In our 8th issue of our Research Digest, we have assembled 64 abstracts published from March through April 2019 that feature evidence from Botswana (2), Eswatini (2), Lesotho (2), Malawi (12), Mozambique (4), Namibia (1), South Africa (32), Tanzania (3), Zambia (11) and Zimbabwe (14).
South Africa
Resource
May 12, 2019
Many adolescents living with HIV remain disconnected from care, especially in high-prevalence settings. Slow progressors-adolescents infected perinatally who survive without access to lifesaving treatment-remain unidentified and disconnected from heath systems, especially in high-prevalence settings. This study examines differences in educational outcomes for ALHIV, in order to i) identify educational markers for targeting HIV testing, counselling and linkages to care, and ii) to identify essential foci of educational support for ALHIV.
Resource
May 7, 2019
Community health workers, community-based care, and community outreach have long been recognized as essential to extending the reach of facility-based health care systems.
Blog
April 17, 2019
Rural communities in low- and middle-income countries face specific challenges in accessing health care. And yet, these communities are often the most vulnerable and most in need. So how can we overcome these barriers to provide everyone with the health care they have a right to? How do we maximize the available healthcare resources to effectively address inequalities and ensure sustainable service delivery?
Resource
April 12, 2019
There is a need for a culturally adapted, evidence-based, psychotherapy treatment that is effective, acceptable, and feasible for integration into primary care in South Africa. This qualitative study used exit interviews to examine participants' experiences of an adapted cognitive-behavioural therapy treatment for adherence and depression, task-shifted and delivered by nurses in two peri-urban HIV clinics near Cape Town.
Resource
April 12, 2019
Female adolescents from socioeconomically underserved communities in Cape Town, South Africa, who have dropped out of school, use substances, and engage in risky sex behaviour are at risk of HIV.
Resource
April 12, 2019
Past endeavours to deal with the obstacle of expensive Cluster of Difference 4 (CD4(+)) count diagnostics in resource-limited settings have left a long trail of suggested continuous CD4(+) count clinical covariates that turned out to be a potentially important integral part of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment process during disease progression. However, an evaluation to determine the strongest candidates among these CD4(+) count covariates has not been well documented.
Resource
April 12, 2019
One of the factors linked to South Africa's relatively high maternal mortality ratio is late utilization of antenatal care (ANC). Early utilization is especially important in South Africa due to the high HIV prevalence amongst pregnant women. This study examined the impact of a package intervention, consisting of an incentive called the Thula Baba Box (TBB) and a community health worker (CHW) programme, on early utilization of ANC.
Resource
April 12, 2019
The success of universal antiretroviral therapy (ART) access and aspirations for an AIDS-free generation depend on high adherence in individuals initiating ART during early-stage HIV infection; however, adherence may be difficult in the absence of illness and associated support.
Resource
April 12, 2019
Despite the array of studies on infant feeding practices of HIV-infected women, gaps still exist in the understanding of the underlying reasons for their infant feeding choices. Potential for behavioural change exists, especially in the light of the 2016 updated World Health Organization guideline on HIV and infant feeding. The aim of this paper is to determine the rate of adoption of exclusive breastfeeding in this cohort, examine the determinants of infant feeding choices of HIV-infected women and assess the underlying reasons for these choices.
