The Minimum Dietary Diversity For Women Indicator Can Be Extended To Children And Adolescents aged 4-15 Years As A Proxy Population Indicator For Good Micronutrient Adequacy Of Diets In Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Background: The response to the global call for more data on children's and adolescents' diets and nutrition is limited by the lack of straightforward practical indicators to track their diet quality. On the basis of a food group score compiled from 10 food groups (FGS-10), the minimum dietary diversity for women, calculated as FGS-10 ≥ 5, is a validated proxy population indicator for better micronutrient intake adequacy for adult women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Objectives: This study aims to validate FGS-10 and its related cutoffs against micronutrient intake adequacy in 4-15-y-old children/adolescents in LMICs.

Neurodiversity in Saudi Arabia: Towards quality education and reduced inequalities.

Traditional educational frameworks in Saudi Arabia have historically adopted a deficit-based approach to special education, potentially overlooking the benefits of neurodiversity. As global educational paradigms shift toward inclusive practices, examining the alignment of Saudi special education laws with neurodiversity principles becomes crucial. This content analysis study aimed to explore the existing literature on special education in Saudi Arabia to ascertain whether the laws and policies support or hinder the practice of neurodiversity, a concept that is gaining international recognition but remains nascent in Saudi Arabia.

Genome-wide association mapping of bruchid resistance loci in soybean.

Soybean is a globally important industrial, food, and cash crop. Despite its importance in present and future economies, its production is severely hampered by bruchids (Callosobruchus chinensis), a destructive storage insect pest, causing considerable yield losses. Therefore, the identification of genomic regions and candidate genes associated with bruchid resistance in soybean is crucial as it helps breeders to develop new soybean varieties with improved resistance and quality.

Brief Report: Stated Preferences for Long-Acting Injectable ART Among Mobile Men Living With HIV in Malawi: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Long-acting injectable (LAI) antiretroviral medications are as effective as daily oral antiretroviral therapy (ART) and offer discreet, less frequent dosing. LAIs may be ideal treatment options for people who experience challenges with adherence to daily oral ART, including mobile men living with HIV (MLHIV).

Methods: We conducted a qualitative substudy within two parent trials in 24 health facilities in Malawi that enrolled MLHIV ≥15 years not on ART.

Carrion in Bomas: Multiple Observations of Cheetah () Scavenging Events and Potential Causes in Managed Populations.

Facultative scavenging can be observed across a large range of carnivorous mammals but is an uncommon behavioural trait in cheetahs (). Very few incidents of cheetahs scavenging have been reported, with no explanation given as to why it may occur. In this paper, we provide three more observations of cheetahs scavenging between 2019 and 2023 in three different protected areas in South Africa and Malawi.

Narratives of incarcerated women in a Prison in Malawi: a qualitative study.

Background: In Malawi, women in prisons make up 2.7% of the total prison population. However, the experiences of women incarcerated are not well documented in the literature.

Avoidable factors associated with maternal death from postpartum haemorrhage: a national Malawian surveillance study.

Background: Despite strong evidence-based strategies for prevention and management, global efforts to reduce deaths from postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) have failed, and it remains the leading cause of maternal mortality. We conducted a detailed review of all maternal deaths from 33 facilities in Malawi to identify health system weaknesses leading to deaths from PPH.

Methods: Data were collected regarding every maternal death occurring across all district and central hospitals in Malawi.

Using ESPEN data for evidence-based control of neglected tropical diseases in sub-Saharan Africa: A comprehensive model-based geostatistical analysis of soil-transmitted helminths.

Background: The Expanded Special Project for the Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN) was launched in 2019 by the World Health Organization and African nations to combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), including Soil-transmitted helminths (STH), which still affect over 1.5 billion people globally. In this study, we present a comprehensive geostatistical analysis of publicly available STH survey data from ESPEN to delineate inter-country disparities in STH prevalence and its environmental drivers while highlighting the strengths and limitations that arise from the use of the ESPEN data.

Assessing the reliability and validity of pictorial-assisted 24-h recall for measuring hand hygiene and child faeces disposal: A cross-sectional study in Malawi.

Whilst improving hygiene and sanitation behaviours is key to cost-effective and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene interventions, measuring behaviour change remains a challenge. This study assessed the validity and reliability of pictorial 24-h recall (P24 hR), a novel method using unprompted recall of past activities through pictures, compared to structured observation for measuring handwashing with soap (HWWS) and safe child faeces disposal in rural Malawi. Data were collected from 88 individuals across 74 households in Chiradzulu district using both methods over a two-day period, with the recall period of the P24 hR corresponding to the period of structured observation completed the previous day.

Impacts of climate-induced drought on lake and reservoir biodiversity and ecosystem services: A review.

Intensifying extreme droughts are altering lentic ecosystems and disrupting services provisioning. Unfortunately, drought research often lacks a holistic and intersectoral consideration of drought impacts, which can limit relevance of the insights for adaptive management. This literature review evaluated the current state of lake and reservoir extreme drought research in relation to biodiversity and three ecosystem services.

