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Setting Since August 2016, after the Ebola outbreak, the Guinean National Tuberculosis Programme and Damien Foundation implemented the shorter treatment regimen (STR) for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in the three MDR-TB sites of Conakry. Previously, the longer regimen was used to treat MDR-TB. Objectives In a post-Ebola context, with a weakened health system, we describe the MDR-TB treatment uptake, patients characteristics, treatment outcomes and estimate the effect of using the longer versus STR on having a programmatically adverse outcome. Design This is a retrospective cohort study in RR-TB patients treated with either the longer regimen or STR. Results In Conakry, in 2016 and 2017, 131 and 219 patients were diagnosed with rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB); and 108 and 163 started treatment, respectively. Of 271 patients who started treatment, 75 were treated with the longer regimen and 196 with the STR. Patients characteristics were similar regardless of the regimen except that the median age was higher among those treated with a longer regimen (30 years (IQR:24-38) versus 26 years (IQR:21-39) for the STR. Patients treated with a STR were more likely to obtain a programmatically favorable outcome (74.0% vs 58.7%, p = 0.01) as lost to follow up was higher among those treated with a longer regimen (20.0% vs 8.2%, p = 0.006). Patients on a longer regimen were more than 2 times more likely (aOR: 2.5; 95%CI:1.3,4.7) to have a programmatically adverse outcome as well as being 45 years or older (aOR: 2.8; 95%CI:1.3,6.2), HIV positive (aOR:3.3; 95%CI:1.6,6.6) and attendance at a clinic without NGO support (aOR:3.0; 95%:1.6,5.7). Conclusion In Guinea, patients treated with the STR were more likely to have a successful outcome than those treated with the longer MDR-TB treatment regimen. Lost to follow-up was higher in patients on the longer regimen. However, STR treatment outcomes were less good than those reported in the region.

Background Most countries in Subsaharan Africa have well-established National Tuberculosis Control Programs with relatively stable routine performances. However, major epidemiological events may result in significant disruptions. In March 2014, the World Health Organization announced the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Guinea, a country with a high incidence of TB and HIV. Our study aimed to assess the impact of the Ebola virus disease outbreak on TB notification, treatment, and surveillance, using main indicators. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study that compared TB trends using surveillance data from the periods before (2011–2013), during (2014–2016), and after (2017–2018) Ebola virus disease outbreak. A time-series analysis was conducted to investigate the linkages between the decline in TB notification and the Ebola virus disease outbreak through cross-correlation. The lag in the cross-correlation test was evaluated using ANCOVA type II delayed variable dependent model. The surveillance system was assessed using TB surveillance standards and benchmarks and vital registration systems recommended by WHO, compared with those of 2015 during the Ebola virus disease. Results The rate of reporting of TB declined from 120 cases per 100,000 in 2011 to 100 cases per 100,000 in 2014, at the peak of the Ebola virus disease outbreak. The time-series cross-correlation test of all notified cases of TB and Ebola showed a significant lag of − 0.4 (40%), reflecting a drop in the rate of notification (F-value = 5.7 [95% CI: 0.2–21.3]). The Ebola virus disease had no negative impact on patient treatment outcomes (F-value = 1.3 [95% CI: 0.0–8.8]). Regarding the surveillance system, five out of 13 WHO standards and benchmarks were met following their evaluation in 2019, after the Ebola virus disease outbreak, compared to three in 2015. Conclusion Major epidemics such as the Ebola virus disease outbreak may have a significant impact on well-established TB control programs as shown in the example of Guinea. Sudden disruptions of routine performance may lead programs to improve their surveillance system. The experience acquired in the fight against EVD and the investments made should make it possible to prepare the health system in a coherent manner for the other probable episodes.

