Browsing by Author "Kapesa H"

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Accuracy of screening tests for cervical precancer in women living with HIV in low-resource settings: a paired prospective study in Lusaka, Zambia.
(2024) Taghavi K; Moono M; Mwanahamuntu M; Roumet M; Limacher A; Kapesa H; Madliwa T; Rutjes A; Basu P; Low N; Manasyan A; Bohlius J; Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; Department of histopathology, Lancet Laboratories, Richmond, South Africa.; International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.; Levy Mwanawasa Medical University Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia.; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.; Clinical Trials Unit, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.; Institute of Social and Preventative Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.; University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, Alabama, USA.; University of Zambia University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia.; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide evidence to improve cervical screening for women living with HIV (WLHIV). We assessed the accuracy of screening tests that can be used in low-resource settings and give results at the same visit. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We conducted a paired, prospective study among consecutive eligible WLHIV, aged 18-65 years, receiving cervical cancer screening at one hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. The histopathological reference standard was multiple biopsies taken at two time points. The target condition was cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 and above (CIN2+). The index tests were high-risk human papillomavirus detection (hrHPV, Xpert HPV, Cepheid), portable colposcopy (Gynocular, Gynius) and visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA). Accuracy of stand-alone and test combinations were calculated as the point estimate with 95% CIs. A sensitivity analysis considered disease when only visible lesions were biopsied. RESULTS: Women included in the study had well-controlled HIV infection (median CD4 count=542 cells/mm CONCLUSION: The low accuracy of screening tests assessed might be explained by our reference standard, which reduced verification and misclassification biases. Better screening strategies for WLHIV in low-resource settings are urgently needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03931083.
Benzathine penicillin G stockouts and other barriers to documented syphilis treatment in pregnancy in Zambia.
(2024) Jones AV; Manasyan A; Xue Y; Kapesa H; Mwendafilumba K; Nalwamba L; Mzumara M; Mubiana-Mbewe M; Dionne JA; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America.; Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America.; Center for Women's Reproductive Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America.; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Children's of Alabama Hospital, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America.; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of syphilis in Zambia remains high and is a critical public health concern. The Zambian Ministry of Health recommends universal screening and same-day treatment for syphilis in pregnancy, yet the syphilis screening rate is low, and treatment is poorly documented. The goal of this study was to document syphilis treatment rates and associated factors among pregnant women in care in Zambia. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included pregnant women diagnosed with syphilis according to rapid plasma reagin (RPR) screening during routine antenatal care (ANC) in Lusaka, Zambia in 2018-2019. The main outcome of interest was lack of documented BPG treatment during pregnancy. Additional information about pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, partner referral for therapy, and facility level stockout data were included. Patient characteristics were compared by treatment status using Pearson Chi-Square Test and logistic regression models were created to estimate the association between individual level-factors, facility type, and lack of BPG treatment. A Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test was used to evaluate facility-level data with significance set at p<0.05. RESULTS: Among 1,231 pregnant women who screened positive for syphilis at clinic, 643 (52%) lacked documented antibiotic treatment at the facility. BPG was the only antibiotic used to treat syphilis in the cohort and 8% of sex partners had evidence of referral for therapy. Preterm delivery rates were higher in women without documented BPG (43% vs 32%; p = 0.003). In adjusted models, only calendar year and hospital facility type were associated with lack of treatment. At the facility level, annual syphilis screening rates ranged from 37-65% and most (7/10) clinics reported at least one stockout of BPG. CONCLUSION: Treatment rates for syphilis in pregnancy in Zambia were low and BPG medication stockouts at the facility level were common. A consistent supply of BPG at all ANC facilities is needed to facilitate timely treatment and improve birth outcomes.
Differentiated community-based point-of-care early infant diagnosis to improve HIV diagnosis and ART initiation among infants and young children in Zambia: a quasi-experimental cohort study.
(2025-Feb-20) Manasyan A; Tembo T; Dale H; Pry JM; Itoh M; Williamson D; Kapesa H; Derado J; Beard RS; Iyer S; Gass S; Mwila A; Herce ME; Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.; University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA albertmanasyan@uabmc.edu.; University of California, Davis, California, USA.; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), Lusaka, Zambia.; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Lusaka, Zambia.
