Progress in the control of schistosomiasis in Zimbabwe since 1984

A clinical study on the measures taken in the management and control of Schistosomiasis as a public health problem in Zimbabwe since 1984.Schistosomiasis remains the second most important parasitic disease in Zimbabwe. In terms of its combined morbidity and prevalence, schistosomiasis is thought to be the most important helminth infection of man. Since 1984, a number of control programmes have commenced around the country and a national control programme aimed at reducing morbidity is being implemented. The strategy adopted in Zimbabwe is a community based approach integrated in the primary health care syste

Safety assessment in primary Mycobacterium tuberculosis smear microscopy centres in Blantyre Malawi: A facility based cross sectional survey

IntroductionTuberculosis (TB) is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and istransmitted mainly through aerosolization of infected sputum whichputs laboratory workers at risk in spite of the laboratory workersf risk ofinfection being at 3 to 9 times higher than the general public. Laboratorysafety should therefore be prioritized and optimized to provide sufficientsafety to laboratory workers.ObjectiveTo assess the safety for the laboratory workers in TB primary microscopycentres in Blantyre urban.MethodologyTB primary microscopy centers in Blantyre urban were assessed inaspects of equipment availability, facility layout, and work practice, usinga standardized WHO/AFRO ISO 15189 checklist for the developingcountries which sets the minimum safety score at .80%. Each center wasgraded according to the score it earned upon assessment.ResultsOnly one (1) microscopy center out nine (9) reached the minimum safetyrequirement. Four (4) centers were awarded 1 star level, four (4) centerswere awarded 2 star level and only one (1) center was awarded 3 star level.ConclusionIn Blantyre urban, 89% of the Tuberculosis microscopy centers are failingto provide the minimum safety to the laboratory workers. Governmentand other stake holders should be committed in addressing the safetychallenges of TB microscopy centres in the country to ensure safety forthe laboratory workers.RecommendationsIt is recommended that the study be conducted at the regional or nationallevel for both public and private laboratories in order to have a generalpicture of safety in Tb microscopy centres possibly across the country

Enumeration of CD4 and CD8 T-cells in HIV infection in Zimbabwe using a manual immunocytochemical method

A CAJM article on HIV infection

Metabolomic and chemometric profiles of Tribulus terrestris L. from three different locations in Mpumalanga province, South Africa

Background: Tribulus terrestris L. is a traditional herb regularly recognised as puncture vine, yellow vine, devils horn, goat head and caltrop, this is often a yearly shaggy herbaceous plant species with stems of up to 2m long, having a place to the family of Zygophyllaceae. Aim: The study explored the therapeutic potential of this herb as it is being utilised for pharmaceutical purposes because of its furostanol saponins, which have a stimulating impact on characteristic testosterone levels. Setting: The study took place in different locations of Mpumalanga Province, Bushbuckridge (24.8398°S, 31.0464°E), Kamagugu (25.4566° S, 31.0034° E) and Nkomatipoort (25.4510° S, 31.9587° E). Methods: Utilising ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS), 50 metabolites were tentatively identified within the leaves of Tribulus terrestris L. from three diverse areas of Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Results: Metabolomic-chemometric analysis revealed that Parvispinoside B, F-Gitonin and Gitonin scored highest for the discrimination of Tribulus terrestris L. from three locale clusters. Heat maps showed designs and groupings based on the metabolite concentrations. Conclusion: This study provided novel insights in terms of thorough identification of the secondary metabolites and characterization of the leaves of Tribulus terrestris L. in the areas studied. Contribution: To the best of our knowledge, this study presents the first metabolite profile of Tribulus terrestris L. and its compositional differences in the Mpumalanga region, providing chemical-based evidence for its nutritive and/or health benefit

The evolution of non-communicable diseases policies in post-apartheid South Africa

© 2018 The Author(s). Background: Redressing structural inequality within the South African society in the post-apartheid era became the central focus of the democratic government. Policies on social and economic transformation were guided by the government's blueprint, the Reconstruction and Development Programme. The purpose of this paper is to trace the evolution of non-communicable disease (NCD) policies in South Africa and the extent to which the multi-sectoral approach was utilised, while explicating the underlying rationale for "best buy" interventions adopted to reduce and control NCDs in South Africa. The paper critically engages with the political and ideological factors that influenced design of particular NCD policies. Methods: Through a case study design, policies targeting specific NCD risk factors (tobacco smoking, unhealthy diets, harmful use of alcohol and physical inactivity) were assessed. This involved reviewing documents and interviewing 44 key informants (2014-2016) from the health and non-health sectors. Thematic analysis was used to draw out the key themes that emerged from the key informant interviews and the documents reviewed. Results: South Africa had comprehensive policies covering all the major NCD risk factors starting from the early 1990's, long before the global drive to tackle NCDs. The plethora of NCD policies is attributable to the political climate in post-apartheid South Africa that set a different trajectory for the state that was mandated to tackle entrenched inequalities. However, there has been an increase in prevalence of NCD risk factors within the general population. About 60% of women and 30% of men are overweight or obese. While a multi-sectoral approach is part of public policy discourse, its application in the implementation of NCD policies and programmes is a challenge. Conclusions: NCD prevalence remains high in South Africa. There is need to adopt the multi-sectoral approach in the implementation of NCD policies and programmes

