Healthcare Leaders Develop Strategies for Expanding National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anaesthesia Plans in WHO AFRO and EMRO Regions.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, five billion people lack access to safe, affordable surgical, obstetric, and anaesthesia (SOA) care when needed. In many countries, a growing commitment to SOA care is culminating in the development of national surgical, obstetric, and anaesthesia plans (NSOAPs) that are fully embedded in the National Health Strategic Plan. This manuscript highlights the content and outputs from a World Health Organization (WHO) lead workshop that supported country-led plans for improving SOA care as a component of health system strengthening. METHODS: In March 2018, a group of 79 high-level global SOA stakeholders from 25 countries in the WHO AFRO and EMRO regions gathered in Dubai to provide technical and strategic guidance for the creation and expansion of NSOAPs. RESULTS: Drawing on the experience and expertise of represented countries that are at different stages of the NSOAP process, topics covered included (1) the global burden of surgical, obstetric, and anaesthetic conditions; (2) the key principles and components of NSOAP development; (3) the critical evaluation and feasibility of different models of NSOAP implementation; and (4) innovative financing mechanisms to fund NSOAPs. CONCLUSIONS: Lessons learned include: (1) there is unmet need for the establishment of an NSOAP community in order to provide technical support, expertise, and mentorship at a regional level; (2) data should be used to inform future priorities, for monitoring and evaluation and to showcase advances in care following NSOAP implementation; and (3) SOA health system strengthening must be uniquely prioritized and not hidden within other health strategies.

Emergency general surgery in Rwandan district hospitals: a cross-sectional study of spectrum, management, and patient outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Management of emergency general surgical conditions remains a challenge in rural sub-Saharan Africa due to issues such as insufficient human capacity and infrastructure. This study describes the burden of emergency general surgical conditions and the ability to provide care for these conditions at three rural district hospitals in Rwanda. METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study included all patients presenting to Butaro, Kirehe and Rwinkwavu District Hospitals between January 1st 2015 and December 31st 2015 with emergency general surgical conditions, defined as non-traumatic, non-obstetric acute care surgical conditions. We describe patient demographics, clinical characteristics, management and outcomes. RESULTS: In 2015, 356 patients presented with emergency general surgical conditions. The majority were male (57.2%) and adults aged 15-60 years (54.5%). The most common diagnostic group was soft tissue infections (71.6%), followed by acute abdominal conditions (14.3%). The median length of symptoms prior to diagnosis differed significantly by diagnosis type (p < 0.001), with the shortest being urological emergencies at 1.5 days (interquartile range (IQR):1, 6) and the longest being complicated hernia at 17.5 days (IQR: 1, 208). Of all patients, 54% were operated on at the district hospital, either by a general surgeon or general practitioner. Patients were more likely to receive surgery if they presented to a hospital with a general surgeon compared to a hospital with only general practitioners (75% vs 43%, p < 0.001). In addition, the general surgeon was more likely to treat patients with complex diagnoses such as acute abdominal conditions (33.3% vs 4.1%, p < 0.001) compared to general practitioners. For patients who received surgery, 73.3% had no postoperative complications and 3.2% died. CONCLUSION: While acute abdominal conditions are often considered the most common emergency general surgical condition in sub-Saharan Africa, soft tissue infections were the most common in our setting. This could represent a true difference in epidemiology in rural settings compared to referral facilities in urban settings. Patients were more likely to receive an operation in a hospital with a general surgeon as opposed to a general practitioner. This provides evidence to support increasing the surgical workforce in district hospitals in order to increase surgical availability for patients.

An innovative paradigm for surgical education programs in resource-limited settings.

The burden of surgical disease in low-income countries remains significant, in part owing to continued surgical workforce shortages. We describe a successful paradigm to expand Rwandan surgical capacity through the implementation of a surgical education partnership between the National University of Rwanda and the Centre for Global Surgery at the McGill University Health Centre. Key considerations for such a program are highlighted.

Collaboration in surgical capacity development: a report of the inaugural meeting of the Strengthening Rwanda Surgery initiative.

