Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Better Drug Therapy For The Children Of Africa: Current Impediments To Success And Potential Strategies For Improvement, Stuart M. Macleod, Janet K. Finch, William Macharia, Gabriel M. Anabwani

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

A commentary is presented on the urgent need for a comprehensive effort to improve the practice of pediatric therapeutics in Africa. A call for action is addressed to a variety of practitioners internationally, many of whom possess skills that could be fruitfully applied to the improvement of health outcomes for African children. Successful engagement with the many challenges requires the complementary effort of researchers in basic and clinical pharmacology and toxicology, nurses, pharmacists, physicians, clinical pharmacologists, clinical pharmacists, and political leaders and civil servants. While a comprehensive or systematic review of the relevant literature has not been attempted, the authors …

Disclosure Of Hiv Status To Children In Resource-Limited Settings: A Systematic Review, Rachel C. Vreeman, Anna Maria Gramelspacher, Peter Gisore, Michael L. Scanlon, Winstone M. Nyandiko

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Introduction: Informing children of their own HIV status is an important aspect of long-term disease management, yet there is little evidence of how and when this type of disclosure takes place in resource-limited settings and its impact.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Databases were searched for the terms hiv AND disclos* AND (child* OR adolesc*). We reviewed 934 article citations and the references of relevant articles to find articles describing disclosure to children and adolescents in resource-limited settings. Data were extracted regarding prevalence of disclosure, factors influencing disclosure, process of disclosure and impact of disclosure on children and caregivers.

Results: …

Nutritional Status Of Orphaned And Separated Children And Adolescents Living In Community And Institutional Environments In Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, Paula Braitstein, Samuel Ayaya, Winstone M. Nyandiko, Allan Kamanda, Julius Koech, Peter Gisore, Lukoye Atwoli, Rachel C. Vreeman, Corey Duefield, David O. Ayuku

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Objective: To describe the nutritional status of orphaned and separated children and adolescents (OSCA) living in households in the community (HH), on the street, and those in institutional environments in western Kenya. Methods: The study enrolled OSCA from 300 randomly selected households (HH), 19 Charitable Children’s Institutions(CCIs), and 100 street-involved children. Measures of malnutrition were standardized with Z-scores using World Health Organization criteria; Z-scores #-2 standard deviations (sd) were moderate-severe malnutrition. Data were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for child age, sex, HIV status, whether the child had been hospitalized in theprevious year, time living with current guardian, and …

Treatment Of Fast Breathing In Neonates And Young Infants With Oral Amoxicillin Compared With Penicillin-Gentamicin Combination: Study Protocol For A Randomized, Open-Label Equivalence Trial, Antoinette Tshefu, Adrien Lokangaka, Cyril Engmann, Fabian Esamai, Peter Gisore, Adejumoke Idowu Ayed, Adegoke Gbadegesin Falade, Ebunoluwa A. Adejuyigbe, Chineme Henry Anyabolu, Robinson D. Wammanda, William N. Ogala, Lu Gram, Simon Cousens, Rajiv Bahl, Nigel Rollins, Sachiyo Yoshida, Shamim Ahmed Qaz

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: The World Health Organization recommends hospitalization and injectable antibiotic treatment for young infants (0–59 days old), who present with signs of possible serious bacterial infection. Fast breathing alone is not associated with a high mortality risk for young infants and has been treated with oral antibiotics in some settings. This trial was designed to examine the safety and efficacy of oral amoxicillin for young infants with fast breathing compared with that of an injectable penicillin–gentamicin combination. The study is currently being conducted in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Nigeria

Methods/Design: This is a randomized, open-label equivalence trial. …

Commonly Cited Incentives In The Community Implementation Of The Emergency Maternal And Newborn Care Study In Western Kenya, Peter Gisore, B. Rono, J. Nekesa-Mangeni, C. Tenge, E. Shipala, H. Mabeya, D. Odhiambo, K. Otieno, S. Bucher, C. Makokha, E. Liechty, F. Esamai

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: Mortality of mothers and newborns is an important public health problem in low-income countries. In the rural setting, implementation of community based education and mobilization are strategies that have sought to reduce these mortalities. Frequently such approaches rely on volunteers within each community.

