Child vaccination in sub-Saharan Africa: Increasing coverage addresses inequalities
CONCLUSIONS: Continued efforts to improve access to vaccination services are required in sub-Saharan Africa. Improving vaccination coverage and reducing inequalities requires enhancing access to quality services that are accessible, affordable, and acceptable to all. Vaccination programs should target critical social determinants of health and address barriers to better maternal health-seeking behaviour.PMID:34794824 | DOI:10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.11.005 (Source: Vaccine)
Source: Vaccine - November 19, 2021 Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Firew Tekle Bobo Augustine Asante Mirkuzie Woldie Angela Dawson Andrew Hayen Source Type: research
Insilico Functional Analysis of Genome-Wide Dataset From 17,000 Individuals Identifies Candidate Malaria Resistance Genes Enriched in Malaria Pathogenic Pathways
Recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of severe malaria have identified several association variants. However, much about the underlying biological functions are yet to be discovered. Here, we systematically predicted plausible candidate genes and pathways from functional analysis of severe malaria resistance GWAS summary statistics (N = 17,000) meta-analysed across 11 populations in malaria endemic regions. We applied positional mapping, expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL), chromatin interaction mapping, and gene-based association analyses to identify candidate severe malaria resistance genes. We further a...
Source: Frontiers in Genetics - November 18, 2021 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
Antibiotics at delivery: do the benefits outweigh the risks? Primum Non Nocere
BJOG. 2021 Nov 15. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.17016. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTAntibiotics administered just before delivery or during the intrapartum period is common globally and recommendations for increased use continue to expand. Before the introduction of maternal screening and treatment for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonization to prevent neonatal GBS sepsis in the 1990's, maternal antibiotic treatment at delivery was used rarely, usually for confirmed maternal infections. With maternal screening for GBS, including a 20-25% positivity rate in the United States (US), antibiotic use at delivery increased substantia...
Source: BJOG : An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology - November 15, 2021 Category: OBGYN Authors: Robert L Goldenberg Elizabeth M McClure Source Type: research
Antibiotics at delivery: do the benefits outweigh the risks? Primum Non Nocere
BJOG. 2021 Nov 15. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.17016. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTAntibiotics administered just before delivery or during the intrapartum period is common globally and recommendations for increased use continue to expand. Before the introduction of maternal screening and treatment for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonization to prevent neonatal GBS sepsis in the 1990's, maternal antibiotic treatment at delivery was used rarely, usually for confirmed maternal infections. With maternal screening for GBS, including a 20-25% positivity rate in the United States (US), antibiotic use at delivery increased substantia...
Source: BJOG : An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology - November 15, 2021 Category: OBGYN Authors: Robert L Goldenberg Elizabeth M McClure Source Type: research
Antibiotics at delivery: do the benefits outweigh the risks? Primum Non Nocere
BJOG. 2021 Nov 15. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.17016. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTAntibiotics administered just before delivery or during the intrapartum period is common globally and recommendations for increased use continue to expand. Before the introduction of maternal screening and treatment for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonization to prevent neonatal GBS sepsis in the 1990's, maternal antibiotic treatment at delivery was used rarely, usually for confirmed maternal infections. With maternal screening for GBS, including a 20-25% positivity rate in the United States (US), antibiotic use at delivery increased substantia...
Source: BJOG : An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology - November 15, 2021 Category: OBGYN Authors: Robert L Goldenberg Elizabeth M McClure Source Type: research
Using hierarchical clustering analysis to evaluate COVID-19 pandemic preparedness and performance in 180 countries in 2020
Conclusion
COVID-19 fatality can be a good proxy for countries’ resources and system’s resilience in managing the pandemic. These findings suggest that countries’ economic and sociopolitical factors may behave in a more complex way as were believed. To explore these complex epidemiological associations, models can benefit enormously by taking advantage of methods developed in computer science and machine learning. (Source: BMJ Open)
Source: BMJ Open - November 9, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: Sadeghi, B., Cheung, R. C. Y., Hanbury, M. Tags: Open access, Epidemiology, COVID-19 Source Type: research
Effect of roof colour on indoor temperature and human comfort levels, with implications for malaria control: a pilot study using experimental houses in rural Gambia
In rural sub-Saharan Africa, thatch roofs are being replaced by metal roofs. Metal roofing, however, increases indoor temperatures above human comfort levels, and thus makes it more likely that residents will ... (Source: Malaria Journal)
Source: Malaria Journal - October 29, 2021 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Majo Carrasco-Tenezaca, Ebrima Jatta, Musa Jawara, John Bradley, Margaret Pinder, Umberto D ’Alessandro, Jakob Knudsen and Steve W. Lindsay Tags: Research Source Type: research
Is improvement in indicators of womens empowerment associated with uptake of WHO recommended IPTp-SP levels in sub-Saharan Africa? A multilevel approach
Conclusions
The outcome of our study suggests that low-income SSA countries should increase budgetary allocation to maternal health, particularly for IPTp-SP interventions. IPTp-SP advocacy behavioural change communication strategies must focus on women with low knowledge, rural dwellers, married women and those who do not meet the minimum of eight antenatal care visits. (Source: BMJ Open)
