Out-of-pocket Expenses and Time Spent on Clinic Visits Among HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Users and Other Clinic Attendees in Eswatini.

User costs constitute a barrier to the uptake of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), but their magnitude appears rarely assessed. In this prospective observational study, we assessed self-reported out-of-pocket expenses (OOPE) and time spent on clinic visits during a PrEP demonstration project in Eswatini. At six public primary care clinics, 240 PrEP users and other clinic attendees were interviewed after a clinic visit. Among the 79.2% of clinic attendees reporting any medical OOPE (e.g., expenses for consultations or drugs) and/or non-medical OOPE (e.g., expenses for transport, food, or phone use), the median total OOPE was $1.36 (IQR 0.91-1.96). Non-medical OOPE occurred mostly due to transport expenses. The median travel time for a clinic visit was 1.0 h (IQR 0.67-2.0). The median time spent in the clinic was 2.0 h (IQR 1.15-3.0). The median opportunity cost of a clinic visit was $7.54 (IQR 5.42-11) when valuing time spent on a clinic visit with Eswatini's per-capita gross domestic product. Our findings can guide measures to reduce the user costs of PrEP in Eswatini and other contexts in which oral PrEP is provided through health care facilities.

RESUMEN: Los costes de los usuarios constituyen un obstáculo para la adopción de la profilaxis previa a la exposición al VIH (PrEP), pero su magnitud rara vez se evalúa. En este estudio observacional prospectivo, evaluamos los gastos de bolsillo (OOPE) declarados por los propios usuarios y el tiempo dedicado a las visitas clínicas durante un proyecto de demostración de la PrEP en Eswatini. En seis clínicas públicas de atención primaria, se entrevistó a 240 usuarios de la PrEP y a otros asistentes a la clínica después de una visita a la misma. Entre el 79,2% de los asistentes a las clínicas que declararon algún OOPE médico (por ejemplo, gastos por consultas o medicamentos) y/o OOPE no médico (por ejemplo, gastos de transporte, comida o uso del teléfono), la mediana del OOPE total fue de 1,36 dólares (IQR: 0,91­1,96). Los gastos no médicos se debieron principalmente a los gastos de transporte. La mediana del tiempo de viaje para una visita a la clínica fue de 1,0 horas (IQR 0,67­2,0). La mediana del tiempo empleado en la clínica fue de 2 horas (IQR 1,15­3,0). La mediana del coste de oportunidad de una visita a la clínica fue de 7,65 dólares (IQR 5,55­11) al valorar el tiempo dedicado a una visita a la clínica con el producto interior bruto per cápita de Eswatini. Nuestros resultados pueden orientar las medidas para reducir los costes de uso de la PrEP en Eswatini y en otros contextos en los que se suministra la PrEP oral a través de los centros de salud.

Age-specific burden of cervical cancer associated with HIV: A global analysis with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa.

HIV substantially worsens human papillomavirus (HPV) carcinogenicity and contributes to an important population excess of cervical cancer, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We estimated HIV- and age-stratified cervical cancer burden at a country, regional and global level in 2020. Proportions of cervical cancer (a) diagnosed in women living with HIV (WLHIV), and (b) attributable to HIV, were calculated using age-specific estimates of HIV prevalence (UNAIDS) and relative risk. These proportions were validated against empirical data and applied to age-specific cervical cancer incidence (GLOBOCAN 2020). HIV was most important in SSA, where 24.9% of cervical cancers were diagnosed in WLHIV, and 20.4% were attributable to HIV (vs 1.3% and 1.1%, respectively, in the rest of the world). In all world regions, contribution of HIV to cervical cancer was far higher in younger women (as seen also in empirical series). For example, in Southern Africa, where more than half of cervical cancers were diagnosed in WLHIV, the HIV-attributable fraction decreased from 86% in women ≤34 years to only 12% in women ≥55 years. The absolute burden of HIV-attributable cervical cancer (approximately 28 000 cases globally) also shifted toward younger women: in Southern Africa, 63% of 5341 HIV-attributable cervical cancer occurred in women <45 years old, compared to only 17% of 6901 non-HIV-attributable cervical cancer. Improved quantification of cervical cancer burden by age and HIV status can inform cervical cancer prevention efforts in SSA, including prediction of the impact of WLHIV-targeted vs general population approaches to cervical screening, and impact of HIV prevention.

