the aid library

Infection Rates and Risk Factors for Infection Among Health Workers During Ebola and Marburg Virus Outbreaks: A Systematic Review

Saranya A, Selvaraj E Lee, Mason Harrell, et al. (2018) CC

The Journal of Infectious Diseases, jiy435, https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiy435. Many outbreaks reported high proportions of infected HWs. Similar HW infection rates and exposure risk factors in both past and recent EVD and MVD outbreaks emphasize the need to improve the implementation of approp ... more

The reality of managing asthma in sub-Saharan Africa – Priorities and strategies for improving care

Mortimer, K.; Masekela, R.; Ozoh, O.; et al. (2022) CC2

Asthma is the most common non-communicable disease in children and remains one of the most common throughout the life course. The great majority of the burden of this disease is seen in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), which have disproportionately high asthma-related mortality relati ... more

Infrastructure, policy and regulatory interventions to increase physical activity to prevent cardiovascular diseases and diabetes: a systematic review

Durão, S.; Burns, J.; Schmidt, B. et al. BMC Public Health (2023) CC

Background Noncommunicable diseases are major contributors to morbidity and mortality worldwide. Modifying the risk factors for these conditions, such as physical inactivity, is thus essential. Addressing the context or circumstances in which physical activity occurs may promote physical activity a ... t a population level. We assessed the effects of infrastructure, policy or regulatory interventions for increasing physical activity. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase and clinicaltrials.gov to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs), controlled before-after (CBAs) studies, and interrupted time series (ITS) studies assessing population-level infrastructure or policy and regulatory interventions to increase physical activity. We were interested in the effects of these interventions on physical activity, body weight and related measures, blood pressure, and CVD and type 2 diabetes morbidity and mortality, and on other secondary outcomes. Screening and data extraction was done in duplicate, with risk of bias was using an adapted Cochrane risk of bias tool. Due to high levels of heterogeneity, we synthesised the evidence based on effect direction. Results We included 33 studies, mostly conducted in high-income countries. Of these, 13 assessed infrastructure changes to green or other spaces to promote physical activity and 18 infrastructure changes to promote active transport. The effects of identified interventions on physical activity, body weight and blood pressure varied across studies (very low certainty evidence); thus, we remain very uncertain about the effects of these interventions. Two studies assessed the effects of policy and regulatory interventions; one provided free access to physical activity facilities and showed that it may have beneficial effects on physical activity (low certainty evidence). The other provided free bus travel for youth, with intervention effects varying across studies (very low certainty evidence). Conclusions Evidence from 33 studies assessing infrastructure, policy and regulatory interventions for increasing physical activity showed varying results. The certainty of the evidence was mostly very low, due to study designs included and inconsistent findings between studies. Despite this drawback, the evidence indicates that providing access to physical activity facilities may be beneficial; however this finding is based on only one study. Implementation of these interventions requires full consideration of contextual factors, especially in low resource settings. more

Community health worker models in South Africa: a qualitative study on policy implementation of the 2018/19 revised framework

Murphy, J.P.; A. Moolla, S. Kgowedi et al. Health Policy and Planning (2020) C1

South Africa has a long history of community health workers (CHWs). It has been a journey that has required balancing constrained resources and competing priorities. CHWs form a bridge between communities and healthcare service provision within heal ... more

Focused psychosocial interventions for children in low-resource humanitarian settings: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis

Purgato, M., Gross, A.L., Betancourt, T., et al Lancet Glob Health (2018) CC

Results from studies evaluating the effectiveness of focused psychosocial support interventions in children exposed to traumatic events in humanitarian settings in low-income and middle-income countries have been inconsistent, showing varying results by setting and subgroup (eg, age or gender). We a ... more

Improving access to child health services at the community level in Zambia: a country case study on progress in child survival, 2000–2013

Aaron M Kipp, Margaret Maimbolwa, Marie A Brault et al. (2017) CC

Health Policy Plan (2017) 32 (5): 603-612; 10 pp. 318 kB

Evaluating the impact of community health worker integration into prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services in Tanzania

Nance, N.; S. Mc Coy, D. Ngilanwa, et al. (2017) C1

Impact Evalution Report 61

Toolkit for research and development of paediatric antiretroviral drugs and formulations

World Health Organization (WHO); Unitaid; Unicef; et al. World Health Organization (WHO); Unitaid; Unicef; et al. (2018) C_WHO

WHO and UNITAID in collaboration with IMPAACT (International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials) network, PENTA (Paediatric European Network for Treatment of AIDS) foundation and experts from the Paediatric Antiretroviral Working Group

Palliative care for older people: better practices

Hall, S.; H. Petkova, A.D. Tsouros, et al. World Health Organization WHO, Regional Office for Europe, et al. (2011) C_WHO

This publication aims to provide examples of better palliative care practices for older people to help those involved in planning and supporting care-oriented services most appropriately and effectively. Examples have been identifi ed from literature searches and from an international call ... more

Using Observational Data to Inform HIV Policy Change for Children and Youth

A. H. Sohn; A. Judd; L. Mofenson; et al. JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes; Ovid (2018) C2

Supplement Article www.jaids.com J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Volume 78, Supplement 1, August 15, 2018

Minimum Package of Services for Female Sex Workers in Zambia

Ministry of Health, Zambia USAID; FHI360; Bridge Project, et al. (2014) C1

Optimizing Clinical Trial Design to Maximize Evidence Generation in Pediatric HIV

D. Ford; R. Turner; A. Turkova; et al. JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes; Ovid (2018) C2

Supplement Article www.jaids.com J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Volume 78, Supplement 1, August 15, 2018