Health Professionals In Africa Research Articles

Evidence-based Decision Making: Infectious Disease Modeling Training for Policymakers in East Africa.

Mathematical modeling of infectious diseases is an important decision-making tool for outbreak control. However, in Africa, limited expertise reduces the use and impact of these tools on policy. Therefore, there is a need to build capacity in Africa for the use of mathematical modeling to inform policy. Here we describe our experience implementing a mathematical modeling training program for public health professionals in East Africa. We used a deliverable-driven and learning-by-doing model to introduce trainees to the mathematical modeling of infectious diseases. The training comprised two two-week in-person sessions and a practicum where trainees received intensive mentorship. Trainees evaluated the content and structure of the course at the end of each week, and this feedback informed the strategy for subsequent weeks. Out of 875 applications from 38 countries, we selected ten trainees from three countries - Rwanda (6), Kenya (2), and Uganda (2) - with guidance from an advisory committee. Nine trainees were based at government institutions and one at an academic organization. Participants gained skills in developing models to answer questions of interest and critically appraising modeling studies. At the end of the training, trainees prepared policy briefs summarizing their modeling study findings. These were presented at a dissemination event to policymakers, researchers, and program managers. All trainees indicated they would recommend the course to colleagues and rated the quality of the training with a median score of 9/10. Mathematical modeling training programs for public health professionals in Africa can be an effective tool for research capacity building and policy support to mitigate infectious disease burden and forecast resources. Overall, the course was successful, owing to a combination of factors, including institutional support, trainees' commitment, intensive mentorship, a diverse trainee pool, and regular evaluations.

Epilepsy and stigma in Africa: Viewpoint of healthcare professionals and combat strategies

Epilepsy is a major public health problem in developing countries where eighty percent (80%) of people with epilepsy (PWE) live. Stigma has psychological consequences as well as serious repercussions on patients’ quality of life. This study assesses the perception of health professionals in Africa regarding the stigmatization of PWE. MethodologyThis is a multicenter descriptive, cross-sectional study, from 1st August 2020 to 1st September 2021. Medical practitioners from African countries involved in the management of epilepsy and who agreed to fill out forms were included in the study. Sampling was nonrandom and based on respondent choice. The data were analyzed using the EPI INFO 7 software. ResultsA total of two hundred and twenty-nine (229) health workers from twenty-six (26) African countries participated in this survey. 24.89% of the respondents were specialists and 46.72% were neurologists. Ninety-one percent (91%) of practitioners felt that PWE were stigmatised. The main forms of stigma were isolation (68.56%), celibacy (60.70%), unemployment (53.28%), divorce (44.54%) and exclusion (37.99%)%). Community, school and family were recognized as the main places of stigmatization. The fight against this stigma was carried out mainly in hospitals and in isolation in 58.4% and 55.8% of cases, respectively. Only 0.4% of practitioners opted for mass awareness. ConclusionPWE are victims of various forms of stigmatization, particularly in community settings. Measures aimed at raising awareness of the public are essential to reduce this stigma and improve patients’ quality of life.

HIV/AIDS post-exposure prophylaxis knowledge and uptake among health professionals in Africa: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Healthcare workers in developing countries are at particularly increased risk of infections from blood-borne pathogens because of the high prevalence of such pathogens in their communities as well as the lack of basic personal protective equipment, such as gloves, gowns and goggles. For those exposed healthcare workers, the immediate administration of antiretroviral drugs following exposure to potentially infected blood or other bodily fluids is essential in order to minimize the risk of acquiring HIV infection. This review is aimed at estimating the pooled prevalence of knowledge and uptake of post-exposure prophylaxis among healthcare providers in Africa. We accessed PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, SCOPUS, African Journals Online (AJOL), Journal Storage (JSTOR) and EMBASE. The search for unpublished studies included Google and institutional repositories were also used. This meta-analysis follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The quality of studies was assessed using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Meta-analysis was carried out with a random-effects method using STATA v.14software. Out of 654692 studies retrieved, 37studies from four African regions involving 6482healthcare providers were included in this meta-analysis. The overall estimated pooled uptake and knowledge of HIV/AIDS post-exposure prophylaxis among healthcare providers in Africa using a random-effects model were 40.09% (95% CI: 30.14-50.04) and 57.67% (95% CI: 44.32-71.01) respectively, whereas the highest uptake and knowledge were 45.48% (95% CI: 24.79-66.17) and 61.37% (95% CI: 46.39-76.36) in the southern and eastern regions, respectively. The results of this meta-analysis indicated that the knowledge and uptake of post-exposure prophylaxis, one of the best approaches to tackling HIV/AIDS transmission, are significantly low. Therefore, healthcare organizations should work on strategies to increase knowledge and uptake of post-exposure prophylaxis among healthcare providers. Prospero (ID: CRD42021244003).

