Trends and Inequalities in Maternal and Newborn Health Services for Unplanned Settlements of Lusaka City, Zambia.

Living conditions and other factors in urban unplanned settlements present unique challenges for improving maternal and newborn health (MNH), yet MNH inequalities associated with such challenges are not well understood. This study examined trends and inequalities in coverage of MNH services in the last 20 years in unplanned and planned settlements of Lusaka City, Zambia. Geospatial information was used to map Lusaka's settlements and health facilities. Zambia Demographic Health Surveys (ZDHS 2001, 2007, 2013/2014, and 2018) were used to compare antenatal care (ANC), institutional delivery, and Cesarean section (C-section) coverage, and neonatal mortality rates between the poorer 60% and richer 40% households. Health Management Information System (HMIS) data from 2018 to 2021 were used to compute service volumes and coverage rates for ANC1 and ANC4, and institutional delivery and C-sections by facility level and type in planned and unplanned settlements. Although the correlation is not exact, our data analysis showed close alignment; and thus, we opted to use the 60% poorer and 40% richer groups as a proxy for households in unplanned versus planned settlements. Unplanned settlements were serviced by primary centers or first-level hospitals. ZDHS findings show that by 2018, at least one ANC visit and institutional delivery became nearly universal throughout Lusaka, but early and four or more ANC visits, C-sections, and neonatal mortality rates remained worse among poorer than richer women in ZDHS. In HMIS, ANC and institutional delivery volumes were highest in public facilities, especially in unplanned settlements. The volume of C-sections was much greater within facilities in planned than unplanned settlements. Our study exposed persistent gaps in timing and use of ANC and emergency obstetric care between unplanned and planned communities. Closing such gaps requires strengthening outreach early and consistently in pregnancy and increasing emergency obstetric care capacities and referrals to improve access to important MNH services for women and newborns in Lusaka's unplanned settlements.

Post-abortion care services in Zambian health facilities: a qualitative study of users' experiences and perceptions.

BACKGROUND: Despite attempts to increase Universal Health Coverage, availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality-related challenges remain barriers to receiving essential services by women who need them. We aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of women receiving post-abortal care services in Zambia, within a human-rights framework. METHODS: A qualitative case study was conducted between August and September 2021 in Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces of Zambia. Fifteen (15) women seeking post-abortion care services were` interviewed using audio recorders; transcribed data was analyzed using thematic analysis. We report women's experiences and perceptions of the healthcare system, their experiences of abortion, and healthcare-seeking behaviour. We used the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality (AAAQ) framework to understand how women claimed their right to healthcare as they sought and utilized post-abortion care services. RESULTS: Women who experienced spontaneous abortions delayed seeking health care by viewing symptoms as 'normal pregnancy symptoms' and not dangerous. Women also delayed seeking care because they feared the negative attitudes from their communities and the health care providers towards abortion in general, despite it being legal in Zambia. Some services were considered costly, impeding their right to access quality care. CONCLUSIONS: Women delayed seeking care compounded by fear of negative attitudes from the community and healthcare providers. To ensure the provision and utilization of quality all abortion-related healthcare services, there is a need to increase awareness of the availability and legality of safe abortion services, the importance of seeking healthcare early for any abortion-related discomfort, and the provision and availability of free services at all levels of care should be emphasized.

Unsafe abortions continue to be an avoidable public health concern both globally and locally. In Zambia, a fifth of maternal deaths are related to unsafe abortions. Unsafe abortions have been defined as any induced termination of pregnancy outside the health facility, performed by untrained health personnel. Several strides have been made including the provision of comprehensive abortion care in all facilities, and the training of health personnel to provide these services at different levels of healthcare. Despite the increased availability of comprehensive abortion care through liberalized abortion laws and regulations and the training of health personnel to provide these services at different levels of healthcare, the need for quality post-abortion care specifically persists. As such, we carried out in-depth interviews to explore the experiences of women who present at healthcare facilities in Lusaka and the Copperbelt provinces in Zambia seeking post-abortion services. It was found that delay in seeking care at a health facility was due to fear that the service is illegal; alongside judgment from health care providers and society for seeking such a service that is generally perceived as evil. The assumption that the cost of receiving such services is high and a general lack of awareness about the service being provided free was also expressed. The study highlighted the need for community awareness of the legal framework on abortions to ensure women access services at any time necessary without fear of being judged, which will consequently reduce the number of abortion-related disabilities and deaths.

