Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Gender Difference In Mortality Among Pulmonary Tuberculosis Hiv Co-Infected Adults Aged 15-49 Years In Kenya, Rose J. Kosgei, Steven Callens, Peter Gichangi, Marleen Temmerman, Anne-Beatrice Kihara, Gathara David, Eunice Nyaboe Omesa, Enos Masini, E. Jane Carter

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Setting: Kenya, 2012–2015

Objective: To explore whether there is a gender difference in all-cause mortality among smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB)/ HIV co-infected patients treated for tuberculosis (TB) between 2012 and 2015 in Kenya.

Design: Retrospective cohort of 9,026 smear-positive patients aged 15–49 years. All-cause mortality during TB treatment was the outcome of interest. Time to start of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation was considered as a proxy for CD4 cell count. Those who took long to start of ART were assumed to have high CD4 cell count.

Results: Of the 9,026 observations analysed, 4,567(51%) and 4,459(49%) were women and men, …

Implications Of Covid-19 In High Burden Countries For Hiv/Tb: A Systematic Review Of Evidence, Jacques L. Tamuzi, Birhanu T. Ayele, Constance Shumba, Olatunji O. Adetokunboh, Jeannine Uwimana-Nicol, Zelalem T. Haile, Joseph Inugu, Peter S. Nyasulu

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background: The triple burden of COVID-19, tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus is one of the major global health challenges of the twenty-first century. In high burden HIV/TB countries, the spread of COVID-19 among people living with HIV is a well-founded concern. A thorough understanding of HIV/TB and COVID-19 pandemics is important as the three diseases interact. This may clarify HIV/TB/COVID-19 as a newly related field. However, several gaps remain in the knowledge of the burden of COVID-19 on patients with TB and HIV. This study was conducted to review different studies on SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV or COVID-19 associated with HIV/TB co-infection …

Effect Of Female Sex Work-Targeted Community-Based Interventions Along The Hiv Treatment Cascade In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review Protocol, Lydia Atuhaire, Olatunji Adetokunboh, Constance Shumba, Peter S. Nyasulu

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Introduction: Female sex workers (FSWs) are a known high-risk group that are at increased risk of HIV transmission due to exposure to multiple sexual partners and inability to negotiate safe sex attributed to challenging economic circumstances. Previous systematic reviews have examined the effectiveness of HIV interventions prioritising FSWs and have shown that targeted interventions improve access to HIV prevention and treatment services. Interventions that increase FSWs’ uptake of services are well documented; however, evidence on specific interventions aimed at improving FSWs’ continuity in HIV care along the treatment cascade is lacking. This systematic review aims to document the performance of …

Caregiver Experience And Perceived Acceptability Of A Novel Near Point-Of-Care Early Infant Hiv Diagnostic Test Among Caregivers Enrolled In The Pmtct Program, Myanmar: A Qualitative Study, Win Lei Yee, Kyu Kyu Than, Yasmin Mohamed, Hla Htay, Htay Htay Tin, Win Thein, Latt Latt Kyaw, Win Win Yee, Moe Myat Aye, Stanley Luchters

Population Health, East Africa

Background: The majority of HIV infection among children occurs through mother-to-child transmission. HIV exposed infants are recommended to have virological testing at birth or 4–6 weeks of age but challenges with centralized laboratory-based testing in Myanmar result in low test- ing rates and delays in result communication and treatment initiation. Decentralized point- of-care (POC) testing when integrated in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services, can be an alternative to increase coverage of early infant diagnosis (EID) and timely engagement in HIV treatment and care.

Aim: This paper aims to explore experiences of caregivers of HIV-exposed infants enrolled …

Prevalence And Risk Factors Associated With Hiv/Hepatitis B And Hiv/Hepatitis C Co-Infections Among People Who Inject Drugs In Mozambique, Cynthia Semá Baltazar, Makini Boothe, Timothy Kellogg, Paulino Ricardo, Isabel Sathane, Erika Fazito, Henry F. Raymond, Marleen Temmerman, Stanley Luchters

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: There is scare information about HIV co-infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) among People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) in Mozambique. This information is critical to ensure the treatment necessary to decrease the progression of liver disease and the transmission of both HIV and hepatitis. We assess the prevalence of HIV, HBV and HCV co-infections as well as associated risk factors among PWID.

Methods: The first Bio-Behavioral Surveillance Survey was conducted in 2013-2014 among persons who self-reported to have ever injected drugs. Using respondent-driven sampling, PWID aged 18 years and older were recruited …

Managing Acute Pain In Hiv+/Aids Patients: Knowledge And Practice Trends Among Emergency Physicians Of Major Tertiary Care Centers Of A Developing Country, Aliya Ahmed, Gauhar Afshan, Robyna Irshad Khan, Badar Afzal Khan, Seemin Jamali, Nighat Farooq, Sarosh Saleem, Rubaba Naeem, Uzma R. Khan

Department of Anaesthesia

Objective: To assess knowledge and practice trends in managing acute pain in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV+) or having acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) among emergency physicians of four tertiary care hospitals. Acute pain management in such patients is complex because of multiple concomitant painful conditions related to their disease. After obtaining ethical approval and written informed consent, emergency physicians were requested to fill out a questionnaire.
Results: Out of 84 physicians who participated, 49 had managed HIV+/AIDS patients during the preceding year. Out of the 49, 30 (61.2%) physicians stated that they used a combination of analgesics for …