Multiple microbiologic tests for tuberculosis improve diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy in medically complex patients
Dilshaad Fakey Khan,Moosa Suleman,Prinita Baijnath,Rubeshan Perumal,Vedanthi Moodley,Zoey Mhlane,Taryn Naidoo,Thumbi Ndung'u,Emily B. Wong
Globally, tuberculosis (TB) is the ninth leading cause of mortality with an estimated 1.6 million deaths reported in 2016. In 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a TB polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based test as the initial investigation of choice in p....
Transgenerational effects of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda: A post-traumatic stress disorder symptom domain analysis
Susan Rudahindwa,Leon Mutesa,Eugene Rutembesa,Jean Mutabaruka,Annie Qu,Derek E. Wildman,Stefan Jansen,Monica Uddin
The 1994 genocide perpetrated against Tutsi in Rwanda is one of the most horrific events in recent history responsible for roughly one million deaths during a short 3-month period. The genocide was a result of tension between the two artificially divided ethnic groups of Rwanda: Hutu and Tutsi. Hutu extremists, alongside coerced....
Effect of tuberculosis training on community health workers’ knowledge: a cluster randomized control trial in South Nigeria
Christie Akwaowo,Idongesit Umoh,Oluseyi Motilewa,Victor Umoh,Eno Usoroh,Stella Adeboye,Uduak Idiong,Etop Antia
One of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as contained in the SDG target 3.3 is to end the tuberculosis epidemic by the year 2030. This End TB Strategy defines as a targets for 2030, a 90% reduction in the number of TB deaths and an 80% reduction in the TB incidence rate (new cases per 100 000 population per....
Case Report: Literature review of a Complicated Postpartum Pubic Symphysitis case
Dhekra Toumi,Korbi Asma,Marwa Badr,Farouk Ennaceur,Boujemaa Touati,Ahmed Hajji,Raja Faleh
Septic arthritis of the pubic symphysis is a rare infection, often occurring in particular patients including: athletes with chronic pubic inflammation, women in the postpartum period, drug addicts, patients following a surgical treatment for urinary incontinence or patients with pelvic cancer.. To date, it is an often unknown i....
Use of social media in a national Tuberculosis Drug Resistance Survey: lessons from the first anti-tuberculosis drug resistance survey in Ghana
Augustina Angelina Sylverken,Ellis Owusu-Dabo,Alexander Kwarteng,Sampson Twumasi-Ankrah,Michael Owusu,Louis Adu-Amoah,Rexford Mawunyo Dumevi,Rejoice Agyeiwaa Arthur,Nicholas Addofoh,Francisca Dzata,Frank Bonsu
TB Tuberculosis. KCCR Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine. GPRTU Ghana Private Road Transport Union. MTB. DRS Drug Resistance Survey. WHO World Health Organization. NTP National Tuberculosis Control Programme. NRC National Reference Center. KN....
Case Report: Facial mixed fungal infection in a poorly responding non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patient with suspected immunodeficiency
Ali Mostafa,Mervat Gaber,Hany Abdelrahman,Noha ElAnwar,Ahmed Galal
Immunocompromised patients, those with hematological malignancies, solid organ or bone marrow transplantation, are highly vulnerable to invasive fungal infection, even with administration of systemic antifungal prophylaxisn
A qualitative and quantitative performance evaluation of Swaziland’s Rural Health Motivator program
Pascal Geldsetzer,Maria Vaikath,Jan-Walter De Neve,Till Bärnighausen,Thomas J. Bossert
Many low-and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, face a severe shortage of skilled healthcare workers. HIV is causing the highest burden of any disease in Swazilandn
Health technology assessment capacity at national level in sub-Saharan Africa: an initial survey of stakeholders
Samantha A. Hollingworth,Francis Ruiz,Mohamed Gad,Kalipso Chalkidou
Many countries have committed to universal health coverage (UHC) in the context of the sustainable development goals. Health technology assessment (HTA) provides a structured approach to synthesising evidence of clinical and cost effectiveness to inform priority-setting activities. Institutionalised HTA systems involve active pa....
Research priorities in maternal and neonatal health in Africa: results using the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method involving over 900 experts across the continent
Moses Alobo,Charles Mgone,Joy Lawn,Colette Adhiambo,Kerri Wazny,Chinyere Ezeaka,Elizabeth Molyneux,Marleen Temmerman,Pius Okong,Address Malata,Thomas Kariuki
The deceleration in average annual rates of reduction of maternal mortality. This scenario calls for urgent actions to address MNH challenges, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In a 2019 report. Considering this, a MNH research priority setting exercise was developed, including more than 900 experts, betwee....
SNPs in IL4 and IFNG show no protective associations with human African trypanosomiasis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a case-control study
Olivier Fataki Asina,Harry Noyes,Bruno Bucheton,Hamidou Ilboudo,Annette MacLeod,Dieudonné Mumba Ngoyi
Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), or sleeping sickness, is a neglected tropical disease caused by infection with extracellular blood protozoan parasites, which are transmitted by the bite of the tsetse fly (. The disease is present in more than 250 foci in Africa and nearly 70 million people are at risk of infection with the....
Tackling human and animal health threats through innovative vaccinology in Africa
George M. Warimwe,Jyothi Purushotham,Brian D. Perry,Adrian V.S. Hill,Sarah C. Gilbert,Baptiste Dungu,Bryan Charleston
Vaccines are among the most cost-effective health interventions ever deployed. With the global eradication of two major infectious diseases and substantial reductions in the burden of several others attributed to their use. However, the development of a sustainable African vaccine R&D sector requires substantial long-term invest....
