Sexual violence victimisation and response among university students in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Sexual violence (SV) is highly prevalent among university campuses across the globe, despite of several initiatives implemented to address it. Several studies have been published focusing on various aspects of SV on campuses. However, no review has been retrieved from the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Database, Cochrane Library or Ovid examining evidence synthesis on prevalence, risk factors, victims and perpetrators, policies, laws and universities responses to SV in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This review aims to map the existing literature on SV victimisation among university students in SSA, related response strategies, and identify gaps in the evidence. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This review will follow JBI guidelines and will be conducted from 1 July 2023 to 31 December 2023. A team of five reviewers will screen eligible documents and articles for relevance from various data sources including electronic databases such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Google Scholar, PubMed and websites for government and agencies. Standard information for each study will be collected and a common analytical framework for all the primary documents will be conducted. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This review will involve analysis of published data only and therefore does not require ethics approval. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. REGISTRATION: This review has been registered with the Open Science Framework.

Tanzanian health libraries in the 21st century: initiatives and challenges.

This article is part of a series in this regular feature, which looks at new directions in health science libraries. It highlights the initiatives health science librarians in Tanzania are implementing to ensure that their service meets users' needs. To succeed, libraries must take steps to ensure that staff have access to education, training and professional development. Partnerships and collaborations are also vital to make the best use of scarce resources and to identify sources of funding. This article highlights the various challenges facing the library service and the opportunity for librarians to be recognised for the new roles they are taking on. J.M.

Better evidence: prospective cohort study assessing the utility of an evidence-based clinical resource at the University of Rwanda.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence-based clinical resources (EBCRs) have the potential to improve diagnostic and therapeutic accuracy. The majority of US teaching medical institutions have incorporated them into clinical training. Many EBCRs are subscription based, and their cost is prohibitive for most clinicians and trainees in low-income and middle-income countries. We sought to determine the utility of EBCRs in an East African medical school. SETTING: The University of Rwanda (UR), a medical school located in East Africa. PARTICIPANTS: Medical students and faculty members at UR. INTERVENTIONS: We offered medical students and faculty at UR free access to UpToDate, a leading EBCR and conducted a cohort study to assess its uptake and usage. Students completed two surveys on their study habits and gave us permission to access their activity on UpToDate and their grades. RESULTS: Of the 980 medical students invited to enrol over 2 years, 547 did (56%). Of eligible final year students, 88% enrolled. At baseline, 92% of students reported ownership of an internet-capable device, and the majority indicated using free online resources frequently for medical education. Enrolled final year students viewed, on average, 1.24 topics per day and continued to use UpToDate frequently after graduation from medical school. Graduating class exam performance was better after introduction of UpToDate than in previous years. CONCLUSIONS: Removal of the cost barrier was sufficient to generate high uptake of a leading EBCR by senior medical students and habituate them to continued usage after graduation.