Implementation research to accelerate scale-up of national screen and treat strategies towards the elimination of cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is a significant public health problem, with 570,000 new cases and 300,000 deaths of women per year globally, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. In 2018 the WHO Director General made a call to action for the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem. MAIN BODY: New thinking on programmatic approaches to introduce emerging technologies and screening and treatment interventions of cervical precancer at scale is needed to achieve elimination goals. Implementation research (IR) is an important yet underused tool for facilitating scale-up of evidence-based screening and treatment interventions, as most research has focused on developing and evaluating new interventions. It is time for countries to define their specific IR needs to understand acceptability, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of interventions as to design and ensure effective implementation, scale-up, and sustainability of evidence-based screening and treatment interventions. WHO convened an expert advisory group to identify priority IR questions for HPV-based screening and treatment interventions in population-based programmes. Several international organizations are supporting large scale introduction of screen-and-treat approaches in many countries, providing ideal platforms to evaluate different approaches and strategies in diverse national contexts. CONCLUSION: For reducing cervical cancer incidence and mortality, the readiness of health systems, the reach and effectiveness of new technologies and algorithms for increasing screening and treatment coverage, and the factors that support sustainability of these programmes need to be better understood. Answering these key IR questions could provide actionable guidance for countries seeking to implement the WHO Global Strategy towards cervical cancer elimination.

Human resource needs and costs for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis provision in nurse-led primary care in Eswatini and opportunities for task sharing.

BACKGROUND: The global expansion of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) includes health systems that face a shortage of skilled health care workers (HCWs). We estimated the human resource needs and costs for providing PrEP in nurse-led primary care clinics in Eswatini. Furthermore, we assessed potential cost savings from task sharing between nurses and other HCW cadres. METHODS: We conducted a time-and-motion and costing study in a PrEP demonstration project between August 2017 and January 2019. A form for recording time and performed activities ("motion") was filled by HCWs of six primary care clinics. To estimate the human resource needs for specific PrEP activities, we allocated recorded times to performed PrEP activities using linear regression with and without adjusting for a workflow interruption, that is, if a client was seen by different HCWs or by the same HCW at different times. We assessed a base case in which a nurse provides all PrEP activities and five task shifting scenarios, of which four include workflow interruptions due to task sharing between different HCW cadres. RESULTS: On average, PrEP initiation required 29 min (95% CI 25-32) of HCW time and PrEP follow-up 16 min (95% CI 14-18). The HCW time cost $4.55 (uncertainty interval [UI] 1.52-9.69) for PrEP initiation and $2.54 (UI 1.07-4.64) for PrEP follow-up when all activities were performed by a nurse. Time costs were $2.30-4.25 (UI 0.62-9.19) for PrEP initiation and $1.06-2.60 (UI 0.30-5.44) for PrEP follow-up when nurses shared tasks with HCWs from lower cadres. Interruptions of the workflow added, on average, 3.4 min (95% CI 0.69-6.0) to the time HCWs needed for a given number of PrEP activities. The cost of an interrupted workflow was estimated at $0.048-0.87 (UI 0.0098-1.63) depending on whose time need increased. CONCLUSIONS: A global shortage of skilled HCWs could slow the expansion of PrEP. Task shifting to lower-cadre HCW in nurse-led PrEP provision can free up nurse time and reduce the cost of PrEP provision even if interruptions associated with task sharing increase the overall human resource need.

Estimating HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis need and impact in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia: A geospatial and risk-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a WHO-recommended HIV prevention method for people at high risk for acquiring HIV, is being increasingly implemented in many countries. Setting programmatic targets, particularly in generalised epidemics, could incorporate estimates of the size of the population likely to be eligible for PrEP using incidence-based thresholds. We estimated the proportion of men and women who would be eligible for PrEP and the number of HIV infections that could be averted in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia using prioritisation based on age, sex, geography, and markers of risk. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We analysed the latest nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to determine the proportion of adults who report behavioural markers of risk for HIV infection. We used prevalence ratios (PRs) to quantify the association of these factors with HIV status. Using a multiplier method, we combined these proportions with the number of new HIV infections by district, derived from district-level modelled HIV estimates. Based on these numbers, different scenarios were analysed for the minimum number of person-years on PrEP needed to prevent 1 HIV infection (NNP). An estimated total of 38,000, 108,000, and 46,000 new infections occurred in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia in 2016, corresponding with incidence rates of 0.43, 0.63, and 0.57 per 100 person-years. In these countries, 9%-20% of new infections occurred among people with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the past 12 months and 40%-42% among people with either an STI or a non-regular sexual partner (NP) in the past 12 months (STINP). The models estimate that around 50% of new infections occurred in districts with incidence rates ≥1.0% in Mozambique and Zambia and ≥0.5% in Malawi. In Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, 35.1%, 21.9%, and 12.5% of the population live in these high-incidence districts. In the most parsimonious scenario, if women aged 15-34 years and men 20-34 years with an STI in the past 12 months living in high-incidence districts were to take PrEP, it would take a minimum of 65.8 person-years on PrEP to avert 1 HIV infection per year in Malawi, 35.2 in Mozambique, and 16.4 in Zambia. Our findings suggest that 3,300, 5,200, and 1,700 new infections could be averted per year in the 3 countries, respectively. Limitations of our study are that these values are based on modelled estimates of HIV incidence and self-reported behavioural risk factors from national surveys. CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of new HIV infections in these 3 African countries were estimated to occur among people who had either an STI or an NP in the past year, providing a straightforward means to set PrEP targets. Greater prioritisation of PrEP by district, sex, age, and behavioural risk factors resulted in lower NNPs thereby increasing PrEP cost-effectiveness, but also diminished the overall impact on reducing new infections.

