Lessons from digital technology-enabled health interventions implemented during the coronavirus pandemic to improve maternal and birth outcomes: a global scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Timely access to essential obstetric and gynecologic healthcare is an effective method for improving maternal and neonatal outcomes; however, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted pregnancy care globally. In this global scoping review, we select and investigate peer-reviewed empirical studies related to mHealth and telehealth implemented during the pandemic to support pregnancy care and to improve birth outcomes. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE and PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL and Web of Science for this Review because they include peer-reviewed literature in the disciplines of behavioral sciences, medicine, clinical sciences, health-care systems, and psychology. Because our investigative searches reviewed that there is considerable 'grey literature' in this area; we did not restrict our review to any study design, methods, or place of publication. In this Review, peer-reviewed preprints were comparable to published peer-reviewed articles, with relevant articles screened accordingly. RESULTS: The search identified 1851 peer reviewed articles, and after removal of duplicates, using inclusion and exclusion criteria, only 22 studies were eligible for inclusion in the review published from January 2020 to May 2022. mHealth interventions accounted for 72.7% (16 of 22 studies) and only 27.3% (6 of 22 studies) were telehealth studies. There were only 3 example studies that integrated digital technologies into healthcare systems and only 3 studies that developed and evaluated the feasibility of mobile apps. Experimental studies accounted 68.8% of mHealth studies and only 33.3% studies of telehealth studies. Key functionalities of the pregnancy apps and telehealth platforms focused on mental and physical wellness, health promotion, patient tracking, health education, and parenting support. Implemented interventions ranged from breastfeeding and selfcare to behavioral health. Facilitators of uptake included perceived benefits, user satisfaction and convenience. Mobile apps and short messaging services were the primary technologies employed in the implemented mHealth interventions. CONCLUSION: Although our Review emphasizes a lack of studies on mHealth interventions and data from pregnant women during the COVID-19 crisis, the review shows that implementation of digital health interventions during emergencies are inevitable given their potential for supporting pregnancy care. There is also a need for more randomized clinical trials and longitudinal studies to better understand the effectiveness and feasibility of implementing such interventions during disease outbreaks and emergencies.

A systematic review of factors that shape implementation of mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis in sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: Understanding factors surrounding the implementation process of mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis (MDA for LF) elimination programmes is critical for successful implementation of similar interventions. The sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region records the second highest prevalence of the disease and subsequently several countries have initiated and implemented MDA for LF. Systematic reviews have largely focused on factors that affect coverage and compliance, with less attention on the implementation of MDA for LF activities. This review therefore seeks to document facilitators and barriers to implementation of MDA for LF in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: A systematic search of databases PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar was conducted. English peer-reviewed publications focusing on implementation of MDA for LF from 2000 to 2016 were considered for analysis. Using thematic analysis, we synthesized the final 18 articles to identify key facilitators and barriers to MDA for LF programme implementation. RESULTS: The main factors facilitating implementation of MDA for LF programmes were awareness creation through innovative community health education programmes, creation of partnerships and collaborations, integration with existing programmes, creation of morbidity management programmes, motivation of community drug distributors (CDDs) through incentives and training, and management of adverse effects. Barriers to implementation included the lack of geographical demarcations and unregistered migrations into rapidly urbanizing areas, major disease outbreaks like the Ebola virus disease in West Africa, delayed drug deliveries at both country and community levels, inappropriate drug delivery strategies, limited number of drug distributors and the large number of households allocated for drug distribution. CONCLUSION: Mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis elimination programmes should design their implementation strategies differently based on specific contextual factors to improve implementation outcomes. Successfully achieving this requires undertaking formative research on the possible constraining and inhibiting factors, and incorporating the findings in the design and implementation of MDA for LF.

POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTION OF ADULT POPULATIONS TO THE MAINTENANCE OF SCHISTOSOMIASIS AND SOIL-TRANSMITTED HELMINTH INFECTIONS IN THE SIAVONGA AND MAZABUKA DISTRICTS OF ZAMBIA.

