Mobile Health Technology for Enhancing the COVID-19 Response in Africa: A Potential Game Changer?

Disclosure: J. B. N. is also a coprincipal investigator of TOGETHER, an adaptive randomized clinical trial of novel agents for treatment of high-risk outpatient COVID-19 patients in South Africa; supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and a member of COVID-19 Scientific Committee of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. R. T. L. is an infectious disease specialist and global health researcher with support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Michael Smith Foundation, for Health Research and Grand Challenges Canada, and is cofounder of the WelTel (www.weltelhealth.com), as well as a member of the roster of experts for the WHO Task Force for Digital Health. He served on the front lines of the 2003 SARS epidemic and led a consortium on the Ebola outbreak response in 2014. Sir Zumla is co-PI of the Pan-African Network on Emerging and Re-Emerging Infections (PANDORA-ID-NET: https://www.pandora-id.net/) funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership the EU Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. Sir Zumla is recipient of a National Institutes of Health Research senior investigator award

Responding to the Challenge of the Dual COVID-19 and Ebola Epidemics in the Democratic Republic of Congo-Priorities for Achieving Control.

As of June 11, 2020, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported 4,258 COVID-19 cases with 90 deaths. With other African countries, the DRC faces the challenge of striking a balance between easing public health lockdown measures to curtail the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and minimizing both economic hardships for large sectors of the population and negative impacts on health services for other infectious and noninfectious diseases. The DRC recently controlled its tenth Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, but COVID-19 and a new EVD outbreak beginning on June 1, 2020 in the northwest Équateur Province have added an additional burden to health services. Although the epidemiology and transmission of EVD and COVID-19 differ, leveraging the public health infrastructures and experiences from coordinating the EVD response to guide the public health response to COVID-19 is critical. Building on the DRCs 40 years of experience with 10 previous EVD outbreaks, we highlight the DRCs multi-sectoral public health approach to COVID-19, which includes community-based screening, testing, contact-tracing, risk communication, community engagement, and case management. We also highlight remaining challenges and discuss the way forward for achieving control of both COVID-19 and EVD in the DRC

From easing lockdowns to scaling up community-based coronavirus disease 2019 screening, testing, and contact tracing in Africa-shared approaches, innovations, and challenges to minimize morbidity and mortality

CITATION: Nachega, J. B. et al. 2021. From easing lockdowns to scaling up community-based coronavirus disease 2019 screening, testing, and contact tracing in Africa-shared approaches, innovations, and challenges to minimize morbidity and mortality. Clinical infectious diseases, 72(2):327–331. doi:10.1093/cid/ciaa695The original publication is available at https://academic.oup.com/cid/The arrival of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the African continent resulted in a range of lockdown measures that curtailed the spread of the infection but caused economic hardship. African countries now face difficult choices regarding easing of lockdowns and sustaining effective public health control measures and surveillance. Pandemic control will require efficient community screening, testing, and contact tracing; behavioral change interventions; adequate resources; and well-supported, community-based teams of trained, protected personnel. We discuss COVID-19 control approaches in selected African countries and the need for shared, affordable, innovative methods to overcome challenges and minimize mortality. This crisis presents a unique opportunity to align COVID-19 services with those already in place for human immunodeficiency virus, tuberculosis, malaria, and non communicable diseases through mobilization of Africa's interprofessional healthcare workforce. By addressing the challenges, the detrimental effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on African citizens can be minimized.https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/72/2/327/5849218?login=truePublishers versio

Non-cycloplegic screening for refractive errors in children with the hand-held autorefractor Retinomax: final results and comparison with non-cycloplegic photoscreening.

To establish the results of refractive screening of preschool children with the hand-held autorefractor Retinomax under non-cycloplegic conditions, and to compare these results with those of photoscreening.Comparative StudyJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tSCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Intérêt du sevoflurane dans le traitement des dacryosténoses congénitales

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Pourquoi et comment corriger l'hypermétropie

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Cure de paralysies bilatérales post-traumatiques des nerfs IV.

We relate our own experience about bilateral inferior rectus recession as first surgery for traumatic bilateral superior oblique palsy. An adjustable suture is performed on one side. This procedure is combined or not with an inferior oblique recession. Measurements of ocular deviation and torsion, Lancaster tests and binocular single vision fields are reported pre- and postoperatively. Reduction of diplopia, cyclodeviation and V esotropia with an expansion of the binocular single vision field is achieved in all cases, relieving patients' complaints. This surgery is easy to perform and free of important secondary effects. We think it represents a valuable choice for that kind of pathology.English AbstractJournal ArticleSCOPUS: ar.jSCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Pourquoi et comment corriger l'hypermétropie?

How and why to prescribe an optical correction in hyperopia is described. The reasons for prescribing are closely related to the visual risk of not doing so (amblyopia, lack of stereopsy, strabismus), to the patient's complains and history as well as to his ophthalmological examination. How to correct hyperopia depends on the presence or absence of squint and on the amount of ametropia.English AbstractJournal ArticleSCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Stellate nonhereditary idiopathic foveomacular retinoschisis : cataract surgery

PURPOSE: We present the first case described in the literature of cataract surgery in a patient with stellate nonhereditary idiopathic foveomacular retinoschisis (SNIF). METHODS: In this case report, we describe the extensive workup we did on our patient, including optical coherence tomography, fundus autofluorescence, fluo-angiography, full field electroretinogram, and genetic testing. We moreover describe the cataract surgery with clear lens extraction and implanting of a multifocal implant. RESULTS: The refractive and lifestyle profile of our patient made implantation of multifocal intraocular implants the only solution for this case. During preoperative measurements, a SNIF diagnosis was suspected after optic coherence tomography imaging which led to an even more extensive workup of our patient and the diagnosis of stellate nonhereditary idiopathic foveomacular retinoschisis. We then proceeded to cataract surgery, which was performed safely and without any sequellae. CONCLUSION: Stellate nonhereditary idiopathic foveomacular retinoschisis (SNIF) is a relatively new disease entity. Only few cases in the literature describe this disease, and none of them describe cataract surgery in a patient with SNIF. We therefore describe the first known cataract surgery in such a case. Long term follow-up results show that the procedure can be performed safely. Summary Statement. We hereby present the first case described in the literature of cataract surgery of a patient diagnosed with stellate nonhereditary idiopathic foveomacular retinoschisis. A clear lens extraction with implantation of a multifocal intraocular implant was conducted with excellent postoperative results and a happy patient

Comparaison des valeurs de pachymétrie obtenue par la méthode ultrasonique et par images rotatoires de Scheimpflug.

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