INTRODUCTION: An estimated 800 000 children (<15 years) globally living with HIV remain undiagnosed. To reach these children with timely HIV testing services during infancy, we implemented a community-based differentiated care model using mobile point-of-care (POC) technology for early infant diagnosis (EID) of HIV, and assessed its effects on EID positivity, antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and 3-month retention in care. METHODS: Between 1 June 2019 and 31 May 2020 at six health facilities in Lusaka, Zambia, we enrolled mother-infant pairs (MIPs) at high risk for vertical transmission of HIV based on missing or late infant EID testing or other maternal risk factors. We offered these MIPs community POC EID testing (post-intervention), and compared their outcomes to historical high-risk controls at the same sites (1 June 2017-31 May 2018; pre-intervention). We used propensity score matched weighting and mixed effects regression modelling to estimate outcome differences pre-intervention and post-intervention, and to identify MIP characteristics predictive of vertical transmission of HIV. RESULTS: 2577 MIPs were included in the analysis: 1763 and 814 high-risk MIPs from the pre-intervention and post-intervention periods, respectively. Infant HIV positivity was significantly higher in the post-intervention (2.2%) vs pre-intervention (1.1%) period (p=0.038), however this difference was attenuated (0.83%, 95% CI: -0.50%, 2.15%) after adjusting for differences in maternal age, maternal antenatal care visits, infant birth month and facility. During the post-intervention period, MIPs where the mother disengaged from care were 12.97 (95% CI: 2.41, 69.98) times as likely to have an infant diagnosed with HIV vs those in which the infant received late EID testing without maternal care disengagement. Among 18 infants diagnosed with HIV by the intervention, 16 (88.9%) initiated same-day ART and all continued ART at 3-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: Community-based differentiated care employing POC EID technology increased testing positivity in unadjusted analyses, and resulted in high ART initiation and early care retention, suggesting it may be a promising approach for reaching infants and young children living with HIV being missed by current facility-based approaches. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: This trial is registered under the following Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT03133728.
Estimating potential silent transfer using baseline viral load measures among people presenting as new to HIV care in Lusaka, Zambia: a cross-sectional study.
(2023-May-25) Pry JM; Mwila C; Kapesa H; Mulabe M; Frimpong C; Moono M; Savory T; Bolton-Moore C; Herce ME; Iyer S; Institute for Global Health & Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.; Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA.; Research Department, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; Division of Infectious Disease, The University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.; Research Department, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia jmpry@ucdavis.edu.; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
OBJECTIVES: To estimate potential silent transfer using baseline viral load measures among individuals presenting as new to HIV care in routine HIV clinical settings in Lusaka, Zambia. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Two large, urban government-operated health facilities supported by the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 248 participants with an incident positive HIV rapid test. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was HIV viral suppression at baseline (i.e., potential silent transfer), defined as having a viral load ≤1000 RNA copies(c)/mL at the time of initiating HIV care. We also examined viral suppression at ≤60 c/mL. METHODS: We surveyed and measured baseline HIV viral load as part of the national recent infection testing algorithm among people living with HIV (PLWH) presenting as new to care. Using mixed effects Poisson regression, we identified characteristics among PLWH associated with potential silent transfer. RESULTS: Among the 248 PLWH included, 63% were women with median age of 30, and 66 (27% (66/248)) had viral suppression at ≤1000 c/mL and 53 (21% (53/248)) at ≤60 c/mL thresholds, respectively. Participants aged 40+ years had a significantly higher adjusted prevalence of potential silent transfer (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR): 2.10; 95% CI: 2.08, 2.13) compared with participants aged 18-24 years. Participants reporting no formal education had a significantly higher adjusted prevalence of potential silent transfer (aPR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.52, 1.75) compared with those completing primary education. Among 57 potential silent transfers who completed a survey, 44 (77%) indicated having tested positive previously at ≥1 of 38 clinics in Zambia. CONCLUSIONS: The high proportion of PLWH with potential silent transfer points to clinic shopping and/or co-enrolment at multiple care sites simultaneously, suggesting an opportunity to improve care continuity at the time of HIV care entry.
Screening test accuracy to improve detection of precancerous lesions of the cervix in women living with HIV: a study protocol.
