Browsing by Author "Mutale W"

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An empirical approach to defining loss to follow-up among patients enrolled in antiretroviral treatment programs.
(2010-Apr-15) Chi BH; Cantrell RA; Mwango A; Westfall AO; Mutale W; Limbada M; Mulenga LB; Vermund SH; Stringer JS; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Box 34681, 1275 Lubuto Road, Lusaka, Zambia. bchi@cidrz.org; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
In many programs providing antiretroviral therapy (ART), clinicians report substantial patient attrition; however, there are no consensus criteria for defining patient loss to follow-up (LTFU). Data on a multisite human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment cohort in Lusaka, Zambia, were used to determine an empirical "days-late" definition of LTFU among patients on ART. Cohort members were classified as either "in care" or LTFU as of December 31, 2007, according to a range of days-late intervals. The authors then looked forward in the database to determine which patients actually returned to care at any point over the following year. The interval that best minimized LTFU misclassification was described as "best-performing." Overall, 33,704 HIV-infected adults on ART were included. Nearly one-third (n = 10,196) were at least 1 day late for an appointment. The best-performing LTFU definition was 56 days after a missed visit, which had a sensitivity of 84.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 83.2, 85.0), specificity of 97.5% (95% CI: 97.3, 97.7), and misclassification of 5.1% (95% CI: 4.8, 5.3). The 60-day threshold performed similarly well, with only a marginal difference (<0.1%) in misclassification. This analysis suggests that > or =60 days since the last appointment is a reasonable definition of LTFU. Standardization to empirically derived definitions of LTFU will permit more reliable comparisons within and across programs.
Assessing capacity and readiness to manage NCDs in primary care setting: Gaps and opportunities based on adapted WHO PEN tool in Zambia.
(2018) Mutale W; Bosomprah S; Shankalala P; Mweemba O; Chilengi R; Kapambwe S; Chishimba C; Mukanu M; Chibutu D; Heimburger D; University of Zambia, School of Public Health, Lusaka, Zambia.; Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.; Ministry of Health, Lusaka, Zambia.; Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America.; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
INTRODUCTION: Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing an epidemiological transition as the burden of NCDs overtake communicable diseases. However, it is unknown what capacity and gaps exist at primary care level to address the growing burden of NCDs. This study aimed to assess the Zambian health system's capacity to address in NCDs, using an adapted WHO Essential Non Communicable Disease Interventions (WHO PEN) tool. METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional facility survey in the three districts conducted from September 2017 to October 2017. We defined facility readiness along five domains: basic equipment, essential services, diagnostic capacity, counseling services, and essential medicines. For each domain, we calculated an index as the mean score of items expressed as percentage. These indices were compared to an agreed cutoff at 70%, meaning that a facility index or district index below 70% off was considered as 'not ready' to manage NCDs at that level. All analysis were performed using Stata 15 MP. RESULTS: There appeared to be wide heterogeneity between facilities in respect of readiness to manage NCDs. Only 6 (including the three 1st level hospitals) out of the 46 facilities were deemed ready to manage NCDs. Only the first level hospitals scored a mean index higher than the 70% cut off; With regard to medications needed to manage NCDs, urban and rural health facilities were comparably equipped. However, there was evidence that calcium channel blockers (p = 0.013) and insulin (p = 0.022) were more likely to be available in urban and semi-urban health facilities compared to rural facilities. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed gaps in primary health care capacity to manage NCDs in Zambia, with almost all health facilities failing to reach the minimum threshold. These results could be generalized to other similar districts in Zambia and the sub-region, where health systems remain focused on infectious rather than non-communicable Disease. These results should attract policy attention and potentially form the basis to review current approach to NCD care at the primary care level in Zambia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Associations between health systems capacity and mother-to-child HIV prevention program outcomes in Zambia.
