaluated the barriers and facilitators to implementing the scale-up of 6-MMD.We conducted a cross-sectional study and collected quantitative and qualitative data from 13 January 2022 to 5 February 2022 at two high-volume primary health facilities in urban Blantyre, Malawi.

Preying on cyprinid snout warts (pearl organs) as a novel and peculiar habit in the Lake Malawi cichlid Docimodus evelynae.

Cichlid fishes in the African Great Lakes have undergone explosive speciation, acquiring markedly varying ecologies and diets. There are multiple lineages of scale-eating cichlids, and their natural history and evolutionary ecology is only partially understood. We examined the feeding habit of Docimodus evelynae, a known scale eater, in Lake Malawi.

Factors affecting COVID-19 vaccine uptake in populations with higher education: insights from a cross-sectional study among university students in Malawi.

Background: The Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccines were rolled out in many countries; however, sub-optimal COVID-19 vaccine uptake remains a major public health concern globally. This study aimed at assessing the factors that affected the uptake, hesitancy, and resistance of the COVID-19 vaccine among university undergraduate students in Malawi, a least developed country in Africa.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was conducted using an online semi-structured questionnaire.

Mental health is just an Addendum: Assessing stakeholder's perceptions on COVID-19 and mental health services provision in Malawi.

Introduction: The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic in March 2020. COVID-19 has since caused a significant increase in mental health problems at national and global levels. This study assessed the views of key mental health stakeholders regarding the state of mental health service provision in Malawi and the pandemic's impact on the sector.

Effectiveness of a chatbot in improving the mental wellbeing of health workers in Malawi during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized, controlled trial.

We conducted a randomized, controlled trial (RCT) to investigate our hypothesis that the interactive chatbot, Vitalk, is more effective in improving mental wellbeing and resilience outcomes of health workers in Malawi than the passive use of Internet resources. For our 2-arm, 8-week, parallel RCT (ISRCTN Registry: trial ID ISRCTN16378480), we recruited participants from 8 professional cadres from public and private healthcare facilities. The treatment arm used Vitalk; the control arm received links to Internet resources.

Population Genomics of Two Closely Related Anhydrobiotic Midges Reveals Differences in Adaptation to Extreme Desiccation.

The sleeping chironomid Polypedilum vanderplanki is capable of anhydrobiosis, a striking example of adaptation to extreme desiccation. Tolerance to complete desiccation in this species is associated with emergence of multiple paralogs of protective genes. One of the gene families highly expressed under anhydrobiosis and involved in this process is protein-L-isoaspartate (D-aspartate) O-methyltransferases (PIMTs).

Taxonomic investigation of the zooplanktivorous Lake Malawi cichlids (Iles) and (Iles).

Unlabelled: The taxonomic status of the zooplanktivorous cichlids and has been confused since their original descriptions by lles in 1960. Whilst two forms of , 'Kaduna' and 'Kajose', were distinguished in the type material, has not been positively identified since its original description. Here we re-examined the types as well as 54 recently collected specimens from multiple sampling locations.

COVID-19 vaccine inequity in African low-income countries.

Equitable access and utilization of the COVID-19 vaccine is the main exit strategy from the pandemic. This paper used proceedings from the Second Extraordinary Think-Tank conference, which was held by the Health Economics and Policy Unit at the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences in collaboration with the Malawi Ministry of Health, complemented by a review of literature. We found disparities in COVID-19 vaccine coverage among low-income countries.

Determinants of self-reported hypertension among women in South Africa: evidence from the population-based survey.

Background: Hypertension (HTN), characterized by an elevation of blood pressure, is a serious public health chronic condition that significantly raises the risks of heart, brain, kidney, and other diseases. In South Africa, the prevalence of HTN (measured objectively) was reported at 46.0% in females, nonetheless little is known regarding the prevalence and risks factors of self-reported HTN among the same population.

Soaking beans for 12 h reduces split percent and cooking time regardless of type of water used for cooking.

Beans are one of the most important cheap source of protein in developing countries. However, their utilisation in the diets of many people remains limited due to long cooking time, among others. Therefore, it is imperative to identify ways to enhance utilisation of beans.

Contribution of physical factors to handpump borehole functionality in Africa.

Handpumps are the main water supply for rural communities across sub-Saharan Africa. However, studies show that >25 % of handpumps are non-functional at any time. We present results from a systematic field study of handpump borehole functionality.

Waning of antibody levels induced by a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, using a 3 + 0 schedule, within the first year of life among children younger than 5 years in Blantyre, Malawi: an observational, population-level, serosurveillance study.

Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) induce serotype-specific IgG antibodies, effectively reducing vaccine-serotype carriage and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). IgG production wanes approximately 1 month after vaccination in absence of serotype-specific exposure. With uncertainty surrrounding correlate of protection (CoP) estimates and with persistent vaccine-serotype carriage and vaccine-serotype IPD after PCV13 introduction, we aimed to profile population-level immunogenicity among children younger than 5 years in Blantyre, Malawi.

Inter-Country COVID-19 Contagiousness Variation in Eight African Countries.

The estimates of contiguousness parameters of an epidemic have been used for health-related policy and control measures such as non-pharmaceutical control interventions (NPIs). The estimates have varied by demographics, epidemic phase, and geographical region. Our aim was to estimate four contagiousness parameters: basic reproduction number (), contact rate, removal rate, and infectious period of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among eight African countries, namely Angola, Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tunisia using Susceptible, Infectious, or Recovered (SIR) epidemic models for the period 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2021.

Natural variation at a single gene generates sexual antagonism across fitness components in Drosophila.

Mutations with conflicting fitness effects in males and females accumulate in sexual populations, reducing their adaptive capacity. Although quantitative genetic studies indicate that sexually antagonistic polymorphisms are common, their molecular basis and population genetic properties remain poorly understood. Here, we show in fruit flies how natural variation at a single gene generates sexual antagonism through phenotypic effects on cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) traits that function as both mate signals and protectors against abiotic stress across a latitudinal gradient.

Eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs that contribute to overweight and obesity among women in Lilongwe City, Malawi: a qualitative study.

Background: Obesity is increasingly a public health concern in low- and middle-income countries, including Malawi where 36% of women have body mass index in overweight/obese categories in urban areas. Eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs are associated with body size, but have not been studied in-depth in sub-Saharan African countries. This study therefore, explored eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs of women in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Correction to: Malawi at the Crossroads: Does the Fear of Contracting COVID-19 Affect the Propensity to Vote?

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1057/s41287-020-00353-1.].

Economic evaluation of an early childhood development center-based agriculture and nutrition intervention in Malawi.

Malnutrition is a leading cause of death and disability among children in low-income countries. Nutrition-sensitive interventions show promise in increasing food access and improving diets. There are possible synergies of integrating these programs with other sectors, improving effectiveness by leveraging resources.

Crowding Out Effects of Alcohol Consumption Expenditure on Household Resource Allocation in Malawi.

The study used Quasi maximum likelihood estimation (QMLE) on a nationally representative household level data set to estimate the effect of alcohol consumption expenditure on a set of expenditure proportions of other commodities. The results indicate that, the low-income, including the rural population, spent proportionately more on alcohol than their well-off and urban counterparts. Furthermore, the consumption of alcohol crowded-out expenditures on consumer non-durable (food and beverages), durable (housing) and essential services (education).

Effects of deworming medication on anaemia among children aged 6-59 months in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Despite the limited knowledge regarding the effects of deworming medication (DM) on nutritional indicators in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), deworming programmes continue to be implemented in resource-limited countries. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the effects of DM on anaemia among children aged 6-59 months in SSA.

Methods: The analysis was performed using data obtained from 17 demographic and health surveys (DHSs) conducted in SSA.

Epidemiological Trends of Malaria in Five Years and under Children of Nsanje District in Malawi, 2015-2019.

Background: Malaria continues to be a major public health problem in Malawi and the greatest load of mortality and morbidity occurs in children five years and under. However, there is no information yet regarding trends and predictions of malaria incidence in children five years and under at district hospital level, particularly at Nsanje district hospital.

Aim: Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the trends of malaria morbidity and mortality in order to design appropriate interventions on the best approach to contain the disease in the near future.

Effects of Indoor Environmental Factors and House Structures on Vaporization of Active Ingredient from Spatial Repellent Devices in Rural Houses in Malawi.

The use of a metofluthrin-impregnated spatial repellent device (MSRD) is a new and effective method for preventing mosquito blood feeding. Indoor environmental factors such as room temperature and ventilation rate are thought to be important for MSRD activity. Measurements of room temperature and vaporization of metofluthrin from MSRD in typical rural metal-roof and thatched-roof houses in southeastern Malawi were conducted.

Service Use and Resilience among Adolescents Living with HIV in Blantyre, Malawi.

Introduction: Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) experience social and health challenges that warrant the provision of services and relational support to build resilience. Little is known about how social, community and health services help. We examine formal and alternative service use by and resilience of ALHIV participating in an enhanced teen-club clinic (TCC) programme.

Inequalities in Knowledge About COVID-19 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

As the world is still being ravaged by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the first line of prevention lies in understanding the causative and preventive factors of the disease. However, given varied socioeconomic circumstances, there may be some inequality in the level of proper knowledge of COVID-19. Despite a proliferation of studies on COVID-19, the extent and prevalence of inequalities in knowledge about COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia are not known.