A majority of Zambian children live in impoverished communities that lack safe water and proper sanitation, exposing them to urogenital and intestinal helminths. Efforts to mitigate this plight have been implemented through mass drug administration aimed at deworming school-age and under-five children against schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths. However, the disease status of adults living in the same communities as the treated children remains unknown. The aim of this study was to describe the potential contribution of infected adult populations to the transmission of these infections in southern Zambia. A cross-sectional study was conducted in April and May 2013 as part of baseline survey for a larger study in Mazabuka and Siavonga Districts. Stool and urine samples of 2829 adults from five catchment areas were collected and processed using Kato-Katz and urine filtration methods, respectively. Adults from Siavonga had a 13.9% combined prevalence of Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni, and 12.1% combined prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides and hookworm. There was no S. mansoni in Mazabuka, and only a 5.3% prevalence of S. haematobium and 7.4% combined prevalence of A. lumbricoides and hookworm. Additionally, no Trichuris trichiura infections were observed in the two districts. Despite most of these infections being categorized as light intensity, heavy infection intensities were also found for all four parasite species. If this infected adult population is left untreated, the possibility of it acting as a reservoir of infections and ultimately transmitting the infections to treated children remains. Therefore, there is need to consider alternative treatment strategies that incorporate adults, thereby reducing the risk of contaminating the environment and perpetuating transmission to children.

Social and clinical attributes of patients who restart antiretroviral therapy in central and Copperbelt provinces, Zambia: a retrospective longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: About 30% of the patients initiated on antiretroviral therapy in Zambia default treatment. Some of these patients later restart treatment; however, the characteristics of these patients have not been well described and documented. The aim of this study was to describe and document the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who default and restart antiretroviral therapy, and to determine the socio-demographic characteristics associated with CD4 count response at 6 and 24 months of restarting antiretroviral therapy. METHODS: A longitudinal retrospective analysis was performed on data from 535 adult patients restarting antiretroviral therapy in 2009 and 2010 at five antiretroviral therapy centres in Copperbelt and Central provinces of Zambia. To determine the association between the socio-demographic characteristics and CD4 cell count, quantile regression models were used. RESULTS: Older age above 45 years was associated with a significantly lower CD4 cell response by 38.1 cells/mm(3) (95% Confidence interval [CI]: -109.4 to -0.2) compared to the younger age (15-29 years). Patients in formal employment (Adjusted Coefficient [AC] 29.5, 95% CI: 22.8 to 81.1) and self-employment (AC 48.1, 95% CI: 18.6 to 77.4) gained significantly higher CD4 cells than those unemployed. In addition, baseline CD4 count, type of treatment, WHO staging, total duration on treatment and duration lost to follow-up were found to be strong predictors of CD4 cell count at 6 and 24 months after restarting antiretroviral therapy treatment. CONCLUSION: Age and occupation were the only socio-demographic characteristics predicting CD4 count in the patients at 6 months after restarting antiretroviral therapy after adjusting for other confounding clinical variables.

Education attainment of head of households associated with insecticide-treated net utilization among five to nineteen-year old individuals: evidence from the malaria indicator survey 2010 in Zambia.

