Can free open access resources strengthen knowledge-based emerging public health priorities, policies and programs in Africa? [version 1; referees: 2 approved]

Tackling emerging epidemics and infectious diseases burden in Africa requires increasing unrestricted open access and free use or reuse of regional and global policies reforms as well as timely communication capabilities and strategies. Promoting, scaling up data and information sharing between African researchers and international partners are of vital importance in accelerating open access at no cost. Free Open Access (FOA) health data and information acceptability, uptake tactics and sustainable mechanisms are urgently needed. These are critical in establishing real time and effective knowledge or evidence-based translation, proven and validated approaches, strategies and tools to strengthen and revamp health systems.  As such, early and timely access to needed emerging public health information is meant to be instrumental and valuable for policy-makers, implementers, care providers, researchers, health-related institutions and stakeholders including populations when guiding health financing, and planning contextual programs

Strong decrease in streptomycin-resistance and absence of XDR 12 years after the Reorganization of the National Tuberculosis Control Program in the Central Region of Cameroon.

BACKGROUND: In the 1990s, resistance rates of 15% for streptomycin-resistance and 0.6% for multidrug-resistance (MDR) were reported from the Central Region of Cameroon. This work assesses drug resistant tuberculosis in this region 12 years after reorganization of the National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTCP). METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2010 to March 2011 in Jamot Hospital in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Only patients with smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis were included. Sputa were cultured and subsequently underwent drug susceptibility testing (DST). All consenting individuals were tested for their HIV status. RESULTS: A total of 665 smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients were enrolled. The HIV prevalence was 28.5% (95%CI [25.2-32.1]). Of the 582 sputa that grew Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex species, DST results were obtained for 576. The overall resistance rate was 10.9% (63/576). The overall resistance rates for single drug resistance were: isoniazid-resistance 4.7% (27/576), streptomycin-resistance 3.3% (19/576), rifampicin-resistance 0.2% (1/576), kanamycin-resistance 0.2% (1/576) and ofloxacin-resistance 0.2% (1/576). The MDR rate was 1.1% (6/576) and no extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR) was detected. CONCLUSIONS: The data show that reorganization of the NTCP resulted in a strong decrease in streptomycin-resistance and suggest that it prevented the emergence of XDR in the Central Region of Cameroon

Pattern of resistance among new cases and previously treated cases to anti-tuberculosis drugs among isolates from 576 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis at Jamot hospital, Cameroun, 2010–2011.

<p>Pattern of resistance among new cases and previously treated cases to anti-tuberculosis drugs among isolates from 576 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis at Jamot hospital, Cameroun, 2010–2011.</p

Study population in Jamot hospital, CANTAM survey, Cameroun, 2010–2011.

<p>Study population in Jamot hospital, CANTAM survey, Cameroun, 2010–2011.</p

Origin and Global Expansion of Complex Lineage 3.

complex (MTBC) Lineage 3 (L3) strains are abundant in world regions with the highest tuberculosis burden. To investigate the population structure and the global diversity of this major lineage, we analyzed a dataset comprising 2682 L3 strains from 38 countries over 5 continents, by employing 24-loci mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number of tandem repeats genotyping (MIRU-VNTR) and drug susceptibility testing. We further combined whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and phylogeographic analysis for 373 strains representing the global L3 genetic diversity. Ancestral state reconstruction confirmed that the origin of L3 strains is located in Southern Asia and further revealed multiple independent introduction events into North-East and East Africa. This study provides a systematic understanding of the global diversity of L3 strains and reports phylogenetic variations that could inform clinical trials which evaluate the effectivity of new drugs/regimens or vaccine candidates