(2018) Price JT; Chi BH; Phiri WM; Ayles H; Chintu N; Chilengi R; Stringer JSA; Mutale W; Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; Society for Family Health, Lusaka, Zambia.; University of Zambia School of Public Health, Lusaka, Zambia.; School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.; UNC Global Projects Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; Zambart, Lusaka, Zambia.; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
INTRODUCTION: Zambia has made substantial investments in health systems capacity, yet it remains unclear whether improved service quality improves outcomes. We investigated the association between health system capacity and use of prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) services in Zambia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed data from two studies conducted in rural and semi-urban Lusaka Province in 2014-2015. Health system capacity, our primary exposure, was measured with a validated balanced scorecard approach. Based on WHO building blocks for health systems strengthening, we derived overall and domain-specific facility scores (range: 0-100), with higher scores indicating greater capacity. Our outcome, community-level maternal antiretroviral drug use at 12 months postpartum, was measured via self-report in a large cohort study evaluating PMTCT program impact. Associations between health systems capacity and our outcome were analyzed via linear regression. RESULTS: Among 29 facilities, median overall facility score was 72 (IQR:67-74). Median domain scores were: patient satisfaction 75 (IQR 71-78); human resources 85 (IQR:63-87); finance 50 (IQR:50-67); governance 82 (IQR:74-91); service capacity 77 (IQR:68-79); service provision 60 (IQR:52-76). Our programmatic outcome was measured from 804 HIV-infected mothers. Median community-level antiretroviral use at 12 months was 81% (IQR:69-89%). Patient satisfaction was the only domain score significantly associated with 12-month maternal antiretroviral use (β:0.22; p = 0.02). When we excluded the human resources and finance domains, we found a positive association between composite 4-domain facility score and 12-month maternal antiretroviral use in peri-urban but not rural facilities. CONCLUSIONS: In these Zambian health facilities, patient satisfaction was positively associated with maternal antiretroviral 12 months postpartum. The association between overall health system capacity and maternal antiretroviral drug use was stronger in peri-urban versus rural facilities. Additional work is needed to guide strategic investments for improved outcomes in HIV and broader maternal-child health region-wide.
CD4+ response and subsequent risk of death among patients on antiretroviral therapy in Lusaka, Zambia.
(2009-Sep-01) Chi BH; Giganti M; Mulenga PL; Limbada M; Reid SE; Mutale W; Stringer JS; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia. bchi@uab.edu; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
INTRODUCTION: Where virologic monitoring is not routinely available, immunologic criteria are commonly used to determine treatment failure while on antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, few have studied CD4+ response and its relationship to subsequent clinical outcomes in a programmatic setting. METHODS: We analyzed cohort data from Zambia to investigate whether 6- and 12-month CD4+ response after ART initiation was associated with later mortality. We used Cox proportional hazards models that accounted for different strata of baseline CD4 counts and adjusted for age, sex, clinical stage, tuberculosis coinfection, baseline hemoglobin, initial ART regimen, and adherence behavior. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 2 cohorts, from 6 months onward (n = 24,366; median follow-up = 467 days, interquartile range 222-791) and from 12 months onward (n = 17,920; median follow-up = 423 days, interquartile range 191-689). In the post-6-month analysis, hazard for death was significantly higher when absolute CD4+ response was <100 cells per microliter [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) = 2.25, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.91 to 2.64], relative response was <10% above baseline (AHR = 2.60, 95% CI: 2.12 to 3.19), and absolute CD4+ count was <100 per microliter (AHR = 2.79, 95% CI: 2.26 to 3.45). In the post-12 month analysis, mortality was associated with rise in absolute CD4+ cell count <200 per microliter (AHR = 2.41, 95% CI: 1.83 to 3.17), relative rise in CD4+ cell count of <10% above baseline (AHR = 3.41, 95% CI: 2.51 to 4.64), and absolute CD4+ count at 12 months <100 per microliter (AHR = 4.11, 95% CI: 2.96 to 5.68). CONCLUSION: Commonly used definitions for immunologic treatment failure are associated with elevated mortality risk among patients on ART.