Hypertension among health workers in Mahajanga : prevalence, knowledge

Introduction. Variations in the prevalence of hypertension according to the type of profession are evidenced due to the differences of constraints inside each professional activity. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of hypertension among health workers in Mahajanga. Patients and methods. We carried out a descriptive cross-sectional study during 6 months from january to june 2017 in Mahajanga. Our study population consisted of all people working in health establishments. The World Health Organization criteria were used to define hypertension: systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and / or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg. Results. We enrolled 220 participants. The mean age was 39.4 years old. Participants worked in university hospitals in 42.3%, in basic health centers in 10%, in private hospitals and clinics in 42.3% and in private medical offices in 5.4% of cases. Thirty-four participants (15.5%) were hypertensive. The association of hypertension with older age and obesity was significant. The prevalence of hypertension was25.9% for physicians, 0 to 12.1% for servants, nursing assistants, laboratory technicians and nurses. Radiology technicians and anesthesiologists were affected in 60.0% and 33.3% of cases, respectively. The hypertensive patients were aware of their condition in 76.5% of the cases. Those who were already known to be hypertensive were treated in 96.2% of cases. Those who were treated had normal blood pressure in76.9% of the cases. Conclusion. The difference in the prevalence of high blood pressure was evident among health professionals in Africa and compared to the general population of other cities in Madagascar. Hypertensive people arrive at the hospital with complications despite the proximity and ease of diagnostic means; Our country needs simple but more incisive information to be shared with the health professional and then with the community to increase the number of patients better taken care.

Effectiveness of health systems strengthening interventions in Africa: a systematic review

World Health Organization devoted World Health Report of 2000 to health systems performance. Since then, many international development partners and national governments have been funding health systems strengthening (HSS) interventions. Interventions that are included in this review are those that were carried out in single or multiple African countries. Among other criteria, such interventions had to directly target at least one of six HSs building blocks. Eighteen relevant evaluations were critically appraised for quality from 200 potentially relevant evaluations. No intervention concurrently strengthened all the six HSs building blocks and none improved all four overall outcomes of HSS. HSS intervention in Africa deserves more attention by policy makers, global health funders, and public health professionals in Africa. This systematic review reveals shortcomings of HSS interventions in Africa and makes four evidence-based recommendations to guide and improve future HSS interventions in Africa to enable them have impacts on all intermediate and overall HSS outcomes indicators.

Group Aims to Improve MH Care for People of African Ancestry

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article International NewsFull AccessGroup Aims to Improve MH Care for People of African AncestryAaron LevinAaron LevinSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:5 Apr 2017https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2017.3a27AbstractA common geographic ancestry and a similar social history of slavery and racism elicit new efforts for mental health care in populations of African ancestry.An international group of 54 psychiatrists and other clinicians have restarted an effort to address the mental health issues of people of African ancestry on both sides of the Atlantic by creating the Africa Global Mental Health Institute (AGMHI) at a meeting last November in Capetown, South Africa.The institute’s deeper roots date back to 2002, when the late Harvard psychiatrist Chester Pierce, M.D., brought together psychiatrists from Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States to discuss “the myriad mental health issues and challenges facing people of African descent.”That idea lay fallow until the recent Capetown meeting, organized by clinicians from the Americas, Asia, and Africa.Founders of the Africa Global Mental Health Institute hope to educate clinicians and ultimately affect policy to improve the mental health of people of African descent on both sides of the Atlantic, says Michelle Durham, M.D., M.P.H.Boston Medical Center“We’re in a better position now,” explained child and adolescent psychiatrist Michelle Durham, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine and associate director of its Global and Local Center on Health Disparities.“More people were involved this time, and we have more partners on the continent,” said Durham, the AGMHI’s director of education, in an interview. “Our next challenge is building an institution, and we have a timeline to do that with goals for the next one, two, and three years.”Durham sees two primary issues that need to be addressed. One is the dearth of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals in Africa. The other is the inadequate research on people of African descent, wherever they live.“People rely on studies and books that have nothing to do with the people of non-European descent they’re serving,” said David Henderson, M.D., chair of psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine and chief of psychiatry at Boston Medical Center.In response, the AGMHI founders want to set up an international network of researchers that will develop clinical, epidemiological, outcomes, and other studies both in Africa and in the diaspora. That network then would inform judgments on both sides of the Atlantic.To develop the mental health workforce in Africa, organizers hope to connect academic medical centers in high-income countries with those in low-income countries. The goal would be to strengthen training programs in psychiatry, psychology, social work, and public health (Psychiatric News, August 7, 2015).AGMHI also plans to work with government health ministries and local and international organizations to develop support for mental health policies and research.Information must be a two-way street—or perhaps a roundtrip plane ride, said Durham.“Bidirectional learning is also important,” said Durham. “We have a lot to learn from each other.”She cited one example from the large Ethiopian population seen at Boston Medical Center.Epidemiological studies in Ethiopia found a 5:1 male-to-female ratio in the prevalence of schizophrenia, rather than the usual 1:1 found globally. Further research revealed that families were hiding women with mental illness in an effort to protect them, delaying treatment by 10 to 20 years. Research methods expert and conference participant Christina Borba, Ph.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Medicine and director of research in the Department of Psychiatry at Boston Medical Center, intends to study Ethiopians living in Boston to see if similar practices exist there. If they do, the medical center plans to develop a program to work with the community to clinically detect those women and bring them in for care.“People who come here bring their countries with them,” observed Henderson. “But each country needs people with research skills to understand local conditions. They have to develop their own data to take care of their own patients.”“We see challenges locally that we hope to address globally,” said Durham. “We hope to do that by using clinical, research, policy, and teaching perspectives to build up resources overall.” ■The website for the Africa Global Mental Health Institute can be accessed here. ISSUES NewArchived

Social Network and Health Researchers and Professionals Mobility in Africa: Lessons Learned from AFRICA BUILD Project.