(2020-Dec-18) Taghavi K; Moono M; Mwanahamuntu M; Basu P; Limacher A; Tembo T; Kapesa H; Hamusonde K; Asangbeh S; Sznitman R; Low N; Manasyan A; Bohlius J; Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia.; CTU Bern, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.; University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, Alabama, USA.; International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), World Health Organization, Lyon, France.; Women and Newborn health, Levy Mwanawasa Medical University Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia.; ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.; Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), Lusaka, Zambia.; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.; Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland katayoun.taghavi@ispm.unibe.ch.
INTRODUCTION: The simplest and cheapest method for cervical cancer screening is visual inspection after application of acetic acid (VIA). However, this method has limitations for correctly identifying precancerous cervical lesions (sensitivity) and women free from these lesions (specificity). We will assess alternative screening methods that could improve sensitivity and specificity in women living with humanimmunodeficiency virus (WLHIV) in Southern Africa. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct a paired, prospective, screening test accuracy study among consecutive, eligible women aged 18-65 years receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS at Kanyama Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia. We will assess a portable magnification device (Gynocular, Gynius Plus AB, Sweden) based on the Swede score assessment of the cervix, test for high-risk subtypes of human papillomavirus (HR-HPV, GeneXpert, Cepheid, USA) and VIA. All study participants will receive all three tests and the reference standard at baseline and at six-month follow-up. The reference standard is histological assessment of two to four biopsies of the transformation zone. The primary histological endpoint is cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade two and above (CIN2+). Women who are VIA-positive or have histologically confirmed CIN2+ lesions will be treated as per national guidelines. We plan to enrol 450 women. Primary outcome measures for test accuracy include sensitivity and specificity of each stand-alone test. In the secondary analyses, we will evaluate the combination of tests. Pre-planned additional studies include use of cervigrams to test an automated visual assessment tool using image pattern recognition, cost-analysis and associations with trichomoniasis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Zambia Biomedical Research Ethics Committee, Zambian National Health Regulatory Authority, Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority, Swissethics and the International Agency for Research on Cancer Ethics Committee. Results of the study will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03931083; Pre-results.
Strengthening Kangaroo Mother Care at a tertiary level hospital in Zambia: A prospective descriptive study.
(2022) Muttau N; Mwendafilumba M; Lewis B; Kasprzyk K; Travers C; Menon JA; Mutesu-Kapembwa K; Mangangu A; Kapesa H; Manasyan A; The Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America.; Department of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; Department of Psychology, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; Department of Neonatology, Women and Newborn Hospital, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia.; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America.; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
BACKGROUND: Globally, complications due to preterm birth are the leading contributor to neonatal mortality, resulting in an estimated one million deaths annually. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) has been endorsed by the World Health Organisation as a low cost, safe, and effective intervention in reducing morbidity and mortality among preterm infants. The objective of this study was to describe the implementation of a KMC model among preterm infants and its impact on neonatal outcomes at a tertiary level hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. METHODS: We conducted a prospective descriptive study using data collected from the KMC room at the University Teaching Hospital between January 2016 and September 2017. Mothers and government nurses were trained in KMC. We monitored skin-to-skin and breastfeeding practices, weight at admission, discharge, and length of admission. RESULTS: We enrolled 573 neonates into the study. Thirteen extremely low weight infants admitted to the KMC room had graduated to Group A (1,000g-1,499g) at discharge, with a median weight gain of 500g. Of the 419 very low weight neonates at admission, 290 remained in Group A while 129 improved to Group B (1,500g-2,499g), with a median weight gain of 280g. Among the 89 low weight neonates, 1 regressed to Group A, 77 remained in Group B, and 11 improved to Group C (≥2,500g), individually gaining a median of 100g. Of the seven normal weight neonates, 6 remained in Group C individually gaining a median of 100g, and 1 regressed to Group B. Among all infants enrolled, two (0.35%) died in the KMC room. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the RE-AIM metrics, our results show that KMC is a feasible intervention that can improve neonatal outcomes among preterm infants in Zambia. The study findings show a promising, practical approach to scaling up KMC in Zambia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered under ClinicalTrials.gov under the following ID number: NCT03923023.