Effectiveness of return-of-service schemes for human resources for health retention: a retrospective cohort study of four Southern African countries.

Background: Governments use return-of-service (RoS) schemes to train, employ and retain health professionals in the public sector. We determined the effectiveness of RoS schemes in four Southern African countries.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used databases of RoS beneficiaries from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho.

Effect of digital health, biomarker feedback and nurse or midwife-led counselling interventions to assist pregnant smokers quit: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To assess the effect of digital health (DH), biomarker feedback (BF) and nurse or midwife-led counselling (NoMC) interventions on abstinence in pregnant smokers during pregnancy and postpartum.

Settings: Any healthcare setting servicing pregnant women, including any country globally.

Participants: Pregnant women of any social, ethnic or geographical background who smoke.

Impact of one and two human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine doses on community-level HPV prevalence in South African adolescent girls: study protocol and rationale for a pragmatic before-after design.

Introduction: Vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV) are the key to controlling cervical cancer in low/middle-income countries (LMICs) where incidence is highest, but there have been limited data from these settings on programme impact on HPV prevalence, and none in a population with endemic HIV infection. Furthermore, for many LMICs, the currently recommended two-dose schedule is difficult to deliver at scale, so there is mounting interest in a single-dose schedule.

Methods And Analysis: The uman Papillomavirus ne and Two-Dose opulation ffectiveness Study is a hybrid impact evaluation of the national South African HPV vaccination programme, which has targeted grade 4 girls aged at least 9 years in public schools with two doses of vaccine since 2014, and a single-dose vaccine 'catch-up' programme delivered in one district in 2019.

Assessing the impact of the 13 valent pneumococcal vaccine on childhood empyema in Australia.

Background: Empyema is a serious complication of pneumonia frequently caused by (SP). We assessed the impact of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (13vPCV) on childhood pneumonia and empyema after inclusion in the Australian National Immunisation Program.

Methods: For bacterial pneumonia and empyema hospitalisations, we ascertained incidence rates (IRs) using the National Hospital Morbidity Database International Statistical Classification of Disease discharge codes and relevant population denominators, and calculated incidence rate ratios (IRR) comparing the 13vPCV period (June 2012-May 2017) with the 7vPCV period (June 2007-May 2011).

Motivation for change in the health care of children with developmental disabilities: Pilot continuing professional development-quality improvement project.

Aim: People with developmental disabilities (DDs) experience significant barriers accessing and receiving optimal health care resulting in poorer health-care outcomes. Continuing professional development (CPD) represents an effective means to alter health-care staff behaviour to improve the care of people with DDs. However, given the scepticism regarding the effectiveness of certain CPD models' ability to alter learner's workplace behaviour, the current pilot study developed and determined the feasibility of a novel CPD programme aimed at improving the health care provided to children with DDs.

Reformulation and strengthening of return-of-service (ROS) schemes could change the narrative on global health workforce distribution and shortages in sub-Saharan Africa.

Despite policies for addressing shortages and maldistribution of health professionals, sub-Saharan Africa continues to experience shortages and maldistribution of skilled health professionals. Policies such as return-of-service schemes or state-funded educational initiatives do not seem to be achieving their intended objectives, potentially due to poor design, implementation; and lack of monitoring and evaluation of the strategies. A focus by global health experts on strengthening and reformulating educational initiatives offers potential for producing, retaining and recruiting health professionals.

Eye care providers' emerging roles in early detection of diabetes and management of diabetic changes to the ocular surface: a review.

US adults visit eye care providers more often than primary healthcare providers, placing these doctors in a prime position to help identify and manage patients with prediabetes and diabetes. Currently, diabetes is identified in eye clinics in an advanced stage, only after visible signs of diabetic retinopathy. Recent ophthalmic research has identified multiple subclinical and clinical changes that occur in the anterior segment of the eye with metabolic disease.

A Qualitative Exploration of Fijian Perceptions of Diabetes: Identifying Opportunities for Prevention and Management.

Rates of diabetes are high in many communities of Pacific Island peoples, including people from Fiji. This qualitative study explores knowledge and attitudes towards diabetes among i-Taukei Fijians to facilitate the cultural tailoring of diabetes prevention and management programs for this community. Fijians aged 26 to 71 years (n = 15), residing in Australia, participated in semi-structured interviews; 53% (n = 8) were male.