BACKGROUND: Increasing access to surgical care is among the prioritized healthcare initiatives in Rwanda and other low income countries, where only 3.5 % of surgical procedures worldwide are being performed. Partnerships among surgeons at academic medical centers, non-governmental organizations, and representatives of industry for building sustainable local surgical capacity in developing settings should be explored. METHODS: With the goal of improving collaboration and coordination among the many stakeholders in Rwandan surgery, the Rwanda Surgical Society (RSS) convened a participatory workshop of these groups in Kigali in March 2011. The meeting consisted of presentations from Rwandan surgical leaders and focused brainstorming sessions on collaborative methods for surgical capacity building. RESULTS: The outcome of the meeting was a set of recommendations to the Rwandan Ministry of Health (MOH) and the formation of an ad hoc team, the Strengthening Rwanda Surgery (SRS) Advising Group. The inaugural meeting of the advising group served to establish common goals, a framework for ongoing communication and collaboration, and commitment to a fully Rwandan agenda for surgical and anesthesia capacity development. The SRS Advising Group continues to meet and collaborate on training initiatives and has been integrated into the MOH plan to scale up human resources across disciplines. CONCLUSIONS: The SRS Initiative serves as an example of the concept of early communication and international collaboration in global surgical and anesthesia capacity building partnerships.

Infertility services integrated within the maternal health department of a public hospital in a low-income country, Rwanda.

Objective: To describe the initiation, integration, and costs of reduced-cost infertility services within the maternal health department of a public hospital in a low-income country. Design: Retrospective review of the clinical and laboratory components of patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment in Rwanda from 2018 to 2020. Setting: Academic tertiary referral hospital in Rwanda. Patients: Patients seeking infertility services beyond the primary gynecological options. Interventions: The national government furnished facilities and personnel, and the Rwanda Infertility Initiative, an international nongovernmental organization, provided training, equipment, and materials. The incidence of retrieval, fertilization, embryo cleavage, transfer, and conception (observed until ultrasound verification of intrauterine pregnancy with fetal heartbeat) were analyzed. Cost calculations used the government-issued tariff specifying insurers' payments and patients' copayments with projected delivery rates using early literature. Main Outcome Measures: Assessment of functional clinical and laboratory infertility services and costs. Results: A total of 207 IVF cycles were initiated, 60 of which led to transfer of ≥1 high-grade embryo and 5 to ongoing pregnancies. The projected average cost per cycle was 1,521 USD. Using optimistic and conservative assumptions, the estimated costs per delivery for women <35 years were 4,540 and 5,156 USD, respectively. Conclusions: Reduced-cost infertility services were initiated and integrated within a maternal health department of a public hospital in a low-income country. This integration required commitment, collaboration, leadership, and a universal health financing system. Low-income countries, such as Rwanda, might consider infertility treatment and IVF for younger patients as part of an equitable and affordable health care benefit.

Diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer at the community level in Rwanda.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men and sixth leading cause of mortality. If not recognized early, patients with advanced prostate cancer can experience debilitating complications which can otherwise be prevented by early androgen deprivation therapy. This research intends to define clear diagnostic tools that will guide practitioners in the rural community setting toward early management of advanced prostate cancer. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study at three referral hospitals in Kigali, Rwanda on patients who presented with clinical suspicion of advanced prostate cancer over a period of 6 months. All patients underwent prostate biopsy as well as metastatic work up (CT or MRI), for those who were eligible. Statistical analysis was done using STATA 14.2. RESULTS: 114 patients were included in the study. The median age was 70 years (interquartile range: 65-79 years). In total 14 (12.3%) patients were found to have benign disease, while 100 (87.7%) patients were found to have cancer. Among those who had cancer, 85 (85%) had advanced prostate cancer. 110/114 (96.5%) were symptomatic at presentation. Common presenting symptoms were lower urinary tract symptoms (80.7%), back pain (54.4%), and urinary retention (36.8%). Abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE) was a strong risk factor for both cancer and advanced disease. Prostate cancer was found in 92.2% of those with abnormal DRE compared to 41.7% in those with normal DRE (p = 0.001). Also, cancer was found in 96.1% of those with multinodular prostate on DRE (p = 0.02) and had high odds (OR 14.6; CI 3.41-62.25) of having advanced prostate cancer (p < 0.001). The mean (± SD) PSA was 643.3 ± 1829.8 ng/ml and the median (range) was 100 ng/ml (9.05-10,000 ng/ml) for the whole study population. All patients with prostatic-specific antigen (PSA) of 100 ng/ml or above had advanced prostate cancer. CONCLUSION: The results show that there is a significant correlation between clinical findings and advanced prostate cancer. All patients with abnormal DRE and PSA above 100 ng/ml had advanced prostate cancer. Diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer is possible at the community level if PSA testing is utilized and practitioners are well trained.