Digital health interventions, such as electronic immunization registries (eIRs) and electronic logistic management information systems (eLMIS), have the potential to significantly improve immunization data management and vaccine logistics in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite their growing adoption, there is limited evidence of the financial and economic costs associated with their implementation compared to traditional paper-based systems. We aimed to measure the costs of implementing eIR and eLMIS systems in LMICs and to estimate their economic costs as compared to the previous paper-based registries. The study was conducted across four countries-Guinea, Honduras, Rwanda, and Tanzania-which implemented the tools in 2018, 2012, 2019, and 2014, respectively. A combination of primary and secondary data sources was used for the analysis. Retrospective cost data regarding the design, development, and implementation of the tools were directly obtained from implementers and National Immunization Program offices in all countries. Primary survey data were collected to gauge the operational expenses of immunization information systems, both with and without electronic tools, using an activity-based costing approach in 275 facilities. The annual cost of the immunization information system at the national level was then extrapolated and compared to national spending on immunization as a measure of affordability. Costs were reported in 2023 international dollars (I$). The total costs of designing, developing, and deploying eIR, eLMIS, or both were I$ 2.2, 6.4, 6.8, and 44.3 million in Guinea, Honduras, Rwanda, and Tanzania, respectively. Design costs were greatly affected by the degree of customization of the tool, whereas rollout costs were mostly driven by the costs of purchasing hardware and training health workers. Overall, the implementation of the electronic systems was associated with higher costs in Honduras (I$626 per facility, 95% CI 516-821) and Rwanda (I$399, 95% CI I$108-I$691), a cost reduction in Tanzania (-I$2539, 95% CI -I$4290 to -I$789) and no significant cost difference in Guinea. The percentage weight of the cost of managing data with the electronic systems over the total national immunization budgets was estimated at 0.7%, 7.7%, 3.3%, and 4.8% for Guinea, Honduras, Rwanda, and Tanzania, respectively. Digital health interventions such as eIR and eLMIS can potentially reduce costs and improve the efficiency of immunization data management and vaccine logistics in LMICs. However, the extent of cost savings depends on how effectively these digital systems replace traditional paper-based methods and the extent of their use in decision-making, especially at the facility level. Careful planning and investment are essential to unlocking the full economic potential of digital health in LMICs.

BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) poses a significant public health challenge in Guinea, with an estimated 22 000 TB cases in 2020; an estimated 6125 (28%) cases went undetected. We evaluated an intensified TB case finding strategy in Guinea which targeted customers who bought cough suppressants from pharmacies or drug outlets.MethodsWe involved 25 pharmacies and 25 drug outlets in Matoto, Conakry, Guinea. Pharmacists or outlet owners identified and referred all customers with TB symptoms who were purchasing cough suppressants to healthcare workers for sputum collection either at the pharmacy or drug outlet or at a nearby TB diagnosis and treatment centre (CDT); sputum was subjected to bacteriological testing with acid fast bacilli smear or Xpert MTB/RIF. We assessed factors associated with eventual TB diagnosis using logistic regression and time to TB diagnosis using cox regression and used microcosting to estimate the cost of the intervention in 2020 US$.ResultsFrom November 2019 to June 2020, we screened 916 people referred from pharmacies or drug outlets with TB symptoms, with median age of 31 years (54% male). Overall, 126 (14%) had bacteriologically confirmed TB. Odds of TB diagnosis were significantly lower with increasing age (adjusted OR (aOR) per additional year=0.98; 95% CI 0.97 to 0.99) and higher among males (aOR=1.57; 95% CI 1.04 to 2.39) and those with symptoms. Those identified at drug outlets had significantly faster time to presentation from symptom onset than pharmacies (adjusted HR=1.73; 95% CI 1.50 to 1.99). The total cost of the intervention per person referred was US$32.66 and per person diagnosed and treated for TB disease of US$237.45.ConclusionIntensified TB case finding through pharmacies and drug outlets is a feasible and effective way to increase TB detection in settings where self-medicating is common, and TB is under-detected.

Care plans are central to effective care delivery for people with multiple chronic conditions. But existing care plans-which typically are difficult to share across care settings and care team members-poorly serve people with multiple chronic conditions, who often receive care from numerous clinicians in multiple care settings. Comprehensive, shared electronic care (e-care) plans are dynamic electronic tools that facilitate care coordination and address the totality of health and social needs across care contexts. They have emerged as a potential way to improve care for individuals with multiple chronic conditions. To review the landscape of e-care plans and care plan-related initiatives that could allow the creation of a comprehensive, shared e-care plan and inform a joint initiative by the National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to develop e-care planning tools for people with multiple chronic conditions. We conducted a scoping review, searching literature from 2015 to June 2020 using Scopus, Clinical Key, and PubMed; we also searched the gray literature. To identify initiatives potentially missing from this search, we interviewed expert informants. Relevant data were then identified and extracted in a structured format for data synthesis and analysis using an expanded typology of care plans adapted to our study context. The extracted data included (1) the perspective of the initiatives; (2) their scope, (3) network, and (4) context; (5) their use of open syntax standards; and (6) their use of open semantic standards. We identified 7 projects for e-care plans and 3 projects for health care data standards. Each project provided critical infrastructure that could be leveraged to promote the vision of a comprehensive, shared e-care plan. All the e-care plan projects supported both broad goals and specific behaviors; 1 project supported a network of professionals across clinical, community, and home-based networks; 4 projects included social determinants of health. Most projects specified an open syntax standard, but only 3 specified open semantic standards. A comprehensive, shared, interoperable e-care plan has the potential to greatly improve the coordination of care for individuals with multiple chronic conditions across multiple care settings. The need for such a plan is heightened in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While none of the existing care plan projects meet all the criteria for an optimal e-care plan, they all provide critical infrastructure that can be leveraged as we advance toward the vision of a comprehensive, shared e-care plan. However, critical gaps must be addressed in order to achieve this vision.