Closing the gap in paediatric HIV infections: how available tools and technology can accelerate progress towards ending AIDS by 2030.
(2024-Apr-06) Mutale W; Herce ME; Implementation Science Unit, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia; Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.; Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Zambia School of Public Health, Lusaka, Zambia; Southern Africa Institute for Collaborative Research and Innovation Organisation, Lusaka, Zambia. Electronic address: wmutale@gmail.com.; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
Evaluating a multifaceted implementation strategy and package of evidence-based interventions based on WHO PEN for people living with HIV and cardiometabolic conditions in Lusaka, Zambia: protocol for the TASKPEN hybrid effectiveness-implementation stepped wedge cluster randomized trial.
(2024-Jun-06) Herce ME; Bosomprah S; Masiye F; Mweemba O; Edwards JK; Mandyata C; Siame M; Mwila C; Matenga T; Frimpong C; Mugala A; Mbewe P; Shankalala P; Sichone P; Kasenge B; Chunga L; Adams R; Banda B; Mwamba D; Nachalwe N; Agarwal M; Williams MJ; Tonwe V; Pry JM; Musheke M; Vinikoor M; Mutale W; Institute of Public Health, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.; Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.; Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.; Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Ridgeway Campus, Lusaka, Zambia.; Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA.; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia.; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USA.; Department of Health Economics, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Ridgeway Campus, Lusaka, Zambia.; Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. michael.herce@cidrz.org.; Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, U.S. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), Lusaka, Zambia.; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), Lusaka, Zambia. michael.herce@cidrz.org.; Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
BACKGROUND: Despite increasing morbidity and mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCD) globally, health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have limited capacity to address these chronic conditions, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). There is an urgent need, therefore, to respond to NCDs in SSA, beginning by applying lessons learned from the first global response to any chronic disease-HIV-to tackle the leading cardiometabolic killers of people living with HIV (PLHIV). We have developed a feasible and acceptable package of evidence-based interventions and a multi-faceted implementation strategy, known as "TASKPEN," that has been adapted to the Zambian setting to address hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. The TASKPEN multifaceted implementation strategy focuses on reorganizing service delivery for integrated HIV-NCD care and features task-shifting, practice facilitation, and leveraging HIV platforms for NCD care. We propose a hybrid type II effectiveness-implementation stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial to evaluate the effects of TASKPEN on clinical and implementation outcomes, including dual control of HIV and cardiometabolic NCDs, as well as quality of life, intervention reach, and cost-effectiveness. METHODS: The trial will be conducted in 12 urban health facilities in Lusaka, Zambia over a 30-month period. Clinical outcomes will be assessed via surveys with PLHIV accessing routine HIV services, and a prospective cohort of PLHIV with cardiometabolic comorbidities nested within the larger trial. We will also collect data using mixed methods, including in-depth interviews, questionnaires, focus group discussions, and structured observations, and estimate cost-effectiveness through time-and-motion studies and other costing methods, to understand implementation outcomes according to Proctor's Outcomes for Implementation Research, the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, and selected dimensions of RE-AIM. DISCUSSION: Findings from this study will be used to make discrete, actionable, and context-specific recommendations in Zambia and the region for integrating cardiometabolic NCD care into national HIV treatment programs. While the TASKPEN study focuses on cardiometabolic NCDs in PLHIV, the multifaceted implementation strategy studied will be relevant to other NCDs and to people without HIV. It is expected that the trial will generate new insights that enable delivery of high-quality integrated HIV-NCD care, which may improve cardiovascular morbidity and viral suppression for PLHIV in SSA. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05950919).
Exploring community participation in project design: application of the community conversation approach to improve maternal and newborn health in Zambia.
(2017-Mar-23) Mutale W; Masoso C; Mwanza B; Chirwa C; Mwaba L; Siwale Z; Lamisa B; Musatwe D; Chilengi R; Department of Public Health, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia.; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), Lusaka, Zambia.; Department of Public Health, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia. wmutale@yahoo.com.
