HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Uptake Among High-Risk Population in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Globally, 38.4 million people are affected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic, and more than 2.5 million new HIV infections occur yearly. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been widely recognized as a potential way to prevent new infections among risk population. There is a paucity of abridged evidence on the level and barriers to PrEP service uptake in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to synthesize existing evidence on PrEP uptake in SSA. Relevant studies were searched from major databases (PubMed and PsychInfo) and direct Google Scholar. Data were extracted and recorded using a pilot-tested template. Methodological rigor, heterogeneity and publication bias of studies were assessed to minimize the inclusion of erroneous findings. A random effect model was used for the meta-analysis followed by narrative metasynthesis. The protocol of this systematic review has been by registered PROSPERO (ID: CRD42022308855). A total of 1830 studies were retrieved, and 30 studies met inclusion criteria of the systematic review. People who heard about PrEP ranged from 23% to 98%. The pooled prevalence of willingness to use PrEP was 64.2% (95% confidence interval: 55.5-72.0). Fear of side effect, stigma, nonreceptive attitude, cost of pills, low awareness about PrEP, perceived reason about the effectiveness of PrEP, and lack of friendly services were the common barriers to PrEP uptake in Africa. In conclusion, comprehensive knowledge and willingness to use PrEP were low in SSA. The barriers to low PrEP service uptake are avoidable through comprehensive awareness creation and availing essential services to key population in Africa. Expanding educational messages to key population using friendly approaches and more accessible platforms, engaging stakeholders, and integrating PrEP service with routine health care are important to foster HIV prevention and control in the future.

The role of social accountability in changing service users' values, attitudes, and interactions with the health services: a pre-post study

This study evaluated the effects of community engagement through social accountability on service users' values, attitudes and interactions. We conducted a pre-post study of the community and provider driven social accountability intervention (CaPSAI) over a 12-month period among 1,500 service users in 8 health facilites in Ghana and in Tanzania (n = 3,000).In both countries, there were significant improvements in women's participation in household decision-making and in how service users' perceive their treatment by health workers. In both settings, however, there was a decline in women's knowledge of rights, perception of service quality, awareness of accountability mechanisms and collective efficacy in the community. Though CaPSAI intervention set out to change the values, attitudes, and interactions between community members and those providing contraceptive services, there were changes in different directions that require closer examination.

The impact of community and provider-driven social accountability interventions on contraceptive use: findings from a cohort study of new users in Ghana and Tanzania

BACKGROUND

Although contraceptive use has increased over 15 years, discontinuation rates remain high. Contraceptive use is becoming more important when addressing unmet need for family planning. Social accountability, defined here as collective processes for holding duty bearers to account for their actions, is a rights-based participatory process that supports service provision and person-centred care, as well as, informed decision-making among community members regarding their health. A study implemented in Ghana and Tanzania was designed to understand and evaluate how social accountability and participatory processes influences quality of care and client satisfaction and whether this results in increased contraceptive uptake and use. We report here on the relationship between social accountability and the use of modern contraceptives, i.e., contraceptive method discontinuation, contraceptive method switching, and contraceptive discontinuation.

METHODS

As part of Community and Provider driven Social Accountability Intervention (CaPSAI) Project, a cohort of women aged 15 to 49 years who were new users of contraception and accessing family planning and contraceptives services at the study facilities across both intervention and control groups were followed-up over a 12-month period to measure changes contraceptive use.

RESULTS

In this cohort study over a one-year duration, we did not find a statistically significant difference in Ghana and Tanzania in overall method discontinuation, switching, and contraceptive discontinuation after exposure to a social accountability intervention. In Ghana but not in Tanzania, when stratified by the type of facility (district level vs. health centre), there were significantly less method and contraceptive discontinuation in the district level facility and significantly more method and contraceptive discontinuation in the health centres in the intervention group. In Ghana, the most important reasons reported for stopping a method were fear of side-effects, health concerns and wanting to become pregnant in the control group and fear of side-effects wanting a more effective method and infrequent sex in the intervention group. In Tanzania, the most important reasons reported for stopping a method were fear of side-effects, wanting a more effective method, and method not available in the control group compared to wanting a more effective method, fear of side-effects and health concerns in the intervention group.

CONCLUSIONS

We did not demonstrate a statistically significant impact of a six-month CaPSAI intervention on contraceptives use among new users in Tanzania and Ghana. However, since social accountability have important impacts beyond contraceptive use it is important consider results of the intermediate outcomes, cases of change, and process evaluation to fully understand the impact of this intervention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The CaPSAI Project has been registered at Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12619000378123, 11/03/2019).

