Partner notification and associated factors among people living with human immunodeficiency Virus in Bushenge Hospital, Rwanda

Introduction Partner notification is among strategies adopted by WHO to identify people at risk of HIV infection among sexual partners with people living with HIV to achieve the 90-90-90 target. There is still a gap in Sub-Saharan Africa. Objective To assess the determinants of partner notification among people infected with HIV in Bushenge hospital. Methods An unmatched case control study was conducted, 141 people who successfully notified their sexual partners as controls and 141 who did not as cases were selected to identify the factors associated with partner notification. Data were analyzed with Stata V13. Results Most cases were female 81(58%); 91(64.5%) of cases and 97(68.8.5%) of controls were in couple, 40(28.8%)of cases and 67(48%) of controls had multiple partner. Thirty-five 35(25%) of cases and 51(36%) of controls were newly diagnosed; 73(74%) of cases and 78(86.6%) suppressed the viral load. Notification approach was associated with partner notification, aOR = 9, CI[2.8, 29]. Conclusion Partner notification as one of the strategies to reach the first 90 requires more efficient and effective efforts. Different initiatives are needed especially in partner notification approach.

Monitoring progress on antimicrobial resistance response in the WHO African Region: insights from the TrACSS 2021. Results for the Human Health Sector

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major 21st Century global health challenge. The WHO African Region Member States committed to develop and implement multisectoral national action plans (NAPs) that address AMR, in line with the Global Action Plan (GAP). Objective: The aim of this paper is to present the progress of AMR response in the WHO African Region based on the annual Tracking AMR Country Self-Assessment Survey (TrACSS), with a focus on human health indicators. Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of responses from forty-one countries that participated in the 2021 TrACSS. Results: Of the 41 countries that responded to the 2021 TrACSS, 35(85%) have developed NAPs. 15 (37%) of countries have functional AMR multisector working groups. 55% (21/41) of countries are collating data nationally on AMR surveillance. Forty nine percent of countries conducted small-scale AMR awareness campaigns and 53% (21/41) covered AMR in some pre- and in-service training for huBackground: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major 21st Century global health challenge. The WHO African Region Member States committed to develop and implement multisectoral national action plans (NAPs) that address AMR, in line with the Global Action Plan (GAP). Objective: The aim of this paper is to present the progress of AMR response in the WHO African Region based on the annual Tracking AMR Country Self-Assessment Survey (TrACSS), with a focus on human health indicators. Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of responses from forty-one countries that participated in the 2021 TrACSS. Results: Of the 41 countries that responded to the 2021 TrACSS, 35(85%) have developed NAPs. 15 (37%) of countries have functional AMR multisector working groups. 55% (21/41) of countries are collating data nationally on AMR surveillance. Forty nine percent of countries conducted small-scale AMR awareness campaigns and 53% (21/41) covered AMR in some pre- and in-service training for Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major 21st Century global health challenge. The WHO African Region Member States committed to develop and implement multisectoral national action plans (NAPs) that address AMR, in line with the Global Action Plan (GAP). Objective: The aim of this paper is to present the progress of AMR response in the WHO African Region based on the annual Tracking AMR Country Self-Assessment Survey (TrACSS), with a focus on human health indicators. Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of responses from forty-one countries that participated in the 2021 TrACSS. Results: Of the 41 countries that responded to the 2021 TrACSS, 35(85%) have developed NAPs. 15 (37%) of countries have functional AMR multisector working groups. 55% (21/41) of countries are collating data nationally on AMR surveillance. Forty nine percent of countries conducted small-scale AMR awareness campaigns and 53% (21/41) covered AMR in some pre- and in-service training for human health workers. While 83% of countries reported having laws and regulations on the prescription and sale of antimicrobials, only 32% (13/41) have national systems for monitoring antimicrobial use. Twenty-three (58%, 23/41) reported having Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) programs at select health facilities. Conclusion: Countries have developed and are implementing AMR NAPs. Gaps still exist across key indicators monitored through TrACSS. Effective AMR response requires established functional multisectoral governance mechanism sin the One Health approach; political commitment, sustainable funding, and clear monitoring and reporting is critical. human health workers. While 83% of countries reported having laws and regulations on the prescription and sale of antimicrobials, only 32% (13/41) have national systems for monitoring antimicrobial use. Twenty-three (58%, 23/41) reported having Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) programs at select health facilities. Conclusion: Countries have developed and are implementing AMR NAPs. Gaps still exist across key indicators monitored through TrACSS. Effective AMR response requires established functional multisectoral governance mechanisms in the One Health approach; political commitment, sustainable funding, and clear monitoring and reporting is critical. man health workers. While 83% of countries reported having laws and regulations on the prescription and sale of antimicrobials, only 32% (13/41) have national systems for monitoring antimicrobial use. Twenty-three (58%, 23/41) reported having Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) programs at select health facilities. Conclusion: Countries have developed and are implementing AMR NAPs. Gaps still exist across key indicators monitored through TrACSS. Effective AMR response requires established functional multisectoral governance mechanisms in the One Health approach; political commitment, sustainable funding, and clear monitoring and reporting is critical.