Neighborhood greenness and burden of non-communicable diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa: A multi-country cross-sectional study.

Population growth, demographic transitions and urbanization in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will increase non-communicable disease (NCD) burden. We studied the association between neighborhood greenness and NCDs in a multi-country cross-sectional study. Among 1178 participants, in adjusted models, a 0.11 unit NDVI increase was associated with lower BMI (ß: -1.01, 95% CI: -1.35, -0.67), and lower odds of overweight/obesity (aOR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.85), diabetes (aOR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.96), and having ≥3 allostatic load components compared to none (aOR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.52, 0.85). Except for diabetes, these remained statistically significant after Bonferroni correction. We observed no association between NDVI and hypertension or cholesterol. Our findings are consistent with health benefits of neighborhood greenness reported in other countries, suggesting greening strategies could be considered as part of broader public health interventions for NCDs.

Retention of knowledge and clinical competence among Ugandan mid-level health providers 1 year after intensive clinical mentorship in TB and HIV management.

INTRODUCTION: Clinical mentorship is effective in improving knowledge and competence of health providers and may be a useful task sharing approach for improving antiretroviral therapy. However, the endurance of the effect of clinical mentorship is uncertain. METHODS: The midlevel health providers who participated in a cluster-randomized trial of one-on-one, on-site, clinical mentorship in tuberculosis and HIV for 8 h a week, every 6 weeks over 9 months were followed to determine if the gains in knowledge and competence that occurred after the intervention were sustained 6- and 12-months post-intervention. In December 2014 and June 2015, their knowledge and clinical competence were respectively assessed using vignettes and a clinical observation tool of patient care. Multilevel mixed effects regression analysis was used to compare the differences in mean scores for knowledge and clinical competence between times 0, 1, 2, and 3 by arm. RESULTS: At the end of the intervention phase of the trial, the mean gain in knowledge scores and clinical competence scores in the intervention arm was 13.4% (95% confidence interval ([CI]: 7.2, 19.6), and 27.8% (95% CI: 21.1, 34.5) respectively, with no changes seen in the control arm. Following the end of the intervention; knowledge mean scores in the intervention arm did not significantly decrease at 6 months (0.6% [95% CI - 1.4, 2.6]) or 12 months (- 2.8% [95% CI: - 5.9, 0.3]) while scores in the control arm significantly increased at 6 months (6.6% [95% CI: 4.4, 8.9]) and 12 months (7.9% [95% CI: 5.4, 10.5]). Also, no significant decrease in clinical competence mean scores for intervention arm was seen at 6 month (2.8% [95% CI: - 1.8, 7.5] and 12 months (3.7% [95% CI: - 2.4, 9.8]) while in the control arm, a significant increase was seen at 6 months (5.8% [95% CI: 1.2, 10.3] and 12 months (11.5% [95% CI: 7.6, 15.5]). CONCLUSIONS: Mentees sustained the competence and knowledge gained after the intervention for a period of one year. Although, there was an increase in knowledge in the control group over the follow-up period, MLP in the intervention arm experienced earlier and sustained gains. One-on-one clinical mentorship should be scaled-up as a task-sharing approach to improve clinical care. Trial Registration The study received ethics approvals from 3 institutions-the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Institutional Review Board (USA), the Institutional Review Board "JCRC's HIV/AIDS Research Committee" IRB#1-IRB00001515 with Federal Wide Assurance number (FWA00009772) based in Kampala and the Uganda National Council of Science and Technology (Uganda) which approves all scientific protocols to be implemented in Uganda.

Social intolerance, risky sexual behaviors and their association with HIV knowledge among Ugandan adults: results from a national survey.

