Evaluating the efficacy of Mazao Tickoff (Metarhizium anisopliae ICIPE 7) in controlling natural tick infestations on cattle in coastal Kenya: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Ticks and tick-borne diseases cause substantial economic losses to the livestock industry in sub-Saharan Africa. Mazao Tickoff is a novel bioacaricide developed for tick control and is based on the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato (s.l.) isolate ICIPE 7. To date, no randomized controlled study has been undertaken to demonstrate the efficacy of this […]
A multi-country, prospective cohort study to measure rate and risk of relapse among children recovered from severe acute malnutrition in Mali, Somalia, and South Sudan: a study protocol
Background: The Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) model transformed the treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) by shifting treatment from inpatient facilities to the community. Evidence shows that while CMAM programs are effective in the initial recovery from SAM, recovery is not sustained for some children requiring them to receive treatment repeatedly. This indicates […]
Adolescent transition to adult care for HIV-infected adolescents in Kenya (ATTACH): Study protocol for a hybrid effectiveness-implementation cluster randomised trial
Introduction Successfully transitioning adolescents to adult HIV care is critical for optimising outcomes. Disclosure of HIV status, a prerequisite to transition, remains suboptimal in sub-Saharan Africa. Few interventions have addressed both disclosure and transition. An adolescent transition package (ATP) that combines disclosure and transition tools could support transition and improve outcomes. Methods and analysis In […]
The incidence of induced abortion in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, 2016
Background: In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the penal code prohibits the provision of abortion. In practice, however, it is widely accepted that the procedure can be performed to save the life of a pregnant woman. Although abortion is highly restricted, anecdotal evidence indicates that women often resort to clandestine abortions, many of which are […]
Can an educational podcast improve the ability of parents of primary school children to assess the reliability of claims made about the benefits and harms of treatments: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Background: Claims made about the effects of treatments are very common in the media and in the population more generally. The ability of individuals to understand and assess such claims can affect their decisions and health outcomes. Many people in both low- and high-income countries have inadequate aptitude to assess information about the effects of […]
Research protocol local ingredients-based supplementary food as an alternative to corn-soya blends plus for treating moderate acute malnutrition among children aged 6 to 59 months: A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial in Wolaita
Background: In Ethiopia, 12.5% of children below 5 years are wasted, and 9.7% are moderately wasted. The present strategy for the management of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) is a supplementary feeding program; however, this is only provided to chronically food-insecure areas. This randomized controlled non-inferiority trial examines if Local ingredients-based supplement (LIBS) is as effective […]
Disparities in children’s vocabulary and height in relation to household wealth and parental schooling: A longitudinal study in four low- and middle-income countries
Children from low socio-economic status (SES) households often demonstrate worse growth and developmental outcomes than wealthier children, in part because poor children face a broader range of risk factors. It is difficult to characterize the trajectories of SES disparities in low- and middle-income countries because longitudinal data are infrequently available. We analyze measures of children’s […]
Impacts of flood disasters in Nigeria: A critical evaluation of health implications and management
Floods lead to tremendous losses of property, infrastructure, business and increased risk of diseases. Floods are also the most frequent natural disasters, affecting over 2.8 billion people in the world and causing over 200 000 deaths over the past three decades. The World Health Organization categorised the 2012 flood disaster in Nigeria as the worst […]
Factors influencing job preferences of health workers providing obstetric care: Results from discrete choice experiments in Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania
Background: Task shifting from established health professionals to mid-level providers (MLPs) (professionals who undergo shorter training in specific procedures) is one key strategy for reducing maternal and neonatal deaths. This has resulted in a growth in cadre types providing obstetric care in low and middle-income countries. Little is known about the relative importance of the […]
Determining the agreement between an automated respiratory rate counter and a reference standard for detecting symptoms of pneumonia in children: Protocol for a cross-sectional study in Ethiopia
Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARIs), primarily pneumonia, are the leading infectious cause of under-5 mortality worldwide. Manually counting respiratory rate (RR) for 60 seconds using an ARI timer is commonly practiced by community health workers to detect fast breathing, an important sign of pneumonia. However, correctly counting breaths manually and classifying the RR is challenging, […]
