University of Zimbabwe

About: University of Zimbabwe is a education organization based out in Harare, Harare, Zimbabwe. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The organization has 4378 authors who have published 6800 publications receiving 160720 citations. The organization is also known as: UZ & University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

The use of magnesium sulphate infusions in the management of very severe tetanus.

Abstract: The use of magnesium sulphate infusions as an adjunct to the management of patients with very severe tetanus was studied in 10 subjects with persistent autonomic dysfunction despite heavy sedation. Satisfactory cardiovascular control was established in nine of these cases, and there were two deaths in the series, neither directly attributable to the tetanus itself. Haemodynamic measurements performed in six patients, showed that cardiac output was well preserved during magnesium infusions. There was a significant reduction in pulse rate (p<0.05) and systemic vascular resistance (p<0.01), with an increase in stroke volume (p<0.05). It is suggested that magnesium may be a useful adjunct to standard forms of management of such cases.

Social Contact Structures and Time Use Patterns in the Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe.

Abstract: Background Patterns of person-to-person contacts relevant for infectious diseases transmission are still poorly quantified in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where socio-demographic structures and behavioral attitudes are expected to be different from those of more developed countries. Methods and Findings We conducted a diary-based survey on daily contacts and time-use of individuals of different ages in one rural and one peri-urban site of Manicaland, Zimbabwe. A total of 2,490 diaries were collected and used to derive age-structured contact matrices, to analyze time spent by individuals in different settings, and to identify the key determinants of individuals’ mixing patterns. Overall 10.8 contacts per person/day were reported, with a significant difference between the peri-urban and the rural site (11.6 versus 10.2). A strong age-assortativeness characterized contacts of school-aged children, whereas the high proportion of extended families and the young population age-structure led to a significant intergenerational mixing at older ages. Individuals spent on average 67% of daytime at home, 2% at work, and 9% at school. Active participation in school and work resulted the key drivers of the number of contacts and, similarly, household size, class size, and time spent at work influenced the number of home, school, and work contacts, respectively. We found that the heterogeneous nature of home contacts is critical for an epidemic transmission chain. In particular, our results suggest that, during the initial phase of an epidemic, about 50% of infections are expected to occur among individuals younger than 12 years and less than 20% among individuals older than 35 years. Conclusions With the current work, we have gathered data and information on the ways through which individuals in SSA interact, and on the factors that mostly facilitate this interaction. Monitoring these processes is critical to realistically predict the effects of interventions on infectious diseases dynamics.

Impact of Perinatal Loss on the Subsequent Pregnancy and Self: Women's Experiences

Abstract: Objective To describe the experience of a pregnancy after perinatal loss. Design Descriptive, open-ended responses to a self-completed questionnaire. Setting Questionnaires were distributed at a prenatal visit and completed in the office or at home. Participants Seventy-two women who were 17 to 28 weeks pregnant, with a history of one or two perinatal losses. Main Outcome Measures Themes that emerged from the women's responses to the questions. Results Three main dimensions, Past Pregnancy, Current Pregnancy, and Self constituted the overall framework for the themes of pregnancy anxiety, significant points in time, ways of coping, safe passage, social acceptance, binding-in, and grief and loss. Conclusions Pregnancy after perinatal loss is characterized by guarded emotions, anxiety about this pregnancy, marking off the progress of the pregnancy in terms of fetal development and safety, and individual ways of coping to meet the tasks of pregnancy by seeking out or avoiding various behaviors. Women who have experienced perinatal loss would benefit from interventions to help them through these anxiety-filled pregnancies.

Uptake and yield of HIV testing and counselling among children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

Abstract: Introduction In recent years children and adolescents have emerged as a priority for HIV prevention and care services. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the acceptability, yield and prevalence of HIV testing and counselling (HTC) strategies in children and adolescents (5 to 19 years) in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods An electronic search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health and conference abstract databases. Studies reporting on HTC acceptability, yield and prevalence and published between January 2004 and September 2014 were included. Pooled proportions for these three outcomes were estimated using a random effects model. A quality assessment was conducted on included studies. Results and discussion A total of 16,380 potential citations were identified, of which 21 studies (23 entries) were included. Most studies were conducted in Kenya (n=5) and Uganda (n=5) and judged to provide moderate (n=15) to low quality (n=7) evidence, with data not disaggregated by age. Seven studies reported on provider-initiated testing and counselling (PITC), with the remainder reporting on family-centred (n=5), home-based (n=5), outreach (n=5) and school-linked HTC among primary schoolchildren (n=1). PITC among inpatients had the highest acceptability (86.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 65.5 to 100%), yield (12.2%; 95% CI: 6.1 to 18.3%) and prevalence (15.4%; 95% CI: 5.0 to 25.7%). Family-centred HTC had lower acceptance compared to home-based HTC (51.7%; 95% CI: 10.4 to 92.9% vs. 84.9%; 95% CI: 74.4 to 95.4%) yet higher prevalence (8.4%; 95% CI: 3.4 to 13.5% vs. 3.0%; 95% CI: 1.0 to 4.9%). School-linked HTC showed poor acceptance and low prevalence. Conclusions While PITC may have high test acceptability priority should be given to evaluating strategies beyond healthcare settings (e.g. home-based HTC among families) to identify individuals earlier in their disease progression. Data on linkage to care and cost-effectiveness of HTC strategies are needed to strengthen policies.