Understanding the link between HIV knowledge, risky sexual behaviors, and social intolerance such as stigma and discrimination is important for HIV prevention and treatment program planning. We investigated whether intolerant attitudes and practices among Ugandan adults were associated with HIV-transmission knowledge. We analyzed data from a nationally representative population-based household survey, the 2011 Uganda AIDS Indicator Survey. A total of 15,526 participants who responded to questions on HIV knowledge, social intolerance and risky sexual behavior were included in this analysis. Results show that 34.8% of respondents reported having fear of casual contact with people living with HIV (PLWA), 21% blame PLWAs for their disease, 62% would not want HIV infection in their family disclosed, while 25% reported engaging in risky sexual behaviors. After adjusting for age, sex, residence, and level of education, people with low HIV-transmission knowledge had almost three-fold higher odds of fear of casual contact with a PLWA (aOR = 2.70, 95%CI = 2.33-3.13), and had 30% higher odds of HIV-related stigmatizing attitudes (aOR = 1.29, 95%CI = 1.07-1.54). Further, they had 47% higher odds of having sex under the influence of alcohol (aOR = 1.47, 95%CI = 1.25-1.73) and 40% higher odds of having unprotected sex with any of their last three sex partners (aOR = 1.39, 95%CI = 1.06-1.89). Our findings show that intolerant attitudes such as stigma still persist, particularly among people with low HIV-transmission knowledge. Improving knowledge about HIV/AIDS can foster positive attitudes and building safe practices among populations, and is critical for improving prevention and treatment programs.

Consumption of processed food dietary patterns in four African populations.

OBJECTIVE: To identify predominant dietary patterns in four African populations and examine their association with obesity. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.Setting/SubjectsWe used data from the Africa/Harvard School of Public Health Partnership for Cohort Research and Training (PaCT) pilot study established to investigate the feasibility of a multi-country longitudinal study of non-communicable chronic disease in sub-Saharan Africa. We applied principal component analysis to dietary intake data collected from an FFQ developed for PaCT to ascertain dietary patterns in Tanzania, South Africa, and peri-urban and rural Uganda. The sample consisted of 444 women and 294 men. RESULTS: We identified two dietary patterns: the Mixed Diet pattern characterized by high intakes of unprocessed foods such as vegetables and fresh fish, but also cold cuts and refined grains; and the Processed Diet pattern characterized by high intakes of salad dressing, cold cuts and sweets. Women in the highest tertile of the Processed Diet pattern score were 3·00 times more likely to be overweight (95 % CI 1·66, 5·45; prevalence=74 %) and 4·24 times more likely to be obese (95 % CI 2·23, 8·05; prevalence=44 %) than women in this pattern's lowest tertile (both P<0·0001; prevalence=47 and 14 %, respectively). We found similarly strong associations in men. There was no association between the Mixed Diet pattern and overweight or obesity. CONCLUSIONS: We identified two major dietary patterns in several African populations, a Mixed Diet pattern and a Processed Diet pattern. The Processed Diet pattern was associated with obesity.

Prevalence and risk factor for injury in sub-Saharan Africa: a multicountry study.

INTRODUCTION: Injury-related morbidity is a neglected health concern in many low-income and middle-income countries. Most injury data in Africa have been collected from hospital-based studies, and few studies have occurred across multiple countries. Using data from a novel cohort, we examined the prevalence and incidence of serious injuries and associated risk factors across five sites in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). METHODS: A common baseline and follow-up survey was administered to participants. The study population included 1316 persons at baseline and 904 persons at follow-up. Frequencies were calculated, and logistic regression models were used to assess risk factors for injury. RESULTS: A total of 233 (17.7%) persons reported a serious injury at baseline and 60 (6.6%) reported a serious injury 6 months later at follow-up. Sixty-nine per cent of participants responded to the follow-up questionnaire. At baseline and follow-up, the most common cause of serious injury at urban sites was transport related, followed by poison/overdose. In rural Uganda, sharp instruments injuries were most common, followed by transport-related injuries. Living at an urban site was associated with an increased odds for serious injury compared with those at the rural site (OR: 1.83, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.90). Participants who consumed above a moderate amount of alcohol were at a higher risk of serious injury compared with those who did not consume alcohol (OR: 1.86, 95% CI 1.02 to 3.41). High level of education was an important risk factor for injury. CONCLUSION: At baseline and follow-up, common causes of serious injury were transport related, sharp instrument and poison/overdose. Alcohol consumption, urban location and education are important risk factors for injury. It is feasible to collect longitudinal injury data using a standardised questionnaire across multiples sites in SSA. Longitudinal data collection should be leveraged to obtain robust data on risk factors for injury in SSA.

Willingness to use short-term oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by migrant miners and female partners of migrant miners in Mozambique.