Assessment of non-tuberculosis abnormalities on digital chest x-rays with high CAD4TB scores from a tuberculosis prevalence survey in Zambia and South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Chest X-rays (CXRs) have traditionally been used to aid the diagnosis of TB-suggestive abnormalities. Using Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) algorithms, TB risk is quantified to assist with diagnostics. However, CXRs capture all other structural abnormalities. Identification of non-TB abnormalities in individuals with CXRs that have high CAD scores but don't have bacteriologically confirmed TB is unknown. This presents a missed opportunity of extending novel CAD systems' potential to simultaneously provide information on other non-TB abnormalities alongside TB. This study aimed to characterize and estimate the prevalence of non-TB abnormalities on digital CXRs with high CAD4TB scores from a TB prevalence survey in Zambia and South Africa. METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional analysis of clinical data of participants from the TREATS TB prevalence survey conducted in 21 communities in Zambia and South Africa. The study included individuals aged ≥ 15 years who had high CAD4TB scores (score ≥ 70), but had no bacteriologically confirmed TB in any of the samples submitted, were not on TB treatment, and had no history of TB. Two consultant radiologists reviewed the images for non-TB abnormalities. RESULTS: Of the 525 CXRs reviewed, 46.7% (245/525) images were reported to have non-TB abnormalities. About 11.43% (28/245) images had multiple non-TB abnormalities, while 88.67% (217/245) had a single non-TB abnormality. The readers had a fair inter-rater agreement (r = 0.40). Based on anatomical location, non-TB abnormalities in the lung parenchyma (19%) were the most prevalent, followed by Pleura (15.4%), then heart & great vessels (6.1%) abnormalities. Pleural effusion/thickening/calcification (8.8%) and cardiomegaly (5%) were the most prevalent non-TB abnormalities. Prevalence of (2.7%) for pneumonia not typical of pulmonary TB and (2.1%) mass/nodules (benign/ malignant) were also reported. CONCLUSION: A wide range of non-TB abnormalities can be identified on digital CXRs among individuals with high CAD4TB scores but don't have bacteriologically confirmed TB. Adaptation of AI systems like CAD4TB as a tool to simultaneously identify other causes of abnormal CXRs alongside TB can be interesting and useful in non-faculty-based screening programs to better link cases to appropriate care.

Going deeper with health equity measurement: how much more can surveys reveal about inequalities in health intervention coverage and mortality in Zambia?

BACKGROUND: Although Zambia has achieved notable improvements in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH), continued efforts to address gaps are essential to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Research to better uncover who is being most left behind with poor health outcomes is crucial. This study aimed to understand how much more demographic health surveys can reveal about Zambia's progress in reducing inequalities in under-five mortality rates and RMNCH intervention coverage. METHODS: Using four nationally-representative Zambia Demographic Health Surveys (2001/2, 2007, 2013/14, 2018), we estimated under-five mortality rates (U5MR) and RMNCH composite coverage indices (CCI) comparing wealth quintiles, urban-rural residence and provinces. We further used multi-tier measures including wealth deciles and double disaggregation between wealth and region (urban residence, then provinces). These were summarised using slope indices of inequality, weighted mean differences from overall mean, Theil and concentration indices. RESULTS: Inequalities in RMNCH coverage and under-five mortality narrowed between wealth groups, residence and provinces over time, but in different ways. Comparing measures of inequalities over time, disaggregation with multiple socio-economic and geographic stratifiers was often valuable and provided additional insights compared to conventional measures. Wealth quintiles were sufficient in revealing mortality inequalities compared to deciles, but comparing CCI by deciles provided more nuance by showing that the poorest 10% were left behind by 2018. Examining wealth in only urban areas helped reveal closing gaps in under-five mortality and CCI between the poorest and richest quintiles. Though challenged by lower precision, wealth gaps appeared to close in every province for both mortality and CCI. Still, inequalities remained higher in provinces with worse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Multi-tier equity measures provided similarly plausible and precise estimates as conventional measures for most comparisons, except mortality among some wealth deciles, and wealth tertiles by province. This suggests that related research could readily use these multi-tier measures to gain deeper insights on inequality patterns for both health coverage and impact indicators, given sufficient samples. Future household survey analyses using fit-for-purpose equity measures are needed to uncover intersecting inequalities and target efforts towards effective coverage that will leave no woman or child behind in Zambia and beyond.

