Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Covid-19 In Sub-Saharan Africa: Impacts On Vulnerable Populations And Sustaining Home-Grown Solutions, Lauren J. Wallace, Elysée Nouvet, Robert Bortolussi, Joshua A. Arthur, Eugenia Amporfu, Eric Arthur, Kofi Bobi Barimah, Bernard Aristide Bitouga, Harriet Chemusto, Joseph Ikechebelu, Ngozi Joe-Ikechebelu, Mandy Kader Kondé, Jean Damascene Kabakambira, Gabriel Kyomba Kalombe, Diana M.S. Karanja, Eveline Thobias Konje, Sekou Kouyate, Gojjam Limeneh, Felicien Munday Mulopo, Mary Ndu, Eric Ochomo, Oriokot Francis, Oumy Thiongane, Jeremiah Seni, S. Mohammed Sheriff, Douglas Singini

Health Studies Publications

© 2020, The Canadian Public Health Association. This commentary draws on sub-Saharan African health researchers’ accounts of their countries’ responses to control the spread of COVID-19, including social and health impacts, home-grown solutions, and gaps in knowledge. Limited human and material resources for infection control and lack of understanding or appreciation by the government of the realities of vulnerable populations have contributed to failed interventions to curb transmission, and further deepened inequalities. Some governments have adapted or limited lockdowns due to the negative impacts on livelihoods and taken specific measures to minimize the impact on the most vulnerable citizens. However, …

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 …

Out-Patient Neurological Disorders In Tanzania: Experience From A Private Institution In Dar Es Salaam, Philip Adebayo, Omar Aziz, Rose E. Mwakabatika, Mandela Makakala, Mugisha Clement, Shabbir Adamjee, Noureen Mushi, Ahmed Jusabani, Eric Aris

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background and introduction: Low and middle-income countries (LMIC) have a considerable burden of neurological disorders. Available profile of neurological disorders in our environment is biased towards neurological admissions. There is a paucity of data on out-patient neurological conditions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective: To determine the frequency and demographic data of neurological illnesses being managed at the adult out-patient neurology clinic of the Aga Khan Hospital, Dar es Salaam (AKHD).

Materials and methods: The electronic medical records of all cases with neurological diseases who presented to the adult neurology clinic of the AKHD between January 2018, and December 2019 were retrospectively …

Is The Positive Association Between Middle-Income And Rich Household Wealth And Adult Sub-Saharan African Women's Overweight Status Modified By The Level Of Education Attainment? A Cross-Sectional Study Of 22 Countries, Ifeoma Ozodiegwu, Henry V. Doctor, Megan Quinn, Laina D. Mercer, Ogbebor Enaholo Omoike, Hadii M. Mamudu

ETSU Faculty Works

BACKGROUND: Previous studies show a positive association between household wealth and overweight in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries; however, the manner in which this relationship differs in the presence of educational attainment has not been well-established. This study examined the multiplicative effect modification of educational attainment on the association between middle-income and rich household wealth and overweight status among adult females in 22 SSA countries. We hypothesized that household wealth was associated with a greater likelihood of being overweight among middle income and rich women with lower levels of educational attainment compared to those with higher levels of educational attainment. METHODS: …

A Review Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Sophie Silver

Senior Honors Theses

Human immunodeficiency virus, also referred to as HIV, is a devastating virus which has infected millions. Characterized as a retrovirus, HIV has an RNA genome, which is reverse transcribed into DNA upon entry into the host cell. HIV primarily affects CD4⁺ T cells and is diagnosed by the significant reduction of CD4⁺ T cells. While no cure has been discovered yet, antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been demonstrated as an effective treatment option. In the progression of HIV, additional HIV-associated diseases may arise, including HIV-associated psoriasis and sensory neuropathy. In addition to the use of ART, clinicians often prescribe …

The Relationship Between The Cervical Microbiome And Cervical Cancer Risk In Sub-Saharan Africa, Cameron Klein

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Despite ongoing efforts, sub-Saharan Africa faces a higher cervical cancer burden than anywhere else in the world. Besides HPV infection, definitive factors of cervical cancer are still unclear. Dysbiosis of the cervicovaginal microbiota, particularly involving sexually transmitted infections, is associated with increased cervical cancer risk. Notably, HIV infection, which is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, greatly increases risk of cervicovaginal dysbiosis and cervical cancer. To better understand and address cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa, a better understanding of the regional cervicovaginal microbiome is required. In this study, I establish the relationship between cervical cancer, HPV, HIV, cervicovaginal infections, and the cervicovaginal …

Economic Burden And Mental Health Of Primary Caregivers Of Perinatally Hiv Infected Adolescents From Kilifi, Kenya, Patrick V. Katana, Amina Abubakar, Moses K. Nyongesa, Derrick Ssewanyana, Paul Mwangi, Charles R. Newton, Julie Jemutai

Institute for Human Development

Background: Eighty per cent of perinatally HIV infected (PHI) adolescents live in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA), a setting also characterized by huge economic disparities. Caregiving is crucial to the management of chronic illness such as HIV/AIDS, but the economic costs and mental disorders borne by caregivers of PHI adolescents often go unnoticed. In this study, we evaluated economic costs, coping strategies and association between economic cost and mental health functioning of caregivers of perinatally HIV infected adolescents in Kilifi, Kenya.

Methods: We used a cost of illness descriptive analysis approach to determine the economic burden and Patient Health Questionnaire …

Antenatal Care Utilization In The Fragile And Conflict-Affected Context Of The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Bianca R. Ziegler, Moses Mosonsieyiri Kansanga, Yuji Sano, Joseph Kangmennaang, Daniel Kpienbaareh, Isaac Luginaah

Africa Western Collaborations Day 2020 Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Mycoplasma Co-Infection Is Associated With Cervical Cancer Risk, Cameron Klein, Kandali Samwel, Crispin Kahesa, Julius Mwaiselage, John T. West, Charles Wood, Peter C. Angeletti

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Tanzania faces one of the highest cervical cancer burdens in the world. Recent work has suggested that the bacterial family Mycoplasmataceae is associated with higher levels of human papillomavirus (HPV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and pre-cancerous cervical lesions. Mycoplasmataceae infection in Tanzania is not well understood, especially when considering the differences between sexually transmitted species of Mycoplasmataceae. To establish the prevalence of common Mycoplasmataceae cervical infections and evaluate their relationship with risk factors for cervical cancer, 1160 Tanzanian women responded to an epidemiological questionnaire and were tested for HIV, HPV, cervical lesions, Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma spp., and Lactobacillus …

Biopsychosocial Risk Factors And Knowledge Of Cervical Cancer Among Young Women: A Case Study From Kenya To Inform Hpv Prevention In Sub-Saharan Africa, Irene Ngune, Fatch Kalembo, Barbara Loessl, Lucy W. Kivuti-Bitok

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background Cervical cancer is the second most common female reproductive cancer after breast cancer with 84% of the cases in developing countries. A high uptake of human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination and screening, and early diagnosis leads to a reduction of incidence and mortality rates. Yet uptake of screening is low in Sub-Saharan Africa and there is an increasing number of women presenting for treatment with advanced disease. Nine women in their twenties die from cervical cancer in Kenya every day. This paper presents the biopsychosocial risk factors that impact on cervical cancer knowledge among Kenyan women aged 15 to …