Introduction Fractures specific to the pediatric age group represent a particular injury due to their pattern, diagnosis, management, and outcomes. In sub-Saharan Africa, studies on this particular injury are scarce. This study reports sociodemographic, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects and outcomes of these fractures. Methods We conducted a descriptive cross sectional study at the pediatric surgery department of Aristide Le Dantec University Teaching Hospital in Dakar, Senegal, from January 2012 to December 2015. Results A fracture specific to children was diagnosed in 180, of whom 47.7% were school-aged, with 59.4% of males. The mean time from injury to the attendance of our department was 48.2 h. Domestic accidents occurred in 51.1%. A total of 243 fractures occurred, mainly on the upper limbs (75.3%), as the most affected bones were the radius (47.3%), ulna (22.6%), and tibia (13.6%). Greenstick fractures represented 46.9%, buckle fractures, 42.8%, plastic deformations 9%, and subperiosteal fractures 0.7%. In all patients, management was orthopedic, with associated analgesic treatment. No sequel nor other complication was registered. Conclusion Fractures proper to the child are a particular entity in children’s trauma, frequently happening in boys, with greenstick and buckle fractures being the most common. Their treatment is exclusively orthopedic, with excellent outcomes.

Since August 2016, after the Ebola outbreak, the Guinean National Tuberculosis Programme and Damien Foundation implemented the shorter treatment regimen (STR) for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in the three MDR-TB sites of Conakry. Previously, the longer regimen was used to treat MDR-TB. In a post-Ebola context, with a weakened health system, we describe the MDR-TB treatment uptake, patients characteristics, treatment outcomes and estimate the effect of using the longer versus STR on having a programmatically adverse outcome. This is a retrospective cohort study in RR-TB patients treated with either the longer regimen or STR. In Conakry, in 2016 and 2017, 131 and 219 patients were diagnosed with rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB); and 108 and 163 started treatment, respectively. Of 271 patients who started treatment, 75 were treated with the longer regimen and 196 with the STR. Patients characteristics were similar regardless of the regimen except that the median age was higher among those treated with a longer regimen (30 years (IQR:24-38) versus 26 years (IQR:21-39) for the STR. Patients treated with a STR were more likely to obtain a programmatically favorable outcome (74.0% vs 58.7%, p = 0.01) as lost to follow up was higher among those treated with a longer regimen (20.0% vs 8.2%, p = 0.006). Patients on a longer regimen were more than 2 times more likely (aOR: 2.5; 95%CI:1.3,4.7) to have a programmatically adverse outcome as well as being 45 years or older (aOR: 2.8; 95%CI:1.3,6.2), HIV positive (aOR:3.3; 95%CI:1.6,6.6) and attendance at a clinic without NGO support (aOR:3.0; 95%:1.6,5.7). In Guinea, patients treated with the STR were more likely to have a successful outcome than those treated with the longer MDR-TB treatment regimen. Lost to follow-up was higher in patients on the longer regimen. However, STR treatment outcomes were less good than those reported in the region.

