Continuing Professional Development Program in Health Facilities in Rwanda: A Qualitative Study on the Perceptions of Health Professionals.

Background: Continuous professional development (CPD) is an important pillar in healthcare service delivery. Health professionals at all levels and disciplines must continuously update their knowledge and skills to cope with increasing professional demands in the context of a continuously changing spectrum of diseases. This study aimed to assess the CPD programs available in healthcare facilities (HFs) in Rwanda.

Mortality and Morbidity in Adults With Rheumatic Heart Disease.

Importance: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains a public health issue in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, there are few large studies enrolling individuals from multiple endemic countries.

Objective: To assess the risk and predictors of major patient-important clinical outcomes in patients with clinical RHD.

Knowledge, usability and challenges of e-learning platforms for continuing Professional Development of healthcare professionals at University Teaching Hospital of Kigali.

Background: Healthcare professionals constitute a critical component of clinical care services. To provide the expected service, they must continuously develop their profession through continuous learning. This kind of learning is recognized as continuing professional development (CPD).

The outcome of nonoperative treatment for adult humeral shaft fractures using a U-shaped slab in resource-limited settings: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Humeral shaft fractures, constituting 3-5% of musculoskeletal injuries, are commonly managed conservatively using functional braces. However, this approach may not be feasible in resource-limited settings. This study aimed to evaluate the functional outcomes of nonoperative treatment for humeral shaft fractures in adults utilizing a U-shaped slab.

Surgical Informed Consent in Clinical Practice: Patients' Perspective Undergoing Cesarean Section at Three Teaching Hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Background: Informed consent is a communication process of providing the patient/parents/guardians with relevant information regarding the diagnosis and the treatment so that they can make informed decisions. This study was to assess the practice of surgical informed consent in Addis Ababa.

Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was undertaken in Addis Ababa in 2021.

Pediatric anesthesia outreach in low and middle-income countries: Models, motives, and moral misalignments.

Background: A lack of anesthesia and surgical capacity leaves approximately 1.7 billion children per annum without access to surgical and anesthetic care.

Review: Over the past 50 years, the predominant strategy to address this lack of access has been to provide surgical capacity primarily from high-income countries (HICs) to low and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the form of short-term surgical missions.

Rapid cost-effectiveness analysis: hemodialysis versus peritoneal dialysis for patients with acute kidney injury in Rwanda.

Background: To ensure the long-term sustainability of its Community-Based Health Insurance scheme, the Government of Rwanda is working on using Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to prioritize its resources for health. The objectives of the study were to rapidly assess (1) the cost-effectiveness and (2) the budget impact of providing PD versus HD for patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) in the tertiary care setting in Rwanda.

Methods: A rapid cost-effectiveness analysis for patients with AKI was conducted to support prioritization.

Surgical Advances in Treating Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Africa: What About the Endoscopic Approach?

Objective: To assess the practices, trends, and challenges associated with the use of endoscopic techniques in Africa related to the surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia METHODS: The questionnaire, which was based on Google Forms, assessed several points related to the surgical management of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Results: In 67.4% of the centers, BPH was the primary pathology requiring surgical management.

Screening of Depression Among Medical Outpatients Visiting the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali, Rwanda.

Background: Depression is a significant global public health concern, affecting individuals across different age groups and cultural backgrounds. However, screening for depression remains an essential but often neglected aspect of healthcare, particularly in outpatient settings. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression among outpatients visiting the internal medicine department of the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali in Rwanda and evaluate the feasibility of implementing a depression screening program in this setting.

Geospatial evaluation of radiologic access in Rwanda.

Background: Rwanda has aimed to rebuild its health care system since the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis in 1994, though one of the challenges has been a scarcity of radiologic resources.

Objective: To assess the location and accessibility of radiologic facilities in Rwanda using geospatial mapping and population-based data.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in May 2023 using location and radiologic modality data provided by the Department of Radiology at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali and the WorldPop database, a publicly available database providing open-access geospatial population data.

Adaption and validation of the Rwandese version of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire for the screening of bipolar disorder.

Background: Bipolar disorder is challenging to diagnose. In Rwanda, a sub-Saharan country with a limited number of psychiatrists, the number of people with an undetected diagnosis of bipolar disorder could be high. Still, no screening tool for the disorder is available in the country.

Estimating mortality risk in burn patients admitted at Rwanda's largest referral hospital.

Background: Burns is a disease of poverty, disproportionately affecting populations in low- and middle-income countries, where most of the injuries and the deaths caused by burns occurs. In Sub-Saharan Africa, it is estimated that one fifth of burn victims die from their injuries. Mortality prediction indexes are used to estimate outcomes after provided burn care, which has been used in burn services of high-income countries over the last 60 years.

Prospective Outcomes of Noma Facial Reconstructive Surgery in Sokoto, Nigeria.

Noma is a gangrenous infection of the face that results in severe facial deformity, occurring primarily in malnourished and impoverished populations. To assess clinician- and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) before and after reconstructive surgery for patients with noma in northwest Nigeria. Objective outcomes were recorded using the noma-specific NOITULP (nose, outer cheek, inner cheek, trismus, upper/lower lip, particularities) classification system.

The spectrum of TP53 mutations in Rwandan patients with gastric cancer.

Background: Gastric cancer is the sixth most frequently diagnosed cancer and third in causing cancer-related death globally. The most frequently mutated gene in human cancers is TP53, which plays a pivotal role in cancer initiation and progression. In Africa, particularly in Rwanda, data on TP53 mutations are lacking.

Transfusion Camp Rwanda 2023: A train-the-trainer workshop establishing locally driven leadership in knowledge translation and sustainability in transfusion medicine education.

Background And Objectives: Blood transfusion is performed daily in hospitals. Gaps exist between transfusion guidelines and day-to-day clinical care. These gaps are prevalent in resource-limited settings due to scarce continuing medical education.

Paediatric, maternal, and congenital mpox: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Although mpox has been detected in paediatric populations in central and west Africa for decades, evidence synthesis on paediatric, maternal, and congenital mpox, and the use of vaccines and therapeutics in these groups, is lacking. A systematic review is therefore indicated to set the research agenda.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, searching articles in Embase, Global Health, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, SciELO, and WHO databases from inception to April 17, 2023.

The prevalence and clinical context of antimicrobial resistance amongst medical inpatients at a referral hospital in Rwanda: a cohort study.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global concern. AMR surveillance is a crucial component of the international response; however, passive surveillance of laboratory data is limited without corresponding patient-level clinical data. This study sought to examine the burden of AMR amongst medical inpatients in Rwanda, in the context of their clinical presentations and prior antibiotic exposures.

Wire Osteosynthesis in the Treatment of Mandible Fractures in Low Resource Settings: A Force Study.

Study Design: Cadaveric investigation.

Objective: Rigid internal fixation (RIF) using plates and screws is often not feasible in low and middle-income countries due to limited resources. Interosseous wiring to achieve semi-rigid fixation is often used, but lacks biomechanical force data.

Prevalence and levels of disability post road traffic orthopaedic injuries in Rwanda.

Background: Prolonged disability resulting from road traffic injuries (RTIs) contributes significantly to morbidity and disease burden. A good understanding of the prevalence and the level of disability of orthopaedic injuries in developing countries is crucial for improvement; however, such data are currently lacking in Rwanda.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and levels of disability of 2 years post-road traffic orthopaedic injuries in Rwanda.