BACKGROUND: Education attainment may be a factor potentially influencing health-seeking behaviour of individuals. The effect of the level of education attainment of head of households of five to nineteen year old individuals in Zambia on ITN utilization was investigated. METHODS: Data stem from the 2010 Malaria Indicator Survey, which covered the entire Zambia, was used in this study. Of the total number of five to 19-year olds (n = 7,429), only 65% (4, 810) met the inclusion criteria for this study. The education level of the head of households was taken as a household variable and was categorized as "never been to school" for those who had never enrolled in school, Primary for Grades 1 to 7, Secondary for Grades 8 to 12 and Tertiary for beyond Grade 12. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to determine adjusted odds ratios that estimated the effect of education on ITN utilization after controlling for residence, sex, age group and other background factors. RESULTS: Overall (n = 4,810), 48.5% were males and 51.5% were females with the median age of 10 years and 11 years respectively. The ITN utilization among the five to 19 year old individuals from households with the head having Primary and Secondary education were not statistically significant from those who came from households where the head had never been to school. However, those who came from households with the head having tertiary education attainment were 1.7 times more likely to have slept under an ITN a night before the survey than those from households headed by individuals who never attended school or had primary education. (AOR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.19-2.41). Of the eligible population, 35% were excluded from the study due to incomplete records. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that tertiary education of the head of head of the household might be important in influencing health behaviour of the members of households. Therefore, health education messages focussing on strategies that aim to increase ITN utilization need to account for these differential variations associated with education attainment in communities.

Exploring communication and implementation challenges of the HIV/AIDS policy change to test-and-treat-all in selected public health facilities in Lusaka District, Zambia.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization has promoted a shift towards the test-and-treat-all strategy to accelerate the elimination of HIV/AIDS. Zambia was one of the early African countries to adopt this strategy as the policy change was officially announced on national television by the republican president on 15th August 2017. This study explored the communication and implementation challenges of the HIV/AIDS policy change to test-and-treat-all in selected public health facilities in Lusaka District, Zambia. METHODS: A qualitative case study design was employed with a purposeful sample of policy makers, international partners, National AIDS Council representatives, health facility managers, and frontline health providers in selected tertiary, secondary and primary health facilities in the Lusaka District, Zambia. Thematic data analysis was performed using NVivo 12 Pro software. RESULTS: In total, 22 key informant interviews and 3 focus group discussions were conducted. The government relied on formal and informal channels to communicate the test-and-treat-all policy change to health providers. Whilst HIV policy changes were reflected in the National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework, there was little awareness of this policy by the frontline providers. The use of informal communication channels such as verbal and text instructions affected health providers' implementation of the test-and-treat-all. Electronic and print media were ineffective in communicating the test-and-treat-all policy change to some sections of the public. Top-down stakeholder engagement, limited health worker training, and poor financing negatively affected the implementation of the test-and-treat-all policy change. Acceptability of the test-and-treat-all policy change was shaped by positive provider perceptions of its benefits, limited sense of policy ownership, and resistance by the non-treatment-ready patients. Furthermore, unintended consequences of the test-and-treat-all policy change on human resources for health and facility infrastructure were reported. CONCLUSION: Effective test-and-treat-all policy change communication is vital for successful policy implementation as it enhances interpretation and adoption among health providers and patients. There is a need to enhance collaboration among policy makers, implementers and the public to develop and apply communication strategies that facilitate the adoption of the test-and-treat-all policy changes to sustain gains in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Impact of community-directed treatment on soil transmitted helminth infections in children aged 12 to 59 months in Mazabuka District, Zambia.

This study assessed the impact of adding community-directed treatment (ComDT) to the routine health facility (HF)-based treatment on prevalence and intensity of soil transmitted helminth (STH) infections among children aged 12 to 59 months. Repeated cross-sectional surveys were conducted among randomly selected children of this age group from the intervention area (HF+ComDT area) and the comparison area (HF area) at baseline (n=986), 12 months (n=796) and 18 months (n=788) follow-up. The prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides was significantly higher in the HF+ComDT as compared to the HF area at baseline (P=0·048), but not at 12 and 18 months follow-up. At baseline the HF+ComDT area had significantly higher intensities of A. lumbricoides compared to the HF area (P<0·001), but not at 12 and 18 months follow-ups. Prevalence and intensity of hookworm did not differ significantly between treatment arms at any time. Analysis of trends showed a significant decrease in prevalence of A. lumbricoides and hookworm in the HF+ComDT area (P<0·001), of hookworm in the HF area (P<0·05), but not of A. lumbricoides in the HF area. It is concluded that the ComDT approach generally enhanced the treatment effect among under-five year children and that this alternative approach may also have advantages in other geographical settings.