Since August 2016, after the Ebola outbreak, the Guinean National Tuberculosis Programme and Damien Foundation implemented the shorter treatment regimen (STR) for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in the three MDR-TB sites of Conakry. Previously, the longer regimen was used to treat MDR-TB. In a post-Ebola context, with a weakened health system, we describe the MDR-TB treatment uptake, patients characteristics, treatment outcomes and estimate the effect of using the longer versus STR on having a programmatically adverse outcome. This is a retrospective cohort study in RR-TB patients treated with either the longer regimen or STR. In Conakry, in 2016 and 2017, 131 and 219 patients were diagnosed with rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB); and 108 and 163 started treatment, respectively. Of 271 patients who started treatment, 75 were treated with the longer regimen and 196 with the STR. Patients characteristics were similar regardless of the regimen except that the median age was higher among those treated with a longer regimen (30 years (IQR:24-38) versus 26 years (IQR:21-39) for the STR. Patients treated with a STR were more likely to obtain a programmatically favorable outcome (74.0% vs 58.7%, p = 0.01) as lost to follow up was higher among those treated with a longer regimen (20.0% vs 8.2%, p = 0.006). Patients on a longer regimen were more than 2 times more likely (aOR: 2.5; 95%CI:1.3,4.7) to have a programmatically adverse outcome as well as being 45 years or older (aOR: 2.8; 95%CI:1.3,6.2), HIV positive (aOR:3.3; 95%CI:1.6,6.6) and attendance at a clinic without NGO support (aOR:3.0; 95%:1.6,5.7). In Guinea, patients treated with the STR were more likely to have a successful outcome than those treated with the longer MDR-TB treatment regimen. Lost to follow-up was higher in patients on the longer regimen. However, STR treatment outcomes were less good than those reported in the region.

Since August 2016, after the Ebola outbreak, the Guinean National Tuberculosis Programme and Damien Foundation implemented the shorter treatment regimen (STR) for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in the three MDR-TB sites of Conakry. Previously, the longer regimen was used to treat MDR-TB. In a post-Ebola context, with a weakened health system, we describe the MDR-TB treatment uptake, patients characteristics, treatment outcomes and estimate the effect of using the longer versus STR on having a programmatically adverse outcome. This is a retrospective cohort study in RR-TB patients treated with either the longer regimen or STR. In Conakry, in 2016 and 2017, 131 and 219 patients were diagnosed with rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB); and 108 and 163 started treatment, respectively. Of 271 patients who started treatment, 75 were treated with the longer regimen and 196 with the STR. Patients characteristics were similar regardless of the regimen except that the median age was higher among those treated with a longer regimen (30 years (IQR:24-38) versus 26 years (IQR:21-39) for the STR. Patients treated with a STR were more likely to obtain a programmatically favorable outcome (74.0% vs 58.7%, p = 0.01) as lost to follow up was higher among those treated with a longer regimen (20.0% vs 8.2%, p = 0.006). Patients on a longer regimen were more than 2 times more likely (aOR: 2.5; 95%CI:1.3,4.7) to have a programmatically adverse outcome as well as being 45 years or older (aOR: 2.8; 95%CI:1.3,6.2), HIV positive (aOR:3.3; 95%CI:1.6,6.6) and attendance at a clinic without NGO support (aOR:3.0; 95%:1.6,5.7). In Guinea, patients treated with the STR were more likely to have a successful outcome than those treated with the longer MDR-TB treatment regimen. Lost to follow-up was higher in patients on the longer regimen. However, STR treatment outcomes were less good than those reported in the region.

Introduction Les accidents de scooter sont de plus en plus fréquents à Dakar. Le but de ce travail est de rapporter les aspects épidémiologiques et lésionnels des ces accidents chez l'enfant à Dakar. Méthodes Une étude rétrospective et descriptive a été menée dans le Service de Chirurgie Pédiatrique du CHU Aristide Le Dantec de Dakar entre le 1er janvier 2009 et le 31 décembre 2011. Nous avons étudié divers paramètres dont la fréquence, les aspects sociodémographiques et lésionnels. Résultats Les accidents de scooter représentaient 12% des accidents de la voie publique. Ils étaient fréquents entre 12 heures et 14 heures (27%) et entre 18 heures et 20 heures (28,4%). Ils pouvaient survenir tous les jours et étaient fréquents pendant les mois d'avril (17,6%) et de juin (13,5%). Ils survenaient essentiellement dans la périphérie de Dakar (78%). La tranche de 3 à 8 ans (60,8%) était la plus touchée. Le sexe masculin était prédominant (sexe ratio de 1,5). Les piétons étaient les plus vulnérables (93,2%). La chute était le mécanisme dominant (98,7%). Les lésions touchaient surtout le membre inférieur (51,1%) et étaient constituées essentiellement de fracture. Conclusion La fréquence des accidents de scooter chez l'enfant est liée à l'urbanisation galopante et à l'accroissement du parc automobile dans une presqu’île. Les victimes sont essentiellement des piétons et présentent le plus souvent des fractures.