Migrant miners from Mozambique who work in South Africa and their partners are at substantial risk for HIV infection. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the willingness of migrant miners and female partners of miners to take short-term pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for prevention of HIV acquisition. The study was conducted in Gaza Province, Mozambique, between September and October 2015. A total of 131 male miners and female partners of male miners completed a questionnaire. Subsequently, 48 in-depth interviews among male miners and female partners of miners and 3 focus-group discussions (6 participants each) among female partners of miners were conducted. Quantitative data were tabulated using Stata. A structured coding scheme was developed and qualitative data were analysed using Atlas.ti. Most participants (94%) were willing to take PrEP for short-term use. Facilitating factors for willingness to use PrEP were concerns about partner's sexual behaviour, desire for pregnancy and one's own sexual behaviour. The main barriers to PrEP use were concerns regarding side-effects, perceived difficulty adhering to daily pill taking and concern about partner/family disapproval. Overall, participants saw potential barriers for PrEP as minor obstacles that could be overcome. The male partner's influence on PrEP use was significant.

Tetanus disease and deaths in men reveal need for vaccination.

With efforts focused on the elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus, less attention has been given to tetanus incidence and mortality among men. Since 2007 voluntary medical male circumcision has been scaled-up in 14 sub-Saharan African countries as an effective intervention to reduce the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition among men. As part of a review of adverse events from these programmes, we identified 13 cases of tetanus from five countries reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) up to March 2016. Eight patients died and only one patient had a known history of tetanus vaccination. Tetanus after voluntary medical male circumcision was rare among more than 11 million procedures conducted. Nevertheless, the cases prompted a review of the evidence on tetanus vaccination coverage and case notifications in sub-Saharan Africa, supplemented by a literature review of non-neonatal tetanus in Africa over the years 2003-2014. The WHO African Region reported the highest number of non-neonatal tetanus cases per million population and lowest historic coverage of tetanus-toxoid-containing vaccine. Coverage of the third dose of diphtheria-tetanus-polio vaccine ranged from 65% to 98% across the 14 countries in 2013. In hospital-based studies, non-neonatal tetanus comprised 0.3-10.7% of admissions, and a median of 71% of patients were men. The identification of tetanus cases following voluntary medical male circumcision highlights a gender gap in tetanus morbidity disproportionately affecting men. Incorporating tetanus vaccination for boys and men into national programmes should be a priority to align with the goal of universal health coverage.

Avec l'orientation des efforts sur l'élimination du tétanos maternel et néonatal, une moindre attention a été portée sur l'incidence et la mortalité du tétanos dans la population masculine. Depuis 2007, la circoncision médicale masculine volontaire s'est intensifiée dans 14 pays d'Afrique subsaharienne, en tant qu'intervention efficace pour réduire le risque d'acquisition du virus de l'immunodéficience humaine (VIH) chez les hommes. Dans le cadre d'une analyse des effets indésirables de ces programmes, nous avons identifié 13 cas de tétanos, dans cinq pays, qui ont été notifiés à l'Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS) jusqu'à mars 2016. Huit patients sont décédés et un seul patient avait un antécédent connu de vaccination antitétanique. Sur plus de 11 millions de procédures réalisées, les infections tétaniques suite à une circoncision médicale masculine volontaire ont été rares. Néanmoins, ces cas d'infection nous ont poussés à mener une étude des données disponibles sur la couverture antitétanique et sur la notification des cas en Afrique subsaharienne, complétée par une revue de la littérature sur le tétanos non-néonatal en Afrique sur la période de 2003 à 2014. Sur la période étudiée, les pays répertoriés dans la Région africaine de l'OMS correspondent au plus grand nombre de cas de tétanos non-néonatal pour un million d'habitants et à la plus faible couverture vaccinale par anatoxine tétanique. En 2013, dans les 14 pays considérés, le taux d'administration de la troisième dose du vaccin diphtérie-tétanos-poliomyélite se situait entre 65% et 98%. Selon les études réalisées dans des hôpitaux, le tétanos non néonatal est responsable de 0,3 à 10,7% des admissions, pour lesquelles 71% des patients, en moyenne, sont des hommes. L'identification des cas de tétanos déclarés après une circoncision médicale masculine volontaire a permis de révéler une disparité homme-femme en termes de mortalité, en défaveur des hommes. L'intégration de la vaccination antitétanique des garçons et des hommes dans les programmes nationaux devrait être une priorité pour poursuivre l'objectif de couverture sanitaire universelle.