BACKGROUND: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has adopted an approach entitled Community Conversation (CC) to improve community engagement in addressing health challenges. CCs are based on Paulo Freire's transformative communication approach, in which communities pose problems and critically examine their everyday life experiences through discussion. We adopted this approach to engage communities in maternal and newborn health discussions in three rural districts of Zambia, with the aim of developing community-generated interventions. METHODS: Sixty (60) CCs were held in three target districts, covering a total of 20 health facilities. Communities were purposively selected in each district to capture a range of rural and peri-urban areas at varying distances from health facilities. Conversations were held four times in each community between May and September 2014. All conversations were digitally recorded and later transcribed. NVivo version 10 was used for data analysis. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The major barriers to accessing maternal health services included geography, limited infrastructure, lack of knowledge, shortage of human resources and essential commodities, and insufficient involvement of male partners. From the demand side, a lack of information and misconceptions, and, from the supply side, inadequately trained health workers with poor attitudes, negatively affected access to maternal health services in target districts either directly or indirectly. At least 17 of 20 communities suggested solutions to these challenges, including targeted community sensitisation on the importance of safe motherhood, family planning and prevention of teenage pregnancy. Community members and key stakeholders committed time and resources to address these challenges with minimal external support. CONCLUSION: We successfully applied the CC approach to explore maternal health challenges in three rural districts of Zambia. CCs functioned as an advocacy platform to facilitate direct engagement with key decision makers within the community and to align priorities while incorporating community views. There was a general lack of knowledge about safe motherhood and family planning in all three districts. However, other problems were unique to health facilities, demonstrating the need for tailored interventions.
How can Africa sustain its HIV response amid US aid cuts?
(2025-Mar-20) Mutale W; Semeere A; Bukusi EA; Ojji D; Venter F; Odeny T; Chilengi R; Mosepele M; Geng E; Sikazwe I; Bosomprah S; Mulenga L; Simitala F; Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.; Zambian National Public Health Institute, Lusaka, Zambia; Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), Lusaka, Zambia.; Center for Microbiology Research, KEMRI, Nairobi, Kenya; Division of Oncology, Washington University, St Louis, MO, USA.; Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia; Southern Africa Institute for Collaborative Research and Innovation Organisation (SAICRIO), Lusaka, Zambia. Electronic address: wmutale@yahoo.com.; University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana.; Department of Medicine and Makerere University Joint AIDS Program, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.; University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.; Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), Lusaka, Zambia.; Ministry of Health, Lusaka, Zambia.; Infectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.; Center for Microbiology Research, KEMRI, Nairobi, Kenya.; Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria.
Improving health information systems for decision making across five sub-Saharan African countries: Implementation strategies from the African Health Initiative.
(2013) Mutale W; Chintu N; Amoroso C; Awoonor-Williams K; Phillips J; Baynes C; Michel C; Taylor A; Sherr K; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Zambia. wmutale@yahoo.com; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
BACKGROUND: Weak health information systems (HIS) are a critical challenge to reaching the health-related Millennium Development Goals because health systems performance cannot be adequately assessed or monitored where HIS data are incomplete, inaccurate, or untimely. The Population Health Implementation and Training (PHIT) Partnerships were established in five sub-Saharan African countries (Ghana, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia) to catalyze advances in strengthening district health systems. Interventions were tailored to the setting in which activities were planned. COMPARISONS ACROSS STRATEGIES: All five PHIT Partnerships share a common feature in their goal of enhancing HIS and linking data with improved decision-making, specific strategies varied. Mozambique, Ghana, and Tanzania all focus on improving the quality and use of the existing Ministry of Health HIS, while the Zambia and Rwanda partnerships have introduced new information and communication technology systems or tools. All partnerships have adopted a flexible, iterative approach in designing and refining the development of new tools and approaches for HIS enhancement (such as routine data quality audits and automated troubleshooting), as well as improving decision making through timely feedback on health system performance (such as through summary data dashboards or routine data review meetings). The most striking differences between partnership approaches can be found in the level of emphasis of data collection (patient versus health facility), and consequently the level of decision making enhancement (community, facility, district, or provincial leadership). DISCUSSION: Design differences across PHIT Partnerships reflect differing theories of change, particularly regarding what information is needed, who will use the information to affect change, and how this change is expected to manifest. The iterative process of data use to monitor and assess the health system has been heavily communication dependent, with challenges due to poor feedback loops. Implementation to date has highlighted the importance of engaging frontline staff and managers in improving data collection and its use for informing system improvement. Through rigorous process and impact evaluation, the experience of the PHIT teams hope to contribute to the evidence base in the areas of HIS strengthening, linking HIS with decision making, and its impact on measures of health system outputs and impact.
