Diagnostic performance of biopsy-based methods for determination of Helicobacter pylori infection in dyspeptic Mozambican patients.

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a Gram-negative bacterium capable of colonizing the human stomach, which can lead to various gastrointestinal conditions. Several invasive and non-invasive methods exist for diagnosing H.

COVID-19 inflammatory signature in a Mozambican cohort: unchanged red blood series and reduced levels of IL-6 and other proinflammatory cytokines.

Background: Alterations in haematological, biochemical parameters and cytokine levels, were reported in patients with COVID-19, however, there is an underrepresentation of the African population, which could provide evidence for understanding SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and useful tools for clinical management of cases. In this study, we aimed to determine the haematological, biochemical and cytokine profile in Mozambican individuals with SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: A cohort of 85 Mozambican individuals with RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 results, was stratified into negative, asymptomatic, mild, moderate, and severe categories.

Occurrence and circumstances of child sexual assault in Maputo, Mozambique.

Background: Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is a significant public health issue, with its health and social consequences well documented. While CSA has been extensively studied in high-income countries, its incidence and circumstances of occurrence in low-income countries, especially in Africa, remains under-represented in the scholarly literature.

Methods: This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and circumstances of CSA among victims assisted at the Forensic Service of the Hospital Central de Maputo in Mozambique.

Unexpected outcome of dyspeptic syndrome.

A 57-year-old black male patient was admitted with flatulence and post-prandial fullness a month ago. No other gastrointestinal complaints. He had history of arterial hypertension, medicated with nifedipine 30mg/day and hydrochlorthiazide 50mg/day, and had been diagnosed and treated for malaria a week before admission.

Scaling cervical cancer screening in Mozambique: analysis of loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) specimens.

Objectives: As cervical cancer screening programs are implemented and expanded, an increasing number of women require loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) for treatment of pre-invasive cervical disease. Our objective was to describe the pathological results of LEEP specimens performed as part of the MULHER study and identify factors associated with positive LEEP margins.

Methods: The MULHER study enrolled 9014 women who underwent HPV testing followed by visual assessment for treatment (VAT) using visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and thermal ablation for those with positive results.

Evaluating empiric antibiotic prescribing for hospitalized children in Mozambique through the introduction of a quarterly syndromic antibiogram: An implementation science protocol.

Antimicrobials are the most frequently prescribed drug in pediatrics, with an estimated 37% of infants and 61% of hospitalized children having received them. Approximately 20-50% of prescriptions have been shown to be potentially unnecessary or inappropriate. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the continued increase in antimicrobial resistance by the year 2050 will lead to the death of 10 million people per year.

Severe BCG immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome lymphadenitis successfully managed with pre-antiretroviral counseling and a non-surgical approach: a case report.

Background: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) reactions are the most common cause of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in HIV-positive infants who initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART). There is limited evidence regarding the incidence of BCG-IRIS; however, reports from outpatient cohorts have estimated that 6-9% of infants who initiated ART developed some form of BCG-IRIS within the first 6 months. Various treatment approaches for infants with BCG-IRIS have been reported, but there is currently no widely accepted standard-of-care.

Strengthening the Diagnosis and Treatment of Malnutrition Through Increased Nurse Involvement: A Quality Improvement Project From Pediatric Wards in Mozambique.

Background: Childhood acute malnutrition continues to be a serious health problem in many low-resource settings in Africa. On pediatric wards in Mozambique, missed opportunities for timely diagnosis and treatment of malnutrition may lead to poor health outcomes. To improve inpatient nutritional care, a quality improvement (QI) project was implemented that aimed to engage pediatric nurses in inpatient malnutrition diagnosis and treatment.

Respiratory distress syndrome prediction at birth by optical skin maturity assessment and machine learning models for limited-resource settings: a development and validation study.

Background: A handheld optical device was developed to evaluate a newborn's skin maturity by assessing the photobiological properties of the tissue and processing it with other variables to predict early neonatal prognosis related to prematurity. This study assessed the device's ability to predict respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

Methods: To assess the device's utility we enrolled newborns at childbirth in six urban perinatal centers from two multicenter single-blinded clinical trials.

Prevalence and factors related to anaemia in children aged 6-59 months attending a quaternary health facility in Maputo, Mozambique.

Globally, anaemia prevails as a public health issue, being also a concern in Mozambique, where about two-thirds of children 6-59 months of age are affected by this condition. We carried out this study to estimate anaemia prevalence and evaluate structural determinants and haematological parameters association among children aged 6-59 months attending pediatric inpatient and outpatient services in a Quaternary Health Facility in Maputo City Province, Mozambique. We collected data from 637 inpatients or outpatients who attended pediatric consultations at the Maputo Central Hospital.

Evaluation of the Performance of a 3D-Printed Smartphone-Based Retinal Imaging Device as a Screening Tool for Retinal Pathology in Mozambique.

Low-income countries carry approximately 90% of the global burden of visual impairment, and up to 80% of this could be prevented or cured. However, there are only a few studies on the prevalence of retinal disease in these countries. Easier access to retinal information would allow differential diagnosis and promote strategies to improve eye health, which are currently scarce.