Dado que se han concentrado los esfuerzos en la eliminación del tétanos materno y neonatal, se ha prestado menos atención a la incidencia y mortalidad del tétanos en los hombres. Desde 2007, ha aumentado la circuncisión médica masculina voluntaria en 14 países subsaharianos, puesto que se trata de una intervención efectiva para reducir el riesgo de contagio del virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) en los hombres. Como parte de una revisión de los fenómenos adversos derivados de estos programas, se identificaron 13 casos de tétanos de cinco países notificados a la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) hasta marzo de 2016. Ocho pacientes murieron y solo uno estaba vacunado contra el tétanos. Tras practicar la circuncisión médica masculina voluntaria, el tétanos era poco frecuente entre más de 11 millones de intervenciones realizadas. No obstante, los casos dieron lugar a una revisión de la prueba de la cobertura de vacunas contra el tétanos y las notificaciones de los casos en el África subsahariana, junto con una revisión documental del tétanos no neonatal en África durante los años 2003 a 2014. La OMS de la región africana informó del mayor número de casos de tétanos no neonatal por cada millón de habitantes y de la menor cobertura de la vacuna con toxoide tetánico de la historia. En 2013, la cobertura de la tercera dosis de la vacuna de la difteria, tétanos, polio abarcó de un 65% a un 98% en los 14 países. En estudios centrados en los hospitales, el tétanos no neonatal abarcó entre un 0,3% y un 10,7% de admisiones, y una media de 71% de los pacientes eran hombres. La identificación de los casos de tétanos tras la circuncisión médica masculina voluntaria destaca una diferencia desproporcionada entre hombres y mujeres en cuanto a la morbilidad por tétanos, en detrimento de los hombres. La incorporación de vacunas contra el tétanos para niños y hombres en programas nacionales debería ser prioritaria para ajustarse al objetivo de cobertura sanitaria universal.

Urban-rural and geographic differences in overweight and obesity in four sub-Saharan African adult populations: a multi-country cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity are on the rise in developing countries including sub-Saharan Africa. We undertook a four-country survey to show the collective burden of these health conditions as they occur currently in sub-Saharan Africa and to determine the differences between urban and rural populations and other socio-economic factors. METHODS: Participants were nurses in two hospitals in Nigeria (200), school teachers in South Africa (489) and Tanzania (229), and village residents in one peri-urban (297) and one rural location in Uganda (200) who completed a standardised questionnaire. Their height and weight were measured and body mass index calculated. Factor analysis procedure (Principal component) was used to generate a wealth index. Univariate and multivariate analyses with binary logistic regression models were conducted to examine the associations between potential correlates and the prevalence of overweight and obesity with 95 % confidence intervals. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight and obese (combined) was 46 %, 48 %, 68 %, 75 % and 85 % in rural Uganda, peri-urban Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania and South Africa (SA), respectively. Rural Uganda, Peri- urban Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania and SA had obesity prevalence of 10 %, 14 %, 31 %, 40 % and 54 %, respectively (p < 0.001). Overall, prevalence of overweight was 374 (31 %) and obesity, 414 (34 %). Female sex was a predictor of overweight and obesity (combined) in peri-urban Uganda [AOR = 8.01; 95 % CI: 4.02, 15.96) and obesity in rural Uganda [AOR = 11.22; 95%CI: 2.27, 55.40), peri-urban Uganda [AOR = 27.80; 95 % CI: 7.13, 108.41) and SA [AOR = 2.17; 95 % CI: 1.19, 4.00). Increasing age was a predictor of BMI > =25 kg/m2 in Nigeria [Age > =45 - AOR = 9.11; 95 % CI: 1.72, 48.16] and SA [AOR = 6.22; 95 % CI: 2.75, 14.07], while marital status was predictor of BMI > =25 kg/m2 only in peri-urban Uganda. [Married - AOR = 4.49; 95 % CI: 1.74, 11.57]. Those in Nigeria [AOR = 2.56; 95 % CI: 1.45, 4.53], SA [AOR = 4.97; 95 % CI: 3.18, 7.78], and Tanzania [AOR = 2.68; 95 % CI: 1.60, 4.49] were more likely to have BMI > =25 kg/m2 compared with the rural and peri-urban sites. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of overweight and obesity in these sub-Saharan African countries and the differentials in prevalence and risk factors further highlights the need for urgent focused intervention to stem this trend, especially among women, professionals and urban dwellers.