Coverage, Trends, and Inequalities of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Indicators among the Poor and Non-Poor in the Most Populous Cities from 38 Sub-Saharan African Countries.

Rapid urbanization is likely to be associated with suboptimal access to essential health services. This is especially true in cities from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where urbanization is outpacing improvements in infrastructure. We assessed the current situation in regard to several markers of maternal, newborn, and child health, including indicators of coverage of health interventions (demand for family planning satisfied with modern methods, at least four antenatal care visits (ANC4+), institutional birth, and three doses of DPT vaccine[diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus]) and health status (stunting in children under 5 years, neonatal and under-5 mortality rates) among the poor and non-poor in the most populous cities from 38 SSA countries. We analyzed 136 population-based surveys (year range 2000-2019), contrasting the poorest 40% of households (referred to as poor) with the richest 60% (non-poor). Coverage in the most recent survey was higher for the city non-poor compared to the poor for all interventions in virtually all cities, with the largest median gap observed for ANC4+ (13.5 percentage points higher for the non-poor). Stunting, neonatal, and under-5 mortality rates were higher among the poor (7.6 percentage points, 21.2 and 10.3 deaths per 1000 live births, respectively). The gaps in coverage between the two groups were reducing, except for ANC4, with similar median average annual rate of change in both groups. Similar rates of change were also observed for stunting and the mortality indicators. Continuation of these positive trends is needed to eliminate inequalities in essential health services and child survival in SSA cities.

How Zambia reduced inequalities in under-five mortality rates over the last two decades: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Zambia experienced a major decline in under-five mortality rates (U5MR), with one of the fastest declines in socio-economic disparities in sub-Saharan Africa in the last two decades. We aimed to understand the extent to which, and how, Zambia has reduced socio-economic inequalities in U5MR since 2000. METHODS: Using nationally-representative data from Zambia Demographic Health Surveys (2001/2, 2007, 2013/14 and 2018), we examined trends and levels of inequalities in under-five mortality, intervention coverage, household water and sanitation, and fertility. This analysis was integrated with an in-depth review of key policy and program documents relevant to improving child survival in Zambia between 1990 and 2020. RESULTS: The under-five mortality rate (U5MR) declined from 168 to 64 deaths per 1000 live births between 2001/2 and 2018 ZDHS rounds, particularly in the post-neonatal period. There were major reductions in U5MR inequalities between wealth, education and urban-rural residence groups. Yet reduced gaps between wealth groups in estimated absolute income or education levels did not simultaneously occur. Inequalities reduced markedly for coverage of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH), malaria and human immunodeficiency virus interventions, but less so for water or sanitation and fertility levels. Several policy and health systems drivers were identified for reducing RMNCH inequalities: policy commitment to equity in RMNCH; financing with a focus on disadvantaged groups; multisectoral partnerships and horizontal programming; expansion of infrastructure and human resources for health; and involvement of community stakeholders and service providers. CONCLUSION: Zambia's major progress in reducing inequalities in child survival between the poorest and richest people appeared to be notably driven by government policies and programs that centrally valued equity, despite ongoing gaps in absolute income and education levels. Future work should focus on sustaining these gains, while targeting families that have been left behind to achieve the sustainable development goal targets.

