Global Health: Science and Practice最新文献

In Uzbekistan, NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes, accounted for over 80% of mortality in 2019. In 2021, national stakeholders, in conjunction with the World Health Organization, identified brief interventions (BIs) to implement in primary health care settings to change unhealthy behaviors and reduce the burden of NCDs in the country. BIs consist of a validated set of questions to identify and measure NCD behavioral risk factors and a short conversation with patients/clients about their behavior, as well as the provision of a referral opportunity for further in-depth counseling or treatment if needed. We used a multimethod approach of document review, participatory workshops, and key informant interviews to describe how BIs were designed and implemented in Uzbekistan and generated a theory of change for its large-scale implementation. BIs in Uzbekistan targeted 4 risk factors (alcohol use, tobacco use, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity) and entailed training clinicians on how to conduct behavioral change counseling using the 5As and 5Rs toolkit, conducting supportive supervision, and using feedback to improve service delivery. The program was collaboratively designed by multiple stakeholders across sectors, including the Ministries of Health, Higher Education, Science, and Innovations, with buy-in from key political leaders. The potential impact of the program (i.e., reducing the incidence of NCDs) was mediated by several intermediate and implementation outcomes at the individual, primary care, and community levels operating along multiple pathways. Significant health system challenges remain to the program, such as limited human resources, lack of incentives for clinicians, outdated systems and data collection processes for performance monitoring, and coordination among different relevant sectors. These and other challenges will need to be addressed to ensure the effective large-scale implementation of BIs in Uzbekistan and similar LMICs.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes, account for over 80% of mortality in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan in 2019, and unhealthy dietary behaviors are a major risk factor for NCDs in both countries. In 2021, national stakeholders, in consultation with the World Health Organization, identified school nutrition policies (SNPs) as a major approach to reducing the burden of NCDs in both countries. The SNPs included interventions implemented through a multistakeholder and multisectoral arrangement that aimed to improve the health and nutrition status of children and young people by providing healthy food/beverages and restricting unhealthy foods or beverages in schools. We used a multimethod approach of document review, participatory workshops, and key informant interviews to generate theories of change for the large-scale implementation of SNPs and describe the implementation processes to date, including key implementation and health system challenges, salient implementation strategies, and implementation outcomes in both countries. Multiple pathways for enacting and implementing SNPs successfully were identified. However, significant health system challenges, such as the lack of accountability for contracting and tender processes and coordination among different sectors, continue to hamper the large-scale implementation of these policies in both countries. The pathways, theories, and implementation outcomes identified will facilitate the development of implementation strategies and systematic learning and evaluation around SNPs for NCD prevention and control programs in the Central Asian region and other low- and middle-income countries more broadly.

Two critical components of patient support systems for people with TB are regular counseling and locally managed nutritional support. As part of an ongoing differentiated TB care initiative called Tamil Nadu Kasanoi Erappila Thittam (meaning TB death-free initiative in Tamil, TN-KET) to reduce TB deaths, adults with TB with very severe undernutrition, respiratory insufficiency, or poor performance status are identified at diagnosis (triage-positive) and prioritized for referral, comprehensive clinical assessment, and inpatient care. Between January and June 2023, in 6 districts, a pilot exercise was conducted in which trained TB survivors, known as TB champions, provided baseline counseling and additional counseling (if required) to triage-positive people with TB at diagnosis. Additionally, people with TB with severe undernutrition were prioritized for nutritional supplementation for at least 3 months. Among 652 people with TB who were triage-positive at diagnosis, the program staff shared details of 145 (22%), and all were counseled by TB champions (baseline counseling). Program staff identified 74 (11%) triage-positive people with TB who required additional counseling (i.e., those refusing referral or admission or continued admission), and 71 (96%) were counseled by TB champions. Among these, 54 (76%) were admitted or readmitted and successfully discharged. In addition, among 1,042 people with TB with severe undernutrition, program staff shared details of 390 (38%), of which 60% received nutritional supplementation through the efforts of TB champions. We conclude that TB champions were able to provide quality and timely peer support through direct counseling and by mobilizing local resources for nutritional support. The engagement of TB champions can be further strengthened by establishing robust coordination mechanisms with the TB program. Lessons from this pilot will contribute to the Tamil Nadu State TB Cell's plans to expand the role of TB champions and enhance community participation to end TB in India.

Background: The maternal and newborn health (MNH) eCohort is a new mixed-mode (in-person and phone) longitudinal survey aiming to provide data on novel and undermeasured dimensions of quality along the MNH continuum of care. We describe implementation experiences and lessons learned in Ethiopia, India, Kenya, and South Africa to inform future longitudinal mobile phone-based studies on health system quality.

Methods: To document the implementation approach and lesson learned, we engaged numerous stakeholders and conducted data reviews, debriefs, and a workshop with participants from all collaborative research organizations.