The burden of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa: a four-country cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension, the leading single cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, is a growing public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Few studies have estimated and compared the burden of hypertension across different SSA populations. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of blood pressure data collected through a cohort study in four SSA countries, to estimate the prevalence of pre-hypertension, the prevalence of hypertension, and to identify the factors associated with hypertension. METHODS: Participants were from five different population groups defined by occupation and degree of urbanization, including rural and peri-urban residents in Uganda, school teachers in South Africa and Tanzania, and nurses in Nigeria. We used a standardized questionnaire to collect data on demographic and behavioral characteristics, injuries, and history of diagnoses of chronic diseases and mental health. We also made physical measurements (weight, height and blood pressure), as well as biochemical measurements; which followed standardized protocols across the country sites. Modified Poison regression modelling was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) as measures of association between potential risk factors and hypertension. RESULTS: The overall age-standardized prevalence of hypertension among the 1216 participants was 25.9%. Prevalence was highest among nurses with an age-standardized prevalence (ASP) of 25.8%, followed by school teachers (ASP = 23.2%), peri-urban residents (ASP = 20.5%) and lowest among rural residents (ASP = 8.7%). Only 50.0% of participants with hypertension were aware of their raised blood pressure. The overall age-standardized prevalence of pre-hypertension was 21.0%. Factors found to be associated with hypertension were: population group, older age, higher body mass index, higher fasting plasma glucose level, lower level of education, and tobacco use. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension are high, and differ by population group defined by occupation and degree of urbanization. Only half of the populations with hypertension are aware of their hypertension, indicating a high burden of undiagnosed and un-controlled high blood pressure in these populations.

Dynamic HIV risk differentiation among youth: Validation of a tool for prioritization of prevention in East Zimbabwe.

Background: Differentiating risk for HIV infection is important for providing focussed prevention options to individuals. We conducted a longitudinal study to validate a risk-differentiation tool for predicting HIV or HSV-2 acquisition among HIV-negative youth. Setting: Population-based household survey in east Zimbabwe. Methods: HIV and HSV-2 status and HIV behavioural risk factors were assessed in two surveys conducted 12 months apart among young people. Associations between risk-behaviours and combined HIV/HSV-2 incident infection were estimated using proportional hazards models. We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of risk-differentiation questions in predicting HIV/HSV-2 acquisition and quantified changes between surveys among low, medium, and high-risk categories. Results: In total, 44 HIV/HSV-2 seroconversions were observed in 1812 person-years of follow up (2.43/100PY, 95%CI: 1.71-3.15); 50% of incident cases reported never having had sex at baseline. Risk of HIV/HSV-2 acquisition was higher for those reporting non-regular partners (women: HR=2.71, 95% CI:1.12-6.54, men: HR=1.37, 95%CI: 0.29-6.38) and those reporting having a partner with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) (HR=7.62 (1.22-47.51). Adding a question on non-regular partnerships increased tool sensitivity from 18.2% to 38.6%, and further to 77.3% when restricted to those who had ever had sex. Individual risk category increased for 28% of men and 17% of women over 12-months. Conclusion: The refined risk differentiation tool identified a high proportion of youth at risk of HIV acquisition. Despite this, half of incident infections were among individuals who reported no prior sexual activity. The shifting patterns of risk behaviours underscore the need for dynamic prevention engagement strategies in high HIV prevalence or incidence settings.

Benefits and harms of cervical screening, triage and treatment strategies in women living with HIV.

To support a strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reviewed its guidelines for screening and treatment of cervical pre-cancerous lesions in 2021. Women living with HIV have 6-times the risk of cervical cancer compared to women in the general population, and we harnessed a model platform ('Policy1-Cervix-HIV') to evaluate the benefits and harms of a range of screening strategies for women living with HIV in Tanzania, a country with endemic HIV. Assuming 70% coverage, we found that 3-yearly primary HPV screening without triage would reduce age-standardised cervical cancer mortality rates by 72%, with a number needed to treat (NNT) of 38.7, to prevent a cervical cancer death. Triaging HPV positive women before treatment resulted in minimal loss of effectiveness and had more favorable NNTs (19.7-33.0). Screening using visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) or cytology was less effective than primary HPV and, in the case of VIA, generated a far higher NNT of 107.5. These findings support the WHO 2021 recommendation that women living with HIV are screened with primary HPV testing in a screen-triage-and-treat approach starting at 25 years, with regular screening every 3-5 years.

Benefits, harms and cost-effectiveness of cervical screening, triage and treatment strategies for women in the general population.

In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem. To support the strategy, the WHO published updated cervical screening guidelines in 2021. To inform this update, we used an established modeling platform, Policy1-Cervix, to evaluate the impact of seven primary screening scenarios across 78 low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) for the general population of women. Assuming 70% coverage, we found that primary human papillomavirus (HPV) screening approaches were the most effective and cost-effective, reducing cervical cancer age-standardized mortality rates by 63-67% when offered every 5 years. Strategies involving triaging women before treatment (with 16/18 genotyping, cytology, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) or colposcopy) had close-to-similar effectiveness to HPV screening without triage and fewer pre-cancer treatments. Screening with VIA or cytology every 3 years was less effective and less cost-effective than HPV screening every 5 years. Furthermore, VIA generated more than double the number of pre-cancer treatments compared to HPV. In conclusion, primary HPV screening is the most effective, cost-effective and efficient cervical screening option in LMICs. These findings have directly informed WHO's updated cervical screening guidelines for the general population of women, which recommend primary HPV screening in a screen-and-treat or screen-triage-and-treat approach, starting from age 30 years with screening every 5 years or 10 years.

