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Aitcheson N, Sacks E, Nyamundaya TH, Muchuchuti C, Cohn J. The Cascade of Care for Early Infant Diagnosis in Zimbabwe: Point of Care HIV Testing at Birth and 6-8 Weeks. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2024; 43:e87-e91. [PMID: 38241648 DOI: 10.1097/inf.0000000000004198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Routine birth testing of HIV-exposed infants (HEI) using point of care (POC) nucleic acid testing may allow for earlier diagnosis and treatment of infants living with HIV, but more data are needed on retention in care for those diagnosed at birth and re-testing for those with a negative HIV birth test. METHODS POC birth testing (within 48 hours of birth) was offered to all HEI born at 10 public maternities in Zimbabwe from November 2018 to July 2019. Data were abstracted from routine registers, including information on re-testing at 6-8 weeks for infants testing HIV-negative at birth and 6-month retention in care among infants diagnosed with HIV at birth. RESULTS Of 2854 eligible HEIs, 2806 (98.3%) received POC HIV birth testing. Thirty-nine infants with HIV were identified (1.4%), and 23 (59%) were started on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Twenty infants (51%) remained on ART at 6 months. Of the 2694 infants who tested negative at birth, 1229 (46.5%) had a documented retest at 6-8 weeks. 7 (0.6%) of those infants tested HIV-positive. CONCLUSIONS The uptake of POC birth testing was high in study facilities, but low rates of ART initiation after a positive birth test, despite high retention on ART through 6 months, diminish the impact of POC birth testing and must be addressed. Among infants who tested negative at birth, rates of testing at 6-8 weeks of life (46%) were slightly lower than national rates of testing at the same age without a birth test (56%) during the study period. Improving infant HIV testing rates at 6-8 weeks, regardless of birth testing, should be a priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Aitcheson
- From the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Emma Sacks
- Department of Global Health, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, DC
| | | | | | - Jennifer Cohn
- From the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Kumar S, Singh H, Feder-Kubis J, Nguyen DD. Recent advances in nanobiosensors for sustainable healthcare applications: A systematic literature review. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 238:117177. [PMID: 37751831 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
The need for novel healthcare treatments and drugs has increased due to the expanding human population, detection of newer diseases, and looming pandemics. The development of nanotechnology offers a platform for cutting-edge in vivo non-invasive monitoring and point-of-care-testing (POCT) for rehabilitative disease detection and management. The advancement and uses of nanobiosensors are currently becoming more common in a variety of scientific fields, such as environmental monitoring, food safety, biomedical, clinical, and sustainable healthcare sciences, since the advent of nanotechnology. The identification and detection of biological patterns connected to any type of disease (communicable or not) have been made possible in recent years by several sensing techniques utilizing nanotechnology concerning biosensors and nanobiosensors. In this work, 2218 articles are drawn and screened from six digital databases out of which 17 were shortlisted for this review by using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) technique. As a result, this study uses a systematic methodology to review some recently developed extremely sensitive nanobiosensors, along with their biomedical, point-of-care diagnostics (POCD), or healthcare applications and their capabilities, particularly for the prediction of some fatal diseases based on a few of the most recent publications. The potential of nanobiosensors for medicinal, therapeutic, or other sustainable healthcare applications, notably for ailments diagnostics, is also recognized as a way forward in the manifestation of future trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Kumar
- Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Harbinder Singh
- Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, India.
| | - Joanna Feder-Kubis
- Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | - D Duc Nguyen
- Department of Civil & Energy System Engineering, Kyonggi University, Suwon 16227, South Korea
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Duke T. Randomised controlled trials in child and adolescent health in 2023. Arch Dis Child 2023; 108:709-714. [PMID: 37474280 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2023-326046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
In the year July 2022 to June 2023 there were 501 publications from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in child and adolescent health in developing countries identified through a standardised search strategy that has been going for 20 years. This year, trials addressed the widest range of diseases and conditions that affect the health, development and well-being of children, newborns, adolescents and mothers. RCTs reflected old, neglected and new problems, the changing epidemiology of child health, social and economic circumstances in many countries, local and global priorities of low-income and middle-income countries, environmental causes of poor child health, and inequities. The RCTs tested new and refined treatments, diagnostics, vaccines, holistic management, and prevention approaches, and explored many outcomes, including mortality, nutrition, psychosocial measures, and neurodevelopment. The studies were conducted in numerous hospitals and healthcare clinics, schools, and communities, including among some of the world's most disadvantaged populations in humanitarian and refugee emergencies. Some studies are of the highest quality, and others fall short. Many RCTs will influence guidelines, practice and policies for years to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor Duke
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, and Intensive Care Unit, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Child Health, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
