Active case detection and treatment of malaria in pregnancy using LAMP technology (LAMPREG): a pragmatic randomised diagnostic outcomes trial-study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Malaria is one of the major public health problems in sub-Saharan Africa. It contributes significantly to maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality in affected countries. This study aims to evaluate the impact of enhanced case detection using molecular testing called loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) on birth outcomes in a prospective study design. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A pragmatic randomised diagnostic outcomes trial will be conducted in several health institutes in different Ethiopian regions. Women (n=2583) in their first and second trimesters of pregnancy will be included in the study and individually randomised to the standard of care or enhanced case detection arms, and followed until delivery. Enrolment will encompass the malaria peak transmission seasons. In the standard of care arm, a venous blood sample will be collected for malaria diagnosis only in symptomatic patients. In contrast, in the intervention arm, mothers will be tested by a commercially available Conformité Européene (CE)-approved LAMP malaria test, microscopy and rapid diagnostic test for malaria regardless of their symptoms at each antenatal care visit. The primary outcome of the study is to measure birth weight. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study was approved by the following ethical research boards: Armauer Hansen Research Institute/ALERT Ethics Review Committee (FORM AF-10-015.1, Protocol number PO/05/20), the Ethiopia Ministry of Science and Higher Education National Research Ethics Review Committee (approval SRA/11.7/7115/20), the Ethiopia Food and Drug Administration (approval 02/25/33/I), UCalgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board (REB21-0234). The study results will be shared with the institutions and stakeholders such as the Ethiopia Ministry of Health, the Foundation for Innovative Diagnostics, WHO's Multilateral initiative on Malaria - Tropical Diseases Research (TDR-MIM), Roll Back Malaria and the Malaria in Pregnancy Consortium. The study results will also be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03754322.

Injury severity level and associated factors among road traffic accident victims attending emergency department of Tirunesh Beijing Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A cross sectional hospital-based study.

BACKGROUND: Road Traffic Accidents have become an enormous global public health problem killing approximately 1.25 million people and injuring 20 to 50 million others yearly. It is the 10th leading cause of death universally and the number one cause of mortality of the young population between the ages of 5 and 29. Only few studies have been conducted on the severity of road traffic injuries in Ethiopia hence the need for the study. OBJECTIVE: To assess injury severity level and associated factors among road traffic accident victims. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of patients involved in road traffic accident and attended Tirunesh Beijing hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Victims were consecutively recruited until sample size (164) attained during the study period. Data collectors administered a structured questionnaire. The collected data was then entered and cleaned using Epi info and exported to IBM SPSS for statistical analysis. Independent factors associated with injury severity were assessed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 164 road traffic injury victims were included to the study. Prevalence of severe injury accounted for 36.6% of cases. "can read and write" educational status OR 35.194(95% CI; 3.325-372.539), sustaining multiple injury OR 18.400(95% CI; 5.402-62.671), sustaining multiple injury type OR 6.955(95% CI; 1.716-28.185) and being transported by ambulance from the scene of accident OR 13.800(95% CI; 1.481-128.635) were the explanatory variables found to have a statistically significant association with severe injury. CONCLUSION: This study showed road traffic accident is predominantly affecting the economically active, male young population. Not a single victim received pre-hospital care, majority were extracted by bystanders and most used commercial vehicle to be transported to a health institution reflecting the need for improvements in pre-hospital emergency services and socio-economic related infrastructures.