Assessment of contextual factors shaping delivery and uptake of isoniazid preventive therapy among people living with HIV in Dar es salaam, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis has remained a leading cause of death among people living with HIV (PLHIV) globally. Isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) is the recommended strategy by the World Health Organization to prevent TB disease and related deaths among PLHIV. However, delivery and uptake of IPT has remained suboptimal particularly in countries where HIV and TB are endemic such as Tanzania. This study sought to assess contextual factors that shape delivery and uptake of IPT in Dar es Salaam region, Tanzania. METHODOLOGY: We employed a qualitative case study design comprising of in-depth interviews with people living with HIV (n = 17), as well as key informant interviews with clinicians (n = 7) and health administrators (n = 7). We used thematic data analysis approach and reporting of the results was guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). RESULTS: Characteristics of IPT such as aligning the therapy to individual patient schedules and its relatively low cost facilitated its delivery and uptake. On the contrary, perceived adverse side effects negatively affected the delivery and uptake of IPT. Characteristics of individuals delivering the therapy including their knowledge, good attitudes, and commitment to meeting set targets facilitated the delivery and uptake of IPT. The process of IPT delivery comprised collective planning and collaboration among various facilities which facilitated its delivery and uptake. Organisational characteristics including communication among units and supportive leadership facilitated the delivery and uptake of IPT. External system factors including HIV stigma, negative cultural and religious values, limited funding as well as shortage of skilled healthcare workers presented as barriers to the delivery and uptake of IPT. CONCLUSION: The factors influencing the delivery and uptake of IPT among people living with HIV are multifaceted and exist at different levels of the health system. Therefore, it is imperative that IPT program implementers and policy makers adopt multilevel approaches that address the identified barriers and leverage the facilitators in delivery and uptake of IPT at both community and health system levels.

Evaluating fidelity of community health worker roles in malaria prevention and control programs in Livingstone District, Zambia-A bottleneck analysis.

BACKGROUND: Community Health Workers (CHWs) are an important human resource in improving community malaria intervention coverages and success in reducing malaria incidence has been attributed to them. However, despite this attribution, malaria resurgence cases have been reported in various countries including Zambia. This study aims to evaluate the implementation fidelity of CHW roles in malaria prevention and control programs in Livingstone through performance and service quality assessment. METHODS: A mixed method concurrent cross-sectional study based on quantitative and qualitative approaches was used to evaluate performance and service quality of the CHW roles for selected catchments areas in Livingstone district. For the quantitative approach, (34) CHWs were interviewed and a community survey was also done with 464 community participants. For qualitative approach, two focused group discussions with CHWs and three key informant interviews from the CHW supervisors were done. RESULTS: Overall implementation fidelity to the CHW roles was low with only 5(14.7%) of the CHWs having good performance and least good quality service while 29 (85.3%) performed poorly with substandard service. About 30% of house-holds reported having experienced malaria cases but CHWs had low coverage in testing with RDT (27%) for malaria index case service response with treatment at 14% coverage and provision of health education at 23%. For other households without malaria cases, only 27% had received malaria health education and 15% were screened for malaria. However, ITN distribution, sensitization for IRS were among other CHW services received by the community but were not documented in CHW registers for evaluation. Factors that shaped fidelity were being married, record for reports, supervision, and work experience as significant factors associated with performance. Lack of supplies, insufficient remuneration and lack of ownership by the supervising district were reported to hinder ideal implementation of the CHW strategy. CONCLUSION: Fidelity to the malaria CHW roles was low as performance and quality of service was poor. A systems approach for malaria CHW facilitation considering supervision, stock supply and recruiting more CHWs on a more standardized level of recognition and remuneration would render an effective quality implementation of the CHW roles in malaria.

