Reduction of malaria vector mosquitoes in a large-scale intervention trial in rural Burkina Faso using Bti based larval source management.

BACKGROUND: Malaria remains one of the most important causes of morbidity and death in sub-Saharan Africa. Along with early diagnosis and treatment of malaria cases and intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp), vector control is an important tool in the reduction of new cases. Alongside the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS), targeting the vector larvae with biological larvicides, such as Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) is gaining importance as a means of reducing the number of mosquito larvae before they emerge to their adult stage. This study presents data corroborating the entomological impact of such an intervention in a rural African environment. METHODS: The study extended over 2 years and researched the impact of biological larviciding with Bti on malaria mosquitoes that were caught indoors and outdoors of houses using light traps. The achieved reductions in female Anopheles mosquitoes were calculated for two different larviciding choices using a regression model. RESULTS: In villages that received selective treatment of the most productive breeding sites, the number of female Anopheles spp. dropped by 61% (95% CI 54-66%) compared to the pre-intervention period. In villages in which all breeding sites were treated, the number of female Anopheles spp. was reduced by 70% (95% CI 64-74%) compared to the pre-intervention period. CONCLUSION: It was shown that malaria vector abundance can be dramatically reduced through larviciding of breeding habitats and that, in many geographical settings, they are a viable addition to current malaria control measures.

Lessons learned on teaching a global audience with massive open online courses (MOOCs) on health impacts of climate change: a commentary.

BACKGROUND: The adverse health impacts of climate change are increasing on a global level. However, knowledge about climate change and health is still unavailable to many global citizens, in particular on adaptation measures and co-benefits of health mitigation. Educational technologies, such as massive open online courses (MOOCs), may have a high potential for providing access to information about climate change links to health for a global audience. MAIN BODY: We developed three MOOCs addressing the link between climate change and health to take advantage of the methodology's broad reach and accelerate knowledge dissemination on the nexus of climate change and health. The primary objective was to translate an existing face-to-face short course that only reached a few participants on climate change and health into globally accessible learning opportunities. In the following, we share and comment on our lessons learned with the three MOOCs, with a focus on global teaching in the realm of climate change and health. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the three MOOCs attracted a global audience with diverse educational backgrounds, and a large number of participants from low-income countries. Our experience highlights that MOOCs may play a part in global capacity building, potentially for other health-related topics as well, as we have found that our MOOCs have attracted participants within low-resource contexts. MOOCs may be an effective method for teaching and training global students on health topics, in this case on the complex links and dynamics between climate change and health and may further act as an enabler for equitable access to quality education.

Household preferences for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in four European high-income countries: Does health information matter? A mixed-methods study protocol.

BACKGROUND: It is now universally acknowledged that climate change constitutes a major threat to human health. At the same time, some of the measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, so-called climate change mitigation measures, have significant health co-benefits (e.g., walking or cycling more; eating less meat). The goal of limiting global warming to 1,5° Celsius set by the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris in 2015 can only be reached if all stakeholders, including households, take actions to mitigate climate change. Results on whether framing mitigation measures in terms of their health co-benefits increases the likelihood of their implementation are inconsistent. The present study protocol describes the transdisciplinary project HOPE (HOuseholds' Preferences for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in four European high-income countries) that investigates the role of health co-benefits in households' decision making on climate change mitigation measures in urban households in France, Germany, Norway and Sweden. METHODS: HOPE employs a mixed-methods approach combining status-quo carbon footprint assessments, simulations of the reduction of households' carbon footprints, and qualitative in-depth interviews with a subgroup of households. Furthermore, a policy analysis of current household oriented climate policies is conducted. In the simulation of the reduction of households' carbon footprints, half of the households are provided with information on health co-benefits of climate change mitigation measures, the other half is not. Households' willingness to implement the measures is assessed and compared in between-group analyses of variance. DISCUSSION: This is one of the first comprehensive mixed-methods approaches to investigate which mitigation measures households are most willing to implement in order to reach the 1,5° target set by the Paris Agreement, and whether health co-benefits can serve as a motivator for households to implement these measures. The comparison of the empirical data with current climate policies will provide knowledge for tailoring effective climate change mitigation and health policies.