Third party disability of family members of adults with dysphagia

Background: Third-party disability (TPD) has been studied in multiple patients including those with aphasia and hearing loss. Only one study has been done in relation to caregivers of adults with dysphagia. Third-party disability has been analysed using the International Classification of Function and Disability (ICF) framework. This study, therefore, used the ICF model to explore TPD of caregivers of adults with dysphagia for the context of Johannesburg in South Africa. Objectives: To describe how caregivers experience TPD when caring for adults with a dysphagia in Johannesburg. Methods: Data were collected from five primary adult caregivers, who were all family members, from government clinics in Johannesburg. This article reports the findings from the interviews that were analysed thematically using a top-down analysis approach. Results: Caregivers experienced challenges related to TPD mostly related to difficulties of being able to do activities of daily living for themselves, their household chores and attending social engagements. The use of body structure and function from the ICF model was not overtly applicable to the caregiver population. A new visual representation has been suggested to highlight the key themes to augment the social and psychological changes as seen on the ICF framework and demonstrated the specific interaction that these factors had on one another. Conclusion: Third-party disability is present in caregivers of patients with dysphagia. Healthcare workers need to be aware of the impact that this can have when preparing home management strategies. This newly devised representation can assist in creating a locally relevant patient-centred care approach but requires future input.

Developing and prioritising strategies to improve the implementation of maternal healthcare guidelines in South Africa: The nominal group technique

Background: In South Africa, maternal healthcare guidelines are distributed to primary health care (PHC) facility for midwives to refer and implement during maternal healthcare services. Different training was offered for the use of maternal care guidelines. However, poor adherence and poor implementation of guidelines were discovered. Aim: This study aimed to develop and prioritise strategies to improve the implementation of maternal healthcare guidelines at PHC facilities of Limpopo province, South Africa. Method: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis and its matrix together with the nominal group technique were used to develop the current strategy. Midwives, maternal, assistant and operational managers from PHC facilities of the two selected district of the Limpopo province were selected. Criterion-based purposive sampling was used to select participants. Data collection and analysis involved the four steps used in the nominal group technique. Results: Strategies related to strengths and weaknesses such as human resources, maternal health services and knowledge deficit were identified. Opportunities and threats such as availability of guidelines, community involvement and quality assurance as factors that influenced the provision of maternal healthcare services were identified. Conclusion: Researchers formulated actions that could build on identified strengths, overcome weaknesses such as human resources, explore opportunities and mitigate the threats such as quality assurance

Socioeconomic status and health shocks; analysis of coping strategies in rural households of Enugu State, Nigeria

Background: Health burden in rural areas of developing countries is worsened by the limited coverage of health insurance. With constrained access to quality healthcare and constituting two thirds of Nigeria's poor, this study investigates how rural households cope with health shocks consequent on their socioeconomic status. Method: Data was collected from 600 households in Enugu using a questionnaire. Cross-tabulation, chi square and multiple regression statistical techniques were employed for data analysis. Findings: About 53% of the respondents were male household-heads while borrowing (47.65%), sales of assets (43.85%), diversion of funds (2.00%) and reduced expenditure (6.48%) were the main coping strategies. Education, occupation, and income statistically influenced the coping strategies (P < 0.005) and jointly accounted for 26.5% (R2 = 0.265, P < 0.001) of the variations in coping strategies. Conclusion: Having a rural healthcare policy and mainstreaming the informal sector into the national health insurance scheme will am