"They say that I have lost my integrity by breaking my virginity": experiences of teen school going mothers in two schools in Lusaka Zambia.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent school-going mothers return to school in the rekindled hope of obtaining an education. However, their re-introduction into the school environment requires adequate support from teachers, fellow pupils, and the community. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of school-going mothers in Lusaka to understand their coping mechanism in the process of re-integration. METHOD: This is a qualitative case study. We conducted in-depth interviews with 24 school going mothers between the ages of 16-19, purposively selected from 2 schools in Lusaka district. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed, coded using Nvivo 10 software and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The girls reported experiencing stigmatization, discrimination, mockery and abuse from their teachers. Some community members labelled, humiliated, gossiped about and isolated the girls from their friends and classmates because of fear of 'contamination'. Families forced some girls into early marriages making them feel rejected. These experiences resulted in low self-esteem, inferiority complex, poor performance in their academic work and identity crises in the young mothers. Therefore, because of the experiences the girls faced, they developed certain behaviours such as beer drinking, truancy and running away from home. They found it difficult to adjust to motherhood while doing their schoolwork. CONCLUSION: There is a need for the teachers to undergo training on how to handle young mothers and have a flexible time-table to accommodate adolescent school going mothers when they miss lessons to attend to their babies. Non-parenting school girls should be counseled so that they do not stigmatize adolescent mothers. Parents need to be educated on how to deal with adolescent mothers in the community. The guidance office should have a qualified psychosocial counselor to help create a conducive learning environment for adolescent mothers, by helping them with missed lessons and seeing to it that they are not stigmatized.

Women's decision-making and uptake of services to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission in Zambia.

Women's empowerment is associated with engagement in some areas of healthcare, but its role in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) services has not been previously considered. In this secondary analysis, we investigated the association of women's decision-making and uptake of health services for PMTCT. Using data from population-based household surveys, we included women who reported delivery in the 2-year period prior to the survey and were HIV-infected. We measured a woman's self-reported role in decision-making in her own healthcare, making of large purchases, schooling of children, and healthcare for children. For each domain, respondents were categorized as having an "active" or "no active" role. We investigated associations between decision-making and specific steps along the PMTCT cascade: uptake of maternal antiretroviral drugs, uptake of infant HIV prophylaxis, and infant HIV testing. We calculated unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios via logistic regression. From March to December 2011, 344 HIV-infected mothers were surveyed and 276 completed the relevant survey questions. Of these, 190 (69%) took antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy; 175 (64%) of their HIV-exposed infants received antiretroviral prophylaxis; and 160 (58%) had their infant tested for HIV. There was no association between decision-making and maternal or infant antiretroviral drug use. We observed a significant association between decision-making and infant HIV testing in univariate analyses (OR 1.56-1.85; p < 0.05); however, odds ratios for the decision-making indicators were no longer statistically significant predictors of infant HIV testing in multivariate analyses. In conclusion, women who reported an active role in decision-making trended toward a higher likelihood of uptake of infant testing in the PMTCT cascade. Larger studies are needed to evaluate the impact of empowerment initiatives on the PMTCT service utilization overall and infant testing in particular.

Uptake of intermittent preventive treatment for malaria during pregnancy with Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) among postpartum women in Zomba District, Malawi: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Malaria in pregnancy causes adverse birth outcomes. Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) is recommended as a chemoprevention therapy. Zomba district IPTp uptake falls far below the national average. The study was conducted to assess determinants of IPTp-SP uptake during pregnancy among postpartum women in Zomba district after adoption of new IPTp-SP policy in 2014. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey. Two public health facilities (HFs) were randomly selected from urban and rural areas in Zomba district. Study participants were postpartum women selected by using exit poll method from HFs. A total of 463 postpartum women were interviewed using structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression was used in data analysis. RESULTS: Out of all the enrolled participants (n = 463), 92% women had complete information for analysis. Of these, (n = 426) women, 127 (29.8%, 95% CI: 25.6%-34.3%) received three or more doses of SP, 299 (70.2%, 95% CI: 65.7%-74.4%) received two or less doses. Women receiving SP from rural HF were less likely to get at least three doses of SP than urban women, (AOR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.13-0.70); Others less likely were those with three or few antenatal care (ANC) visits versus four or more visits (AOR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.18-0.48); not taking SP under direct observation therapy (DOT) (AOR = 0.18, 95% CI (0.05-0.63). CONCLUSIONS: There is low utilisation of at least three doses of SP in this population and this seems to be associated with the number of ANC visits and use of DOTs. These determinants may therefore be important in shaping interventions aimed at increasing the uptake of IPTp in this district. In addition, the rural urban differential suggests the need for further research to understand the barriers and enablers of uptake in each context in order to improve the health of the community.