Modelling malaria reduction in a highly endemic country: Evidence from household survey, climate, and program data in Zambia.

Substantial efforts have seen the reduction in malaria prevalence from 33% in 2006 to 19.4% in 2015 in Zambia. Many studies have used effect measures, such as odds ratios, of malaria interventions without combining this information with coverage levels of the interventions to assess how malaria prevalence would change if these interventions were scaled up. We contribute to filling this gap by combining intervention coverage information with marginal predictions to model the extent to which key interventions can bring down malaria in Zambia. We used logistic regression models and derived marginal effects using repeated cross-sectional survey data from the Malaria Indicator Survey (MIS) datasets for Zambia collected in 2010, 2012 and 2015. Average monthly temperature and rainfall data were obtained from climate explorer a satellite-generated database. We then conducted a counterfactual analysis using the estimated marginal effects and various hypothetical levels of intervention coverage to assess how different levels of coverage would affect malaria prevalence. Increasing IRS and ITNs from the 2015 levels of coverage of 28.9% and 58.9% respectively to at least 80% and rising standard housing to 20% from the 13.4% in 2015 may bring malaria prevalence down to below 15%. If the percentage of modern houses were increased further to 90%, malaria prevalence might decrease to 10%. Other than ITN and IRS, streamlining and increasing of the percentage of standard houses in malaria fight would augment and bring malaria down to the levels needed for focal malaria elimination. The effects of ITNs, IRS and Standard housing were pronounced in high than low epidemiological areas.

How community engagement strategies shape participation in mass drug administration programmes for lymphatic filariasis: The case of Luangwa District, Zambia.

BACKGROUND: The success of the global strategy to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) through mass drug administration (MDA) campaigns is dependent on meeting high coverage levels over long periods of time. Community engagement plays a critical role in driving coverage and involvement of local communities in MDA for LF. This study explored how community engagement approaches used in MDA for LF shape participation in the programme, with a view of proposing effective engagement strategies. METHODS: The study was conducted in Luangwa, a rural District of Lusaka province, Zambia. An exploratory qualitative case study approach was employed. A total of nine focus group discussions, six in-depth and seven key informant interviews were conducted with various participants that included; community members, traditional leaders and programme managers, respectively. Data were analysed using a thematic approach, aided by NVivo 10 software. RESULTS: Three core thematic areas emerged from the data as priority focus areas for programme planners and implementers in designing effective community engagement strategies that facilitate participation. Firstly, employing of partnership approaches through adequate and timely engagement of traditional, government and non-governmental organisation structures. Secondly, use of appropriate and innovative health education initiatives to disseminate information about the programme. Thirdly, addressing context specific programme implementation barriers affecting community engagement in MDA for LF. CONCLUSION: Facilitating participation in MDA for LF will require designing and implementing effective community engagement strategies that take into account local context, but also seek to explore all avenues of maximizing participation for improved coverage levels. MDA for LF implementation teams should systematically consider the identified factors and seek to incorporate them in their implementation plans.