The Mulher Study: cervical cancer screening with primary HPV testing in Mozambique.

Objective: To evaluate cervical cancer screening with primary human papillomavirus (HPV) testing in Mozambique, a country with one of the highest burdens of cervical cancer globally.

Methods: Women aged 30-49 years were prospectively enrolled and offered primary HPV testing using either self-collected or provider-collected specimens. Patients who tested positive for HPV underwent visual assessment for treatment using visual inspection with acetic acid to determine eligibility for thermal ablation.

Test positivity and clinical presentation of COVID-19 in Mozambican infants hospitalized during the second wave of the pandemic in 2021.

Introduction: during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mozambique, there was a surge in pediatric hospitalizations at a time when there was relatively little evidence, but significant concern about clinical outcomes in African children, particularly in higher-risk infants requiring, and health system capacity to respond.

Methods: a retrospective cohort study was conducted for patients 1-12 months of age admitted to the Breastfeeding ward at Hospital Central de Maputo from January-February 2021. All had routine SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing performed.

Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Alternative Human Papillomavirus Vaccines for Preadolescent Girls in Mozambique: A Modelling Study.

Mozambique has one of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination was introduced in 2021. This study evaluated the health and economic impact of the current HPV vaccine (GARDASIL hereafter referred to as GARDASIL-4) and two other vaccines (CECOLIN and CERVARIX) that could be used in the future.

Guideline Concordance of Treatment and Outcomes Among Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Multinational, Population-Based Cohort.

Background: Although non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is the 6th most common malignancy in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), little is known about its management and outcome. Herein, we examined treatment patterns and survival among NHL patients.

Methods: We obtained a random sample of adult patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2015 from 11 population-based cancer registries in 10 SSA countries.

An integrated isothermal nucleic acid amplification test to detect HPV16 and HPV18 DNA in resource-limited settings.

High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing is widely acknowledged as the most sensitive cervical cancer screening method but has limited availability in resource-limited settings, where the burden of cervical cancer is highest. Recently, HPV DNA tests have been developed for use in resource-limited settings, but they remain too costly for widespread use and require instruments that are often limited to centralized laboratories. To help meet the global need for low-cost cervical cancer screening, we developed a prototype, sample-to-answer, point-of-care test for HPV16 and HPV18 DNA.

Molecular detection of Helicobacter pylori and its genotypic antimicrobial resistance patterns in dyspeptic Mozambican patients.

Background: Helicobacter pylori strains show a high level of genotypic diversity and express several genes that contribute to their pathogenicity and resistance. In Mozambique, there is lack of information regarding its resistance pattern to antibiotics. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of H.

Central Venous Catheter-Associated Superior Vena Cava Syndrome.

Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is caused by any obstruction to the superior vena cava (SVC); the most common causes are malignancy and extrinsic compression. The use of medical devices, such as central venous catheters, poses an important risk factor, as they cause changes in the blood flow and in the vessel wall. This report describes a case of a 70-year-old male with an implantable central venous port, due to previous neoplastic disease, as the cause of the SVCS.

Gestational age assessed by optical skin reflection in low-birth-weight newborns: Applications in classification at birth.

Introduction: A new medical device was previously developed to estimate gestational age (GA) at birth by processing a machine learning algorithm on the light scatter signal acquired on the newborn's skin. The study aims to validate GA calculated by the new device (test), comparing the result with the best available GA in newborns with low birth weight (LBW).

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, non-randomized, and single-blinded clinical trial in three urban referral centers for perinatal care in Brazil and Mozambique.

Oncology in Mozambique: Overview of the Diagnostic, Treatment, and Research Capacity.

Mozambique is one of the poorest countries worldwide, with nearly two thirds of the population living below the poverty line. Similarly to other less developed countries, there is a weak provision of health care for non-communicable diseases due to competing priorities with infectious diseases. Although the leading causes of death in Mozambique in 2019 were Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome/Human Immunodeficiency Virus and other sexually transmitted diseases and respiratory infections and tuberculosis, with increasing urbanization and westernization of lifestyles, deaths attributed to cancer are also on the rise.

Direct peroral cholangioscopy with conventional upper gastrointestinal endoscope.

An 83-year-old male with a history of Whipple procedure (pancreatoduodenectomy) due to pancreatic cancer, underwent endoscopic retrograde colangiopancreatography (ERCP) for acute cholangitis. Because of the altered anatomy, an upper gastrointestinal endoscope was used. Severe stricture of the hepaticojejunal anastomosis was found.

Gastroschisis in Mozambique: current status and priorities for improving care from Hospital Central de Maputo, the largest and referral hospital of the country.

Purpose: Historically, gastroschisis was considered a death sentence in Mozambique. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current state of gastroschisis management and outcomes in our facility and to identify potential areas of improvement in neonatal and surgical care.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed of all gastroschisis patients admitted to Hospital Central Maputo located in Maputo City/ Mozambique from 2019 to 2020.