Acceptability of option B+ among HIV positive women receiving antenatal and postnatal care services in selected health centre's in Lusaka.

BACKGROUND: In 2013, Zambia accepted the immediate operationalization of Option B+, a policy used to try and eliminate mother to child transmission. This policy requires all HIV-positive pregnant and breastfeeding women to initiate antiretroviral treatment for life regardless of CD4 count. However, not all HIV positive women accept treatment for life. This study aimed to investigate acceptability of lifelong ART (Option B+) among HIV positive women receiving antenatal and postnatal services at the university teaching hospital and Lusaka urban city clinics. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study conducted in November, 2016 to March 2017. The study population comprised of HIV positive women in their reproductive age (15-49 years). A Structured questionnaire was used to collect data in a face to face interview with the participants. Data was entered in EpiData version 3.1 and analysed using Stata version 13. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine predictors of acceptability. RESULTS: Overall, 427 women participated in this study. Their mean age was 30 years. Of the 427, over half (54%) had inadequate knowledge and about 30% of the women in the study still experience stigma and discrimination.63.2% of the women had good attitude towards Option B+ and overall, the majority (77.8%) were willing to accept antiretroviral therapy for life. Multivariate analysis showed that only women with good attitude were 9.4 times more likely to accept Option B+ than those with a bad attitude [OR: 9.4: 95%CI, 5.8-15.2)]. CONCLUSION: This study showed that in general, women accepted initiation of Option B+. However, there is still a gap in the level of knowledge of Option B+ as well as stigma and discrimination in some communities, hence there is need to intensify programs that are aimed at educating the community on the importance of ART for life, combat stigma and discrimination and consequently promote acceptability of Option B+.

Towards a framework for analyzing determinants of performance of community health workers in malaria prevention and control: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Community health workers (CHWs) are an important human resource in improving coverage of and success to interventions aimed at reducing malaria incidence. Evidence suggests that the performance of CHWs in malaria programs varies in different contexts. However, comprehensive frameworks, based on systematic reviews, to guide the analysis of determinants of performance of CHWs in malaria prevention and control programs are lacking. METHODS: We systematically searched Google Scholar, Science Direct, and PubMed including reference lists that had English language publications. We included 16 full text articles that evaluated CHW performance in malaria control. Search terms were used and studies that had performance as an outcome of interest attributed to community-based interventions done by CHWs were included. RESULTS: Sixteen studies were included in the final review and were mostly on malaria Rapid Diagnosis and Treatment, as well as adherence to referral guidelines. Factors determining performance and effective implementation of CHW malaria programs included health system factors such as nature of training of CHWs; type of supervision including feedback process; availability of stocks, supplies, and job aids; nature of work environment and reporting systems; availability of financial resources and transport systems; types of remuneration; health staff confidence in CHWs; and workload. In addition, community dynamics such as nature of community connectedness and support from the community and utilization of services by the community also influenced performance. Furthermore, community health worker characteristics such marital status, sex, and CHW confidence levels also shaped CHW performance. CONCLUSIONS: Effectively analyzing and promoting the performance of CHWs in malaria prevention and control programs may require adopting a framework that considers health systems and community factors as well as community health worker characteristics.

Why do rural women in the most remote and poorest areas of Zambia predominantly attend only one antenatal care visit with a skilled provider? A qualitative inquiry.