Factors shaping the implementation of the SAFE strategy for trachoma using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The SAFE strategy (surgery for trichiasis, antibiotics for active infection, facial cleanliness and environmental improvement) is the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended guideline for the elimination of blindness by trachoma by the year 2020. OBJECTIVE: While evaluations on the implementation of the SAFE strategy have been done, systematic reviews on the factors that have shaped implementation are lacking. This review sought to identify these factors. METHODS: We searched PUBMED, Google Scholar, CINAHL and Cochrane Collaboration to identify studies that had implemented SAFE interventions. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) guided development of the data extraction guide and data analysis. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-seven studies were identified and only 10 papers fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Characteristics of the innovation - such as adaptation of the SAFE interventions to suit the setting and observability of positive health outcomes from pilots - increased local adoption. Characteristics of outer setting - which included strong multisectoral collaboration - were found to enhance implementation through the provision of resources necessary for programme activities. When community needs and resources were unaccounted for there was poor compatibility with local settings. Characteristics of the inner setting - such as poor staffing, high labour turnovers and lack of ongoing training - affected health workers' implementation behaviour. Implementation climate within provider organisations was shaped by availability of resources. Characteristics of individuals - which included low knowledge levels - affected the acceptability of SAFE programmes; however, early adopters could be used as change agents. Finally, the use of engagement strategies tailored towards promoting community participation and stakeholder involvement during the implementation process facilitated adoption process. CONCLUSION: We found CFIR to be a robust framework capable of identifying different implementation determinants in low resource settings. However, there is a need for more research on the organisational, provider and implementation process related factors for trachoma as most studies focused on the outer setting.

Reported incidence of fever for under-5 children in Zambia: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Childhood fever is the most common clinical sign of Plasmodium falciparum infection. It is used as a measure of burden of the disease and the effectiveness of control programs for malaria. This study aimed to determine the incidence of fever in under-5 children of Magoye and Chivuna rural areas of Mazabuka district, Zambia. METHODS: Incidence of fever was evaluated longitudinally over a period of 16 months (July 2006 and November 2007) among children aged 12-59 months in Magoye and Chivuna rural communities. The data was collected for a study on community directed treatment of soil-transmitted helminth infections in under-five children. Data from caretakers of 1221 children were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Cox proportion hazard regression was used to determine predictors of multiple episodes of fever and Kaplan-Meier survival curves was used to compare survival between two groups. RESULTS: A total of 1221 under-5 children [median age 32 months; IQR 12-58] participated in the study and 696 (57 %) were from Magoye and 525 (43 %) from Chivuna. The incidence rate of fever was 162.4 per month per 1000 children for the 16 months period. The proportion of fever was not statistically related to children' age [p = 0.779] and sex [p = 0.546]. Predictors of multiple episodes of fever were: age (37-48 vs. 12-24 months) [HR 0.81; 95 % CI 0.67, 0.98; p = 0.030]; location (Chivuna vs. Magoye) [HR 1.35; 95 % CI 1.17, 1.56; p < 0.001]; and season (dry vs. rainy) [HR 0.17; 95 % CI 0.12, 0.23; p < 0.001]. CONCLUSION: The study has shown that the incidence of fever was high in the study areas. Febrile illnesses like malaria still have a significant effect on the health of under-5 children in the study population. There still exists the need for interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of fever in under five children, more especially in rural areas.

Effect on treatment coverage of adding community-directed treatment to the health facility-based approach of delivering anthelminthic drugs to under-five children during child health week in Mazabuka District, Zambia.

The current approach of delivering anthelminthic drugs to children aged 12-59 months through health facilities during child health week (CHW) results in low treatment coverage in certain areas of Zambia. This study was designed to determine the impact on treatment coverage of adding community-directed treatment (ComDT) to the health facility (HF) approach. Treatment coverage was compared in two areas, one with the HF approach alone (HF area) and the other where ComDT was added to the HF approach (HF + ComDT area). Cross-sectional surveys were conducted every 6 months between June 2006 and December 2007 to monitor CHWs. χ(2) tests, odds ratios (OR) and their 95% CI were used to compare treatment coverage between and within each treatment arm. Addition of ComDT to the HF approach resulted in significantly higher treatment coverage in the HF + ComDT area compared with the HF area during CHW1, CHW2, CHW3 and CHW4, with ORs (and 95% CIs) of a child being treated in the HF + ComDT area of 2.17 (1.90-2.48), 3.07 (2.68-3.52), 11.17 (9.25-13.48) and 5.07 (4.27-6.01), respectively. We conclude that ComDT has the potential to raise treatment coverage significantly during CHWs. [ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00349323].