Lost in translation: key lessons from conducting dissemination and implementation science in Zambia.
(2024-Oct-29) Maritim P; Munakampe MN; Nglazi M; Mweemba C; Sikombe K; Mbewe W; Silumbwe A; Jacobs C; Zulu JM; Herce M; Mutale W; Halwindi H; Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia. triciamarie20@gmail.com.; Implementation Science Centre for Advancing Practice and Training (IMPACT), University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia. triciamarie20@gmail.com.; Implementation Science Centre for Advancing Practice and Training (IMPACT), University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; Ministry of Health, Lusaka, Zambia.; Implementation Science Department, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), Lusaka, Zambia.; Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
BACKGROUND: As the field of implementation science continues to grow, its key concepts are being transferred into new contexts globally, such as Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs), and its use is constantly being reexamined and expanded. Theoretical and methodological positions commonly used in implementation research and practice have great utility in our work but in many cases are at odds with LMIC contexts. As a team of implementation scientists based in Zambia, we offer this commentary as a critical self-reflection on what has worked and what could limit us from fully utilizing the field's promise for addressing health problems with contextual understanding. MAIN BODY: We used a 'premortem,' an approach used to generate potential alternatives from failed assumptions about a particular phenomenon, as a way to reflect on our experiences conducting implementation research and practice. By utilizing prospectively imagined hindsights, we were able to reflect on the past, present and possible future of the field in Zambia. Six key challenges identified were: (i) epistemic injustices; (ii) simplified conceptualizations of evidence-informed interventions; (iii) limited theorization of the complexity of low-resource contexts and it impacts on implementation; (iv) persistent lags in transforming research into practice; (v) limited focus on strategic dissemination of implementation science knowledge and (vi) existing training and capacity building initiatives' failure to engage a broad range of actors including practitioners through diverse learning models. CONCLUSION: Implementation science offers great promise in addressing many health problems in Zambia. Through this commentary, we hope to spur discussions on how implementation scientists can reimagine the future of the field by contemplating on lessons from our experiences in LMIC settings.
Menstrual hygiene management in rural schools of Zambia: a descriptive study of knowledge, experiences and challenges faced by schoolgirls.
