Adaptation of a gender-transformative sexual and reproductive health intervention for adolescent boys in South Africa and Lesotho using intervention mapping

Background: Rates of adolescent HIV and unintended pregnancy in southern Africa are amongst the highest in the world. Gender-transformative interventions that address underlying gender inequalities and engage both males and females have been emphasised by the World Health Organisation, amongst others, to target prevention. However, few such gender-transformative interventions have been rigorously developed or evaluated. […]

Study protocol for a pilot prospective, observational study investigating the condition suggestion and urgency advice accuracy of a symptom assessment app in sub-Saharan Africa: the AFYA- € Health’ Study

Introduction Due to a global shortage of healthcare workers, there is a lack of basic healthcare for 4 billion people worldwide, particularly affecting low-income and middle-income countries. The utilisation of AI-based healthcare tools such as symptom assessment applications (SAAs) has the potential to reduce the burden on healthcare systems. The purpose of the AFYA Study […]

Effect of HIV infection on growth and bone density in peripubertal children in the era of antiretroviral therapy: a cross-sectional study in Zimbabwe

Background: Faltered linear growth and pubertal delay, which are both common in children with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, might affect adolescent bone accrual and future fragility fracture risk. We investigated the association of HIV with bone density adjusted for skeletal size in peripubertal children in Zimbabwe. Methods: We did a cross-sectional study of baseline data […]

Seroepidemiology of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever among cattle in Cameroon: Implications from a One Health perspective

Background Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne viral zoonotic disease distributed across several continents and recognized as an ongoing health threat. In humans, the infection can progress to a severe disease with high fatality, raising public health concerns due to the limited prophylactic and therapeutic options available. Animal species, clinically unaffected by the virus, […]

Integrated Child and Family Hub models for detecting and responding to family adversity: protocol for a mixed-methods evaluation in two sites

Introduction Integrated community healthcare Hubs may offer a € one stop shop’ for service users with complex health and social needs, and more efficiently use service resources. Various policy imperatives exist to implement Hub models of care, however, there is a dearth of research specifically evaluating Hubs targeted at families experiencing adversity. To contribute to […]

Impact of the Umoyo mother-infant pair model on HIV-positive mothers’ social support, perceived stigma and 12-month retention of their HIV-exposed infants in PMTCT care: Evidence from a cluster randomized controlled trial in Zambia

Background: Public health systems in resource-constrained settings have a critical role to play in the elimination of HIV transmission but are often financially constrained. This study is an evaluation of a mother-infant-pair model called “Umoyo,” which was designed to be low cost and scalable in a public health system. Facilities with the Umoyo model dedicate […]

Population-based socio-demographic household assessment of livelihoods and health among communities in Migori County, Kenya over multiple timepoints (2021, 2024, 2027): A study protocol

Migori County is located in western Kenya bordering Lake Victoria and has traditionally performed poorly on important health metrics, including child mortality and HIV prevalence. The Lwala Community Alliance is a non-governmental organization that serves to promote the health and well-being of communities in Migori County through an innovative model utilizing community health workers, community […]

Design and methodology of a mixed methods follow-up study to the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey

Background: The intended meaning behind responses to standard questions posed in largescale health surveys are not always well understood. Systematic follow-up studies, particularly those which pose a few repeated questions followed by open-ended discussions, are well positioned to gauge stability and consistency of data and to shed light on the intended meaning behind survey responses. […]

Kolaviron protects against cognitive deficits and cortico-hippocampal perturbations associated with maternal deprivation in rats

Prolonged separation of pups from their mother in early postnatal period can interfere with normal growth and development, resulting in different behavioral changes similar to features of schizophrenia in man. This study explored the cytoprotective action of kolaviron, a biflavonoid, on the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of maternally deprived Wistar rats. Eight months old female […]

Two-way short message service (SMS) communication may increase pre-exposure prophylaxis continuation and adherence among pregnant and postpartum women in Kenya

Introduction: We evaluated a 2-way short message service (SMS) communication platform to improve continuation of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention among Kenyan women who initiated PrEP within routine maternal child health (MCH) and family planning clinics. Methods: We adapted an existing SMS platform (Mobile WACh [mWACh]) to send PrEP-tailored, theory-based SMS and allow clients […]