One-arm, open-label, prospective, cohort field study to assess the safety and efficacy of the PrePex device for scale-up of nonsurgical circumcision when performed by nurses in resource-limited settings for HIV prevention.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and efficacy of the PrePex device when circumcision is performed by lower cadre nurses, among healthy adult men scheduled for voluntary circumcision, in preparation for scale-up. METHODS: Single-center 3-month nonrandomized field study was conducted in Rwanda. Ten nurses were trained for 3 days on the PrePex circumcision method. Healthy noncircumcised adult male volunteers (n = 590) were enrolled, distributed between 5 teams of 2 nurses each, and underwent circumcision using the PrePex device, which employs radial elastic pressure to the foreskin, leading to distal necrosis. Adverse event (AE) data were gathered for 6 weeks postremoval. RESULTS: All 518 subjects from the pilot and pivotal phases achieved complete circumcision. There were 5 AEs on 4 subjects (rate of 0.96%, 95% confidence interval: 0.31 to 2.24). There were 4 device-related AEs, including 1 case of bleeding postremoval, 1 case of high pain the night before the removal (which resulted in subject self-removal of the device and caused mild bleeding), 1 erroneous placement, and 1 subject partial removal of the device. There was 1 non-device-related AE. AEs were moderate and were resolved with simple intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that circumcision performed by nurses using the PrePex device is safe, effective, and easy to train. The procedure was minimally invasive and did not require injected anesthesia, sutures, or sterile settings. PrePex has the potential to help facilitate rapid, safe, nonphysician male circumcision scale-up programs for HIV prevention, an imminent need in sub Saharan Africa where physicians are limited.

HIV prevention: male circumcision comparison between a nonsurgical device to a surgical technique in resource-limited settings: a prospective, randomized, nonmasked trial.

BACKGROUND: Randomized controlled trial studies have shown that male circumcision (MC) can reduce the risk of HIV infection by 53%-60%. The Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS announced a 5-year plan to voluntarily circumcise 20 million men by 2015. There are more than 38 million males in sub-Saharan Africa that could benefit from MC for HIV prevention by 2015. Surgical MC is impractical for nation-wide coverage in resource-limited settings. Rwanda intends to launch a voluntary MC program to reach 2 million adult men in 2 years, an unattainable goal with surgical MC. This study was designed to compare a new nonsurgical device with surgical MC to assess nonsurgical MC suitability for scale-up. METHODS: Prospective, randomized controlled trial in Rwanda in which the PrePex device was used for nonsurgical MC and the dorsal-slit method for surgical MC (ratio: 2:1). Subjects were healthy adult male volunteers aged 21-54 years. The primary endpoint, set by World Health Organization, was total MC procedure time. FINDINGS: Of 217 eligible subjects, 144 were randomized to the PrePex/nonsurgical arm and 73 to the surgical arm. All subjects were circumcised in 10 working days. Nonsurgical MC was bloodless, without anesthesia, sutures, or sterile setting and with mean procedure time of 3.1 minutes (skin to skin), was significantly shorter than mean surgical procedure time (15.4 minutes skin to skin) (P < 0.0001). There were no device-related adverse events. Healing time of the PrePex arm was longer than the surgical arm. CONCLUSION: PrePex, the nonsurgical MC, takes significantly less time than surgical, is as safe, does not require injections or sterile settings, is bloodless and seems to be suitable for nurses.