Source: BMJ Open - October 29, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: Ameyaw, E. K., Njue, C., Amoah, R. M., Appiah, F., Baatiema, L., Ahinkorah, B. O., Seidu, A.-A., Ganle, J. K., Yaya, S. Tags: Open access, Global health Source Type: research
Epidemiology of measles cases, vaccine effectiveness, and performance towards measles elimination in The Gambia
ConclusionThe Gambia ’s quest to attain measles elimination status by 2020 has registered significant success but it is unlikely that all target indicators will be met. Vaccination has been very effective in preventing cases. There is variation in measles risk by health region, and it will be important to take it into account when designing prevention and control strategies. The quality of case investigations should be improved to enhance the quality of surveillance for decision making. (Source: PLoS One)
Source: PLoS One - October 21, 2021 Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Alieu Sowe Source Type: research
Rheumatic heart disease in The Gambia: clinical and valvular aspects at presentation and evolution under penicillin prophylaxis
Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains the leading cause of cardiac-related deaths and disability in children and young adults worldwide. In The Gambia, the RHD burden is thought to be high although no data are... (Source: BMC Cardiovascular Disorders)
Source: BMC Cardiovascular Disorders - October 18, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Lamin E. S. Jaiteh, Lamin Drammeh, Suzanne T. Anderson, John Mendy, Samba Ceesay, Umberto D ’Alessandro, Jonathan Carapetis, Mariana Mirabel and Annette Erhart Tags: Research Source Type: research
Species diversity and distribution of schistosome intermediate snail hosts in The Gambia
This study assessed the incidence, species diversity, distribution and infection status of schistosome intermediate snail hosts in the count ry. Malacological surveys were conducted in all 5 regions of The Gambia: Central River Region (CRR), Upper River Region (URR), Western Region (WR), Lower River Region (LRR) and North Bank Region (NBR). Sampling of snails was undertaken at 114 sites that included permanent water bodies such as stream s (bolongs), rice fields, irrigation canals and swamps; and temporal (seasonal) laterite pools. Ecological and physicochemical factors of sites were recorded. Snails were identified morpho...
Source: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases - October 4, 2021 Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Ebrima Joof Source Type: research
Ontogeny of plasma cytokine and chemokine concentrations across the first week of human life
CONCLUSIONS: Ontogeny is a strong driver of newborn plasma-based levels of cytokines and chemokines throughout the first week of life with a rising IFNγ axis suggesting post-natal upregulation of host defense pathways. Our study will prove useful to the design and interpretation of future studies aimed at understanding the neonatal immune system during health and disease.PMID:34597920 | DOI:10.1016/j.cyto.2021.155704 (Source: Cytokine)
Source: Cytokine - October 1, 2021 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Kinga K Smolen Alec L Plotkin Casey P Shannon Olubukola T Idoko Jensen Pak Alansana Darboe Simon van Haren Nelly Amenyogbe Scott J Tebbutt Tobias R Kollmann Beate Kampmann Al Ozonoff Ofer Levy Oludare A Odumade EPIC Consortium Source Type: research
Ontogeny of plasma cytokine and chemokine concentrations across the first week of human life
CONCLUSIONS: Ontogeny is a strong driver of newborn plasma-based levels of cytokines and chemokines throughout the first week of life with a rising IFNγ axis suggesting post-natal upregulation of host defense pathways. Our study will prove useful to the design and interpretation of future studies aimed at understanding the neonatal immune system during health and disease.PMID:34597920 | DOI:10.1016/j.cyto.2021.155704 (Source: Cytokine)
Source: Cytokine - October 1, 2021 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Kinga K Smolen Alec L Plotkin Casey P Shannon Olubukola T Idoko Jensen Pak Alansana Darboe Simon van Haren Nelly Amenyogbe Scott J Tebbutt Tobias R Kollmann Beate Kampmann Al Ozonoff Ofer Levy Oludare A Odumade EPIC Consortium Source Type: research
Seeking diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for childhood bacterial pneumonia in sub-Saharan Africa: study protocol for an observational study
Introduction
Clinically diagnosed pneumonia in children is a leading cause of paediatric hospitalisation and mortality. The aetiology is usually bacterial or viral, but malaria can cause a syndrome indistinguishable from clinical pneumonia. There is no method with high sensitivity to detect a bacterial infection in these patients and, as result, antibiotics are frequently overprescribed. Conversely, unrecognised concomitant bacterial infection in patients with malarial infections occur with omission of antibiotic therapy from patients with bacterial infections. Previously, we identified two combinations of blood proteins w...
Source: BMJ Open - September 30, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: Valim, C., Olatunji, Y. A., Isa, Y. S., Salaudeen, R., Golam, S., Knol, E. F., Kanyi, S., Jammeh, A., Bassat, Q., de Jager, W., Diaz, A. A., Wiegand, R. C., Ramirez, J., Moses, M. A., DAlessandro, U., Hibberd, P. L., Mackenzie, G. A. Tags: Open access, Diagnostics Source Type: research
Mass drug administration for malaria
CONCLUSIONS: In moderate- to high-transmission settings, no studies reported important effects on P falciparum parasitaemia prevalence within six months after MDA. In very low- to low-transmission settings, parasitaemia prevalence and incidence were reduced initially for up to three months for both P falciparum and P vivax; longer-term data did not demonstrate an effect after four months, but absolute risks in both intervention and control groups were low. No studies provided evidence of interruption of malaria transmission.PMID:34585740 | DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD008846.pub3 (Source: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)
Source: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews - September 29, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: Monica P Shah Jimee Hwang Leslie Choi Kim A Lindblade S Patrick Kachur Meghna Desai Source Type: research
