Molecular epidemiology of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Gauteng South Africa.

Klebsiella pneumoniae multidrug-resistant (MDR) high-risk clones drive the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) associated infections, resulting in limited therapeutic options. This study described the genomic characteristics of K. pneumoniae MDR high-risk clones in Gauteng, South Africa.

Accelerating genetic gain through early-stage on-farm sparse testing.

Most African crop breeding programs conduct early-stage selection at very few research stations, which may not reflect smallholder farm conditions. Early-stage on-farm sparse testing utilizes genomic relationships to shift selection from research stations to hundreds of farms in the target population of environments, facilitating increased genetic gain in farmers' fields.

Pandemic-related resilience in HPV vaccination programmes - Perspectives from selected countries in Africa on what it will take to vaccinate 90 % of girls by 2030.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in widespread disruptions to primary health care and other sectors, halting the majority of routine immunisation services and particularly impacting newer, less routinized HPV vaccine programmes. We present a series of five country case studies, drawing directly from frontline experiences in Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Liberia, Zambia, and Senegal to explore potential barriers and enablers of national HPV vaccine programme resiliency in the aftermath of a pandemic. A series of common themes emerged, articulating common challenges to maintaining HPV vaccine programmes, common factors that supported programme resilience, and common themes of resource needs to rebuild stronger routine immunisation programmes to face future threats.

Identifying key challenges and optimizing approaches for training of health care professionals for HPV vaccination programmes.

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) play a crucial role in building vaccine confidence and promoting vaccination programmes. HCP vaccination recommendations are often the strongest predictor of vaccine uptake, influencing individuals' acceptance of and demand for vaccination. However, HCP training on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination faces challenges in some countries, including Ethiopia, Malawi, and Uganda.

Acceptability, barriers and facilitators of using dried blood spots-point-of-care testing for sickle cell disease in Africa: an implementation science protocol for a multinational qualitative study.

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a prevalent inherited blood disorder. Globally, approximately 515 000 babies are born with SCD annually, with 75% of these births occurring in Africa. Integrating newborn screening (NBS) for SCD into primary healthcare structures, such as immunisation programmes, holds significant promise, with dried blood spots (DBS)-point-of-care technologies (POCT) like HaemoTypeSC offering cost-effective screening solutions.

Types, design, implementation, and evaluation of nutrition interventions in older people in Africa: A scoping review protocol.

Introduction: Africa's older population is increasing and this, necessitates the development of interventions to promote healthy ageing. Nutrition is a key determinant of healthy ageing and local contextual evidence is needed to inform nutritional intervention development in Africa. There are already reviews on nutritional status and food insecurity in older adults in Africa.

Navigating algorithm bias in AI: ensuring fairness and trust in Africa.

This article presents a perspective on the impact of algorithmic bias on information fairness and trust in artificial intelligence (AI) systems within the African context. The author's personal experiences and observations, combined with relevant literature, formed the basis of this article. The authors demonstrate why algorithm bias poses a substantial challenge in Africa, particularly regarding fairness and the integrity of AI applications.

Perceptions of healthcare finance and system quality among Nigerian healthcare workers.

Nigeria's healthcare system faces significant challenges in financing and quality, impacting the delivery of services to its growing population. This study investigates healthcare workers' perceptions of these challenges and their implications for healthcare policy and practice. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 600 healthcare professionals from eight states across Nigeria, representing a variety of healthcare occupations.

Intimate partner violence, behaviours associated with risk of HIV acquisition and condom use in married women in Manicaland, East Zimbabwe: An HIV prevention cascade analysis.

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is widespread in the WHO African region with generalised HIV epidemics and may contribute to ongoing HIV transmission through its associations with behaviours associated with HIV acquisition risk and low use of prevention methods particularly in marital relationships.

Methods: We conducted a male condom HIV prevention cascade analysis using data from a general-population survey in Manicaland, Zimbabwe (July 2018-December 2019) to develop an understanding of how interventions that reduce IPV might be built upon to also reduce HIV incidence. Multivariable logistic regression was used to measure associations between currently-married HIV-negative women's experience of IPV and: (1) being in the priority population for HIV prevention methods (i.

Sexual and reproductive health and rights, HIV and migration in southern Africa: A rapid review.