Promote mobility between South-South and South-North for improving level of researchers, staff and students through a platform. The methodology is based a filling of a questionnaire about offer or demand. Material is composed a computer connected Internet. we registered about 203 demands and 31 offers from partners.43 mobilities were executed completely. The results indicate a real need of mobility for researchers and health professionals in Africa. The important number of mobility demands made by external researchers and professionals (from outside the AFRICA BUILD Consortium) may be constrained by the difficulty to find adequate funding.

Mental Distress and Associated Factors among Health Professionals Working in Tertiary Teaching Hospital, South West Ethiopia

Background: Health care is a demanding profession physically and mentally which contributes risk for mental distress. Even though it studied well in economically advanced nations, little is known among health professionals in Africa. The aim of this study was to assess prevalence and risk factors of mental distress among health professionals. Methods: This study was conducted from November 15, 2013 to December 15, 2013 at JUTH using an institution based cross-sectional study design. All health professionals (N=403) were included from various disciplines. Selfreport questionnaire (SRQ-20) was used to detect mental distress. Other structured questionnaire related to sociodemographic characteristics, burnout, work related condition, and substance use habits were used to collect data. Result: Out of the total study participants (n=334), 29.9% (n=100) of them were found to have mental distress. Prevalence of mental distress among substance user health professionals was higher compared with non-users. After adjusting for potential confounders, mental distress was 4.47 times higher among participants with high burnout score (AOR=4.47, 95%CI=2.37-8.44). Additionally, the likelihood of developing mental distress among physically and verbally abused staffs was 2.34 times higher than their counterparts. Also it was more than two times higher among health professionals reported poor prospect of promotion than those who reported good prospect of promotion. Conclusion: Identified association of work related factors with mental distress needs for immediate and far-reaching interventions of stress reduction therapy. Finding adequate prevention strategies to combat burnout seems therefore very crucial.

Improving maternal health through research

It has been two years since we launched the African Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health (AJM) at the Africa Midwives Research Network (AMRN) conference in Nairobi 2007. Since then we have had a number of valuable contributions from midwives and nurses in many different African countries, such as Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia and South Africa, to name only a few. We have also received contributions from midwives with a special interest in Africa from other countries, such as Sweden and the UK. Research by midwives and other health professionals in Africa is copious and the aim of the AJM since its inception has been to provide a forum for this knowledge to be shared, so that clinical practice can be influenced and improved.

Using mid-level cadres as substitutes for internationally mobile health professionals in Africa. A desk review.

BackgroundSubstitute health workers are cadres who take on some of the functions and roles normally reserved for internationally recognized health professionals such as doctors, pharmacists and nurses but who usually receive shorter pre-service training and possess lower qualifications.MethodsA desk review is conducted on the education, regulation, scopes of practice, specialization, nomenclature, retention and cost-effectiveness of substitute health workers in terms of their utilization in countries such as Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Ghana etc., using curricula, evaluations and key-informant questionnaires.ResultsThe cost-effectiveness of using substitutes and their relative retention within countries and in rural communities underlies their advantages to African health systems. Some studies comparing clinical officers and doctors show minimal differences in outcomes to patients. Specialized substitutes provide services in disciplines such as surgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, radiology, dermatology, anesthesiology and dentistry, demonstrating a general bias of use for clinical services.ConclusionsThe findings raise interest in expanding the use of substitute cadres, as the demands of expanding access to services such as antiretroviral treatment requires substantial human resources capacity. Understanding the roles and conditions under which such cadres best function, and managing the skepticism and professional turf protection that restricts their potential, will assist in effective utilization of substitutes.

The practice of behavior therapy in West Africa: The case of Ghana

The purpose of this report is to discuss the role of behavior therapy as an additional treatment model in the field of mental health in Ghana. The problems and achievements in its pioneer stage have been discussed. Ghanaian neurotics' concept of etiology of illness is profoundly rooted in cultural beliefs such as evil machination and cosmic forces. The profound role played by the traditional healers' definition of ‘mysterious illness’ and treatment of neurotic symptoms has been modified since the introduction of behavior therapy and this serves as a threat to the “healers”. Analysing the findings so far one can recommend that behavior therapy be included and emphasized in the future training of African psychiatrists and other mental health professionals in Africa in general and in Ghana in particular.