Vaccine safety surveillance in South Africa through COVID-19: A journey to systems strengthening.

Background: Surveillance systems for monitoring and reporting adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) and adverse events of special interest (AESI) are vital in understanding safety profiles of post-marketed vaccines. Evaluation of surveillance systems is necessary for systems strengthening. We conducted the first evaluation of the South African AEFI surveillance system in its current form, established in 2018.

Curable Sexually Transmitted Infections Among a Population of South African Nonhealth Seeking Men Who Have Sex With Men Who Were Invited for Screening-A Brief Report.

This study assessed sexually transmitted infection (STI) results among nonhealth-seeking men who have sex with men (MSM) who had not previously screened for curable STIs. Secondary data analysis of a sample of 164 MSM who were STI infection naïve was performed. Data were collected in the Clinical Research Unit (MeCRU) among the MSM in the Tshwane North area, South Africa.

Interventions to enhance corporate sector engagement in tuberculosis response in Africa: a scoping review protocol.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health crisis in Africa. TB control programmes implemented by various state and non-state actors in different African countries over the years have recorded significant gains in the reduction of the incidence and prevalence of TB through the vehicle of private care provider engagement in the diagnosis, treatment and care. However, the corporate sector, which often represents a large pool of resources and access to individuals, is neglected or underestimated in the public-private mix of TB control efforts.

Safety, effectiveness and immunogenicity of heterologous mRNA-1273 boost after prime with Ad26.COV2.S among healthcare workers in South Africa: The single-arm, open-label, phase 3 SHERPA study.

Limited studies have been conducted on the safety and effectiveness of heterologous COVID-19 vaccine boosting in lower income settings, especially those with high-HIV prevalence., The Sisonke Heterologous mRNA-1273 boost after prime with Ad26.COV2.

Life skills programmes for university-based wellness support services for students in health sciences professions: a scoping review.

Background: Student wellness is a major concern during the educational programme of health professionals, as mental distress impacts negatively on students' academic performance and success. Available literature indicates that improving student wellness has the potential to increase academic performance and success for students. Medical schools implement various forms of support to lessen student distress and enhance wellness.

Vaccine uptake, associated factors and reasons for vaccination status among the South African elderly; findings and next steps.

Objectives: The elderly are particularly prone to complications from a number of vaccine-preventable diseases. However, there are limited data on vaccine uptake for this vulnerable population in South Africa. Consequently, this study investigated influenza, pneumococcal and shingles vaccine uptake among elderly people in South Africa; reasons for their vaccination status; and factors associated with their uptake.

Organization of the Middle Meningeal Artery in a Sample of Black South African Population: Clinical Correlates.

Background: The middle meningeal artery (MMA) is the leading supplier of the cranial dura and serves as a donor blood channel in craniotomy and cerebrovascular bypass procedures. However, the complex embryology of the MMA and population differences give rise to several anatomic variations that are of great importance in head injuries pertaining to the petrous and squamous parts of the temporal bone. Similarly, care must be taken to protect the artery during surgical operations that involve the maxillary artery and the vidian nerve.

Personal and Social Transformative Learning through Community‑Based Education: Insights from Training Socially Accountable Medical Doctors at a Historically Disadvantaged University in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

In 2014, the Faculty of Health Sciences at Walter Sisulu University introduced a 20‑week long integrated longitudinal clinical clerkship (ILCC) rotation block as part of its commitment to community‑based education and social responsiveness, with the goal of ensuring that the curriculum is updated to align with the contemporary health system challenges in South Africa. To explore whether medical student participants underwent social and personal transformative learning in understanding complex societal health needs during their integrated longitudinal community clerkship program. This was an exploratory qualitative research study conducted among 113 5 year medical students based at 8 selected hospitals during their 20‑week‑long community clerkship.

A proof-of-concept study to investigate the radiolabelling of human mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells with [Zr]Zr-Df-Bz-NCS.

Background: The transplantation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) or mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) for the treatment of a wide variety of diseases has been studied extensively. A challenge with cell-based therapies is that migration to and retention at the target site is often difficult to monitor and quantify. Zirconium-89 (Zr) is a positron-emitting radionuclide with a half-life of 3.

Phytochemical Screening and Characterization of Volatile Compounds from Three Medicinal Plants with Reported Anticancer Properties Using GC-MS.

, (L.), and (L.) are abundant plants and widely distributed in the Limpopo, Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal, North West and Mpumalanga provinces in South Africa.

Hepatitis A Seroprevalence Among HIV-Exposed and Unexposed Pediatric Populations in South Africa.

There is limited evidence comparing hepatitis A seroprevalence among HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU), HIV-infected (HIV), and unexposed uninfected (HUU) children. This compromises rational vaccine decision-making. This study comprised a retrospective health facility-based population of children aged 1 month-12 years.