Results: The MNH eCohorts enrolled women during their first antenatal care visit in 2 sentinel sites in Ethiopia, India, Kenya, and South Africa. In India, a site with better health outcomes and a site with poorer outcomes were chosen. In the remaining countries, an urban site and a rural site were chosen. Enrollment facilities reflect care-seeking patterns according to local health information data across public and private facilities and primary and secondary levels. Data collectors had a range of educational and experience profiles, and phone data collection was completed by the same enumerators in some countries and outsourced to data collection firms in others. Adequate infrastructure (including Internet and mobile phone coverage) was essential to implementation. Although follow-up is ongoing in India and South Africa, the eCohort retained 89%-90% of participants throughout the entire pregnancy and 78%-81% until 3 months postpartum in Ethiopia and Kenya, respectively.

Conclusions: The MNH eCohort is a complex and long survey. Careful and thoughtful implementation demonstrates that it is a useful tool to gather data on health system quality and continuity and on changes in user experience over the continuum of care. Findings from the eCohort related to care and system competence and user experience will be valuable to program managers and policymakers alike.

Background: Nigeria accounts for substantial proportions of global malaria infections and deaths, with children aged younger than 5 years being the most affected group. This suggests that access to lifesaving malaria interventions could be suboptimal, especially at public health facilities where most rural dwellers seek health care. We conducted this study to ascertain if public health facilities have the commodities and the robust supply chain management (SCM) system required to deliver malaria interventions to children younger than 5 years.

Method: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in 1,858 health facilities across 7 states in Nigeria. Using structured questionnaires, we assessed the availability of selected malaria commodities required by children aged younger than 5 years. We also interviewed health workers to evaluate other core SCM activities.

Result: More than 50% of health facilities in 5 states were stocked out of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs), and stock-out rates for artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) were over 50% for almost all assessed ACTs across all states. The percentage of health facilities that received malaria commodities within the recommended lead time was below average across most states (71%). States with a higher percentage of health workers who were aware of and placed orders following the national reporting timeline and those that delivered commodities to the last mile predominantly through third-party logistics service providers tended to have higher availability of mRDTs and artemether/lumefantrine combinations. The top 2 logistics challenges were insecurity and inadequate funding.

Conclusion: The availability of lifesaving malaria commodities across the health facilities visited was suboptimal, possibly due to several SCM challenges. The results from this study underscore the urgent need to implement effective interventions to address the observed gaps. This will contribute to reducing malaria morbidity and mortality among children aged younger than 5 years in Nigeria.

Introduction: Vaccine hesitancy persists as a barrier to vaccine uptake among adults across geographies. We pilot-tested an incentivized peer referral intervention in Yopougon-Est, Côte d'Ivoire, to encourage adults who recently received COVID-19 vaccination to discuss their experiences and motivate family and friends to seek vaccination.Implementation: From May through June 2023, the intervention operated at 2 vaccination sites, where staff approached individuals immediately after receiving COVID-19 vaccination. Interested vaccine recipients received up to 9 referral coupons to distribute among their social circles, with a small financial incentive (approximately US$3) offered for each person they referred who returned to 1 of the 2 sites for COVID-19 vaccination.

Methods: We collected data on numbers of people vaccinated and coupons returned. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 40 referred vaccine recipients and 7 public health officials.

Results: During the 6-week intervention, 450 newly vaccinated individuals were offered the opportunity to enroll, with 197 opting to distribute coupons. Nearly half (45%) of these peer mobilizers who distributed coupons referred at least 1 person who subsequently came in for vaccination, and most of this subset had 2 or more completed referrals. Qualitative findings revealed that coupons served as effective reminders, sparking discussions within social networks and prompting vaccine-seeking behavior. According to the referred vaccine recipients, hearing about their peers' vaccination experience influenced uptake. Vaccine recipients and public health officials found the small referral incentive acceptable. Officials noted the intervention's potential utility and cost effectiveness, suggesting possible sustainability.

Conclusion: This incentivized peer referral intervention, capitalizing on peer networks and social norms, holds promise for increasing vaccine uptake in Yopougon-Est and potentially in other vaccination contexts globally. Practitioners can leverage the implementation guide and training materials we developed to replicate the intervention at larger scale and assess impact on vaccination trends.

Countries that are high burden for TB must reverse the COVID-19 pandemic's devastating effects to accelerate progress toward ending TB. Vietnam's Double X (2X) strategy uses chest radiography (CXR) and GeneXpert (Xpert) rapid diagnostic testing to improve early detection of TB disease. Household contacts and vulnerable populations (e.g., individuals aged 60 years and older, smokers, diabetics, those with alcohol use disorders, and those previously treated for TB) with and without TB symptoms were screened in community campaigns using CXRs, followed by Xpert for those with a positive screen. In public non-TB district facilities, diabetics, respiratory outpatients, inpatients with lung disease, and other vulnerable populations underwent 2X evaluation. During COVID-19 restrictions in Vietnam, the 2X strategy improved access to TB services by decentralization to commune health stations, the lowest level of the health system, and enabling self-screening using a quick response mobile application. The number needed to screen (NNS) with CXRs to diagnose 1 person with TB disease was calculated for all 2X models and showed the highest yield among self-screeners (11 NNS with CXR), high yield for vulnerable populations in communities (60 NNS) and facilities (19 NNS), and moderately high yield for household contacts in community campaigns (154 NNS). Computer-aided diagnosis for CXRs was incorporated into community and facility implementation and improved physicians' CXR interpretations and Xpert referral decisions. Integration of TB infection and TB disease evaluation increased eligibility for TB preventive treatment among household contacts, a major challenge during implementation. The 2X strategy increased the rational use of Xpert, employing a health system-wide approach that reached vulnerable populations with and without TB symptoms in communities and facilities for early detection of TB disease. This strategy was effectively adapted to different levels of the health system during COVID-19 restrictions and contributed to post-pandemic TB recovery in Vietnam.

