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.

Childhood cancers in Zambia before and after the HIV epidemic.

Abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) related cancers in children are not as common and as well described as in adults. An HIV epidemic has been prevalent in Zambia since 1983-1984. To study the effect of the epidemic on the epidemiology of cancers in children a retrospective study was undertaken at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Lusaka, Zambia. All the histopathological records from 1980 to 1992 were reviewed and all cases of cancers in children less than 14 years of age were analysed. In order to define the effect of the HIV epidemic, the epidemiological features of various childhood cancers occurring before (during the years 1980-1982) and after (during the years 1990-1992) the onset of the HIV epidemic were compared. A significant increase in the occurrence of total childhood cancers was found. This is mostly due to a highly significant increase in the incidence of paediatric Kaposi's sarcoma (p = 0.000016), which is causally related to HIV infection, and a significant increase in the incidence of retinoblastoma (p = 0.02), which has an unknown relation to HIV infection. Though not yet statistically significant, there has also been a gradual and sustained increase in the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. There has been a significant reduction in the incidence of Burkitt's lymphoma. A prospective in depth epidemiological study of HIV related childhood cancers in Africa is urgently needed.

Suicidal ideation and associated factors among school-going adolescents in rural Uganda

Abstract: Mental health is a neglected area of health research and practice in most of sub-Saharan African countries where the largest burden of morbidity is from infectious diseases. This even occurs despite the fact that some mental health problems may arise from infectious diseases. We conducted secondary analysis of the Uganda Global School-Based Health Survey-2003 to obtain the prevalence of, and assess factors that may be associated with suicidal ideation among school-going adolescents in rural Uganda. Assessment of association was conducted through both bi-variate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Altogether 21.6% of the study participants, 21.3% males and 23.5% females had seriously considered committing suicide within the past 12 months. Loneliness, worry were positively associated with suicide ideation after adjusting for age, gender, smoking, drinking, and experience of having been bullied (OR = 1.59; 95% CI [1.12, 2.26] and OR = 1.19; 95% CI [1.12, 2.25]) respectively. Males were less likely to seriously consider committing suicide than females (OR = 0.70; 95% CI [0.50, 0.98]). Adolescent suicidal ideation is a major public health issue in rural Uganda. Measures aimed to prevent adolescent suicides in Uganda should incorporate our understanding of factors that are associated with suicide in rural Uganda such the gender disparity and the association observed with substance use.

Seroepidemiological Prevalence of Multiple Species of Filoviruses in Fruit Bats (Eidolon helvum) Migrating in Africa

Abstract: Fruit bats are suspected to be a natural reservoir of filoviruses, including Ebola and Marburg viruses. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on the viral glycoprotein antigens, we detected filovirus-specific immunoglobulin G antibodies in 71 of 748 serum samples collected from migratory fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) in Zambia during 2006-2013. Although antibodies to African filoviruses (eg, Zaire ebolavirus) were most prevalent, some serum samples showed distinct specificity for Reston ebolavirus, which that has thus far been found only in Asia. Interestingly, the transition of filovirus species causing outbreaks in Central and West Africa during 2005-2014 seemed to be synchronized with the change of the serologically dominant virus species in these bats. These data suggest the introduction of multiple species of filoviruses in the migratory bat population and point to the need for continued surveillance of filovirus infection of wild animals in sub-Saharan Africa, including hitherto nonendemic countries.