BACKGROUND: While focused antenatal care (ANC) has served as an entry point in the continuum of care for both mothers and children, fewer than a third of pregnant women in the most remote and poorest communities of Zambia achieve the four ANC visits recommended by the World Health Organization. Current evidence suggests that attending ANC provided by a skilled healthcare worker at least once is common and associated with skilled birth attendance. The aim of this study was to explain why one ANC visit with a skilled provider seemed more common than four ANC visits among women in the remote and poorest districts of Zambia. METHODS: A qualitative case study design was conducted in 2012 among 84 participants in the selected remote and poorest districts of Zambia. Focus group discussions were conducted with mothers and community health volunteers, while key informant interviews were conducted with healthcare providers. Thematic analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Most women delayed starting antenatal care visits due to uncertainties about the timing for initiation of ANC and due to waiting for confirmation of the pregnancy by an elderly woman. Attendance of ANC once with a skilled provider was due to the need to assess their health status and that of their baby. In some facilities, attendance of ANC at least once was enforced by financial charges imposed on women for late ANC initiation, and/or incentives provided by nongovernmental organisations. Unavailability of services at health posts closest to these remote communities led to failure to return for subsequent ANC visits. Women's livelihoods such as nomadic lifestyles made it harder for them to initiate and make additional ANC visits. CONCLUSION: The popularity of ANC attendance once by a skilled provider among the remote and poorest women of Zambia was explained through perceived unavoidable social and economic barriers to care, and the punitive and incentive procedures implemented by health services. Maximising comprehensive care by skilled healthcare workers in the one visit a woman makes at the health facility, may lead to optimal utilisation of quality focused ANC. Enhancing community-based interventions may increase the potential to reach the vulnerable populations.

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.

Seroepidemiology of hepatitis E virus infection in an urban population in Zambia: strong association with HIV and environmental enteropathy.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection causes major epidemics of infectious hepatitis, with high mortality rates in pregnant women. Recent reports indicate that HEV coinfections with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may have a more protracted course. However, the impact of HEV infections in communities heavily affected by HIV remains poorly studied. We set out to examine age-related seroprevalence in a community where we have previously carried out studies on environmental enteropathy. METHODS: Blood samples from 194 children and 106 adults were examined for immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M antibodies for HEV. HEV data were correlated with HIV status and morphometric analysis of small intestinal biopsies. RESULTS: Seroprevalence rose throughout childhood, from 8% in children aged 1-4 years, to 36% in children aged 10-14 years. In adults, the overall prevalence was 42%, with 28% in HIV-seronegative adults and 71% in HIV-seropositive adults (odds ratio, 6.2; 95% confidence interval, 2.2-18; P = .0001). In adults, villous height and crypt depth measurements showed that HEV seropositivity was associated with worse enteropathy (P = .05 and P = .005, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: HEV infection is common in Zambia. In adults it is strongly associated with HIV status, and also with environmental enteropathy.

Factors associated with the ability of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in sexual unions to negotiate for safer sex. An analysis of data from the 2018 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS).

The ability of AGYW to negotiate for safer sex is key in the fight against the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). We determined the prevalence of safer sex negotiation among AGYW in sexual unions aged 15-24 and its associated factors in Zambia. Of 1879 respondents, 78.0% (1466) had the ability to negotiate for safer sex (ANSS). While adjusting for other variables in the model, condom use at last sex with the most recent partner (AOR 4.08, 95% CI 1.74-9.60, p = 0.001), experiencing any sexual violence by husband or partner (AOR 1.74, 95% CI 1.17-2.59, p = 0.006), listening to the radio at least once a week (AOR 2.03, 95% CI 1.32-3.13, p = 0.001), secondary or higher education (AOR1.77, 95% CI 1.04-2.99, p = 0.034), being in the richest wealth quintile (AOR 2.70, 95% CI 1.30-5.60, p = 0.008), and living in Eastern Province (AOR 2.75, 95% CI 1.53-4.93 p = 0.001), Northwestern (AOR 2.31, 95% CI 1.15-4.65, p = 0.019) and Southern (AOR 3.11, 95% CI 1.58-6.09, p = 0.001) was associated with a significant increase in the odds of ANSS among AGYW aged 15-24 years in sexual unions. On the other hand, being in Muchinga province (AOR 0.48, 95% CI 0.28-0.81, p = 0.006) decreased the odds of ANSS. In conclusion, safer sex negotiation is crucial in combating HIV; hence, tailor-made interventions that promote condom use, frequency of listening to health programmes on the radio, education, and wealth acquisition should be implemented to build and sustain safer sex negotiation, particularly among AGYW in sexual unions.