Use of HIV Recency Assays for HIV Incidence Estimation and Other Surveillance Use Cases: Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: HIV assays designed to detect recent infection, also known as "recency assays," are often used to estimate HIV incidence in a specific country, region, or subpopulation, alone or as part of recent infection testing algorithms (RITAs). Recently, many countries and organizations have become interested in using recency assays within case surveillance systems and routine HIV testing services to measure other indicators beyond incidence, generally referred to as "non-incidence surveillance use cases." OBJECTIVE: This review aims to identify published evidence that can be used to validate methodological approaches to recency-based incidence estimation and non-incidence use cases. The evidence identified through this review will be used in the forthcoming technical guidance by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) on the use of HIV recency assays for identification of epidemic trends, whether for HIV incidence estimation or non-incidence indicators of recency. METHODS: To identify the best methodological and field implementation practices for the use of recency assays to estimate HIV incidence and trends in recent infections for specific populations or geographic areas, we conducted a systematic review of the literature to (1) understand the use of recency testing for surveillance in programmatic and laboratory settings, (2) review methodologies for implementing recency testing for both incidence estimation and non-incidence use cases, and (3) assess the field performance characteristics of commercially available recency assays. RESULTS: Among the 167 documents included in the final review, 91 (54.5%) focused on assay or algorithm performance or methodological descriptions, with high-quality evidence of accurate age- and sex-disaggregated HIV incidence estimation at national or regional levels in general population settings, but not at finer geographic levels for prevention prioritization. The remaining 76 (45.5%) described the field use of incidence assays including field-derived incidence (n=45), non-incidence (n=25), and both incidence and non-incidence use cases (n=6). The field use of incidence assays included integrating RITAs into routine surveillance and assisting with molecular genetic analyses, but evidence was generally weaker or only reported on what was done, without validation data or findings related to effectiveness of using non-incidence indicators calculated through the use of recency assays as a proxy for HIV incidence. CONCLUSIONS: HIV recency assays have been widely validated for estimating HIV incidence in age- and sex-specific populations at national and subnational regional levels; however, there is a lack of evidence validating the accuracy and effectiveness of using recency assays to identify epidemic trends in non-incidence surveillance use cases. More research is needed to validate the use of recency assays within HIV testing services, to ensure findings can be accurately interpreted to guide prioritization of public health programming.

Cost-effectiveness and impact of pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV among men who have sex with men in Asia: A modelling study.

INTRODUCTION: More than 70% of new HIV infections in Asia occurred in eight countries in 2020: Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam-with a rising incidence among men who have sex with men (MSM). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for those at risk of acquiring HIV, yet wide-scale implementation of PrEP, on a daily or event-driven basis, has been limited in Asia. METHODS: The Optima HIV model was applied to examine the impact of scaling-up PrEP over five-years to cover an additional 15% of MSM compared with baseline coverage, a target deemed feasible by regional experts. Based on behavioral survey data, we assume that covering 15% of higher-risk MSM will cover 30% of all sexual acts in this group. Scenarios to compare the impact of generic-brand daily dosing of PrEP with generic event-driven dosing (15 days a month) were modelled from the start of 2022 to the end of 2026. Cost-effectiveness of generic versus branded PrEP was also assessed for China, the only country with an active patent for branded, higher cost PrEP. The impact on new HIV infections among the entire population and cost per HIV-related disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted were estimated from the beginning of 2022 to the end of 2031 and from 2022 to 2051. RESULTS: If PrEP were scaled-up to cover an additional 15% of MSM engaging in higher-risk behavior from the beginning of 2022 to the end of 2026 in the eight Asian countries considered, an additional 100,000 (66,000-130,000) HIV infections (17%) and 300,000 (198,000-390,000) HIV-related DALYs (3%) could be averted over the 2022 to 2031 period. The estimated cost per HIV-related DALY averted from 2022 to 2031 ranged from US$600 for event-driven generic PrEP in Indonesia to US$34,400 for daily branded PrEP in Thailand. Over a longer timeframe from 2022 to 2051, the cost per HIV-related DALY averted could be reduced to US$100-US$12,700. CONCLUSION: PrEP is a critical tool to further reduce HIV incidence in highly concentrated epidemics. Implementing PrEP in Asia may be cost-effective in settings with increasing HIV prevalence among MSM and if PrEP drug costs can be reduced, PrEP could be more cost-effective over longer timeframes.