Social norms are the shared expectations about behaviors that are held within collective groups. These differ from attitudes and beliefs, which are individually held. In South Sudan, social norms can affect the use of voluntary family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH); some of these norms even present risks for women seeking FP/RH care and their FP/RH providers. This cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted in 5 counties in South Sudan used vignettes as a qualitative method to explore social norms related to FP/RH and decisions related to contraceptive use and gender-based violence. Participants were asked to respond to vignettes about a fictional couple during various life stages of care-seeking. Vignettes allow respondents to share their opinions and feelings without directly speaking about their own experiences. Respondents included community members, FP/RH providers, and key influencers (e.g., religious leaders, traditional leaders, elders). The study identified restrictive social norms related to FP/RH, including entrenched, dominant gender roles (i.e., requiring male consent to use contraceptives) and risk for the woman and her provider if she accesses FP/RH services. Of note, supportive social norms are gaining acceptance regarding women's voice and agency; it was found that some women can negotiate their reproductive choice with their partners and participate in planning their families, which has not always been a widely accepted norm. The use of vignettes can lead to a better understanding of the challenges and provide insights on effective implementation approaches. It is essential for programs working to promote the use of FP/RH services in South Sudan to consider the challenges presented by social norms. Findings from this study were shared with stakeholders and communities to codesign interventions aimed at increasing the use of FP/RH services. Additionally, the dialogue stimulated by this study should lead to an organic transformation toward supportive social norms through collective agency.

Understanding trends in contraceptive stock-outs, as well as their structural and demand-side correlates, is critical for policymakers and program managers to identify strategies to further anticipate, reduce, and prevent stock-outs. We analyzed trends as well as supply- and demand-side correlates of short-acting contraceptive method stock-outs by using data from multiple rounds of Performance Monitoring for Action Agile surveys. These data longitudinally measured contraceptive availability over 2 years (between November 2017 and January 2020) across 2,134 public and private service delivery points (SDPs) from urban areas of 5 countries (Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC], India, Kenya, and Nigeria). For each country, we analyzed the trends and used multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression to model the odds of short-acting contraceptive stock-outs, adjusting for key structural and demand-side factors of the SDPs. Stock-outs in short-acting contraceptive methods were common in health facilities and varied markedly, ranging from as low as 2.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.7%, 5.1%) in India to 51.0% (95% CIs=46.8%, 56.0%) in Kenya. During the observation period, stock-out rates decreased by 28% in the SDP samples in India (aOR=0.72, P<.001) and 8% in Nigeria (aOR=0.92, P<.001) but increased by 15% in DRC (aOR=1.15; P=036) and 5% in Kenya (aOR=1.05, P=003) with each round of data collection. Correlates of stock-out rates included the facility managerial authority (private versus public), whether the facility was rated high quality, whether the facility was at an advanced tier, and whether there was high demand for short-acting contraceptives. In conclusion, stock-outs of short-acting contraceptives are still common in many settings. Measuring and monitoring contraceptive stock-outs is crucial for identifying and addressing issues related to the availability and supply of short-acting contraceptives.

Background: The concept of empowerment is challenging to operationalize and measure; it is multidimensional, the outcomes are not always directly observable, and meanings of empowerment are highly contextual and socially and culturally situated. This study aimed to explore perspectives of empowerment among adolescent girls in Nepal to identify statements for inclusion in a context-specific empowerment measure.

Methods: We used a participatory and mixed method research method called concept mapping in 3 districts in Nepal. Three sequential concept mapping sessions were used to solicit, organize, and process how participants responded to the prompt: "The life of an adolescent girl improves when she has/can…" The Concept Systems Global software was used to manage and analyze the concept mapping brainstorming, sorting, and rating data using established tools, such as multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis.

Results: Concept mapping was conducted with 113 participants, including national experts, program staff, adolescents, and their mothers. They identified 105 items that fall into a 4-cluster solution: education and knowledge, decision-making, supports and skills, and physical infrastructure. Rating data uncovered there was some overlap between the top 10 most important items between the national-level experts and other stakeholder groups; however, several components associated with empowerment differed by stakeholder group in terms of importance.

Conclusion: This research represents a critical step in exploring definitions of empowerment among adolescent girls in the Nepal context and with expert input. These results led to the development of a contextually specific definition of empowerment. Researchers and practitioners interested in developing context-specific understandings of complex topics that incorporate community voices and perspectives could use a similar concept mapping approach in other countries to explore various topics with diverse populations.