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Qian SRW, Hassan SA, Scallon AJ, Oyaro P, Brown E, Wagude J, Mukui I, Kinywa E, Oluoch F, Odhiambo F, Oyaro B, Kingwara L, Yongo N, Karauki E, Gao J, Otieno L, John-Stewart GC, Abuogi LL, Patel RC. "After viral load testing, I get my results so I get to know which path my life is taking me": qualitative insights on routine centralized and point-of-care viral load testing in western Kenya from the Opt4Kids and Opt4Mamas studies. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:1540. [PMID: 36528677 PMCID: PMC9758673 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08593-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Viral suppression (VS) is a marker of effective HIV therapy, and viral load (VL) testing is critical for treatment monitoring, especially in high-risk groups such as children and pregnant/postpartum women. Although routine VL testing, via centralized laboratory networks, was implemented in Kenya starting in 2014, optimization and sustainable scale up of VL testing are still needed. METHODS We conducted a mixed methods study to evaluate the impact of higher frequency, point-of-care (POC) VL testing in optimizing VS among children and pregnant/postpartum women on antiretroviral treatment (ART) in five HIV treatment facilities in western Kenya in the Opt4Kids and Opt4Mamas studies. We conducted 68 key informant interviews (KIIs) from December 2019 to December 2020 with children and pregnant women living with HIV, child caregivers, providers, laboratory/facility leadership, and county- or national-level policymakers. Our KII guide covered the following domains: (1) barriers and facilitators to ART use and VS, (2) literacy and experiences with VL in routine care and via study, and (3) opinions on how to scale up VL testing for optimal programmatic use. We used inductive coding and thematic analysis to identify dominant themes with convergent and divergent subthemes. RESULTS Three main themes regarding VL testing emerged from our analysis. (1) Key informants uniformly contrasted POC VL testing's faster results turnaround, higher accessibility, and likely cost-effectiveness against centralized VL testing. (2) Key informants also identified areas of improvement for POC VL testing in Kenya, such as quality control, human resource and infrastructure capacity, supply chain management, and integration of VL testing systems. (3) To enable successful scale-up of VL testing, key informants proposed expanding the POC VL testing scheme, electronic medical records systems, conducting quality checks locally, capacity building and developing strong partnerships between key stakeholders. CONCLUSION The more accessible, decentralized model of POC VL testing was deemed capable of overcoming critical challenges associated with centralized VL testing and was considered highly desirable for optimizing VS for children and pregnant/postpartum women living with HIV. While POC VL testing has the potential to improve VS rates among these populations, additional research is needed to develop strategies for ensuring the sustainability of POC VL testing programs. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT03820323, 29/01/2019.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shukri A Hassan
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andrea J Scallon
- Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Irene Mukui
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | | | - Francesca Odhiambo
- Family AIDS Care and Education Services, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Boaz Oyaro
- Kenya Medical Research Institute-CDC, Kisian, Kenya
| | - Leonard Kingwara
- National HIV Reference Laboratory, Kenya Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | | | - Jody Gao
- School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lindah Otieno
- Family AIDS Care and Education Services, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Grace C John-Stewart
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lisa L Abuogi
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Rena C Patel
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Elsbernd K, Emmert-Fees KMF, Erbe A, Ottobrino V, Kroidl A, Bärnighausen T, Geisler BP, Kohler S. Costs and cost-effectiveness of HIV early infant diagnosis in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review. Infect Dis Poverty 2022; 11:82. [PMID: 35841117 PMCID: PMC9284833 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-022-01006-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Continuing progress in the global pediatric human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) response depends on timely identification and care of infants with HIV. As countries scale-out improvements to HIV early infant diagnosis (EID), economic evaluations are needed to inform program design and implementation. This scoping review aimed to summarize the available evidence and discuss practical implications of cost and cost-effectiveness analyses of HIV EID. Methods We systematically searched bibliographic databases (Embase, MEDLINE and EconLit) and grey literature for economic analyses of HIV EID in low- and middle-income countries published between January 2008 and June 2021. We extracted data on unit costs, cost savings, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios as well as outcomes related to health and the HIV EID care process and summarized results in narrative and tabular formats. We converted unit costs to 2021 USD for easier comparison of costs across studies. Results After title and abstract screening of 1278 records and full-text review of 99 records, we included 29 studies: 17 cost analyses and 12 model-based cost-effectiveness analyses. Unit costs were 21.46–51.80 USD for point-of-care EID tests and 16.21–42.73 USD for laboratory-based EID tests. All cost-effectiveness analyses stated at least one of the interventions evaluated to be cost-effective. Most studies reported costs of EID testing strategies; however, few studies assessed the same intervention or reported costs in the same way, making comparison of costs across studies challenging. Limited data availability of context-appropriate costs and outcomes of children with HIV as well as structural heterogeneity of cost-effectiveness modelling studies limits generalizability of economic analyses of HIV EID. Conclusions The available cost and cost-effectiveness evidence for EID of HIV, while not directly comparable across studies, covers a broad range of interventions and suggests most interventions designed to improve EID are cost-effective or cost-saving. Further studies capturing costs and benefits of EID services as they are delivered in real-world settings are needed. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40249-022-01006-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira Elsbernd
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany. .,Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology (IBE), Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany.
| | - Karl M F Emmert-Fees
- Department of Sports and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Health Economics and Health Care Management, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Amanda Erbe
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Health Management and Health Economics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Veronica Ottobrino
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Health Management and Health Economics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Arne Kroidl
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site, Munich, Germany
| | - Till Bärnighausen
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Benjamin P Geisler
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology (IBE), Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany.,Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stefan Kohler
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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