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Current epidemiological evidence for predisposition to high or low intensity human helminth infection: a systematic review

Wright J.E., Werkman M., Dunn J.C. et al Parasites and Vectors (2018) C2

Background: The human helminth infections include ascariasis, trichuriasis, hookworm infections, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis (LF) and onchocerciasis. It is estimated that almost 2 billion people worldwide are infected with helminths. Whilst the WHO treatment guidelines for helminth infecti...ons are mostly aimed at controlling morbidity, there has been a recent shift with some countries moving towards goals of disease elimination through mass drug administration, especially for LF and onchocerciasis. However, as prevalence is driven lower, treating entire populations may no longer be the most efficient or cost-effective strategy. Instead, it may be beneficial to identify individuals or demographic groups who are persistently infected, often termed as being “predisposed” to infection, and target treatment at them. Methods: The authors searched Embase, MEDLINE, Global Health, and Web of Science for all English language, humanbased papers investigating predisposition to helminth infections published up to October 31st, 2017. The varying definitions used to describe predisposition, and the statistical tests used to determine its presence, are summarised. Evidence for predisposition is presented, stratified by helminth species, and risk factors for predisposition to infection are identified and discussed. Results: In total, 43 papers were identified, summarising results from 34 different studies in 23 countries. Consistent evidence of predisposition to infection with certain species of human helminth was identified. Children were regularly found to experience greater predisposition to Ascaris lumbricoides, Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium than adults. Females were found to be more predisposed to A. lumbricoides infection than were males. Household clustering of infection was identified for A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura and S. japonicum. Ascaris lumbricoides and T. trichiura also showed evidence of familial predisposition. Whilst strong evidence for predisposition to hookworm infection was identified, findings with regards to which groups were affected were considerably more varied than for other helminth species. Conclusion: This review has found consistent evidence of predisposition to heavy (and light) infection for certain human helminth species. However, further research is needed to identify reasons for the reported differences between demographic groups. Molecular epidemiological methods associated with whole genome sequencing to determine ‘who infects whom’ may shed more light on the factors generating predisposition. more

Barriers and determinants of asthma control in children and adolescents in Africa: a systematic review

Mphahlele, R.E.; Kitchin, O.; Masekela, R. BMJ Open (2021) CC

The article "Barriers and determinants of asthma control in children and adolescents in Africa: a systematic review" analyzes factors contributing to poor asthma control in African youth. Based on studies conducted between 2014 and 2019 in Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa, the review identifies key... more

Challenges in the Management of Bronchial Asthma Among Adults in Nigeria: A Systematic Review

Onyedum, C.C.; Ukwaja, K.N.; Desula, O.O.; Ezeudo, D. (2013) CC2

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by airway hyper-responsiveness to a variety of stimuli largely of allergic origin with reversible airflow limitation. The major clinical features of asthma are wheezing, shortness of breath, and cough. It is a major cause of impaired quality o... more

Ambient air pollution and non-communicable respiratory illness in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of the literature

Glenn, B. E.; Espira, L. M.; Larson, M. C.; Larson, P. S. BMC (2022) CC2

Aerosol pollutants are known to raise the risk of development of non-communicable respiratory diseases (NCRDs) such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and allergic rhinitis. Sub-Saharan Africa’s rapid pace of urbanization, economic expansion, and population growt... more

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The twin epidemics: Prevalence of TB/HIV co- infection and its associated factors in Ethiopia; A systematic review and meta-analysis

B. Tesfaye; A. Alebel; A. Gebrie; et al. PLOS One (2018) CC

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203986 October 3, 2018

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Interventions to improve antiretroviral therapy adherence among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review of the literature

K. Ridgeway; L. S. Dull K. R. Murray; et al. PLOS ONE (2018) CC

Research Article PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189770 January 2, 2018

Status and methodology of publicly available national HIV care continua and 90-90-90 targets: A systematic review

R. Granich; S. Gupta; I. Hall; et al. Plos Medicine (2017) CC

Research Article PLOS Medicine | DOI:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002253 April 4, 2017

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Delivering mental health and psychosocial support interventions to women and children in conflict settings: a systematic review

Kamali M, Munyuzangabo M, Siddiqui FJ, et al. (2020) CC

BMJ Global Health2020;5:e002014. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2019-002014

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The Impacts of Dietary Change on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Land Use, Water Use, and Health: A Systematic Review

Aleksandrowicz L., Green R., Joy E., et al. (2016) CC

PlosOne https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0165797; Food production is a major driver of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water and land use, and dietary risk factors are contributors to non-communicable diseases. Shifts in dietary patterns can therefore potentially provide benefits for both the en... more

The impact of mental health and psychosocial support programmes for populations affected by humanitarian emergencies: A systematic review protocol

Bangpan, M; F. Lambert; A. Chiumento; K. Dickson Oxfam (2016) CC

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The link between the West African Ebola outbreak and health systems in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone: a systematic review

Haitham Shoman, Emilie Karafillakis and Salman Rawaf (2017) CC

Shoman et al. Globalization and Health (2017) 13:1 DOI 10.1186/s12992-016-0224-2

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Combined Use of Delamanid and Bedaquiline to Treat Multidrug-Resistant and Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: A Systematic Review

G. B. Migliori, E. Pontali, G. Sotgiu, et al. International Journal of Molecular Scienes (2017) C2

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18, 341, 1 - 10

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Impact of health systems strengthening on coverage of maternal health services in Rwanda, 2000–2010: a systematic review

Maurice Bucagu, Jean M. Kagubare, Paulin Basinga, Fidèle Ngabo, Barbara K Timmons & Angela C Lee Reproductive Health Matters (2012) CC

From 2000 to 2010, Rwanda implemented comprehensive health sector reforms to strengthen the public health system, with the aim of reducing maternal and newborn deaths in line with Millennium Development Goal 5, among many other improvements in national health. Based on a systematic review of the lit... more

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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

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Task-sharing interventions for improving control of diabetes in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Linju Maria, J.; et al. (2020) CC

Lancet Glob Health 2020Published OnlineNovember 27, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30449-6

Clinical utlity of peptide microarrys in the serodiagnosis of neglected tropical diseases in sub-Saharan Africa: protocol for a diagnostic test accuracy sytematic review

Vengesai A., Naicker T., Kasambala M., et al. (2021) C2

BMJ Open 2021;11:e042279. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042279. Neglected tropical diseases tend to cluster in the same poor populations, and to make progress with their control, they will have to be dealt with in an integrated manner. Peptide microarrays may be a solution to tese problems, where diagnos... more

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Effectiveness of community health worker training programmes for cardiovascular disease management in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review

Abdel-All, M; Putica, B.; Praveen, D. et al. BMJ Open (2017) CC

Introduction Community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly being tasked to prevent and manage cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its risk factors in underserved populations in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs); however, little is known about the required training necessary for them to ... more

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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

The availability, cost, and affordability of essential medicines for asthma and COPD in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review

Stolbrink, M.; Thomson, H.; Hadfield, R.M. et al. The Lancet Global Health (2022) CC

Background: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cause a considerable burden of morbidity and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Access to safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable essential medicines is variable. We aimed to review the existing ... more

The economic burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the USA, Europe, and Asia: results from a systematic review of the literature

Rehman, A.; Ahmad Hassali, M.A.; Muhammad, S.A. et al. (2019) CC2

Lack of information about economic burden of COPD is a major cause of lack of attention to this chronic condition from governments and policymakers.