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.

Efficient Management of Health Centres Human Resources in Zambia

Abstract: This study uses Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to estimate the degree of technical, allocative and cost efficiency in individual public and private health centres in Zambia; and to identify the relative inefficiencies in the use of various inputs among individual health centers. About 83% of the 40 health centres were technically inefficient; and 88% of them were both allocatively and cost inefficient. The privately owned health centers were found to be more efficient than public facilities.

Does it really matter where women live? A multilevel analysis of the determinants of postnatal care in Nigeria.

Abstract: Although postnatal care is one of the major interventions recommended for the reduction of maternal and newborn deaths worldwide, almost two-third (56 %) of women in Nigeria do not receive postnatal care. Attempts to explain this situation have focused on individual and household level factors, but the role of community characteristics has received less attention.This study examines community factors associated with the receipt of postnatal care in Nigeria and the moderating effects of community factors on the association between individual factors and postnatal care. Data was drawn from the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, and a sample of 17,846 women aged 15-49 years was selected. We employed a multilevel logistic regression analysis to identify community factors associated with postnatal care. Our findings showed that significant variations in receiving postnatal care exist across communities. Specifically, Nigerian women's likelihood of receiving postnatal care is a function of where they reside. Living in communities with a high proportion of educated women (OR = 2.04; 95 % CI = 1.32-3.16; p < 0.001) and a high proportion of those who have had a health facility delivery (OR = 17.86; 95 % CI = 8.34-38.24; p < 0.001) was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of receiving postnatal care. Community women's education moderated the association between ethnic origin and postnatal care. Community variance in postnatal care was significant (τ = 10.352, p = 0.001). Community interventions aimed at improving postnatal care should take into account the community context in which women live. To close the gap in community variations in postnatal care, secondary and higher education for women, and health facility delivery should be increased in disadvantaged communities.

Whole-Genome Sequencing of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus from Zambian Kaposi's Sarcoma Biopsy Specimens Reveals Unique Viral Diversity.

Abstract: Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiological agent for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). Both KSHV and KS are endemic in sub-Saharan Africa where approximately 84% of global KS cases occur. Nevertheless, whole-genome sequencing of KSHV has only been completed using isolates from Western countries—where KS is not endemic. The lack of whole-genome KSHV sequence data from the most clinically important geographical region, sub-Saharan Africa, represents an important gap since it remains unclear whether genomic diversity has a role on KSHV pathogenesis. We hypothesized that distinct KSHV genotypes might be present in sub-Saharan Africa compared to Western countries. Using a KSHV-targeted enrichment protocol followed by Illumina deep-sequencing, we generated and analyzed 16 unique Zambian, KS-derived, KSHV genomes. We enriched KSHV DNA over cellular DNA 1,851 to 18,235-fold. Enrichment provided coverage levels up to 24,740-fold; therefore, supporting highly confident polymorphism analysis. Multiple alignment of the 16 newly sequenced KSHV genomes showed low level variability across the entire central conserved region. This variability resulted in distinct phylogenetic clustering between Zambian KSHV genomic sequences and those derived from Western countries. Importantly, the phylogenetic segregation of Zambian from Western sequences occurred irrespective of inclusion of the highly variable genes K1 and K15. We also show that four genes within the more conserved region of the KSHV genome contained polymorphisms that partially, but not fully, contributed to the unique Zambian KSHV whole-genome phylogenetic structure. Taken together, our data suggest that the whole KSHV genome should be taken into consideration for accurate viral characterization. IMPORTANCE Our results represent the largest number of KSHV whole-genomic sequences published to date and the first time that multiple genomes have been sequenced from sub-Saharan Africa, a geographic area where KS is highly endemic. Based on our new sequence data, it is apparent that whole-genome KSHV diversity is greater than previously appreciated and differential phylogenetic clustering exists between viral genomes of Zambia and Western countries. Furthermore, individual genes may be insufficient for KSHV genetic characterization. Continued investigation of the KSHV genetic landscape is necessary in order to effectively understand the role of viral evolution and sequence diversity on KSHV gene functions and pathogenesis.