Understanding inequalities in the coverage of adolescent sexual and reproductive health services: a qualitative case study of the selected regions of Zambia.

Introduction: Despite substantial investment in improving healthcare among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries, barriers to access and utilization of services persist, especially to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. In response to adolescents' health service needs due to their vulnerability, interventions aimed at improving access and utilization of sexual and reproductive health services have been implemented in specific regions of Zambia. To highlight progress in the access and the overall delivery of services in Zambia, in the wake of a system-level funding mechanism, this paper aims to understand the accessibility, availability, acceptability and quality (AAAQ) of health services provided to young people. Materials and methods: In a qualitative case study, 48 discussions- 32 individual interviews with stakeholders and 16 focus group discussions, consisting of 128 male and female adolescents were conducted in six districts from Eastern, Southern and Muchinga provinces of Zambia. Interviews were audio-recorded, recordings transcribed verbatim, and transcripts were analysed using deductive thematic analysis, using the AAAQ framework and Atun's framework on integration, as a guide to reporting the findings. Results: We found that adolescents knew of and had access to common commodities and services- male condoms, health education and HIV counselling and testing. However, availability was affected by access-related barriers such as frequent stock-outs and insufficiently trained healthcare providers. In addition, accessibility was more restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and compounded by the low acceptability of SRH service among adolescents across all contexts. This led to the use of alternatives such as herbal medicine and maintained common myths and misconceptions. The overall quality was marred by the lack of dedicated spaces for adolescent health services and the lack of information, education and communication (IEC) materials in some spaces. Conclusion: While it was noted that some services were available for adolescents in all the study sites, numerous barriers inhibited access to these services and had an impact on the quality-of-service provision. With the added restriction to SRH service asses for young people, due to the low acceptability of adolescent SRH service use, the overall integration of adolescent SRH interventions into routine service provision was low and can be improved by targeting contextual barriers and maintaining best practices.

Influence of HIV status on outcomes of children admitted with sepsis at a paediatric hospital in Zambia: protocol for a prospective longitudinal study.

INTRODUCTION: Sepsis, a condition of global public health concern, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in patients with underlying HIV infection. This study aims to determine outcomes, aetiology and antibiotic resistance patterns among children with HIV exposure or infection admitted with a clinical presentation suggestive of sepsis who have confirmed bloodstream infections at Arthur Davison Children's Hospital (ADCH) in Ndola, Zambia. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This will be a prospective longitudinal study of 200 children aged <2 years admitted with sepsis at ADCH with two of the following conditions: temperature of 38.0°C, respiratory rate ≥20 breaths per minute and pulse rate ≥90 beats per minute. About 2-5 mL of blood collected from each participant will be inoculated into BACTEC culture bottles and incubated for 5-7 days. Positive cultures will be inoculated onto culture media for subculture followed by species identification followed by antibiotic susceptibility testing. Time-to-event outcomes such as hospital readmission and mortality will be analysed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards. Predictors will be identified using regression methods. All statistical tests will use a 5% significance level with a 95% confidence level. STATA V.16 will be used for statistical analysis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical clearance and approval have been granted by the Tropical Diseases Research Centre Ethics Committee (TDRC-EC 092/07/23). Caregiver consent will be obtained verbally for participants presenting as medical emergencies, and written informed consent will be obtained once stable. Findings from this study will be shared with the Ministry of Health Zambia and will be disseminated to the scientific community through peer-reviewed scientific journals.