Migration, a prevalent global phenomenon, significantly impacts health, particularly in low- to middle-income countries. This article presents a rapid review aimed at mapping projects, lessons and policies concerning sexual and reproductive health (SRH), HIV and migration in southern Africa. Utilising a population-concept-context framework, the review focuses on understanding the scope, nature and extent of interventions, identifying lessons learnt, and assessing existing policies and strategies.

Faculty development for supervisors of medical student rural attachments in Zimbabwe.

Reflective writing and keeping portfolios during rural hospital attachments has been shown to give medical students more confidence, better communication skills and clinical competence, thereby making them stronger adult learners. The role of supervisors as facilitators of learning during Community-based Education rural site visits is critical. The University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences established faculty development workshops to train supervisors to be better able to support students in becoming active learners and critical thinkers, giving them constructive feedback, and encouraging them to look for positive outcomes during their rural attachments.

Barriers and facilitators to primary care for people living with HIV and diabetes in Harare.

Background:  People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and comorbid diabetes mellitus (DM) face significant challenges owing to the complex interplay between these chronic conditions and the need for comprehensive and integrated care. Service availability and readiness for primary care are essential for the health of individuals and populations.

Aim:  This study aimed to explore barriers and facilitators to the provision of care to the patients with HIV and T2DM comorbidity.

Global trends in CD4 count measurement and distribution at first antiretroviral treatment initiation.

Background: While people with HIV (PWH) start antiretroviral treatment (ART) regardless of CD4 count, CD4 measurement remains crucial for detecting advanced HIV disease and evaluating ART programmes. We explored CD4 measurement (proportion of PWH with a CD4 result available) and prevalence of CD4 <200 cells/µL at ART initiation within the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) global collaboration.

Methods: We included PWH at participating ART programmes who first initiated ART at age 15-80 years during 2005-2019.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of heat exposure impacts on maternal, fetal and neonatal health.

Climate change has severe and wide-ranging health impacts, especially for vulnerable groups. Despite growing evidence of heat-associated adverse maternal and neonatal health outcomes, there remains a lack of synthesis quantifying associations and identifying specific risk periods. We systematically reviewed the literature on heat impacts on maternal, fetal and neonatal health and quantified impacts through meta-analyses.

Reported impact of creativity in the Wakakosha ('You're Worth It') internal stigma intervention for young people living with HIV in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Internal stigma (negative judgements towards oneself) continues to be a barrier to HIV treatment, management and care, and has global public health consequences. People living with HIV (PLHIV) who report internal stigma are less likely to seek care, adhere to treatment and can experience increased depression and lower quality of life. The Wakakosha ('You're Worth It') programme sought to reduce internal stigma among young PLHIV using inquiry-based stress reduction (IBSR), a cognitive and awareness-based methodology.

Intergenerational impact of drought and famine on health systems in developing countries - symposium proceedings.

The 2024 edition of the One Health symposium explored the intergenerational health impacts of drought and famine in developing countries, with a focus on innovative strategies for resilience-building in healthcare infrastructures. Organized by students of the CIH Center for International Health at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Germany, the event convened experts and participants from diverse backgrounds to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change-induced crises. Through presentations, panel discussions, and collaborative exchanges, the symposium underscored the profound health and socioeconomic implications of climate-related disasters, emphasizing the need for cross-sectoral cooperation and transformative action.

The use of smart technologies for enhancing palliative care: A systematic review.

Introduction: With the rapid advancement of technology, smart technologies have permeated various sectors, including palliative care in healthcare. Based on the available literature, similar studies have elucidated the application of individual and isolated smart technologies in palliative care, with their benefits, and limitations. This research, therefore, focuses on the conceptualisation of various smart technologies and makes holistic recommendations on the effective and efficient use of smart technologies in healthcare to enhance palliative care.

Associations of HIV and prevalent type 2 diabetes mellitus in the context of obesity in South Africa.

Background: It is unclear how rising obesity among people with HIV (PWH) impacts their risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (diabetes). We examined associations between HIV, prevalent diabetes and adiposity among South African PWH and their peers without HIV (PWOH).

Methods: HIV status was ascertained by antibody testing.

Yield, Physicochemical Properties, and Fatty Acid Profile of Vegetable Oil Extracted From Seed Coats of Soler. Fruits Collected in Chikomba, Zimbabwe.

The study examined Soler. (family LOGANIACEAE) fruit as a potential source of vegetable oil. Ripe fruits collected from a forested site in Zimbabwe were processed to determine the partitioning of fresh and dry fruit biomass.