Mortality transition over a quarter century in rural South Africa: findings from population surveillance in Agincourt 1993-2018
Background: Mortality burden in South Africa since the mid-1990s has been characterized by a quadruple disease burden: HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB); other communicable diseases (excluding HIV/AIDS and TB), maternal causes, perinatal conditions and nutritional deficiencies; non-communicable diseases (NCDs); and injuries. Causes from these broad groupings have persistently constituted the top 10 causes of death. However, […]
Living with HIV, disclosure patterns and partnerships a decade after the introduction of HIV programmes in rural South Africa
Prevention of mother-to-child Transmission and HIV Treatment programmes were scaled-up in resource-constrained settings over a decade ago, but there is still much to be understood about women’s experiences of living with HIV and their HIV disclosure patterns. This qualitative study explored women’s experiences of living with HIV, 6-10 years after being diagnosed during pregnancy. The […]
The value of confirmatory testing in early infant HIV diagnosis programmes in South Africa: A cost-effectiveness analysis
Background: The specificity of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) used for early infant diagnosis (EID) of HIV infection is
Examining the influence of family physician supply on district health system performance in South Africa: An ecological analysis of key health indicators
Background: The supply of appropriate health workers is a key building block in the World Health Organization’s model of effective health systems. Primary care teams are stronger if they contain doctors with postgraduate training in family medicine. The contribution of such family physicians to the performance of primary care systems has not been evaluated in […]
An investigation of maternal anaemia among hiv infected pregnant women on antiretroviral treatment in johannesburg, south africa
Introduction: maternal anaemia is a major public health problem in developing countries. Data suggests that anaemia contributes to the progression of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infection. The aim of this study was to investigate if pregnancy was an aggravating factor for anaemia among HIV-positive women on anti-retroviral treatment (ART). Methods: we analyzed data of all HIV-positive […]
Short-term mortality and implementation of antiretroviral treatment for critically ill HIV-infected children in a developing country
Objective: To describe the short-term outcome of critically ill HIV-infected children with access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in a developing region. Methods: Prospective observational study conducted in a paediatric teaching hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. All children admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with suspected HIV infection were screened. Data […]
Experiences of women enrolled in a prevention of mother to child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus infection programme in Zimbabwe
Background: Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes have been reported to reduce the rate of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection by 30%-40% during pregnancy and childbirth. The PMTCT transmission is achieved by offering HIV prophylaxis or initiating antiretrovirals to pregnant women who test HIV positive. Being aware of the experiences of these women […]
Family medicine training in sub-Saharan Africa: South-South cooperation in the Primafamed project as strategy for development
Background. Health-care systems based on primary health care (PHC) are more equitable and cost effective. Family medicine trains medical doctors in comprehensive PHC with knowledge and skills that are needed to increase quality of care. Family medicine is a relatively new specialty in sub-Saharan Africa. Objective. To explore the extent to which the Primafamed South-South […]
Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
Background: Efforts to establish the 2015 baseline and monitor early implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight both great potential for and threats to improving health by 2030. To fully deliver on the SDG aim of “leaving no one behind”, it is increasingly important to examine the health-related SDGs beyond national-level estimates. As […]
Passive sensing on mobile devices to improve mental health services with adolescent and young mothers in low-resource settings: the role of families in feasibility and acceptability
Background: Passive sensor data from mobile devices can shed light on daily activities, social behavior, and maternal-child interactions to improve maternal and child health services including mental healthcare. We assessed feasibility and acceptability of the Sensing Technologies for Maternal Depression Treatment in Low Resource Settings (StandStrong) platform. The StandStrong passive data collection platform was piloted with […]
