A clinical utility evaluation of dual HIV/Syphilis point-of-care tests in non-clinical settings for screening for HIV and syphilis in men who have sex with men.

Background: Dual point-of-care tests (POCTs) for the simultaneous detection of antibodies to HIV and syphilis have been developed. Since community-based organisations (CBO) are effective providers of HIV and syphilis testing among men who have sex with men (MSM), evaluation of the utility of these dual tests at CBO testing services is a high priority. The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of performing dual HIV-syphilis POCT testing among both users and providers at these non-clinical sites.

Homoprejudiced Violence Experiences and High-Risk Sexual Behaviors among Chinese Men Who Have Sex with Men: Depression Severity and Recreational Drug Usage as Potential Mediators.

Homoprejudiced violence is a type of aggression against an individual or a community based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation. It may be linked to risks of acquiring HIV/STI via psychosocial variables. This study explored the association between homoprejudiced violence experiences and high-risk sexual behaviors, and potential psychosocial mediators.

Target product profile for a dengue pre-vaccination screening test.

With increasing geographic spread, frequency, and magnitude of outbreaks, dengue continues to pose a major public health threat worldwide. Dengvaxia, a dengue live-attenuated tetravalent vaccine, was licensed in 2015, but post hoc analyses of long-term data showed serostatus-dependent vaccine performance with an excess risk of hospitalized and severe dengue in seronegative vaccine recipients. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that only persons with evidence of past dengue infection should receive the vaccine.

Implementation strategies for the first licensed dengue vaccine: A meeting report.

Dengue vaccination would enhance the control of dengue, one of the most frequent vector-borne viral diseases globally. CYD-TDV is the first dengue vaccine to be licensed, but global uptake has been hampered due to its use being limited to seropositive persons aged 9 years and above, and the need for a 3-dose schedule. The Partnership for Dengue Control (PDC) organized a meeting with key opinion leaders and stakeholders to deliberate on implementation strategies for the use of CYD-TDV.

The effectiveness of tenofovir-based pre-exposure prophylaxis for prevention of HIV acquisition among sub-Saharan African women at high risk: a systematic review.

Introduction: women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. In 2019, they constituted 59% of new infections; thus, they remain a key population for control. Public health interventions to prevent acquisition of HIV in this high-risk population are urgently needed.

Social innovation in sexual health: a scoping review towards ending the HIV epidemic.

As donor financial support decreases, ending the HIV epidemic in Asia will require novel and sustainable approaches. Social innovation, a community-engaged process that links social change and health improvement, may be useful for helping to end the HIV epidemic in Asia. A scoping review to examine social innovation strategies in sexual health for the Asian region was conducted.

Antimicrobial use in food animals and human health: time to implement 'One Health' approach.

The use of antimicrobials in animals for growth promotion and infection prevention significantly contributes to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing public health threat. While the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) have taken steps towards reducing and restricting the use of antimicrobials in animals, initiatives are insufficient in developing countries where the demands for food animals continue to rise over the years. The inter-sectoral acknowledgment of inextricable link between animal health, human health and the environment (One Health approach) is critical.

Call to action for health systems integration of point-of-care testing to mitigate the transmission and burden of sexually transmitted infections.

Objectives: In 2016, WHO estimated 376 million new cases of the four main curable STIs: gonorrhoea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis and syphilis. Further, an estimated 290 million women are infected with human papillomavirus. STIs may lead to severe reproductive health sequelae.

Homoprejudiced violence among Chinese men who have sex with men: a cross-sectional analysis in Guangzhou, China.

Background: Homoprejudiced violence, defined as physical, verbal, psychological and cyber aggression against others because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, is an important public health issue. Most homoprejudiced violence research has been conducted in high-income countries. This study examined homoprejudiced violence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Guangzhou, China.

Social innovation in diagnostics: three case studies.

Background: Diagnostics are essential for identifying and controlling diseases. However, limited access to diagnostics hinders public health efforts in many settings. Social innovation may provide a framework for expanding access to diagnostics in the global south.

Sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests for Lassa fever: a systematic review.

Background: Lassa fever virus has been enlisted as a priority pathogen of epidemic potential by the World Health organization Research and Development (WHO R & D) Blueprint. Diagnostics play a crucial role in epidemic preparedness. This systematic review was conducted to determine the sensitivity and specificity of Lassa fever diagnostic tests for humans.

Rapid diagnostic tests for determining dengue serostatus: a systematic review and key informant interviews.

Objectives: Vaccination for dengue with the live attenuated tetravalent CYD-TDV vaccine (Dengvaxia®) is only recommended in individuals who have had prior dengue virus (DENV) infection. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for past DENV infection would offer a convenient method for pre-vaccination screening at point-of-care. A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the performance of current dengue RDTs for determining dengue serostatus, using IgG antibodies against DENV as a marker of past infection.

Male Partner Involvement in the Utilization of Hospital Delivery Services by Pregnant Women Living with HIV in Sub Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objective The level of male partner involvement in hospital delivery by pregnant women living with HIV in sub Saharan Africa (SSA) is low. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the approaches that are used in improving male partner involvement and their impact on the utilization of hospital delivery services by pregnant women living with HIV in SSA. Methods Ovid Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane library, ClinicalTrials.

Epidemic preparedness: why is there a need to accelerate the development of diagnostics?

Global epidemics of infectious diseases are increasing in frequency and severity. Diagnostics are needed for rapid identification of the cause of the epidemic to facilitate effective control and prevention. Lessons learned from the recent Ebola virus and Zika virus epidemics are that delay in developing the right diagnostic for the right population at the right time has been a costly barrier to disease control and prevention.

The impact of approaches in improving male partner involvement in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV on the uptake of safe infant feeding practices by HIV positive women in sub-Saharan Africa. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The low level of male partner involvement in Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV services such as safe infant feeding practices poses a serious challenge to the implementation of guidelines on safe infant feeding and may undermine efforts towards elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV in sub Saharan Africa(SSA). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the approaches that have been utilized to improve male partner involvement in PMTCT services as well as their impact on the uptake of safe infant feeding practices by HIV positive mothers in SSA.

Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, Ovid Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane library, ClinicalTrials.

The impetus to Africa CDC's mandate in curbing the rising trend of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Africa: the launch of the Africa CDC AMR surveillance network during the 8th advanced course in diagnostics (ACDx).

The rise of antimicrobial resistance is a global threat and Africa like any other developing setting is heavily affected. As one of its missions, the Africa CDC is poised to ensure this rising trend takes a diminishing route in the few years ahead. Diagnostics obviously play a pivotal role in AMR control and the advanced course in diagnostics (ACDx) has been instrumental in training critical decision makers over the past 7 years.

Preferences for linkage to HIV care services following a reactive self-test: discrete choice experiments in Malawi and Zambia.

Objectives: The current research identifies key drivers of demand for linkage into care following a reactive HIV self-test result in Malawi and Zambia. Preferences are explored among the general population and key groups such as HIV-positive individuals and adolescents.

Design: We used discrete choice experiments (DCEs) embedded in representative household surveys to quantify the relative strength of preferences for various HIV services characteristics.

The impact of digital technologies on point-of-care diagnostics in resource-limited settings.

Simple, rapid tests that can be used at the point-of-care (POC) can improve access to diagnostic services and overall patient management in resource-limited settings where laboratory infrastructure is limited. Implementation of POC tests places tremendous strain on already fragile health systems as the demand for training, supply management and quality assurance are amplified. Digital health has a major role to play in ensuring effective delivery and management of POC testing services.