Pneumonia remains a leading cause of under-5 mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for approximately 14% of deaths in this age group. In Malawi, pneumonia accounts for 12% of under-5 deaths, with recent data revealing a concerning trend of over 110 000 new cases reported in 6 months. The Malawi government has made significant strides in reducing childhood mortality through the Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) strategy, resulting in an 11% reduction in under-5 mortality over a 5-year period. However, the current iCCM strategy does not include the management of chest indrawing pneumonia in children aged 2–59 months and fast-breathing pneumonia in infants aged up to 2 months. This implementation research aims to increase pneumonia treatment coverage for under-5 year-old children in Kasungu District, Malawi, by expanding the community-based management of pneumonia by the iCCM-trained Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs).

The current implementation research using both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods will assess the feasibility and acceptability of iCCM-trained HSAs managing chest indrawing pneumonia and fast-breathing pneumonia in children under 5 with oral amoxicillin at the community level in district Kasungu using the existing district health system. The study will employ a district health system model, leveraging existing trained iCCM HSAs to enrol and manage infants aged 7–59 days with fast-breathing pneumonia and 2–59-month-old children with chest indrawing pneumonia in the community with 7-day and 5-day oral amoxicillin, respectively. HSAs will also use pulse oximetry to identify hypoxaemic children for prompt referral to a hospital for further care. Sociodemographic features of enrolled children will be documented. Enrolled children will be followed up on treatment compliance using follow-up forms. The pneumonia treatment coverage will be assessed using baseline, midline and end-line surveys using both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods.

Ethical approval was obtained from the National Health Research Sciences Committee and the WHO Ethics Committee. The implementation research findings will be disseminated to national-level stakeholders and specifically targeted at District Health Offices, which are responsible for implementing the interventions.

To determine the survival rate and prognostic factors associated with tuberculosis (TB) mortality in Medellín between 2018 and 2023.

Quantitative observational analytical study of a retrospective cohort.

Based on notifications made to the Public Health Surveillance System and managed by the Secretary of Health of Medellín—Colombia between 2018 and 2023.

A total of 11 202 individuals diagnosed with TB, aged between 1 and 103 years.

The Kaplan-Meier method was employed to determine survival and risk functions, as well as median survival. Crude HRs and adjusted HRs (aHRs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models.

A median overall survival of 1410 days (3.86 years) and an adjusted mortality rate of 40 cases per 100 000 population were estimated for the study period (6 years). Factors associated with TB mortality were age (>59 years) (aHR 5.53; 95% CI 3.17 to 9.65), renal disease (aHR 2.98; 95% CI 2.27 to 3.90), HIV infection (aHR 2.82; 95% CI 1.39 to 3.32) and cancer (aHR 2.56; 95% CI 1.95 to 3.34).

TB survival is influenced by age and comorbidities, indicating the need for targeted strategies to protect high-risk groups. Strengthening comprehensive TB control through timely diagnosis, integrated management of chronic conditions and patient-centred care is essential to reduce preventable deaths. Furthermore, improving case notification and follow-up through integrated information platforms will contribute to more effective public health interventions.

A successful extubation process is critical for the future health outcomes of paediatric patients, as it tests the functioning of the respiratory system without the support of mechanical ventilation. However, extubation can cause stress, pain, anxiety or discomfort in patients, which may sometimes lead to an increased likelihood of reintubation. Music-based interventions and therapies have been shown to be effective in reducing anxiety and stress levels in ventilated patients in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU), but studies evaluating the effect of music therapy during the extubation process in the PICU are scarce.

This is a pragmatic multicentre randomised clinical trial with two parallel arms. The intervention group will receive standard care + music therapy during the extubation process, and the control group will receive standard care alone. The main outcome measure is heart rate, which will be measured every minute for 5 min pre-extubation, during the extubation process and up to 10 min postextubation. Secondary outcome measures are: oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, blood pressure and heart rate variability. A total of 82 patients will be randomised.

This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Fundación Universitaria Sanitas (CEIFUS 1356-24, date of approval: 3 May 2024). All parents or legal guardians of patients will sign a written informed consent, and if applicable, assent from participants will be sought. The results will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed journals, conferences and presentations at the hospitals’ clinical committees.

Version 1.0, 18 December 2024.

NCT06591533, trial registration date: 10 September 2024.