Did COVID-19 Impact Contraceptive Uptake? Evidence from Senegal

This study assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of new contraceptive acceptors in Senegal overall and by method. Monthly service data from March 2019 to December 2020 were extracted for the number of new contraceptive users of IUDs, implants, injectables, and oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and interrupted time series analysis for trend analyses overall and by the contraceptive method. Following the announcement of the first COVID-19 case in Senegal in March 2020, there was an immediate significant decrease in the number of new acceptors overall, and for new users of implants and injectables. From March-December 2020, the trend in monthly new family planning acceptors increased overall, mainly driven by significant increases in new IUD and implant acceptors. Compared to the period before the onset of COVID-19, there was a statistically significant shift from shorter-acting methods (OCPs, injectables) to long-acting reversible methods (IUDs, implants). Despite the immediate adverse impact of COVID-19-related restrictions, the number of new acceptors rebounded, trends in the number of new monthly acceptors significantly increased, and there was a significant shift to longer-acting methods.

What Distinguishes Women Who Choose to Self-Inject? A Prospective Cohort Study of Subcutaneous Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Users in Ghana

Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate administered subcutaneously (DMPA-SC) is an all-in-one injectable contraceptive administered every 3 months, either by a trained health care provider or community health worker or by training a client to self-inject. Using a prospective cohort of family planning (FP) clients in Ghana, this study explores patterns of DMPA-SC use and mode of injection administration over a 6-month period. This study also examines the predictors of self-injection adoption 6 months after initiating DMPA-SC. Our analysis focuses on 378 women who were using DMPA-SC at the 6-month interview. Adjusted odds ratios accounting for clustering show that clients who were new FP users, never married, or attended high school/attained higher education were significantly more likely to self-inject by the third injection. Results of this study suggest that in Ghana, adding DMPA-SC to the method mix may improve access to FP, especially among new users. Results of this study may inform FP projects and programs aiming to improve access to contraceptive methods and increase contraceptive prevalence by introducing or scaling up DMPA-SC self-injection. The findings also provide a sociodemographic profile of FP clients most likely to adopt DMPA-SC self-injection over time, which could serve as an evidence base for social marketing strategies.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Use of Emergency Contraceptives in Ghana: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis

The Coronavirus disease pandemic has disrupted reproductive health services including decline in the use of pre-coital contraceptives. However, evidence of its impact on the use of emergency contraceptives, often, post-coital methods, is limited in the emerging literature, hence this study. Data on total number of emergency contraceptive users from January 2018 to February 2020 (pre-pandemic) and March to December 2020 (during the pandemic) were extracted from the Ghana Health Service District Health Information Management System. Interrupted Time Series analysis was used to estimate the impact of the pandemic on the trend of emergency contraceptive use, adjusting for serial autocorrelation and seasonality. The results showed a gradual upward trend in emergency contraceptive use before the pandemic, increasing at a rate of about 67 (95% CI 37.6–96.8; p = 0.001) users per month. However, the pandemic caused a sudden spike in the use of emergency contraceptives. The pandemic and its related restrictions had an immediate effect on the use of emergency contraceptives, increasing significantly by about 1939 users (95% CI 1096.6–2781.2; p = 0.001) in March 2020. Following March 2020, the number of emergency contraceptive users continued to increase by about 385 users per month (95% CI 272.9–496.4; p = 0.001). The evidence shows that use of emergency contraceptives, often used as post-coital methods for unprotected sex was not negatively impacted by the pandemic. In fact, it is the opposite. Hence, in planning for similar situations attention should be given to the distribution of post-coital contraceptive methods.

Exploring experiences of infertility amongst women and men in low-income and middle-income countries: protocol for a qualitative systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Infertility is increasingly recognised as a global public health issue for women and men that merits further investigation to support policy and programming. While research in high-income settings has examined the consequences of infertility and access to services, there has been limited synthesis of how individuals experience infertility in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). This protocol describes a systematic review that will synthesise qualitative evidence on experiences of infertility among women and men in LMICs.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The review will follow the Enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research (ENTREQ) guidelines for reporting on qualitative evidence syntheses. The study team will search for published literature in PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus and PsycINFO databases and review available grey literature. Using Covidence software, two independent reviewers will conduct title and abstract screening based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, followed by full-text reviews and extraction by a larger team. Quality will be appraised using an adapted version of the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme guidelines. We will conduct thematic synthesis to characterise individual experiences and related factors at the individual, interpersonal, community and health system levels. We will develop a conceptual framework to describe evidence on experiences of infertility in LMICs and to help inform interventions across settings.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This protocol has been internally approved as exempt by the Institutional Review Board of the Population Council, as it does not involve contact with human subjects or personally identifying data. Results of the review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and will be used to inform future infertility research and programming in LMICs.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021227742.

Child marriage in Ghana: evidence from a multi-method study

BACKGROUND

Child marriage remains a challenge in Ghana. Over the years, government and development partners have made various commitments and efforts to curb the phenomenon of child marriage. However, there is little empirical evidence on the predictors, norms and practices surrounding the practice to support their efforts, a gap this study sought to fill.