An insecticide-treated bed-net campaign and childhood malaria in Burkina Faso.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if the first national insecticide-treated bed-net campaign in Burkina Faso, done in 2010, was followed by a decrease in childhood malaria in a district with high baseline transmission of the disease. METHODS: We obtained data on the prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia in children aged 2 weeks to 36 months from malaria surveys in 2009 and 2011. We assessed morbidity in children younger than 5 years by comparing data from the Nouna health district's health management information system before and after the campaign in 2010. We analysed mortality data from 2008 to 2012 from Nouna's health and demographic surveillance system. FINDINGS: The bed-net campaign was associated with an increase in the reported use of insecticide-treated nets. In 2009, 73% (630/869) of children reportedly slept under nets. In 2011, 92% (449/487) did. The campaign had no effect on the proportion of young children with P. falciparum parasitaemia after the rainy season; 52% (442/858) in 2009 and 53% (263/499) in 2011. Cases of malaria increased markedly after the campaign, as did the number of children presenting with other diseases. The campaign was not associated with any changes in child mortality. CONCLUSION: The 2010 insecticide-treated net campaign in Burkina Faso was not associated with a decrease in care-seeking for malaria or all-cause mortality in children younger than 5 years. The most likely explanation is the high coverage of nets in the study area before the campaign which could have had an effect on mosquito vectors, limiting the campaign's impact.

Modeling tools for dengue risk mapping - a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: The global spread and the increased frequency and magnitude of epidemic dengue in the last 50 years underscore the urgent need for effective tools for surveillance, prevention, and control. This review aims at providing a systematic overview of what predictors are critical and which spatial and spatio-temporal modeling approaches are useful in generating risk maps for dengue. METHODS: A systematic search was undertaken, using the PubMed, Web of Science, WHOLIS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and OvidSP databases for published citations, without language or time restrictions. A manual search of the titles and abstracts was carried out using predefined criteria, notably the inclusion of dengue cases. Data were extracted for pre-identified variables, including the type of predictors and the type of modeling approach used for risk mapping. RESULTS: A wide variety of both predictors and modeling approaches was used to create dengue risk maps. No specific patterns could be identified in the combination of predictors or models across studies. The most important and commonly used predictors for the category of demographic and socio-economic variables were age, gender, education, housing conditions and level of income. Among environmental variables, precipitation and air temperature were often significant predictors. Remote sensing provided a source of varied land cover data that could act as a proxy for other predictor categories. Descriptive maps showing dengue case hotspots were useful for identifying high-risk areas. Predictive maps based on more complex methodology facilitated advanced data analysis and visualization, but their applicability in public health contexts remains to be established. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of available dengue risk maps was descriptive and based on retrospective data. Availability of resources, feasibility of acquisition, quality of data, alongside available technical expertise, determines the accuracy of dengue risk maps and their applicability to the field of public health. A large number of unknowns, including effective entomological predictors, genetic diversity of circulating viruses, population serological profile, and human mobility, continue to pose challenges and to limit the ability to produce accurate and effective risk maps, and fail to support the development of early warning systems.

Use of traditional medicines to cope with climate-sensitive diseases in a resource poor setting in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the use of traditional medicines to cope with climate sensitive diseases in areas vulnerable to climate change. We assessed the extent to which traditional or alternative medicines were used for the treatment of the climate sensitive diseases by villagers as part of their health-coping strategies. METHODS: The study deployed a mixed-method research design to know the health-coping strategies of the people in a resource-poor setting.A cross sectional study was conducted from September 2010 to March 2011 among 450 households selected randomly in the districts of Rajshahi and Khulna, Bangladesh. The elder males or females of each household were interviewed. For qualitative methods, twelve focus group discussions (six with females and six with males) and fifteen key informant interviews were conducted by the research team, using interview guidelines on the use of traditional medicine. RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed that the use of traditional medicines has increased among community members of all socio-economic and demographic backgrounds. Due to the increased incidence of disease and sickness respondents had to increase the use of their cultural means to cope with adverse health situations. CONCLUSIONS: A systematic collection of knowledge on the use of traditional medicines to cope with climate-sensitive diseases can help the adaptation of communities vulnerable to climate change. In addition it can be instrumental in creating a directory of traditional medicine components used for specific diseases and highlight the effectiveness and relevance of traditional medicines as health-coping strategies. This may be useful for policymakers, researchers, and development partners to adapt existing health care policy in resource-limited contexts. It may also encourage WHO, national and international institutions, such as pharmaceutical companies, to carry out research investigating the effectiveness of these traditional medicines and integrate them with modern medicine. Overall, it could increase the health coping capacity of people in a resource-poor setting and contribute to their adaptation capabilities.

Assessing the potential of native copepods in Guatemala for Aedes vector control.

BACKGROUND: In this study we examine the feeding efficiency of copepods locally found in Guatemala on first instar Aedes aegypti larvae. Copepods are a potential tool for Aedes vector control that has shown promising results in the laboratory and in community-based field trials. METHODS: Four different copepod species from different habitat types were included in the laboratory assays of this study. RESULTS: All four tested copepod species decreased the number of the first instar Aedes larvae that were inserted into the glass vessels compared with controls. However, average predation rates between the tested species were highly different, with Thermocyclops crassus and Mesocyclops longisetus achieving the highest, with 31.0% (standard deviation [SD] 18.9) and 28. 9% (SD 11.2), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The copepod species with identified high predation rates are potential candidates for planned and other future field trials for community-based Aedes vector control with copepods in the region.

Prevalence of major non-communicable diseases and their associated risk factors in Afghanistan: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and increasingly so in low- and middle-income countries. Afghanistan is dealing with a double burden of diseases, yet there has been no evidence synthesis on the prevalence of major NCDs and their risk factors. Objective: This study aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the existing data on the prevalence of major NCDs and the common related risk factors in Afghanistan. Method: We systematically reviewed scientific articles from 2000 to 2022 that reported the prevalence of diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) or cancer, and their risk factors in Afghanistan. Four online databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane and Google Scholar) and two local journals in Afghanistan (not indexed online) were systematically searched and screened. Two reviewers independently screened and appraised the quality of the articles. Data extraction and synthesis were performed using tabulated sheets. Results: Among 51 eligible articles, 10 (19.6%) focused on cancer, 10 (19.6%) on diabetes, 4 (7.8%) on CVDs, 4 (7.8%) on CRDs and 23 (45.1%) on risk factors as the primary outcome. Few articles addressed major NCD prevalence; no evidence of CVDs, cancer was 0.15%, asthma ranged between 0.3% and 17.3%, and diabetes was 12%. Pooled prevalence of hypertension and overweight were 31% and 35%, respectively. Central obesity was twice as prevalent in females (76% versus 40%). Similarly, gender differences were observed in smoking and snuff use with prevalence rates of 14% and 25% among males and 2% and 3% among females, respectively. A total of 14% of the population engaged in vigorous activity. Pooled prevalence for physical inactivity, general obesity, fruit and vegetable consumption, dyslipidaemia and alcohol consumption couldn't be calculated due to the heterogeneity of articles. Conclusion: Only little evidence is available on the prevalence of major NCDs in Afghanistan; however, the NCD risk factors are prevalent across the country. The quality of the available data, especially those of the local resources, is poor; therefore, further research should generate reliable evidence in order to inform policymakers on prioritizing interventions for controlling and managing NCDs.

Health coping strategies of the people vulnerable to climate change in a resource-poor rural setting in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Among the many challenges faced by the people of Bangladesh, the effects of climate change are discernibly threatening, impacting on human settlement, agricultural production, economic development, and human health. Bangladesh is a low-income country with limited resources; its vulnerability to climate change has influenced individuals to seek out health coping strategies. The objectives of the study were to explore the different strategies/measures people employ to cope with climate sensitive diseases and sickness. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 450 households from Rajshahi and Khulna districts of Bangladesh selected through multi-stage sampling techniques, using a semi-structured questionnaire supplemented by 12 focus group discussions and 15 key informant interviews. RESULTS: Respondents applied 22 types of primary health coping strategies to prevent climate related diseases and sickness. To cope with health problems, 80.8% used personal treatment experiences and 99.3% sought any treatments available at village level. The percentage of respondents that visited unqualified health providers to cope with climate induced health problems was quite high, namely 92.7% visited village doctors, 75.9% drug stores, and 67.3% self-medicated. Ninety per cent of the respondents took treatment from unqualified providers as their first choice. Public health facilities were the first choice of treatment for only 11.0% of respondents. On average, every household spent Bangladesh Currency Taka 9,323 per year for the treatment of climate sensitive diseases and sickness. Only 46% of health expenditure was managed from their savings. The rest, 54% expenditure, was supported by using 24 different sources, such as social capital and the selling of family assets. The rate of out-of-pocket payment was almost 100%. CONCLUSION: People are concerned about climate induced diseases and sickness and sought preventive as well as curative measures to cope with health problems. The most common and widely used climate health coping strategies among the respondents included self-medicating and seeking the health service of unqualified private health care providers. Per family spending to cope with such health problems is expensive and completely based on out of pocket payment. There is no fund pooling, community funding or health insurance program in rural areas to support the health coping of the people. Policies are needed to reduce out-of-pocket payment, to improve the quality of the unqualified providers and to extend public health services at rural areas and support climate related health coping. Collection of such knowledge on climate related health coping strategies can allow researchers to study any specific issue on health coping, and policy makers to initiate effective climate related health coping strategies for climate vulnerable people.

Moving towards universal coverage with malaria control interventions: achievements and challenges in rural Burkina Faso.

This paper reports on a study, which assessed coverage with malaria control interventions in rural Burkina Faso, namely insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITN) ownership, intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) for pregnant women and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for under-five children. The study also addressed the distributional impact of such interventions, with specific reference to equity. The study used data from a representative household survey conducted on 1106 households in the Nouna Health District in 2010. Findings indicated that 59% of all households owned at least one ITN, 66% of all pregnant women received IPT at least once and 34% of under-five children reporting a malaria case were treated with ACT. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that higher socio-economic status, ownership of at least one radio and living in a village within a Health and Demographic Surveillance System were significantly positively associated with ITN, IPTp and ACT coverage. ITN coverage was higher among households in villages, which had previously hosted an ITN trial and/or the most favourable arm of a trial. Comparing current findings with previous estimates suggests that the country has made substantial progress towards scaling up malaria control interventions but that current coverage rates are still far from achieving the universal coverage targets set by the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. In addition, current coverage patterns reveal the existence of multiple inequities across groups, suggesting that current policies are inadequate to achieve equitable scaling up. Future planning of malaria control interventions ought to take into consideration current inadequacies and lead to programmes better designed to overcome them.

Interventions against Aedes/dengue at the household level: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Because the evidence for the role of structural housing and combinations of interventions (domestic or peri-domestic) against Aedes mosquitoes or dengue is still lacking, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to analyse and synthesize research focusing on the household as the unit of allocation. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, LILACS, and Web of Science databases until February 2023 using three general keyword categories: (1) "Aedes" or "dengue"; (2) structural housing interventions including "house", "water", or "drainage"; and (3) vector control interventions of potential relevance and their combinations. We performed a qualitative content analysis and a meta-analysis for 13 entries on dengue seroconversion data. FINDINGS: 14,272 articles were screened by titles, 615 by abstracts, 79 by full-text. 61 were selected. Satisfactory data quality allowed for detailed content analysis. Interventions at the household level against the immature mosquito stages (21 studies, 34%) showed positive or mixed results in entomological and epidemiological outcomes (86% and 75% respectively). Combined interventions against immature and adult stages (11 studies, 18%) performed similarly (91% and 67%) while those against the adult mosquitoes (29 studies, 48%) performed less well (79%, 22%). A meta-analysis on seroconversion outcomes showed a not-statistically significant reduction for interventions (log odds-ratio: -0.18 [-0.51, 0.14 95% CI]). INTERPRETATION: No basic research on housing structure or modification was eligible for this systematic review but many interventions with clear impact on vector indices and, to a lesser extent, on dengue were described. The small and not-statistically significant effect size of the meta-analysis highlights the difficulty of proving effectiveness against this highly-clustered disease and of overcoming practical implementation obstacles (e.g. efficacy loss, compliance). The long-term success of interventions depends on suitability, community commitment and official support and promotion. The choice of a specific vector control package needs to take all these context-specific aspects into consideration. FUNDING: This work was funded by a grant from the World Health Organization (2021/1121668-0, PO 202678425, NTD/VVE).

Secondary vectors of Zika Virus, a systematic review of laboratory vector competence studies.

BACKGROUND: After the unprecedented Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in the western hemisphere from 2015-2018, Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus are now well established primary and secondary ZIKV vectors, respectively. Consensus about identification and importance of other secondary ZIKV vectors remain. This systematic review aims to provide a list of vector species capable of transmitting ZIKV by reviewing evidence from laboratory vector competence (VC) studies and to identify key knowledge gaps and issues within the ZIKV VC literature. METHODS: A search was performed until 15th March 2022 on the Cochrane Library, Lilacs, PubMed, Web of Science, WHOLIS and Google Scholar. The search strings included three general categories: 1) "ZIKA"; 2) "vector"; 3) "competence", "transmission", "isolation", or "feeding behavior" and their combinations. Inclusion and exclusion criteria has been predefined and quality of included articles was assessed by STROBE and STROME-ID criteria. FINDINGS: From 8,986 articles retrieved, 2,349 non-duplicates were screened by title and abstracts,103 evaluated using the full text, and 45 included in this analysis. Main findings are 1) secondary vectors of interest include Ae. japonicus, Ae. detritus, and Ae. vexans at higher temperature 2) Culex quinquefasciatus was not found to be a competent vector of ZIKV, 3) considerable heterogeneity in VC, depending on the local mosquito strain and virus used in testing was observed. Critical issues or gaps identified included 1) inconsistent definitions of VC parameters across the literature; 2) equivalency of using different mosquito body parts to evaluate VC parameters for infection (mosquito bodies versus midguts), dissemination (heads, legs or wings versus salivary glands), and transmission (detection or virus amplification in saliva, FTA cards, transmission to neonatal mice); 3) articles that fail to use infectious virus assays to confirm the presence of live virus; 4) need for more studies using murine models with immunocompromised mice to infect mosquitoes. CONCLUSION: Recent, large collaborative multi-country projects to conduct large scale evaluations of specific mosquito species represent the most appropriate approach to establish VC of mosquito species.

Evaluation of the Ghana Heart Initiative - Design and Rationale of a Pragmatic Mixed-Methods Study from Diverse Perspectives: A Study Protocol.

Background: Rigorous evaluations of health system interventions to strengthen hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) care remain scarce in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aims to evaluate the reach, effectiveness, adoption / acceptability, implementation fidelity, cost, and sustainability of the Ghana Heart Initiative (GHI), a multicomponent supply-side intervention to improve cardiovascular health in Ghana. Methods: This study adopts a mixed- and multi-methods design comparing the effects of the GHI in 42 intervention health facilities (i.e. primary, secondary and tertiary) in the Greater Accra Region versus 56 control health facilities in the Central and Western Regions. The evaluation design is guided by the RE-AIM framework underpinned by the WHO health systems building blocks framework, integrated by the Institute of Medicine's six dimensions of health care quality: safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, effi cient, equitable. The assessment tools include: (i) a health facility survey, (ii) a healthcare provider survey assessing the knowledge, attitudes, and practices on hypertension and CVD management, (iii) a patient exit survey, (iv) an outpatient and in-patient medical record review and (v) qualitative interviews with patients and various health system stakeholders to understand the barriers and facilitators around the implementation of the GHI. In addition to primary data collection, the study also relies on secondary routine health system data, i.e., the District Health Information Management System to conduct an interrupted time series analysis using monthly counts for relevant hypertension and CVD specific indicators as outcomes. The primary outcome measures are performance of health service delivery indicators, input, process and outcome of care indicators (including screening of hypertension, newly diagnosed hypertension, prescription of guideline directed medical therapy, and satisfaction with service received and acceptability) between the intervention and control facilities. Lastly, an economic evaluation and budget impact analysis is planned to inform the nationwide scale-up of the GHI. Discussion: This study will generate policy-relevant data on the reach, effectiveness, implementation fidelity, adoption / acceptability, and sustainability of the GHI, and provide insights on the costs and budget-impacts to inform nation-wide scale-up to expand the GHI to other regions across Ghana and offer lessons to other low- and middle-income countries settings as well. RIDIE Registration Number: RIDIE-STUDY-ID-6375e5614fd49 (https://ridie.3ieimpact.org/index.php).