Weight and Lipid Levels in People Living With HIV and Initiating a Dolutegravir-Based Regimen in a Resource Limited Setting: A Prospective Study.

Following the 2018 World Health Organization's (WHO) guidelines on HIV treatment and management, the Zimbabwean government has embraced dolutegravir (DTG)-based regimens as the preferred first-line treatment for people living with HIV (PLWH). Despite this implementation, there remains a paucity of knowledge on the potential associations between DTG-based regimens, body weight and blood lipid levels among PLWH in Zimbabwe. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate variances in body weight and blood lipid levels at two distinct timepoints-baseline and 6-month post-DTG initiation.

The effect of a poly-herbal plant extract on the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans to tooth enamel.

Background: Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or cavity formation, is one of the world's most widespread dental conditions. It is a plaque-related infection caused mainly by Streptococcus mutans. People have relied on several plant species to treat oral infections; Heteropyxis natalensis, for example, has been used to treat toothache and gum infections.

Delphi definition of general practice/family medicine specialty for a post-COVID world: in-person and remote care delivery.

Introduction: The evolving landscape of general practice (GP)/family medicine (FM) in the post-COVID-19 era, focussing on integrating telemedicine and remote consultations requires a new definition for this specialty. Hence, a broader consensus-based definition of post-COVID-19 GP/FM is warranted.

Methods: This study involved a modified electronic Delphi technique involving 27 specialists working in primary care recruited via convenient and snowball sampling.

Deriving and validating a risk prediction model for long COVID: a population-based, retrospective cohort study in Scotland.

Objectives: Using electronic health records, we derived and internally validated a prediction model to estimate risk factors for long COVID and predict individual risk of developing long COVID.

Design: Population-based, retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Scotland.

Systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the status of carotid intima-media thickness and lipid profiles in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objectives: Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is a measurement for subclinical atherosclerosis and has been associated with overall cardiovascular diseases, especially in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We aimed to assess the status of carotid health and lipid profile in T2DM.

Design: This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesised data published from clinical studies.

Histopathological assessment of AIDS-defining malignancies in the gastrointestinal tract presenting with acute abdomen: Improving diagnostic timeliness and patient care.

Background: While a large number of cases in an HIV setting may be attributed to infections, there has also been a rise in HIV- associated malignancies such as Kaposi sarcoma and aggressive B-cell lymphoma.

Objective: To describe the clinicopathological features of cases with acute abdomen secondary to AIDS-defining malignancy in the gatrointestinal tract.

Method: This is a retrospective analysis of all cases presenting with acute abdomen and histologically diagnosed AIDS-defining malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract over a period of 8 years in our centre.

The South African guidelines on enuresis: 2024 update.

Background: Enuresis, also referred to as nocturnal enuresis, is characterised by discrete episodes of urinary incontinence during sleep in children aged ≥5 years in the absence of congenital or acquired neurological disorders. This guideline is an update of the 2017 version.

Recommendations: The guideline provides recommendations and suggestions for various therapeutic options for enuresis available in South Africa (SA).

The association between tobacco and alcohol use and health outcomes in individuals living with diabetes and prediabetes in South Africa: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Smoking and alcohol misuse are lifestyle factors that can be controlled and have significant health effects. Both these factors increase the risk of developing conditions such as diabetes mellitus because they affect glucose metabolism and can interfere with blood glucose control in individuals with diabetes. Research on tobacco and alcohol use and specific health outcomes among adults with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) could provide valuable information leading to more efficient treatment and management of this disease.

Vaccines in the fight against antimicrobial resistance - perspectives from South Africa.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), in which microbes adapt to and resist current therapies, is a well-recognised global problem that threatens to reverse gains made by modern medicine in the last decades. AMR is a complex issue; however, at its core, it is driven by the overuse and inappropriate use of antimicrobials. Socioeconomic factors have been identified as significant contributors to the emergence and exacerbation of AMR, especially in populations facing inadequate access to healthcare, poor sanitation services and high morbidity and mortality rates.

Perceptions of the MDT towards the health needs and support for grandparents caring for AIDS orphans.

Background: The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) crisis has orphaned many children, shifting care giving duties to grandparents. This has challenged the health of the grandparents, underscoring the need for support in caring for both the grandparents and the children orphaned due to AIDS.

Aim: This study investigated the multidisciplinary team's (MDT) perceptions of health needs and support for grandparents caring for children orphaned due to AIDS.

The changing landscape of antimicrobial resistance and use in South Africa: The need for access to new antibiotics: A position paper.

Antibiotic resistance is a global threat, with a disproportionate burden of mortality in low- and middle-income countries. It is increasing in both the public and private healthcare sectors within South Africa, especially in Gram-negative organisms, and is associated with increased use of World Health Organization watch and reserve antibiotics. There is a need for improved access to new antibiotics to treat infections caused by drug-resistant organisms in order to limit side-effects and improve patient outcomes of currently available antibiotics.