How macrophage heterogeneity affects tuberculosis disease and therapy.

Macrophages are the primary host cell type for infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vivo. Macrophages are also key immune effector cells that mediate the control of bacterial growth. However, the specific macrophage phenotypes that are required for optimal immune control of M.

Schistosoma mattheei and zoonotic schistosomiasis.

We highlight the epidemiological importance of Schistosoma mattheei, a common parasite of livestock with an underappreciated ability to infect people, being recently incriminated in both female and male genital schistosomiasis. Through hybridisation(s) with other schistosome species, its public health importance will grow as its zoonotic potential expands across southern Africa.

Looking under the hood of a hybrid two-way texting intervention to improve early retention on antiretroviral therapy in Malawi: an implementation fidelity evaluation.

Background While key to interpreting findings and assessing generalizability, implementation fidelity is underreported in mobile health (mHealth) literature. We evaluated implementation fidelity of an opt-in, hybrid, two-way texting (2wT) intervention previously demonstrated to improve 12-month retention on antiretroviral therapy (ART) among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in a quasi-experimental study in Lilongwe, Malawi. Methods Short message service (SMS) data and ART refill visit records were used to evaluate adherence to 2wT content, frequency and duration through the lens of the Conceptual Framework for Implementation Fidelity.

Impact and copying mechanisms towards retakes: A case study of five health training institutions in Sub Saharan Africa.

Academic examination retakes are significant challenges in health professions education. With rigorous clinical assessments and high-stakes examinations, many students struggle to meet academic requirements, resulting in retakes. The voices and experiences of such students have often been absent within the broader discussion of health professions education.

Global, regional, and national burden of esophageal cancer: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.

Background And Objective: Esophageal cancer (EC) is the seventh most prevalent cancer globally and the sixth leading cause of cancer-related mortality. This study aimed to provide an updated stratified assessment of rates in EC incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2021 by sex, age, and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) at global, regional, and national levels, as well as to project the future trends of EC both globally and regionally.

Methods: Data about age-standardized rates (ASRs) of incidence (ASIR), mortality (ASDR), probability of death (ASPoD) and DALYs (ASDALYRs) of EC were obtained from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study.

Ferric carboxymaltose for anemia in late pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial.

Over 46% of African pregnant women are anemic. Oral iron is recommended but often suboptimal, particularly late in pregnancy. Intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) could treat anemia in women in the third trimester in sub-Saharan Africa.

The evolution and genetic basis of a functionally critical skull bone, the parasphenoid, among Lake Malawi cichlids.

Adaptive radiation, whereby a clade pairs rapid speciation with rapid phenotypic evolution, can result in an uneven distribution of biodiversity across the Metazoan tree. The cichlid fishes of East Africa have undergone multiple adaptive radiations within the major rift lakes. Cichlid radiations are marked by divergence across distinct habitat gradients producing many morphological and behavioural adaptations.

Characterizing populations prioritized for PrEP in 19 African countries: a review of national guidance.

Introduction: While African countries have expanded access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) since 2015, regional targets for PrEP uptake remain unmet. Understanding which populations are prioritized for PrEP at the policy level is an important step in determining the scope of PrEP distribution across Africa and identifying gaps in programme implementation. We reviewed national guidance to characterize populations prioritized for PrEP in Africa.

The impact of multidimensional poverty on antenatal care service utilisation in Malawi.

Background: Poverty remains a key barrier to accessing essential maternal health services, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Malawi. Despite the recognised importance of antenatal care (ANC) in ensuring healthy pregnancies as well as improving maternal and child health outcomes, ANC services remain underutilised by many women living in poverty. This underutilisation is not solely driven by a lack of financial resources but also by a range of non-monetary factors that constitute multidimensional poverty, such as limited access to education, healthcare services, and infrastructure.

Duration of Breastfeeding and Risk Reduction of Breast Cancer among Mothers Who Have Ever Breastfed: A Case-Control Study Conducted in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

Introduction: Breast cancer is currently the most frequently detected cancer in women and the primary cause of cancer-related deaths globally. The incidence of breast cancer has significantly increased in countries across sub-Saharan Africa, counting Ethiopia. There are multiple determinants of breast cancer, a few of these can be changeable whereas others are not.

Subsequent pregnancies in the IMPAACT 2010/VESTED Trial: high rate of adverse outcomes in women living with HIV.

Introduction: Women with HIV (WHIV) have higher risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly in the absence of antiretroviral treatment(ART), and timing of ART may impact risk.

Methods: In IMPAACT 2010 (VESTED), 643 pregnant WHIV in 9 countries were randomized 1:1:1 to initiate ART: dolutegravir (DTG)+emtricitabine(FTC)/tenofovir alafenamide(TAF); DTG+FTC/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) or efavirenz (EFV)/FTC/TDF. We describe adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with a subsequent pregnancy during 50 weeks of postpartum follow-up: spontaneous abortion (<20 weeks), stillbirth (≥20 weeks), preterm delivery (<37 weeks) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA).