A Cluster-Randomized Trial of Blood-Pressure Reduction in Black Barbershops.

BACKGROUND: Uncontrolled hypertension is a major problem among non-Hispanic black men, who are underrepresented in pharmacist intervention trials in traditional health care settings. METHODS: We enrolled a cohort of 319 black male patrons with systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or more from 52 black-owned barbershops (nontraditional health care setting) in a cluster-randomized trial in which barbershops were assigned to a pharmacist-led intervention (in which barbers encouraged meetings in barbershops with specialty-trained pharmacists who prescribed drug therapy under a collaborative practice agreement with the participants' doctors) or to an active control approach (in which barbers encouraged lifestyle modification and doctor appointments). The primary outcome was reduction in systolic blood pressure at 6 months. RESULTS: At baseline, the mean systolic blood pressure was 152.8 mm Hg in the intervention group and 154.6 mm Hg in the control group. At 6 months, the mean systolic blood pressure fell by 27.0 mm Hg (to 125.8 mm Hg) in the intervention group and by 9.3 mm Hg (to 145.4 mm Hg) in the control group; the mean reduction was 21.6 mm Hg greater with the intervention (95% confidence interval, 14.7 to 28.4; P<0.001). A blood-pressure level of less than 130/80 mm Hg was achieved among 63.6% of the participants in the intervention group versus 11.7% of the participants in the control group (P<0.001). In the intervention group, the rate of cohort retention was 95%, and there were few adverse events (three cases of acute kidney injury). CONCLUSIONS: Among black male barbershop patrons with uncontrolled hypertension, health promotion by barbers resulted in larger blood-pressure reduction when coupled with medication management in barbershops by specialty-trained pharmacists. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02321618 .).

Absence of kelch13 artemisinin resistance markers but strong selection for lumefantrine-tolerance molecular markers following 18 years of artemisinin-based combination therapy use in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa (2001-2018).

BACKGROUND: The ability of Plasmodium falciparum parasites to develop resistance to widely used anti-malarials threatens malaria control and elimination efforts. Regular drug efficacy monitoring is essential for ensuring effective treatment policies. In low transmission settings where therapeutic efficacy studies are often not feasible, routine surveillance for molecular markers associated with anti-malarial resistance provides an alternative for the early detection of emerging resistance. Such a longitudinal survey of changes in the prevalence of selected molecular markers of resistance was conducted in the malaria-endemic regions of Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, where malaria elimination at a district-level is being pursued. METHODS: Molecular analyses to determine the prevalence of alleles associated with resistance to lumefantrine (mdr86N, crt76K and mdr1 copy number variation) and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (dhfr triple, dhps double, SP quintuple) were conducted between 2001 and 2018, while artemisinin resistance markers (kelch13 mutations) were assessed only in 2018. RESULTS: Parasite DNA was successfully amplified from 1667/2393 (70%) of malaria-positive rapid diagnostic tests routinely collected at primary health care facilities. No artemisinin resistance-associated kelch13 mutations nor amplification of the mdr1 gene copy number associated with lumefantrine resistance were observed. However, prevalence of both the mdr86N and crt76K alleles increased markedly over the study period, with all isolates collected in 2018 carrying these markers. SP quintuple mutation prevalence increased steadily from 14% in 2001 to 96% in 2018. Mixed alleles at any of the codons assessed were rare by 2018. CONCLUSION: No kelch13 mutations confirmed or suspected to be associated with artemisinin resistance were identified in 2018. Although parasites carrying the mdr86N and crt76K alleles associated with reduced lumefantrine susceptibility were strongly selected for over the study period, nearing fixation by 2018, the marker for lumefantrine resistance, namely increased mdr1 copy number, was not observed in this study. The increase in mdr86N and crt76K allele prevalence together with intense regional artemether-lumefantrine drug pressure, raises concern regarding the sustained artemether-lumefantrine efficacy. Regular, rigorous anti-malarial resistance marker surveillance across all three South African malaria-endemic provinces to inform case management is recommended.

Pattern of skin diseases in children attending a dermatology clinic in a referral hospital in Wolaita Sodo, southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies to determine the pattern of skin diseases among children are important for proper health care planning and management. The purpose of this study was to describe the pattern of skin diseases among pediatric patients seen at a dermatology outpatient clinic of Wolaita Sodo Teaching and Referral Hospital, southern Ethiopia. METHOD: We conducted a retrospective hospital-based, cross-sectional study between January 2016 and December 2017 at a teaching and referral hospital dermatology outpatient department. All children younger than 15 years presenting with newly-diagnosed skin diseases were included. Diagnosis was mainly made clinically, with some laboratory support. RESULTS: A total of 1704 children with 1869 new skin diagnoses were included, of whom 139 (8.2%) had more than one disease. Of the children, 52.4% were males and 44.9% within the age-group 5-10 years. Eczematous dermatitis accounted for the largest group (23.9%, n = 447) of skin conditions followed by bacterial infections (21.3%, n = 398), fungal infections (18.8%, n = 351) and infestations (9.9%, n = 185). Seasonal variation was demonstrated, with eczematous conditions and bacterial infections being higher during autumn and winter. CONCLUSION: Overall, eczema, bacterial and fungal infections were the three major pediatric skin diseases occurring among children attending this hospital's outpatient department. There was seasonal variation in some of the skin diseases. This study gives a snapshot of skin disorders presenting to hospital in children in southern Ethiopia and may help to plan dermatology service expansion, educational programs and preventive measures.

Compliance with follow-up and adherence to medication in hypertensive patients in an urban informal settlement in Kenya: comparison of three models of care.

OBJECTIVE: To determine and compare, among three models of care, compliance with scheduled clinic appointments and adherence to antihypertensive medication of patients in an informal settlement of Kibera, Kenya. METHODS: Routinely collected patient data were used from three health facilities, six walkway clinics and one weekend/church clinic. Patients were eligible if they had received hypertension care for more than 6 months. Compliance with clinic appointments and self-reported adherence to medication were determined from clinic records and compared using the chi-square test. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models estimated the odds of overall adherence to medication. RESULTS: A total of 785 patients received hypertension treatment eligible for analysis, of whom two-thirds were women. Between them, there were 5879 clinic visits with an overall compliance with appointments of 63%. Compliance was high in the health facilities and walkway clinics, but men were more likely to attend the weekend/church clinics. Self-reported adherence to medication by those complying with scheduled clinic visits was 94%. Patients in the walkway clinics were two times more likely to adhere to antihypertensive medication than patients at the health facility (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.25-3.10). CONCLUSION: Walkway clinics outperformed health facilities and weekend clinics. The use of multiple sites for the management of hypertensive patients led to good compliance with scheduled clinic visits and very good self-reported adherence to medication in a low-resource setting.

Research to policy and practice change: is capacity building in operational research delivering the goods?

OBJECTIVES: Between 2009 and 2012, eight operational research capacity building courses were completed in Paris (3), Luxembourg (1), India (1), Nepal (1), Kenya (1) and Fiji (1). Courses had strict milestones that were subsequently adopted by the Structured Operational Research and Training InitiaTive (SORT IT) of the World Health Organization. We report on the numbers of enrolled participants who successfully completed courses, the number of papers published and their reported effect on policy and/or practice. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study including a survey. METHODS: Participant selection criteria ensured that only those proposing specific programme-related and relevant operational research questions were selected. Effects on policy and/or practice were assessed in a standardised manner by two independent reviewers. RESULTS: Of 93 enrolled participants from 31 countries (14 in Africa, 13 in Asia, two in Latin America and two in South Pacific), 83 (89%) completed their courses. A total of 96 papers were submitted to scientific journals of which 89 (93%) were published and 88 assessed for effect on policy and practice. There was a reported effect in 65 (74%) studies including changes to programme implementation (27), adaptation of monitoring tools (24) and changes to existing guidelines (20). CONCLUSION: Three quarters of published operational research studies from these structured courses had reported effects on policy and/or practice. It is important that this type of tracking becomes a standard component of operational research and research in general.

Antibiotic susceptibility patterns of pathogens isolated from hospitalized patients with advanced HIV disease (AHD) in Bihar, India.

Objectives: To describe the prevalence of common bacterial pathogens and antibiotic susceptibility patterns amongst advanced HIV disease (AHD) patients admitted between May 2019 and March 2021 to a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)-supported AHD inpatient unit in Bihar, India. Methods: A retrospective analysis of routinely collected demographic, clinical and microbiological data. Antibacterial susceptibility testing was done by an accredited referral laboratory using the modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: A total of 238 isolates from 577 patients were identified through culture testing. Patient median (IQR) age was 38 (31-45) years, and 75% were male. Predominant sample types included blood (600; 38%), urine (266; 17%) and sputum (178; 11%). Of the isolated bacteria, Escherichia coli (80; 13.9%) was the most prevalent, followed by Klebsiella pneumonia (54; 9.4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (22; 3.8%), Klebsiella oxytoca (10; 1.7%), Proteus mirabilis (9; 1.6%), and Acinetobacter baumannii (7; 1.2%). The resistance pattern showed that most bacterial isolates were highly resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics such as third-generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and co-trimoxazole. Most pathogens were moderately resistant to antibiotics from the WHO Watch group, such as meropenem and piperacillin/tazobactam. In contrast, isolates were more susceptible to aminoglycosides, such as amikacin, gentamicin and nitrofurantoin. Conclusions: In Bihar, inpatients with AHD displayed a concerning array of antibiotic-resistant infections. This study provides a starting point from which further work on antimicrobial resistance in this vulnerable cohort of patients can be conducted.

Correction: Assault and care characteristics of victims of sexual violence in eleven Médecins Sans Frontières programs in Africa. What about men and boys?

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237060.].

Assessing Changes in Bacterial Load and Antibiotic Resistance in the Legon Sewage Treatment Plant between 2018 and 2023 in Accra, Ghana.

Wastewater treatment plants are efficient in reducing bacterial loads but are also considered potential drivers of environmental antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In this study, we determined the effect of increased influent wastewater volume (from 40% to 66%) in the Legon sewage treatment plant (STP) on the removal of E. coli from sewage, along with changes in AMR profiles. This before and after study compared E. coli loads and AMR patterns in influent and effluent samples from a published baseline study (January-June 2018) with a follow-up study (March-May 2023). Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) E. coli were measured pre- and post-sewage treatment during the follow-up study. The follow-up study showed 7.4% and 24% ESBL E. coli proportions in influent and effluent, respectively. In both studies, the STP was 99% efficient in reducing E. coli loads in effluents, with no significant difference (p = 0.42) between the two periods. More E. coli resistance to antimicrobials was seen in effluents in the follow-up study versus the baseline study. The increased influent capacity did not reduce the efficiency of the STP in removing E. coli from influent wastewater but was associated with increased AMR patterns in effluent water. Further studies are required to determine whether these changes have significant effects on human health.

EUS or percutaneously guided intratumoral TNFerade biologic with 5-fluorouracil and radiotherapy for first-line treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer: a phase I/II study.

BACKGROUND: TNFeradeBiologic (AdGVEGR.TNF.11D) is a replication-deficient adenoviral vector that expresses tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) under the control of the Egr-1 promoter, which is inducible by chemotherapy and radiation. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the maximal tolerated dose of TNFeradeBiologic with standard chemoradiotherapy and preliminary activity and safety of the combination in the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). DESIGN: TNFeradeBiologic was injected into locally advanced pancreatic carcinomas by using EUS or percutaneous administration once a week for 5 weeks together with 50.4 Gy radiation and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 200 mg/m(2) daily over 5.5 weeks. Dose levels from 4 × 10(9) to 1 × 10(12) particle units (PU) were studied. SETTING: Multicentered, academic institutions. PATIENTS: Fifty patients with LAPC were treated. INTERVENTIONS: Doses of TNFerade Biologic were administered to patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Toleration of TNFerade Biologic was measured through toxicity and tumor response, by using the criteria of the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors and the World Health Organization, and was reviewed by a central radiology facility. Overall survival and progression-free survival were also measured. RESULTS: Dose-limiting toxicities of pancreatitis and cholangitis were observed in 3 patients at the 1 × 10(12) PU dose, making 4 × 10(11) PU the maximum tolerated dose. One complete response, 3 partial responses, and 12 patients with stable disease were noted. Seven patients eventually went to surgery, 6 had clear margins, and 3 survived >24 months. LIMITATIONS: This is a Phase 1/2 non-randomized study. CONCLUSIONS: Intratumoral delivery of TNFerade Biologic by EUS with fine-needle viral injection or percutaneously, combined with chemoradiation, shows promise in the treatment of LAPC. There appeared to be better clinical outcome at the maximal tolerated dose than at lower doses. The dose of 4 ×10(11) PU TNFerade Biologic was generally well tolerated, with encouraging indications of activity, and will be tested in the randomized phase of this study. Delivery of TNFerade Biologic did not interfere with subsequent surgical resection.

Incidence of Surgical Site Infection and Use of Antibiotics among Patients Who Underwent Caesarean Section and Herniorrhaphy at a Regional Referral Hospital, Sierra Leone.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common postoperative complications. Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) can prevent the occurrence of SSIs if administered appropriately. We carried out a retrospective cohort study to determine the incidence of SSIs and assess whether SAP were administered according to WHO guidelines for Caesarean section (CS) and herniorrhaphy patients in Bo regional government hospital from November 2019 to October 2020. The analysis included 681 patients (599 CSs and 82 herniorrhaphies). Overall, the SSI rate was 6.7% among all patients, and 7.5% and 1.2% among CS patients and herniorrhaphy patients, respectively. SAP was administered preoperatively in 85% of CS and 70% of herniorrhaphy patients. Postoperative antibiotics were prescribed to 85% of CS and 100% of herniorrhaphy patients. Ampicillin, metronidazole, and amoxicillin were the most commonly used antibiotics. The relatively low rate of SSIs observed in this study is probably due to improved infection prevention and control (IPC) measures following the Ebola outbreak and the current COVID-19 pandemic. A good compliance rate with WHO guidelines for preoperative SAP was observed. However, there was a high use of postoperative antibiotics, which is not in line with WHO guidelines. Recommendations were made to ensure the appropriate administration of SAP and reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics.

Assessment of Infection Prevention and Control Measures at Points of Entry in Sierra Leone in 2021: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Implementing and monitoring infection prevention and control (IPC) measures at immigration points of entry (PoEs) is key to preventing infections, reducing excessive use of antimicrobials, and tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Sierra Leone has been implementing IPC measures at four PoEs (Queen Elizabeth II Quay port, Lungi International Airport, and the Jendema and Gbalamuya ground crossings) since the last Ebola outbreak in 2014-2015. We adapted the World Health Organization IPC Assessment Framework tool to assess these measures and identify any gaps in their components at each PoE through a cross-sectional study in May 2021. IPC measures were Inadequate (0-25%) at Queen Elizabeth II Quay port (21%; 11/53) and Jendema (25%; 13/53) and Basic (26-50%) at Lungi International Airport (40%; 21/53) and Gbalamuya (49%; 26/53). IPC components with the highest scores were: having a referral system (85%; 17/20), cleaning and sanitation (63%; 15/24), and having a screening station (59%; 19/32). The lowest scores (0% each) were reported for the availability of IPC guidelines and monitoring of IPC practices. This was the first study in Sierra Leone highlighting significant gaps in the implementation of IPC measures at PoEs. We call on the AMR multisectoral coordinating committee to enhance IPC measures at all PoEs.

Quality, Equity and Partnerships in Mixed Methods and Qualitative Research during Seven Years of Implementing the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative in 18 Countries.

Introduction: Qualitative studies are often inadequately reported, making it difficult to judge their appropriateness for decision making in public health. We assessed the publication characteristics and quality of reporting of qualitative and mixed-method studies from the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT), a global partnership for operational research capacity building. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of publications to assess the qualitative component using an adapted version of the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist. Results: In 67 publications involving 18 countries, 32 journals and 13 public health themes, 55 were mixed-methods studies and 12 were qualitative studies. First authorship from low-and-middle-income (LMIC) countries was present in 64 (96%), LMIC last authorship in 55 (82%), and female first authorship in 30 (45%). The mean LMIC institutions represented per publication was five (range 1-11). Sixty-three (94%) publications were open access. Reporting quality was graded as 'good' to 'excellent' in 60 (89%) publications, 'fair' in five (8%) and 'poor' in two (3%). Conclusion: Most SORT IT publications adhered to COREQ standards, while supporting gender equity in authorship and the promotion of LMIC research leadership. SORT IT plays an important role in ensuring quality of evidence for decision making to improve public health.

Operational challenges in managing Isoniazid Preventive Therapy in child contacts: a high-burden setting perspective.

BACKGROUND: The study was conducted at a high TB-HIV burden primary health community clinic in Cape Town, South Africa. We describe the management of children under five years of age in household contact with a smear and/or culture-positive adult TB case. METHODS: This study was a record review of routinely-collected programme data. RESULTS: A total of 1094 adult TB case folders were reviewed. From all identified contacts, 149 children should have received IPT based on local guidelines; in only 2/149 IPT was initiated. Management of child contacts of sputum smear and/or culture-positive compared to sputum-negative TB patients were similar. CONCLUSIONS: IPT delivery to children remains an operational challenge, especially in high TB-HIV burden communities. A tool to improve IPT management and targeting sputum smear and/or culture-positive TB child contacts may overcome some of these challenges and should be developed and piloted in such settings.

Going virtual for research training during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: e-SORT IT.

The Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT) model has contributed to building research capacity and has produced evidence for improving public health program performance in countries with limited research capacity. The model involves hands-on mentorship and consists of three modules/weeks. It is recognized to be an innovative research capacity building model. In a world changed by COVID-19, where bringing people together is not viable, an innovative, interactive, web-based, knowledge-transfer platform (e-SORT IT) for virtual implementation of SORT IT modules was created. The platform design imitated the residential course as closely as possible with the same lectures, plenary sessions, and breakout rooms. Despite the challenges, the platform performed well and even though participants and mentors were located in eight different time zones, the course was successful; 90% of participants achieved their milestones and 10 manuscripts were successfully completed. Participant evaluation revealed a satisfaction level that was nearly equivalent to the residential module. However, mentor evaluation indicated a number of shortcomings including capacity building, professional networking, communication, engagement, and contribution by participants, as well as overall module success. In conclusion, COVID-19 stimulated the creation of the e-SORT IT platform that provided a functional alternative to the residential version. Despite the limitations of reduced capacity building and networking, the e-SORT IT platform should be considered a success - it delivered the goods. This is an example of innovation and flexibility, two attributes that are sorely needed to maintain activities during the pandemic and beyond.

Short and long-term outcomes of video observed treatment in tuberculosis patients, the Republic of Moldova.

INTRODUCTION: The Republic of Moldova is among the 18 high priority countries for tuberculosis (TB) in Europe. This study compared adherence and short and long-term TB treatment outcomes for TB patients who experienced asynchronous Video Observed Treatment (aVOT) during three months of outpatient treatment versus Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) in operational conditions in 2016-2017 in Chisinau. METHODOLOGY: We used secondary data from the 2016-2017 Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) that piloted the aVOT Strategy in Chisinau and data from the national TB register. Relative risk was selected as a measure of association in analysis of treatment strategies (aVOT and DOT under operational conditions) and short and long-term treatment outcomes. RESULTS: From 647 TB patients included in the study, 169 followed the treatment strategy in the RCT (83 in aVOT and 86 in DOT) and 478 were on DOT in operational conditions. Those in aVOT were more likely to have favourable short-term outcome than patients with DOT in operational conditions (RR 0.07; p < 0.001). TB recurrence as an indicator for the long-term outcome, was observed in group with DOT in operational conditions (40 cases, p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the aVOT treatment strategy was associated with better adherence and both short and long-term TB treatment favourable outcomes. aVOT as a new patient-centred approach supporting TB patients on improving treatment adherence and outcomes might be recommended as an alternative to DOT strategy in the Republic of Moldova.

Self-reported medication adherence among patients with diabetes or hypertension, Médecins Sans Frontières Shatila refugee camp, Beirut, Lebanon: A mixed-methods study.

INTRODUCTION: Low adherence to medications, specifically in patients with Diabetes (DM) and Hypertension (HTN), and more so in refugee settings, remains a major challenge to achieving optimum clinical control in these patients. We aimed at determining the self-reported medication adherence prevalence and its predictors and exploring reasons for low adherence among these patients. METHODS: A mixed-methods study was conducted at Médecins Sans Frontières non-communicable diseases primary care center in the Shatila refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon in October 2018. Data were collected using the validated Arabic version of the 8-items Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) concurrently followed by in-depth interviews to explore barriers to adherence in patients with DM and/or HTN. Predictors of adherence were separately assessed using logistic regression with SPSS© version 20. Manual thematic content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. RESULTS: Of the 361 patients included completing the MMAS, 70% (n = 251) were moderately to highly adherent (MMAS-8 score = 6 to 8), while 30% (n = 110) were low-adherent (MMAS-8 score<6). Patients with DM-1 were the most likely to be moderately to highly adherent (85%; n = 29). Logistic regression analysis showed that patients with a lower HbA1C were 75% more likely to be moderately to highly adherent [(OR = 0.75 (95%CI 0.63-0.89), p-value 0.001]. Factors influencing self-reported moderate and high adherence were related to the burden of the disease and its treatment, specifically insulin, the self-perception of the disease outcomes and the level of patient's knowledge about the disease and other factors like supportive family and healthcare team. CONCLUSION: Adherence to DM and HTN was good, likely due to a patient-centered approach along with educational interventions. Future studies identifying additional factors and means addressing the barriers to adherence specific to the refugee population are needed to allow reaching optimal levels of adherence and design well-informed intervention programs.

Increasing Antimicrobial Resistance in Surgical Wards at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda, from 2014 to 2018-Cause for Concern?

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) are major global public health challenges in our time. This study provides a broader and updated overview of AMR trends in surgical wards of Mulago National Referral Hospital (MNRH) between 2014 and 2018. Laboratory data on the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of bacterial isolates from 428 patient samples were available. The most common samples were as follows: tracheal aspirates (36.5%), pus swabs (28.0%), and blood (20.6%). Klebsiella (21.7%), Acinetobacter (17.5%), and Staphylococcus species (12.4%) were the most common isolates. The resistance patterns for different antimicrobials were: penicillins (40-100%), cephalosporins (30-100%), ß-lactamase inhibitor combinations (70-100%), carbapenems (10-100%), polymyxin E (0-7%), aminoglycosides (50-100%), sulphonamides (80-100%), fluoroquinolones (40-70%), macrolides (40-100%), lincosamides (10-45%), phenicols (40-70%), nitrofurans (0-25%), and glycopeptide (0-20%). This study demonstrated a sustained increase in resistance among the most commonly used antibiotics in Uganda over the five-year study period. It implies ongoing hospital-based monitoring and surveillance of AMR patterns are needed to inform antibiotic prescribing, and to contribute to national and global AMR profiles. It also suggests continued emphasis on infection prevention and control practices (IPC), including antibiotic stewardship. Ultimately, laboratory capacity for timely bacteriological culture and sensitivity testing will provide a rational choice of antibiotics for HAI.

Mental health interventions for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis patients with alcohol use disorders, Zhytomyr, Ukraine.

INTRODUCTION: Despite concerted efforts, Ukraine is challenged by increasing rates of multidrug and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) comorbid with alcohol use disorder (AUD). This study describes a cohort of RR-TB patients with high alcohol consumption treated in MSF Zhytomyr Project, Ukraine. METHODOLOGY: We used programmatic data for 73 RR-TB patients screened with the AUD Identification Test March-July 2019 and followed-up for culture conversion/TB treatment outcome till 31 January 2020. We described socio-demographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics, the level of depressive symptoms, and TB treatment outcomes in three groups: 1) patients with AUD who received mental health interventions (MHI); 2) patients with AUD who did not receive MHI; 3) patients with no AUD. We also found three potential contributors to declining to receive MHI. RESULTS: Main characteristics of the study groups did not differ substantially. Those receiving MHI (mean: nine sessions) were rated for alcohol consumption as 'hazardous' (41%), 'harmful' (43%) and 'dependence' (36%) and had higher depression scores versus the second (p=0.009) and third (p=0.095) groups at baseline. Depressive symptoms declined at 9-month follow-up for all patients. Culture conversion was seen at 77%, 73%, and 83% for each group respectively. We also found three reasons for declining from MHI. CONCLUSIONS: We detected little differences across the groups. However, our study cohort demonstrated substantially higher adherence rates, culture conversion and reduction of depressive symptoms than reported globally. We recommend further research on the effectiveness of MHI in changing the drinking habits, quality of life and/or TB treatment outcomes of patients with AUD.

Characteristics, utilisation and influence of viewpoint articles from the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT) - 2009-2020.

Background: The Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT) teaches the practical skills of conducting and publishing operational research (OR) to influence health policy and/or practice. In addition to original research articles, viewpoint articles are also produced and published as secondary outputs of SORT IT courses. We assessed the characteristics, use and influence of viewpoint articles derived from all SORT IT courses. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving all published viewpoint articles derived from the SORT IT courses held from August 2009 - March 2020. Characteristics of these papers were sourced from the papers themselves and from SORT-IT members involved in writing the papers. Data on use were sourced from the metrics provided on the online publishing platforms and from Google Scholar. Influence on policy and practice was self-assessed by the authors of the papers and was performed only for papers deemed to be 'calls for action'. Results: A total of 41 viewpoint papers were published. Of these, 15 (37%) were 'calls for action'. In total, 31 (76%) were published in open-access journals and the remaining 10 in delayed access journals. In 12 (29%) of the papers, first authors were from low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Female authors (54%) were included in 22, but only four (10%) and two (5%) of first and last authors respectively, were female. Only seven (17%) papers had available data regarding online views and downloads. The median citation score for the papers was four (IQR 1-9). Of the 15 'call for action' papers, six influenced OR capacity building, two influenced policy and practice, and three influenced both OR capacity building within SORT IT and policy and practice. Conclusion: Viewpoint articles generated during SORT IT courses appear to complement original OR studies and are valued contributors to the dissemination of OR practices in LMICs.