Increased frequency of Tim-3 expressing T cells is associated with symptomatic West Nile virus infection

More than a decade after West Nile virus (WNV) entered North America, and despite a significant increase in reported cases during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, no treatment or vaccine for humans is available. Although antiviral T cells contribute to the control of WNV, little is known about their regulation during acute infection. We analyzed the expression of Tim-3 and PD-1, two recently identified T cell negative immune checkpoint receptors, over the course of WNV infection. Symptomatic WNV+ donors exhibited higher frequencies of Tim-3+ cells than asymptomatic subjects within naïve/early differentiated CD28+/-CD57-CD4+ and differentiated CD28-CD57-CD8+ T cells. Our study links Tim-3-expression on T cells during acute WNV infection with the development of symptomatic disease, suggesting Tim-3 and its ligands could be targeted therapeutically to alter anti-WNV immunity and improve disease outcome

Establishing and Externally Validating a Hemoglobin, Albumin, Lymphocyte, and Platelet (HALP) Score-Based Nomogram for Predicting Early Recurrence in BCLC Stage 0/A Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients After Radical Liver Resection: A Multi-Center Study

Xulin Liu,1,&ast; Zhancheng Qiu,2,&ast; Elijah Ndhlovu,1,&ast; Yunyan Wan,3 Huapeng Sun,4 Shuai Wang,5 Yugang Cao,6 Peng Zhu1 1Department of Hepatic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China; 2Division of Liver Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Taihe Hospital, Shiyan City, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of General Surgery, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Jingzhou Central Hospital, Jingzhou, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Huangshi Central Hospital of Edong Healthcare Group, Huangshi, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Peng Zhu, Department of Hepatic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13907170712, Email [email protected]: Early recurrence (ER) is associated with poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we developed and externally validated a nomogram based on the hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocytes, and platelets (HALP) score to predict ER for patients with BCLC stage 0/A HCC who underwent radical liver resection.Patients and Methods: A total of 808 BCLC stage 0/A HCC patients from six hospitals were included in this study, and they were assigned to a training cohort (n = 500) and an external validation cohort (n = 308). We used univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis to identify the independent risk factors for disease-free survival (DFS). We also established and externally validated a nomogram based on these risk predictors. The nomogram was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), the concordance index (C-index), the calibration curve, decision curve analysis (DCA), and Kaplan‒Meier analysis.Results: Multivariate COX regression showed that HBV DNA ≥ 10,000 IU/mL (P < 0.001), HALP score ≤ 38.20 (P < 0.001), tumor size (P = 0.003), clinically significant portal hypertension (P = 0.001), Edmondson-Steiner grade (III–IV) (P = 0.007), satellite nodules (P < 0.001), and MVI (P = 0.001) were independent risk factors for post-operative tumor recurrence. The AUC of our nomogram for predicting the 2-year and 5-year DFS was 0.756 and 0.750, respectively, in the training cohort and 0.764 and 0.705, respectively, in the external validation cohort. We divided the patients into low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups according to the risk score calculated by the nomogram. There were statistically significant differences in the DFS and overall survival (OS) among the three groups of patients (P < 0.001).Conclusion: We developed and externally validated a new nomogram, which is accurate and can predict ER in BCLC stage 0/A HCC patients after curative liver resection.Keywords: early recurrence, hepatocellular carcinoma, HALP score, nomogram, Barcelona Clinic of Liver Cancer staging system, disease-free surviva

Lobster Fishery Management in the Marine Ecosystem Approach at Simeulue Island Waters (Wpp-nri 572)

The lobster fishery is one of the leading fisheries commodity on Simeulue Regency so that local government must manage wisely in order to maintain the sustainability of the lobster fishery. Aceh Government Regulation namely Qanun Aceh No. 7 of 2010 concerning fisheries already in effect. However, the institutional system has not functioned optimally in the management of lobster fisheries. The purpose this study is to examine the domain of fishing techniques, socio-economic and institutional management of lobster fisheries with ecosystem approaches in Simeulue waters. Research method using qualitative research. The method of data collection is survey method which is done by purposive sampling approach that is by doing depth responder interview which is considered informative and wide knowledge about the institute. Data analysis using EAFM analysis done with Flag Modeling technique. Based on the results of the study that the assessment of the fishing domain techniques and economic domains in aggregate showed bad category. Meanwhile, social domains and institutional domains show moderate categories so aggregate composites overall show fewer categories. It is therefore necessary to make a tactical decision from the bad to be better in accordance with the category of each EAFM domain