Burden of tuberculosis and hepatitis co-infection among people living with HIV in Nepal: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

People living with HIV (PLHIV) are prone to tuberculosis (TB) and hepatitis co-infections, which cause substantial burden on morbidity and mortality. However, data on the burden of HIV co-infection from a specific low- and middle-income country are limited. To address this gap in evidence, a meta-analysis of published literature and country surveillance report was conducted to estimate the burden of TB, hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) co-infection among PLHIV in Nepal. Twenty-three studies, including 5900 PLHIV, were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of HIV-TB, HIV-HBV and HIV-HCV co-infection was 19% (95% CI, 10-28%), 3% (2-5%) and 19% (4-33%), respectively. Low CD4 cell count (pooled odds ratio [OR] 4.38, 95% CI 1.11-17.25), smoking (3.07, 1.48-6.37) and alcohol drinking (3.12, 1.52-6.43) were significantly correlated with HIV-TB co-infection. The odds of HCV co-infection was greater in PLHIV, who were male (5.39, 1.54-18.89) and drug users (166.26, 15.94-1734.44). PLHIV who were on antiretroviral therapy had a reduced risk of HCV co-infection (0.49, 0.36-0.66) than the general PLHIV population. The burden of TB and hepatitis co-infection among PLHIV in Nepal was high. Regular screening of PLHIV for co-infections and prompt initiation of treatment are essential to reduce the transmission of infection and improve quality of life.

Comparative analysis of COVID-19 case fatality rate between two waves in Nepal.

The first COVID-19 case in Nepal was reported on January 23, 2020. Then infection, then, started to spread gradually, and October marked the most devastating increase in COVID-19 cases of the year 2020. Compared with the October 2020 peak in Nepal, the May 2021 peak of COVID-19 observed 2- and 10-fold rise in new cases and deaths per day, respectively. Given that this surprising increase in the death rate was not observed in other countries, this study analyzed the COVID-19 case fatality rates between the two peaks in Nepal. We found an increase in death rates among younger adults and people without comorbidities.

Fear, Risk Perception, and Engagement in Preventive Behaviors for COVID-19 during Nationwide Lockdown in Nepal.

The world has faced huge negative effects from the COVID-19 pandemic between early 2020 and late 2021. Each country has implemented a range of preventive measures to minimize the risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study assessed the COVID-19-related fear, risk perception, and preventative behavior during the nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19 in Nepal. In a cross-sectional study, conducted in mid-2021 during the nationwide lockdown in Nepal, a total of 1484 individuals completed measures on fear of COVID-19, COVID-19 risk perception, and preventive behavior. A multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with COVID-19 fear. The results revealed significant differences in the fear of COVID-19 in association with the perceived risk of COVID-19 and preventive behaviors. Age, risk perception, preventive behavior, and poor health status were significantly positively related to fear of COVID-19. Perceived risk and preventive behaviors uniquely predicted fear of COVID-19 over and above the effects of socio-demographic variables. Being female and unmarried were the significant factors associated with fear of COVID-19 among study respondents. Higher risk perception, poor health status, and being female were strong factors of increased fear of COVID-19. Targeted interventions are essential to integrate community-level mental health care for COVID-19 resilience.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Nepal: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a significant health threat and public burden worldwide, particularly in developing countries, including Nepal, due to its low healthcare standards and irrational use of antibiotics. It is evident that MRSA strains are frequently detected in Nepalese hospitals; however, they remain underreported. Therefore, to provide a comprehensive and clear understanding of MRSA infection at the national level, this systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of MRSA in Nepal. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, Google scholar, and Nepalese databases were searched for studies published between 1st January 2008 and 31st August 2020. A total of 26 original articles were selected for quantitative analysis. Data extraction was accomplished by three authors independently and meta-analysis was performed using MedCalc Version 19.5.1 and Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software v.3.0. RESULT: The pooled prevalence of MRSA infections among 5951 confirmed S. aureus isolates was 38.2% (95% CI, 31.4%-45.2%). We found a significant heterogeneity (I2 = 96.7% for resistance proportion), and no evidence of publication bias (p = 0.256) among studies. MRSA strains showed a high level of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and the highest susceptibility profile was noted in vancomycin 98.0% followed by chloramphenicol 91.0%. CONCLUSION: The analysis revealed that the overall MRSA burden in Nepal is considerably high and the prevalence of MRSA infections is in the increasing trend. Sound legislation, definite antibiotic policy, and implementations of control interventions are indispensable for tackling MRSA infection and antimicrobial resistance as a whole.