Factors associated with caesarean section at Bukavu Provincial Hospital in Democratic Republic of Congo

Background: Caesarean section is the most common major surgery performed on women Worldwide. Even if caesarean can be useful for mother and foetus, it can provoke some medical and social complications like infection, expensive cost and maternal death. This study aimed at determining the factors associated with caesarean section in Bukavu, at the Provincial Hospital.Methods: Data were collected retrospectively by exploring the files of childbirth established systematically for each pregnant woman. 466 files were exploited including 233 caesarean s (case) and 233 vaginal delivery (control). The normal childbirth which followed a caesarean was served as control. This study was a case-control. Logistic regression was used to model factor associated with caesarean section.Results: During the study period, there were 2170 deliveries in which 491 of them by caesarean section (22.6%). The factors associated with the caesarean section at the Provincial Hospital in Bukavu town were foetal distress, bleeding in the third trimester of the pregnancy, previous caesarean section, referral status and the moment of delivery (day shift).Conclusion: This study recommends an adequate monitoring of the pregnancy and training of professionals in best practices; implementation and technical audit of caesarean with feedback can significantly reduce the rate of Caesarean section in this hospital. Also, allocation in equipment suitable for the treatment of pregnant women is necessary

Epidemiology and Control of Schistosomiasis

Human schistosomiasis is caused by the genus Schistosoma. Its prevalence and morbidity are highest among schoolchildren, adolescents, and young adults. It is prevalent in poor communities without access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. The agents of etiology of these diseases are Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma guineensis, Schistosoma intercalatum, Schistosoma japonicum, and Schistosoma mekongi. Symptoms include anemia, stunting, fever, cough, abdominal pain, diarrhea, hepatosplenomegaly, genital lesions, and eosinophilia. Freshwater mollusks are suitable intermediate hosts, and the definitive hosts are the parasitized men. The transmission gap of disease is bridged when people come into contact with unwholesome water sources infested. People are infected through their usual agricultural, domestic, professional, or recreational activities, which expose them to contaminated water. Various animals, such as cattle, dogs, cats, rodents, pigs, horses, and goats, serve as reservoirs. Treatment of at-risk people on a wide scale, access to good water, improved sanitation, hygiene education, and snail control are all used to combat schistosomiasis. The WHO’s schistosomiasis control strategy focuses on reducing disease by regularly administering praziquantel to affected populations on a large scale. It entails the regular treatment of all at-risk populations. Disease transmission should be halted in specific countries where transmission is low

Prevalence of hepatitis B and C viral co-infection and associated factors with HIV infection in children in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract Background The World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2030 goal of eradicating Hepatitis B and C viruses must also include HIV co-infected children. However, data on the prevalence of this condition are lacking in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is considered as one of the countries with high-prevalence of these viruses. The need to assess the extent of this co-infection in the children of this country is therefore important in order to capitalize on efforts to improve prevention and management of both infections. Methodology This is a comparative cross-sectional study conducted from February 04, 2015 to September 03, 2019 at 14 General Reference Hospitals with a pediatric HIV management programme in South Kivu province. The study compared the frequency of hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) markers and factors associated with these two viruses in two equal groups: HIV-positive and HIV-negative children. The data were analyzed using the SPSS version 20.0 software and the significance level was set at p-value less than 0.05. Results The study involved a total of 594 children, 297 of whom were HIV-positive and 297 negative. HBsAg was found in 8.7% of HIV-positive patients and 0.7% for HCV antibodies. On the other hand, among the HIV-negative patients, the proportion of HBsAg was 0.7% but no cases with anti-HCV antibodies were detected. HIV status increases by 14 times the risk of co-occurring with HBV [OR 14.1 (95% CI: 3.33–60.2); p < 0.001] and this risk is not apparent for HCV (p = 0.297). Multivariate logistic regression showed that history of jaundice in the family (aOR:4.19;95% CI: 2.12–11.59), recent hospitalization (aOR:10.7;95% CI: 6.69–17.2), surgery (aOR: 3.24;95% CI: 1.18–8.92), piercing (aOR: 4.26;95% CI: 1.70–10.7) and transfusion in the last 6 months (aOR: 2.69;95% CI: 1.55–4.67) were significantly associated with higher risk of being HBV- HIV co-infected. Conclusion This study investigated the importance of hepatitis viral co-infections in HIV-positive children in South Kivu. Particular attention should be paid to prevention and early detection of these co-infections in this population