METHODS

The study employed a multiple-method approach to achieve the set objectives. Data from the women's file of the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) was used to examine the predictors of child marriage using frequencies and logistic regression methods. Data from Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) collected in Central and Northern regions of Ghana were used to examine norms and practices surrounding child marriage using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Two in ten (20.68%) girls in the quantitative sample married as children. The results revealed that girls who had never attended school compared to those who had ever attended school were more likely to marry as children (OR, 3.01). Compared with girls in the lowest wealth quintile, girls in the middle (OR, 0.59), fourth (OR, 0.37) and highest (OR, 0.32) wealth quintiles were less likely to marry as children. From the qualitative data, the study identified poverty, teenage pregnancy, and cultural norms such as betrothal marriage, exchange of girls for marriage and pressure from significant others as the drivers of child marriage.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings show that various socio-economic and cultural factors such as education, teenage pregnancy and poverty influence child marriage. Hence, efforts to curb child marriage should be geared towards retention of girls in school, curbing teenage pregnancy, empowering girls economically, enforcing laws on child marriage in Ghana, as well as designing tailored advocacy programs to educate key stakeholders and adolescent girls on the consequences of child marriage. Additionally, there is the need to address socio-cultural norms/practices to help end child marriage.

Registered or unregistered? Levels and differentials in registration and certification of births in Ghana

Background

The birth of a child is a vital event that needs to be registered but this is not always the case as an estimated 40 million births go unregistered annually. Birth registration safeguards the basic rights of children and gives them an identity, citizenship/nationality and legal protection against violence, abuse and human rights violations. It is therefore necessary that all births are registered and even more critical that the registration of a birth is followed by the issuance of a birth certificate. But sadly, birth registration in many African countries continues to remain below acceptable international standards and not all registered births are certified. This paper examined birth registration and certification in Ghana. Differentials in the characteristics of children and mothers of children whose births are registered and certified, children whose births are registered but not certified and children whose births are not registered were examined.

Methods

This paper analysed data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey drawing on variables from the household and children’s data files. Descriptive analytical tools (frequencies, percentage and cross tabulations) and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to examine differentials in birth registration status among an analytical sample of 3880 (weighted) children aged 0–4 years.

Results

The birth of about every 1 in 4 (28.89%) children in Ghana have never been registered. Birth registration and certification was lowest among children born to young mothers (15–19 years), children whose mothers have no formal education, mothers who reside in rural areas and mothers in the poorest wealth quintile. Additionally, home births and births that were not assisted by a medical professional were observed to have the lowest proportion of registered and certified births. Furthermore, the birth of children who are less than a year old was significantly more likely not to be registered or issued with a birth certificate.

Conclusion

Efforts aimed at improving birth registration and certification in Ghana need to target groups of children and mothers with low levels of registration and certification particularly children who are born at home, children born to young mothers and children whose mothers are poor and or reside in rural areas.

Recreation, transportation or labour saving? Examining the association between household asset ownership and body mass index among Ghanaian women

Background

In most of the developing world, ownership of modern household assets such as television sets, refrigerators, microwave ovens and washing machines is becoming common. Ownership of these household assets, however, promotes sedentary behaviour which has implications for obesity and non-communicable disease conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke and other cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, increased household asset ownership is an indicator of socio-economic status and is also associated with obesity promoting dietary behaviours especially in urban areas. Very few studies have examined the relationship between household asset ownership and obesity in sub-Saharan Africa where asset ownership is becoming a norm. This paper examined the relationship between ownership of different types of household assets and Body Mass Index (BMI) among a nationally representative sample of Ghanaian women.

Methods

The study analysed secondary data from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) involving a total of 4916 women aged 15–49 years. The analytical sample consist of 4010 (weighted sample) non-pregnant females who had valid data on all the variables used in the analyses. The BMI of the women was used as the dependent variable with three categories of normal weight, overweight and obese based on the standard World Health Organization (WHO) classifications. Multinomial logistic regression models were specified to examine the relationship between ownership of household assets and BMI.

Results

Obesity was more common among women whose household owned a television-15.60 %, DVD/VCD-18.58 %, computer-20.70 %, refrigerator-17.16 % and washing machine-27.43 %, but less common among women whose household owned a motorcycle/scooter-7.74 % and a bicycle-7.92 %. Household ownership of DVD was significantly associated with increased odds of obesity (OR = 1.59, P < 0.01) while ownership of a motor cycle/scooter (OR = 2.05, P <0.001), a refrigerator (OR = 1.33, P < 0.05), and a television set (OR = 1.27, P < 0.10) were associated with higher odds of overweight. Ownership of each additional household asset was also associated with 15 % and 25 % higher odds of overweight and obesity respectively.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that at least one asset among the various domains of household assets examined is associated with either overweight or obesity among Ghanaian women. Also, increased household asset ownership is associated with increased odds of overweight and obesity. Interventions that aim at reducing sedentary and unhealthy dietary behaviours in the phase of increasing asset ownership maybe helpful in addressing the rising prevalence of obesity among Ghanaian women.