Conectar
With recent efforts to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis in East Africa, we aimed to map the breadth of research on leishmaniases in Ethiopia, one of the high-endemic countries in the region, to help understand the current literature landscape and highlight priority areas for future research.
The scoping review was conducted in accordance with the JBI Scoping Review Methodology Group’s guidance and reported following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses—Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines.
We searched the following databases and sources: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Global Medicus Index, PROSPERO, ClinicalTrials.gov and the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry and known local journals.
We included studies addressing the issue of leishmaniasis in Ethiopia that were published in English language.
Two reviewers independently extracted data from each study, with conflicts resolved by a third reviewer. The identified studies were analysed using an extensive codebook, which was previously developed by this team and adapted to the Ethiopian context to classify the research into different categories.
A total of 8698 articles were identified. A stepwise review was conducted, and 639 papers were selected for inclusion. The research spans different themes and designs and has steadily increased over the past 14 years. Research on prevention and control, health systems/policies and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis, as well as randomised controlled trials, was lacking. Studies on coinfections with other diseases accounted for 14% of research.
The findings underscore the growing amount of research on leishmaniasis in Ethiopia, addressing several themes and emphasising the need for more research in prevention, control, health systems/policy and high-quality studies for evidence-based treatment.
To determine uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine and identify the associated factors among health professionals in major cities of the Amhara region in Ethiopia.
Institution-based, cross-sectional study.
The study was conducted from July to September 2022 across 40 health centres and 13 hospitals, representing 10 major cities within the Amhara region.
1251 participants, all of whom were vaccine-eligible health professionals, were selected using a systematic random sampling procedure.
The level of vaccine uptake in the study was determined by the proportion of health professionals who had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
1251 health professionals participated, with 848 (67.8%) reporting that they had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Key findings from the multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that health professionals aged 46 years and older were four times more likely to be vaccinated (95% CI, 1.656 to 9.510), married participants were 1.4 times more likely to take the vaccine (95% CI, 1.010 to 1.933) and those with good knowledge of COVID-19 vaccines were 1.75 times more likely to get vaccinated (95% CI, 1.307 to 2.331). Additionally, participants with a positive attitude towards vaccination were 3.65 times more likely to have received a vaccine (95% CI, 2.753 to 4.732).
The study reveals a commendable level of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among health professionals, emphasising their critical role in public health initiatives. However, the observed disparities in vaccination rates indicate the need for targeted interventions to improve vaccine coverage, particularly among younger professionals and those with limited knowledge of the vaccine. Addressing these gaps requires the implementation of tailored educational programmes that enhance understanding of COVID-19 vaccines. Furthermore, fostering positive attitudes through targeted campaigns, workplace-based initiatives and peer influence, particularly among younger and unmarried professionals, will be crucial. Encouraging vaccinated professionals to share their experiences and establishing regular follow-ups will also be essential strategies to improve vaccine acceptance and coverage in the region.
by Christina Lange Ferreira, Sara Donetto, Hellena Habte-Asres, Jyothish Govindan, Angus Forbes, Kirsty Winkley
AimsTo present a study protocol for the development of an intervention to enhance safe insulin use for older or frail adults undergoing a surgical admission to hospital.
DesignFollowing the United Kingdom’s Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health and Care Research Frameworks for development and evaluation of complex interventions; this qualitative study will use a co-design approach using design thinking, to develop a theoretical model for the intervention.
MethodsNon-participatory observations, interviews and co-design workshops will be conducted with older or frail individuals with diabetes, their caregivers and healthcare staff responsible for their care during surgical admissions at a single National Health Service hospital in England. We will utilise their experiences and perspectives to establish priorities and generate ideas for the development of a conceptual model aimed at supporting the insulin safety review process in hospitals. Data will be analysed using framework analysis. People with diabetes were involved in the design of this study. The protocol was approved by the East-Midlands-Derby Research Ethics Committee (24/EM/0022). Study registered on Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/4wvu5.
ResultsResults of this study will be shared with study participants and disseminated through presentations at conferences/meetings and peer-reviewed publications.
ConclusionThis article outlines the methodology for the planned study which will employ a novel methodology to tackle the problem of hospital insulin safety. Its findings will contribute to a better understanding of the multiple interacting components implicated in hospital insulin use (patient, staff, context) and support further work around system-based strategies to enhance insulin safety resilience in hospital.
FreshRSS 