Increasing facility delivery through maternity waiting homes for women living far from a health facility in rural Zambia: a quasi-experimental study.

OBJECTIVE: To report on the effectiveness of a standardised core Maternity Waiting Home (MWH) model to increase facility deliveries among women living >10 km from a health facility. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental design with partial randomisation at the cluster level. SETTING: Seven rural districts in Zambia. POPULATION: Women delivering at 40 health facilities between June 2016 and August 2018. METHODS: Twenty intervention and 20 comparison sites were used to test whether MWHs increased facility delivery for women living in rural Zambia. Difference-in-differences (DID) methodology was used to examine the effectiveness of the core MWH model on our identified outcomes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Differences in the change from baseline to study period in the percentage of women living >10 km from a health facility who: (1) delivered at the health facility, (2) attended a postnatal care (PNC) visit and (3) were referred to a higher-level health facility between intervention and comparison group. RESULTS: We detected a significant difference in the percentage of deliveries at intervention facilities with the core MWH model for all women living >10 km away (DID 4.2%, 95% CI 0.6-7.6, P = 0.03), adolescent women (<18 years) living >10 km away (DID 18.1%, 95% CI 6.3-29.8, P = 0.002) and primigravida women living >10 km away (DID 9.3%, 95% CI 2.4-16.4, P = 0.01) and for women attending the first PNC visit (DID 17.8%, 95% CI 7.7-28, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The core MWH model was successful in increasing rates of facility delivery for women living >10 km from a healthcare facility, including adolescent women and primigravidas and attendance at the first PNC visit. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: A core MWH model increased facility delivery for women living >10 km from a health facility including adolescents and primigravidas in Zambia.

Dietary pattern and other lifestyle factors as potential contributors to hypertension prevalence in Arusha City, Tanzania: a population-based descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: High blood pressure is increasing worldwide, disproportionately so in developing countries. Inadequate health care systems and adoption of unhealthy lifestyles have been linked to this emergent pattern. To better understand this trend, it is imperative we measure prevalence of hypertension, and examine specific risk factors, at a local level. This study provides a cross-sectional view of urban residents of Arusha City to determine prevalence and associated risk factors. METHODS: Blood pressure was measured using a digital sphygmomanometer. Interviews were conducted using the WHO STEPwise survey questionnaire to assess lifestyle factors. Dietary intake information was collected by a standardized Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze demographic characteristics. Means and standard deviations were calculated for continuous variables and percentages for categorical variables. Pearson's Chi Square (χ 2) tests were used to determine significant risk factors for hypertension, and multivariate log binomial regression was used to reveal potential predictors of hypertension. Dietary patterns were analyzed by principal component analysis. RESULTS: Approximately 45% of the study population was found to be hypertensive. The mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) of the sample was 102.3 mmHg (SD = 18.3). Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 136.3 (SD = 30.5) and 85.3 (SD = 16.1) mmHg, respectively. Through multivariate analysis, age and body mass index were found to be independently, positively, associated with hypertension. Adherence to 'healthy' dietary pattern was negatively independently associated with hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: With nearly half of participants being hypertensive, this study suggests that hypertension is a significant health risk in Arusha, Tanzania. Obesity, healthy diet, and age were found to be positively associated with hypertension risk. This study did not establish any significant association between increased blood pressure and Western-dietary pattern, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and physical activities.

Clinical trials of cancer screening in the developing world and their impact on cancer healthcare.

Several research and training initiatives were organized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in collaboration with national institutions in countries such as Angola, Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Republic of Congo, Guinea, India, Mali, Mauritania, Nepal, Niger, Peru, Tanzania and Thailand among others, to address feasible and effective means of early detection and prevention of cervical, breast and oral cancers. The impact of these activities, that involved over 600 000 participants and more than 1200 healthcare personnel trained on strengthening the local health services in terms of infrastructure, human resources and service delivery aspects in host countries and other regions, is addressed here. These studies, inbuilt in appropriate health services platforms, have resulted in the development and sustenance of several continuing point of care services of screening and treatment in most host countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, and have catalysed regional early detection programmes in India, China and Thailand. The IARC collaborative studies have evolved into major focal points of training and extending services in many countries. The large evidence base, resulting from ours and other studies is likely, in due course, to facilitate much wider scaling up of screening and treatment services through organised programmes.

Palliative radiation therapy practice for advanced esophageal carcinoma in Africa.

While numerous surveys of pattern of practices of palliative radiotherapy (RT) in advanced esophageal cancers have been published in developed countries, there is no such survey in African countries. During and after a regional training course by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in palliative cancer care, a questionnaire was distributed to African RT centers to gather information about infrastructure and human resources available, and the pattern of practice of palliative RT for esophageal cancers. Twenty-four of the 35 centers (60%) completed the questionnaire. Twenty out of 23 (87%) centers treat patients with esophageal cancer presenting with dysphagia using external beam RT (16 centers external beam RT alone and 4 centers also use brachytherapy as a boost). Twelve (60%) centers prescribe RT doses of 30 Gy in 10 fractions and 2 centers 20 Gy in 5 fractions. Eighteen centers (78%) have low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy, and 9 (39%) centers have high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. One center only used HDR brachytherapy alone to a dose of 16 Gy in 2 fractions over 8 days. RT remains a major component of treatment of patients with esophageal cancers in African countries. Still, there is a great variety among centers in both indications for RT and its characteristics for a treatment indication.

World Health Organization cancer priorities in developing countries.

The burden of cancer in developing countries is growing and threatens to exact a heavy morbidity, mortality, and economic cost in these countries in the next 20 years. The unfolding global public health dimensions of the cancer pandemic demand a widespread effective international response. The good news is that the majority of cancers in developing countries are preventable, and the efficacy of treatment can be improved with early detection. Currently, the knowledge exists to implement sound, evidence-based practices in cancer prevention, screening/early detection, treatment, and palliation. It is estimated that the information at hand could prevent up to one-third of new cancers and increase survival for another one-third of cancers detected at an early stage. To achieve this, knowledge must be translated into action. To facilitate the call to action in the fight against cancer, the World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a comprehensive approach to cancer control. The WHO has produced many valuable guidelines and resources for the effective implementation of national cancer control programs. Several milestones in the WHO's efforts include the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, and global strategies for diet and exercise, reproductive health, and cervical cancer. This review examines the strategies and approaches that have successfully resulted into global action to confront the rising global burden of cancer in the developing world.