Long-term effects of malaria prevention with insecticide-treated mosquito nets on morbidity and mortality in African children: randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to investigate the effect of malaria control with insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) regarding possible higher mortality in children protected during early infancy, due to interference with immunity development, and to assess long-term effects on malaria prevalence and morbidity. METHODS: Between 2000 and 2002, a birth cohort was enrolled in 41 villages of a malaria holoendemic area in north-western Burkina Faso. All neonates (n = 3387) were individually randomised to ITN protection from birth (group A) vs. ITN protection from age 6 months (group B). Primary outcome was all-cause mortality. In 2009, a survey took place in six sentinel villages, and in 2010, a census was conducted in all study villages. RESULTS: After a median follow-up time of 8.3 years, 443/3387 (13.1%) children had migrated out of the area and 484/2944 (16.4%) had died, mostly at home. Long-term compliance with ITN protection was good. There were no differences in mortality between study groups (248 deaths in group A, 236 deaths in group B; rate ratio 1.05, 95% CI: 0.889-1.237, P = 0.574). The survey conducted briefly after the rainy season in 2009 showed that more than 80% of study children carried asexual malaria parasites and up to 20% had clinical malaria. CONCLUSION: Insecticide-treated mosquito net protection in early infancy is not a risk factor for mortality. Individual ITN protection does not sufficiently reduce malaria prevalence in high-transmission areas. Achieving universal ITN coverage remains a major challenge for malaria prevention in Africa.

Prevalence of anemia among Indigenous children in Latin America: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence pattern of anemia among Indigenous children in Latin America. METHODS: PRISMA guidelines were followed. Records were identified from the databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and Lilacs by two independent researchers between May and June 2021. Studies were included if the following criteria were met: a) studied Indigenous people b) was about children (from 0 to 12 years old); c) reported a prevalence estimate of anemia; d) had been conducted in any of the countries of Latin America; e) was published either in English, Portuguese, or Spanish; f) is a peer-reviewed article; and g) was published at any date. RESULTS: Out of 2,401 unique records retrieved, 42 articles met the inclusion criteria. A total of 39 different Indigenous communities were analyzed in the articles, and in 21 of them (54.0%) child anemia was a severe public health problem (prevalence ≥ 40%). Those communities were the Aymara (Bolivia); Aruak, Guaraní, Kamaiurá, Karapotó, Karibe, Kaxinanuá, Ma-cro-Jê, Suruí, Terena, Xavante (Brazil); Cabécar (Costa Rica), Achuar, Aguaruna, Awajún, Urarina, Yomybato (Peru); Piaroa and Yucpa (Venezuela); and Quechua (Peru and Bolivia). Children below two years had the highest prevalence of anemia (between 16.2% and 86.1%). Among Indigenous people, risk factors for anemia include nutrition, poor living conditions, access to health services, racism, and discrimination. Bolivia and Guatemala are scarcely studied, despite having the highest proportion of Indigenous communities in Latin America. CONCLUSIONS: Anemia constitutes a poorly documented public health problem among Indigenous children in 21 Indigenous communities in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru. In all Indigenous communities included in this study child anemia was an issue, especially in younger children.

Real-life Evaluation of an Interactive Versus Noninteractive e-Learning Module on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease for Medical Licentiate Students in Zambia: Web-Based, Mixed Methods Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: e-Learning for health professionals in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is still in its infancy, but with the advent of COVID-19, a significant expansion of digital learning has occurred. Asynchronous e-learning can be grouped into interactive (user-influenceable content) and noninteractive (static material) e-learning. Studies conducted in high-income countries suggest that interactive e-learning is more effective than noninteractive e-learning in increasing learner satisfaction and knowledge; however, there is a gap in our understanding of whether this also holds true in LMICs. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to validate the hypothesis above in a resource-constrained and real-life setting to understand e-learning quality and delivery by comparing interactive and noninteractive e-learning user satisfaction, usability, and knowledge gain in a new medical university in Zambia. METHODS: We conducted a web-based, mixed methods randomized controlled trial at the Levy Mwanawasa Medical University (LMMU) in Lusaka, Zambia, between April and July 2021. We recruited medical licentiate students (second, third, and fourth study years) via email. Participants were randomized to undergo asynchronous e-learning with an interactive or noninteractive module for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and informally blinded to their group allocation. The interactive module included interactive interfaces, quizzes, and a virtual patient, whereas the noninteractive module consisted of PowerPoint slides. Both modules covered the same content scope. The primary outcome was learner satisfaction. The secondary outcomes were usability, short- and long-term knowledge gain, and barriers to e-learning. The mixed methods study followed an explanatory sequential design in which rating conferences delivered further insights into quantitative findings, which were evaluated through web-based questionnaires. RESULTS: Initially, 94 participants were enrolled in the study, of whom 41 (44%; 18 intervention participants and 23 control participants) remained in the study and were analyzed. There were no significant differences in satisfaction (intervention: median 33.5, first quartile 31.3, second quartile 35; control: median 33, first quartile 30, second quartile 37.5; P=.66), usability, or knowledge gain between the intervention and control groups. Challenges in accessing both e-learning modules led to many dropouts. Qualitative data suggested that the content of the interactive module was more challenging to access because of technical difficulties and individual factors (eg, limited experience with interactive e-learning). CONCLUSIONS: We did not observe an increase in user satisfaction with interactive e-learning. However, this finding may not be generalizable to other low-resource settings because the post hoc power was low, and the e-learning system at LMMU has not yet reached its full potential. Consequently, technical and individual barriers to accessing e-learning may have affected the results, mainly because the interactive module was considered more difficult to access and use. Nevertheless, qualitative data showed high motivation and interest in e-learning. Future studies should minimize technical barriers to e-learning to further evaluate interactive e-learning in LMICs.

Falciparum malaria in young children of rural Burkina Faso: comparison of survey data in 1999 with 2009.

BACKGROUND: Roll Back Malaria (RBM) interventions such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITN) and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) have become implemented with different velocities in the endemic countries of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in recent years. There is conflicting evidence on how much can be achieved under real life conditions with the current interventions in the highly endemic savannah areas of SSA. METHODS: The study took place in a rural area of north-western Burkina Faso, which was defined as holoendemic in 1999. Clinical and parasitological data were compared in two cohorts of young children of the same age range from eight villages. Surveys took place in June and December of the year 1999 and 2009 respectively. RESULTS: Prevalence of mosquito net use increased from 22% in 1999 to 73% in 2009, with the majority of nets being ITNs in 2009. In 2009, P. falciparum prevalence was significantly lower compared to 1999 (overall reduction of 22.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The reduction in malaria prevalence in young children observed between 1999 and 2009 in a rural and formerly malaria holoendemic area of Burkina Faso is likely attributable to the increase in ITN availability and utilization over time.

Performance of alternative COPD case-finding tools: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

RATIONALE: Guidelines recommend pre-/post-bronchodilator spirometry for diagnosing COPD, but resource constraints limit the availability of spirometry in primary care in low- and middle-income countries. Although spirometry is the diagnostic gold standard, we shall assess alternative tools for settings without spirometry. METHODS: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis was conducted, utilising Cochrane, CINAHL, Google Scholar, PubMed and Web of Science (search cut-off was May 01, 2020). Published studies comparing the accuracy of diagnostic tools for COPD with post-bronchodilator spirometry were considered. Studies without sensitivity/specificity data, without a separate validation sample and outside of primary care were excluded. Sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC) were assessed. RESULTS: Of 7578 studies, 24 were included (14 635 participants). Hand devices yielded a larger AUC than questionnaires. The meta-analysis included 17 studies and the overall AUC of micro-spirometers (0.84, 95% CI 0.80-0.89) was larger when compared to the COPD population screener (COPD-PS) questionnaire (0.77, 95% CI 0.63-0.85) and the COPD diagnostic questionnaire (CDQ) (0.72, 95% CI 0.64-0.78). However, only the difference between micro-spirometers and the CDQ was significant. CONCLUSIONS: The CDQ and the COPD-PS questionnaire were approximately equally accurate tools. Questionnaires ensured testing of symptomatic patients, but micro-spirometers were more accurate. A combination could increase accuracy but was not evaluated in the meta-analysis.