Wood-decaying fungi found in Southern Ghana: A potential source of new anti-infective compounds
Samuel Yaw Aboagye,Vincent Amarh,Paul A. Lartey,Patrick Kobina Arthur
Several plants and fungi have served as sources of many drugs that are used in clinics. A proportion of microbial pathogens that afflict mammals may possibly infect fungal species, since they are both eukaryotes with related cellular metabolism. Unlike mammals, fungi have a higher tendency to produce relevant chemical compounds....
Ethical and practical issues to consider in the governance of genomic and human research data and data sharing in South Africa: a meeting report
Ciara Staunton,Rachel Adams,Edward S. Dove,Natalie Harriman,Lyn Horn,Melodie Labuschaigne,Nicola Mulder,Antonel Olckers,Anne Pope,Michèle Ramsay,Carmen Swanepoel,Nora Ni Loideain,Jantina De Vries
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s). Publication in AAS Open Research does not imply endorsement by the AAS.
Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in CD34 + peripheral blood mononuclear cells of Ugandan adults with latent infection: a cross-sectional and nested prospective study
Jonathan Mayito,Irene Andia Biraro,Stephen T. Reece,Adrian R. Martineau,David P. Kateete
BCG, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin; CD, Cluster Of Differentiation; CFP-10, Culture Filtrate Protein-Ten; ELISPOT, Enzyme Linked Immunospot; ESAT-6, Early Secretory Antigenic Target-Six; HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; IGRAS, Interferon Gamma Release Assays; IPT, Isoniazid Preventive Therapy; LTBI, Latent Tuberculosis Infection; L....
Current and emerging diagnostic tests available for the novel COVID-19 global pandemic
Gerald Mboowa
Infectious diseases are still a major threat in the world today. In the current case of the coronavirus global pandemic 2019, healthcare systems have the challenge of massive testing, isolating (quarantine) those suspected of being exposed to the virus, re-testing (at the end of the viral incubation period), treating and managin....
Model framework for governance of genomic research and biobanking in Africa – a content description
Aminu Yakubu,Paulina Tindana,Alice Matimba,Katherine Littler,Nchangwi Syntia Munung,Ebony Madden,Ciara Staunton,Jantina De Vries
The complete mapping of the human genome. In addition to these ethical concerns, regulatory frameworks for health research in Africa are either non-existent, or where they exist, do not respond to the specific concerns raised by genomics research and biobanking. The aim of this framework is to guide governance, address sample an....
COVID-19: Are Africa’s diagnostic challenges blunting response effectiveness?
Francis Kobia,Jesse Gitaka
In December 2019, a spate of pneumonia cases of unknown cause was observed in Wuhan, Hubei province, China (n
Seroprevalence, risk factors and impact of Toxoplasma gondii infection on haematological parameters in the Ashanti region of Ghana: a cross-sectional study
Samuel Kekeli Agordzo,Kingsley Badu,Mathew Glover Addo,Christian Kwasi Owusu,Abdul-Hakim Mutala,Austine Tweneboah,Dawood Ackom Abbas,Nana Kwame Ayisi-Boateng
— the causative organism for toxoplasmosis — is an obligate, intracellular, apicomplexan parasite with a wide geographic distribution and the ability to infect virtually any cell type across a broad host range, including humans, companion animals, livestock and wildlife. People are typically infected by either accidentally inges....
Research into occupational noise induced hearing loss in South African large-scale mines: Access denied?
Nomfundo F. Moroe,Katijah Khoza-Shangase
The mining industry in South Africa remains one of the driving forces behind the development of the country’s economy. Currently, mining in South Africa is reported as a significant contributor to the economy in that firstly, it contributes an average of 20% to South Africa’s GDP. Secondly, it boasts a total annual income of nea....
Protective and curative effects of Beta vulgaris on pesticide dimethyl 2,2-dichlorovinyl phosphate-exposed albino rats
Eucharia O. Nwaichi,Eka B. Essien,Uzoamaka Chinonso Ibe
Organophosphates are a group of pesticides and are massively utilized globally due to their numerous benefits in the health and agricultural sectors. According to. Pesticide poisoning is commonly caused by the action of pesticides on mostly the internal organs of the body. Some pesticides that are referred to as external irritan....
Self-management and its associated factors among people living with diabetes in Blantyre, Malawi: a cross-sectional study
Chimwemwe Kwanjo Banda,Belinda T. Gombachika,Moffat J. Nyirenda,Adamson Sinjani Muula
Diabetes mellitus significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality from non-communicable diseases in Malawi. Although the study by Cohen. The conceptual framework guiding the study was adapted from social cognitive theory (SCT) by Albert Banduran
Unexplained Physical Symptoms
Elena Garralda
This session will describe common physical symptoms and their associations with psychological problems. General management principles will be provided for use by both non-medical and medical practitioners.
Acute Presentations of Tuberculosis (TB)
Will Ricketts
0.5 Hours
This session discusses how tuberculosis might present acutely to the Emergency Department or on the Acute Medical Take (e.g. pulmonary, spinal, meningitis). It also examines the complications of anti-tuberculous chemotherapy that may present acutely (e.g. hepatotoxicity and skin reactions) and their management.
Paediatric - Epilepsy
Kirsten Johnson and Colin Dunkley
This more advanced session will give you an understanding of childhood epilepsies and epilepsy care, so you will have the knowledge and confidence to make a positive difference to a child living with the condition and understand your role in the child’s ongoing care.
Shoulder Pain
Ade Adebajo and Caroline Mitchell
This session describes shoulder problems commonly encountered in general practice, their diagnosis and management. It also describes how to assess the shoulder joint and how to identify the origin and cause of the shoulder symptoms. This session was reviewed by Khyati Bakhai and updated in May 2023.