The Straight Talk Campaign in Uganda: Impact of mass media initiatives—Summary report

This Horizons study in Uganda found that exposure by adolescents to Straight Talk, a mass media initiative focused on adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH), was associated with greater ASRH knowledge, a greater likelihood of having been tested for HIV, and more communication with parents about ASRH issues

Helping youth prevent HIV: An evaluation of the Straight Talk program in Uganda

Mass media initiatives are being implemented globally to provide information and foster HIV preventive behavior, however there has been limited evaluation of these efforts in sub-Saharan Africa. The Straight Talk (ST) program in Uganda has targeted youth with HIV and reproductive health (RH) information for over a decade. Evaluation results show positive associations between exposure to ST media and a number of key outcomes among youth, including sexual behavior, knowledge, and attitudes. In 2005–06, the Horizons Program conducted the first impact evaluation of the ST program in Uganda to document its effects on young people. This brief focuses on the findings of the adolescent survey. Overall, the study indicates that many Ugandan adolescents have benefited from ST products, and that greater exposure was associated with greater benefits. This includes less sexual activity among exposed males, and higher levels of HIV testing and RH knowledge among exposed youth. The ST program is using the results of the Horizons’ evaluation to strengthen the successful elements of its activities and address gaps

Investigation into the prevalence of bovine brucellosis and the risk factors that predispose human to infection among urban dairy and non-dairy farming households in Dagoretti Division, Nairobi, Kenya

No Abstract. East African Medical Journal Vol. 84 (11S) 2007: pp. S96-S10

Être mère à l’adolescence à Haïti : un phénomène persistant et multifactoriel

International audienceIntroduction - La maternité précoce est classée comme un problème de santé publique majeur par l’Organisation mondiale de la santé. À Haïti, en dépit de l’instauration de nombreux programmes de planification familiale par les pouvoirs publics, la fécondité précoce demeure relativement élevée.Objectifs.— Ainsi,au regard de la persistance de ce phénomène et de ses conséquences tant sur la jeune fille que sur son enfant, cet article a pour objectifs d’identifier et de hiérarchiser les facteurs sous-jacents de la fécondité précoce à Haïti.Méthodes. — Afin de parvenir aux objectifs fixés dans le cadre de cet article, nous avons mobilisé les données dela dernière Enquête Démographique et de Santé réalisée à Haïti en 2017. L’analyse des données a consisté à la réalisation de tris à plats, de tris croisés et à l’estimation d’un modèle de régression logistique.Résultats. — Nous observons que la religion, le niveau d’instruction, l’âge à la première relation sexuelle, l’âge à la première union et le nombre idéal d’enfants sont les facteurs qui influencent la maternité au moment de l’adolescence. Et parmi ces facteurs, on constate que l’âge à la première union et l’âge à la première relation sexuelle sont ceux qui contribuent le plus à l’explication de ce phénomèn

Plasmodium falciparum antigenic variation: relationships between widespread endothelial activation, parasite PfEMP1 expression and severe malaria.

BACKGROUND: Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1(PfEMP1) is a family of variant surface antigens (VSA) that mediate the adhesion of parasite infected erythrocytes to capillary endothelial cells within host tissues. Opinion is divided over the role of PfEMP1 in the widespread endothelial activation associated with severe malaria. In a previous study we found evidence for differential associations between defined VSA subsets and specific syndromes of severe malaria: group A-like PfEMP1 expression and the "rosetting" phenotype were associated with impaired consciousness and respiratory distress, respectively. This study explores the involvement of widespread endothelial activation in these associations. METHODS: We used plasma angiopoietin-2 as a marker of widespread endothelial activation. Using logistic regression analysis, we explored the relationships between plasma angiopoietin-2 levels, parasite VSA expression and the two syndromes of severe malaria, impaired consciousness and respiratory distress. RESULTS: Plasma angiopoietin-2 was associated with both syndromes. The rosetting phenotype did not show an independent association with respiratory distress when adjusted for angiopoietin-2, consistent with a single pathogenic mechanism involving widespread endothelial activation. In contrast, group A-like PfEMP1 expression and angiopoietin-2 maintained independent associations with impaired consciousness when adjusted for each other. CONCLUSION: The results are consistent with multiple pathogenic mechanisms leading to severe malaria and heterogeneity in the pathophysiology of impaired consciousness. The observed association between group A-like PfEMP1 and impaired consciousness does not appear to involve widespread endothelial activation