(2019-Jan-05) Chinyama J; Chipungu J; Rudd C; Mwale M; Verstraete L; Sikamo C; Mutale W; Chilengi R; Sharma A; United Nations Children's Fund, P.O Box 33610, Lusaka, Zambia.; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, P.O Box 34681, Lusaka, Zambia. chinyama.joyce@yahoo.com.; Department of Public Health, Section of Health promotion, School of Medicine, University of Zambia, P.O Box 50110, Lusaka, Zambia.; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, P.O Box 34681, Lusaka, Zambia.; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
INTRODUCTION: While in school, girls require an environment that is supportive of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) in order to ensure regular school attendance and participation. Little is known about schoolgirls access to and practice of MHM in rural Zambia. This study explores girls' experiences of MHM in rural schools of Zambia from the perspectives of schoolgirls, schoolboys and community and school-based adults key to MHM for schoolgirls. METHODS: In July and August 2015, we conducted this qualitative exploratory study in six rural schools of Mumbwa and Rufunsa districts of Zambia. Twelve in-depth interviews (IDIs) and six focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among girls ages 14-18 who had begun menstruating. Two FGDs with boys ages 14-18 and 25 key informant interviews were also conducted with teachers, female guardians and traditional leaders to provide the context within which schoolgirls practice MHM. RESULTS: Most girls reported learning about menstruation only at menarche and did not know the physiological basis of menstruation. They reported MHM-related challenges, including: use of non-absorbent and uncomfortable menstrual cloth and inadequate provision of sanitary materials, water, hygiene and sanitation facilities (WASH) in schools. In particular, toilets did not have soap and water or doors and locks for privacy and had a bad odor. Girls' school attendance and participation in physical activities was compromised when menstruating due to fear of teasing (especially by boys) and embarrassment from menstrual leakage. Boys said they could tell when girls were menstruating by the smell and their behaviour, for instance, moving less and isolating themselves from their peers. Girls complained of friction burns on their inner thighs during their long journey to school due to chaffing of wet non-absorbent material used to make menstrual cloth. Girls preferred to dispose used menstrual materials in pit latrines and not waste bins for fear that they could be retrieved for witchcraft against them. Though traditional leaders and female guardians played a pivotal role in teaching girls MHM, they have not resolved challenges to MHM among schoolgirls. CONCLUSION: When menstruating, schoolgirls in rural Zambia would rather stay home than be uncomfortable, inactive and embarrassed due to inadequate MHM facilities at school. A friendly and supportive MHM environment that provides education, absorbent sanitary materials and adequate WASH facilities is essential to providing equal opportunity for all girls.
Participation in adherence clubs and on-time drug pickup among HIV-infected adults in Zambia: A matched-pair cluster randomized trial.
(2020-Jul) Roy M; Bolton-Moore C; Sikazwe I; Mukumbwa-Mwenechanya M; Efronson E; Mwamba C; Somwe P; Kalunkumya E; Lumpa M; Sharma A; Pry J; Mutale W; Ehrenkranz P; Glidden DV; Padian N; Topp S; Geng E; Holmes CB; University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America.; University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America.; University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States of America.; Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.; James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; University of California, San Francisco, San Fancisco, California, United States of America.; Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.; Center for Global Health Practice and Impact, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America.; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
BACKGROUND: Current models of HIV service delivery, with frequent facility visits, have led to facility congestion, patient and healthcare provider dissatisfaction, and suboptimal quality of services and retention in care. The Zambian urban adherence club (AC) is a health service innovation designed to improve on-time drug pickup and retention in HIV care through off-hours facility access and pharmacist-led group drug distribution. Similar models of differentiated service delivery (DSD) have shown promise in South Africa, but observational analyses of these models are prone to bias and confounding. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of ACs in Zambia using a more rigorous study design. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Using a matched-pair cluster randomized study design (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02776254), 10 clinics were randomized to intervention (5 clinics) or control (5 clinics). At each clinic, between May 19 and October 27, 2016, a systematic random sample was assessed for eligibility (HIV+, age ≥ 14 years, on ART >6 months, not acutely ill, CD4 count not <200 cells/mm3) and willingness to participate in an AC. Clinical and antiretroviral drug pickup data were obtained through the existing electronic medical record. AC meeting attendance data were collected at intervention facilities prospectively through October 28, 2017. The primary outcome was time to first late drug pickup (>7 days late). Intervention effect was estimated using unadjusted Kaplan-Meier survival curves and a Cox proportional hazards model to derive an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR). Medication possession ratio (MPR) and implementation outcomes (adoption, acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and fidelity) were additionally evaluated as secondary outcomes. Baseline characteristics were similar between 571 intervention and 489 control participants with respect to median age (42 versus 41 years), sex (62% versus 66% female), median time since ART initiation (4.8 versus 5.0 years), median CD4 count at study enrollment (506 versus 533 cells/mm3), and baseline retention (53% versus 55% with at least 1 late drug pickup in previous 12 months). The rate of late drug pickup was lower in intervention participants compared to control participants (aHR 0.26, 95% CI 0.15-0.45, p < 0.001). Median MPR was 100% in intervention participants compared to 96% in control participants (p < 0.001). Although 18% (683/3,734) of AC group meeting visits were missed, on-time drug pickup (within 7 days) still occurred in 51% (350/683) of these missed visits through alternate means (use of buddy pickup or early return to the facility). Qualitative evaluation suggests that the intervention was acceptable to both patients and providers. While patients embraced the convenience and patient-centeredness of the model, preference for traditional adherence counseling and need for greater human resources influenced intervention appropriateness and feasibility from the provider perspective. The main limitations of this study were the small number of clusters, lack of viral load data, and relatively short follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: ACs were found to be an effective model of service delivery for reducing late ART drug pickup among HIV-infected adults in Zambia. Drug pickup outside of group meetings was relatively common and underscores the need for DSD models to be flexible and patient-centered if they are to be effective. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02776254.
Preferences for pre-exposure prophylaxis delivery among HIV-negative pregnant and breastfeeding women in Zambia: evidence from a discrete choice experiment.
(2024) Hamoonga TE; Mutale W; Igumbor J; Bosomprah S; Arije O; Chi BH; Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.; Department of Health Systems Management and Policy, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; Department of Population Studies and Global Health, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.; Research Department, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.; Institute of Public Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
INTRODUCTION: Pregnant and breastfeeding women at substantial risk for HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa can benefit from biomedical interventions such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We estimated the benefit that pregnant and breastfeeding women may derive from PrEP service delivery in order to guide PrEP roll-out in the target population in Zambia. METHODS: Between September and December 2021, we conducted a discrete choice experiment (DCE) among a convenient sample of 389 pregnant and breastfeeding women not living with HIV in Lusaka, Zambia. Women aged 18 years or older, with a documented negative HIV result in their antenatal card responded to a structured questionnaire containing 12 choice sets on service delivery attributes of PrEP: waiting time at the facility, travel time to the facility dispensing PrEP, location for PrEP pick-up, health care provider attitude and PrEP supply at each refill. Mixed logit regression analysis was used to determine the participant's willingness to trade off one attribute of PrEP for the other at a 5% significance level. Willingness to wait (WTW) was used to determine the relative utility derived from each attribute against waiting time. RESULTS: Waiting time at the facility, travel time to the facility, health care provider attitude and amount of PrEP supply at each refill were important attributes of PrEP service delivery (all CONCLUSION: Patient-centered approaches can help to inform the design and implementation of PrEP services among pregnant and breastfeeding women. In this study, we found that a reduction in clinic visits-including through multi-month dispensing of PrEP-could improve uptake of services in antenatal and postnatal settings.
Protocol-driven primary care and community linkage to reduce all-cause mortality in rural Zambia: a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial.
(2023) Mutale W; Ayles H; Lewis J; Bosompraph S; Chilengi R; Tembo MM; Sharp A; Chintu N; Stringer J; Society for Family Health in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.; Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.; University of North Carolina, Global Women Health, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.; MRC Tropical Epidemiology Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), Lusaka, Zambia.; Zambia AIDS Related Tuberculosis (ZAMBART), Lusaka, Zambia.
