A scoping review of the psychosocial aspects of infertility in African countries.

Infertility refers to the inability to conceive after 12 months of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse. Psychosocial aspects of infertility research are predominant in developed countries. A scoping review of psychosocial aspects of infertility research conducted in Africa between 2000 and 2022 was conducted. Twelve databases and grey literature were searched for articles. Studies were included if they were published in English and included findings from patients diagnosed with primary or secondary infertility. A total of 2 372 articles were initially found and screening resulted in 116 articles being included in the scoping review. Most of the studies (81%) were conducted in Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa. Psychosocial aspects explored included quality of life, barriers to treatment, attitudes and stigma, and sociocultural and religious aspects of infertility, among others. The review maps published psychosocial research in the context of infertility in Africa and identifies gaps for future research.

Our aim was to review published studies on psychological and social research conducted among men and women who were seeking treatment for infertility in Africa between 2000 and 2022.We initially found 2 373 articles that seemed appropriate but after screening these articles only included 116 in this review.We found that in Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa produced the most studies on the psychological and social impact of infertility.Common areas of research include exploring patients quality of life, barriers to seeking fertility treatment, stigma and attitudes around infertility, social, cultural and religious issues relating to infertility.This review is therefore helpful in understanding where psychological and social research on infertility is being conducted, what it is focused on and what the gaps in research are.

The East Africa Consortium for human papillomavirus and cervical cancer in women living with HIV/AIDS.

The East Africa Consortium was formed to study the epidemiology of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and cervical cancer and the influence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on HPV and cervical cancer, and to encourage collaborations between researchers in North America and East African countries. To date, studies have led to a better understanding of the influence of HIV infection on the detection and persistence of oncogenic HPV, the effects of dietary aflatoxin on the persistence of HPV, the benefits of antiretroviral therapy on HPV persistence, and the differences in HPV detections among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women undergoing treatment for cervical dysplasia by either cryotherapy or LEEP. It will now be determined how HPV testing fits into cervical cancer screening programs in Kenya and Uganda, how aflatoxin influences immunological control of HIV, how HPV alters certain genes involved in the growth of tumours in HIV-infected women. Although there have been challenges in performing this research, with time, this work should help to reduce the burden of cervical cancer and other cancers related to HIV infection in people living in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as optimized processes to better facilitate research as well as patient autonomy and safety. KEY MESSAGESThe East Africa Consortium was formed to study the epidemiology of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and cervical cancer and the influence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on HPV and cervical cancer.Collaborations have been established between researchers in North America and East African countries for these studies.Studies have led to a better understanding of the influence of HIV infection on the detection and persistence of oncogenic HPV, the effects of dietary aflatoxin on HPV detection, the benefits of antiretroviral therapy on HPV persistence, and the differences in HPV detections among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women undergoing treatment for cervical dysplasia by either cryotherapy or LEEP.

Notes on the use of urine-CCA dipsticks for detection of intestinal schistosomiasis in preschool children.

Urine-dipstick diagnostic tests that detect schistosome circulating cathodic antigen (CCA) have the potential to provide more sensitive and rapid testing for intestinal schistosomiasis in field-based surveys; this is especially so when examining preschool children, from whom it may be difficult to obtain consecutive stool samples. To assess the performance of urine dipsticks, 569 preschool children from four villages along the shore of Lake Albert, Uganda, were screened for Schistosoma mansoni by Kato-Katz (K-K) examination of a single stool sample and CCA urine dipsticks. The prevalence of infection was 32.2% by K-K and 40.0% by CCA tests. Sensitivity and specificity were influenced by whether 'trace' results from the CCA test were characterised as positive or negative for infection with S. mansoni; ambiguities around this issue need to be resolved. Nevertheless, the CCA test showed particular promise for routine epidemiological screening in this setting.

Efficacy of praziquantel syrup versus crushed praziquantel tablets in the treatment of intestinal schistosomiasis in Ugandan preschool children, with observation on compliance and safety.

Preschool children (aged ≤5 years) have so far been overlooked by mass treatment campaigns targeting schistosomiasis, even though praziquantel (PZQ) has been shown to be well tolerated and effective within this age group. The WHO provided the Ugandan Ministry of Health with a syrup formulation of PZQ with the aim of assessing its safety and efficacy in comparison with crushed PZQ tablets for the treatment of intestinal schistosomiasis in preschool children. This study included 1144 preschool children randomly assigned to two treatment arms (PZQ syrup or crushed PZQ tablet) regardless of infection status for direct comparison. Diagnosis of intestinal schistosomiasis was assessed using single stool sample, double Kato-Katz smear examinations. Parasitological cure was assessed 3 weeks after treatment. The observed cure rate was 80.9% for the PZQ syrup arm and 81.7% for the crushed PZQ tablet arm, with egg reduction rates of 86.1% and 89.0%, respectively. Pre-treatment infection intensity was observed to influence cure rates significantly, with cure rates of 88.6% for light infections, 74.5% for moderate infections and 67.4% for heavy infections. No significant difference was found in non-compliance between the PZQ syrup (11.1%) and crushed PZQ tablet (14.7%) arms. PZQ syrup and crushed PZQ tablets have very similar efficacies in the treatment of intestinal schistosomiasis in preschool children.