African health sciences
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African health sciences · Mar 2022
Alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking: a health-risk behaviour among secondary school learners in South Africa.
Health-risk behaviours such as tobacco smoking and alcohol are now identified among adolescents in most of the secondary schools of South Africa. ⋯ There was high prevalence of alcohol use and smoking among learners in secondary schools. Excessive use of alcohol and smoking could affect the health of learners in their late life and therefore community collaboration to curb the problem is crucial.
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African health sciences · Mar 2022
Exploring the use of p53 protein expression as an indicator of oesophageal cancer severity from a high incidence rural area of Africa.
The expression of p53 has been associated with the severity of other types of cancer. There is scanty information when it comes to oesophageal cancer. ⋯ The expression of p53 protein does not vary according to the histological grade of oesophageal cancer in the given population, therefore may not be helpful as a prognostic factor.
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African health sciences · Mar 2022
Mycobacterium tuberculosis mixed infections and drug resistance in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.
Sub-Saharan Africa, is a region that records high rates of TB infection. Mycobacterium tuberculosis mixed strain infection, especially when the strains involved are of different susceptibilities, is an area of great interest because it is linked with an increased risk of treatment failure and transmission of resistant strains within the population. This paper reviewed original studies that reported MTB mixed infection and heteroresistance in the region between 2010 and 2020 to understand the extent of mixed strain infection and heteroresistance in the region. This information is very critical in the control of TB and ending the TB epidemic by 2035 as per the World Health Organization's vision. ⋯ Despite the scarcity of data on mixed infections and heteroresistance in sub-Saharan Africa, various studies have revealed that these conditions are frequent in the region than previously thought. Given the evidence of the effect of mixed infections on drug resistance and treatment outcome, we conclude that mixed infection is an unavoidable topic for future studies.
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African health sciences · Mar 2022
Conceptualization and practices in digital health: voices from Africa.
This paper presents voices from Africa on digital health in Africa. These voices were gleaned during interviews and an online, focus group session in May 2020, during which 30 experts across Africa, among others from the South, were asked about their experiences and observations on the conceptualisation of, and practices in, digital health in their respective communities and countries. Extensive input was provided, both orally and textually. ⋯ In addition, the quotes show how a one-size-fits-all solution approach does not exist, it is not a solution to Africa. Further, the community-focus, fit, and fragmentation of existing activities digital health interventions is questioned. The narratives provide a rich resource indicating capable and local agency and the need to address power-differences in international health development.
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African health sciences · Mar 2022
Observational StudyCataract surgery outcomes: comparison of the extracapsular cataract extraction and manual small incision cataract surgery techniques.
Blindness and visual impairment are public health problems and constitute an important socio-economic burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding the outcomes of cataract surgery will improve our knowledge of risk factors for poor outcomes. Previous studies have focused exclusively on the phacoemulsification technique with limited attention to the extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) and manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) techniques. ⋯ The MSICS technique showed better post-surgery outcomes than the ECCE technique.