Objective: To assess the perceptions of the community volunteers in rural Kenya as they implemented the EmONC program and to identify the incentives that could result in their sustained engagement in the project.

Method: A community-based cross sectional survey was administered to all volunteers involved in the study. Data were collected using a self-administered supervision tool …

Scientific Rationale For Study Design Of Community-Based Simplified Antibiotic Therapy Trials In Newborns And Young Infants With Clinically Diagnosed Severe Infections Or Fast Breathing In South Asia And Sub-Saharan Africa., Anita K. M. Zaidi, Abdullah H. Baqui, Shamim Ahmad Qazi, Rajiv Bahl, Samir Saha, Adejumoke I. Ayede, Ebunoluwa A. Adejuyigbe, Cyril Engmann, Fabian Esamai, Antoinette Kitoto Tshefu, Robinson D. Wammanda, Adegoke G. Falade, Adetanwa Odebiyi, Peter Gisore, Adrien Lokangaka Longombe, William N. Ogala, Shiyam Sundar Tikmani, A. S. M. Nawshad Uddin Ahmed, Steve Wall, Neal Brandes, Daniel E. Roth, Gary L. Darmstadt

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: Newborns and young infants suffer high rates of infections in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Timely access to appropriate antibiotic therapy is essential for reducing mortality. In an effort to develop community case management guidelines for young infants, 0–59 days old, with clinically diagnosed severe infections, or with fast breathing, 4 trials of simplified antibiotic therapy delivered in primary care clinics (Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Nigeria) or at home (Bangladesh and Nigeria) are being conducted.

Methods: This article describes the scientific rationale for these trials, which share major elements of trial design. All the trials are …

Nutritional Status Of Children Admitted For Diarrhoeal Diseases In A Referral Hospital In Western Kenya, I. Marete, J. Simba, Peter Gisore, C. Tenge, D. Bosire, A. Mwangi, F. Esamai

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of malnutrition among children admitted with acute diarrhoea disease at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and to establish the effect of malnutrition on duration of hospital stay.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: Paediatric wards of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya

Subjects: A total of 191 children aged 6 and 59 months admitted with acute diarrhoea disease, without chronic co-morbidities or visible severe malnutrition, were systematically enrolled into the study between November 2011 and March 2012.

Outcome Measures: Nutritional status based on WHO WHZ scores taken at admission and …

Effectiveness Of Sequential V. Standard Triple Therapy For Treatment Of Helicobacter Pylori Infection In Children In Nairobi, Kenya, Ahmed Laving, Rose Kamenwa, Shahin Sayed, Andrew Nyerere Kimang'a, Gunturu Revathi

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: Once the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori is confirmed, treatment requires at least two antibiotics and an acid inhibitor for a minimum of seven days. Unfortunately, treatment failures are being frequently reported. Treatment regimens that include sequential administration of antibiotics with acid inhibitors have been developed to try and increase the rate of eradication.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of a novel 10-day sequential therapy compared with the standard 10-day triple therapy for treatment of H. pylori infection in children.

Methods: A double-blinded, randomised, controlled trial was conducted. Children under the age of 16 years with recurrent abdominal pain associated …

Simplified Regimens For Management Of Neonates And Young Infants With Severe Infection When Hospital Admission Is Not Possible, Antoinette Tshef, Adrien Lokangaka, Cyril Engmann, Fabian Esamai, Peter Gisore, Adejumoke Idowu Ayede, Adegoke Gbadegesin Falade, Ebunoluwa A. Adejuyigbe, Chineme Henry Anyabolu, Robinson D. Wammanda, William N. Ogala, Lu Gram, Simon Cousens, Rajiv Bahl, Nigel Rollins, Sachiyo Yoshida, Shamim Ahmad Qazi

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: In resource-limited settings, most young infants with signs of severe infection do not receive the recommended inpatient treatment with intravenous broad spectrum antibiotics for 10 days or more because such treatment is not accessible, acceptable or affordable to families. This trial was initiated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Nigeria to assess the safety and efficacy of simplified treatment regimens for the young infants with signs of severe infection who cannot receive hospital care.

Methods: This is a randomized, open-label equivalence trial in which 3600 young infants with signs of clinical severe infection will be enrolled. The …