INTRODUCTION: While tremendous progress has been made in recent years to improve the health of people living in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), significant challenges remain. Chief among these are poor health systems, which are often ill-equipped to respond to current challenges. It remains unclear whether intensive intervention at the health system level will result in improved outcomes, as there have been few rigorously designed comparative studies. We present results of a complex health system intervention that was implemented in Zambia using a cluster randomized design. METHODS: BHOMA was a complex health system intervention comprising intensive clinical training and quality improvement measures, support for commodities procurement, improved community outreach, and district level management support. The intervention was introduced as a stepped wedge cluster-randomized trial in 42 predominately rural health centers and their surrounding communities in Lusaka Province, Zambia. Baseline survey was conducted between January-May 2011, mid-line survey was conducted February-November, 2013 and Endline survey, February-November 2015.The primary outcome was all-cause mortality among those between 28 days and 60 years of age and assessed through community-based mortality surveys. Secondary outcomes included post-neonatal under-five mortality and service coverage scores. Service coverage scores were calculated across five domains (child preventative services; child treatment services; family planning; maternal health services, and adult health services). We fit Cox proportional hazards model with shared frailty at the cluster level for the primary analysis. Mortality rates were age-standardized using the WHO World Standard Population. RESULTS: Mortality declined substantially from 3.9 per 1,000 person-years in the pre-intervention period, to 1.5 per 1,000 person-years in the post intervention period. When we compared intervention and control periods, there were 174 deaths in 49,230 person years (age-standardized rate = 4.4 per 1,000 person-years) in the control phase and 277 deaths in 74,519 person years (age-standardized rate = 4.6 per 1,000 person-years) in the intervention phase. Overall, there was no evidence for an effect of the intervention in minimally-adjusted [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.18; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.88, 1.56; value of CONCLUSION: We noted an overall reduction in post-neonatal under 60 mortality in the study communities during the period of our study, but this could not be attributed to the BHOMA intervention. Some improvements in service coverage scores were observed. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov, Identifier NCT01942278.
Use of Lot quality assurance sampling surveys to evaluate community health worker performance in rural Zambia: a case of Luangwa district.
(2017-Apr-17) Mwanza M; Zulu J; Topp SM; Musonda P; Mutale W; Chilengi R; University of Zambia, School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia.; University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Plot No. 5032, Great North Road, P.O. Box 34681, Lusaka, Zambia.; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Plot No. 5032, Great North Road, P.O. Box 34681, Lusaka, Zambia. moses.mwanza@cidrz.org.; CIDRZ; Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
BACKGROUND: The Better Health Outcomes through Mentoring and Assessment (BHOMA) project is a cluster randomized controlled trial aimed at reducing age-standardized mortality rates in three rural districts through involvement of Community Health Workers (CHWs), Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), and Neighborhood Health Committees (NHCs). CHWs conduct quarterly surveys on all households using a questionnaire that captures key health events occurring within their catchment population. In order to validate contact with households, we utilize the Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) methodology. In this study, we report experiences of applying the LQAS approach to monitor performance of CHWs in Luangwa District. METHODS: Between April 2011 and December 2013, seven health facilities in Luangwa district were enrolled into the BHOMA project. The health facility catchment areas were divided into 33 geographic zones. Quality assurance was performed each quarter by randomly selecting zones representing about 90% of enrolled catchment areas from which 19 households per zone where also randomly identified. The surveys were conducted by CHW supervisors who had been trained on using the LQAS questionnaire. Information collected included household identity number (ID), whether the CHW visited the household, duration of the most recent visit, and what health information was discussed during the CHW visit. The threshold for success was set at 75% household outreach by CHWs in each zone. RESULTS: There are 4,616 total households in the 33 zones. This yielded a target of 32,212 household visits by community health workers during the 7 survey rounds. Based on the set cutoff point for passing the surveys (at least 75% households confirmed as visited), only one team of CHWs at Luangwa high school failed to reach the target during round 1 of the surveys; all the teams otherwise registered successful visits in all the surveys. CONCLUSIONS: We have employed the LQAS methodology for assurance that quarterly surveys were successfully done. This methodology proved helpful in identifying poorly performing CHWs and could be useful for evaluating CHW performance in other areas. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Identifier: NCT01942278 . Date of Registration: September 2013.