University of Zambia

About: University of Zambia is a education organization based out in Lusaka, Lusaka, Zambia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 2593 authors who have published 4402 publications receiving 122411 citations. The organization is also known as: UNZA.

South-South entrepreneurial collaboration in health biotech

Abstract: A survey of entrepreneurial collaborations among health biotech firms in developing countries reveals a surprisingly high level of collaboration but a lack of emphasis on new or improved health biotech products and processes.

Timing of the maternal drug dose and risk of perinatal HIV transmission in the setting of intrapartum and neonatal single-dose nevirapine.

Abstract: Context: Single-dose intrapartum and neonatal nevirapine (NVP) reduces perinatal HIV transmission and is in increasingly common use throughout the developing world. Objective: We studied risk factors for perinatal transmission in the setting of NVP. Design and setting: A prospective cohort study at two public obstetrical clinics in Lusaka Zambia. Patients and methods: In a volunteer sample of HIV-infected pregnant women and their newborns the women received a 200 mg oral dose of NVP at the onset of labor; their infants received 2 mg/kg of NVP syrup within 24 h of birth. The main outcome measure was the infant HIV infection status at 6 weeks of life determined by DNA polymerase chain reaction. Results: Only 31 of 278 (11.2%) infants were infected at 6 weeks. In logistic regression viral load exceeding the median [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 3.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–8.7] and 1 h or less elapsing between NVP ingestion and delivery (AOR 5.0; 95% CI 1.8–14) were associated with transmission. Women delivering within 1 h of NVP ingestion had a lower mean drug concentration (351 versus 942 ng/ml; P 100 ng/ml (12.9 versus 11.7%; P = 0.8). We did not identify a threshold concentration below which risk of transmission increased. Conclusions: We confirmed low perinatal transmission rates with single-dose NVP. At least 1 h of pre-delivery NVP prophylaxis was a critical threshold for efficacy. (authors)

Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine Exhibits Dose-Response Protection Against Adverse Birth Outcomes Related to Malaria and Sexually Transmitted and Reproductive Tract Infections.

Abstract: We conducted a prospective cohort study in Zambia among pregnant women who received intermittent preventive treatment using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP). We calculated the odds ratios (ORs) of adverse birth outcomes by IPTp-SP exposure, 0-1 dose (n = 126) vs ≥2 doses (n = 590) and ≥2 doses (n = 310) vs ≥3 doses (n = 280) in 7 categories of malaria infection and sexually transmitted and reproductive tract infections (STIs/RTIs). We found no significant differences in baseline prevalence of infection across IPTp-SP exposure groups. However, among women given 2 doses compared to 0-1 dose, the odds of any adverse birth outcome were reduced 45% (OR, 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36, 0.86) and 13% further with ≥3 doses (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.27, 0.68). Two or more doses compared to 0-1 dose reduced preterm delivery by 58% (OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.27, 0.67) and 21% further with ≥3 doses (OR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.13, 0.35). Women with malaria at enrollment who received ≥2 doses vs 0-1 had 76% lower odds of any adverse birth outcome (OR, 0.24; 95% 0.09, 0.66), and Neisseria gonorrhoeae and/or Chlamydia trachomatis had 92% lower odds of any adverse birth outcome (OR, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.01, 0.64). Women with neither a malaria infection nor STIs/RTIs who received ≥2 doses had 73% fewer adverse birth outcomes (OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.11, 0.68). IPTp-SP appears to protect against malaria, STIs/RTIs, and other unspecified causes of adverse birth outcome.