The Lancet. Global health
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The Lancet. Global health · Jun 2014
ReviewGlobal causes of maternal death: a WHO systematic analysis.
Data for the causes of maternal deaths are needed to inform policies to improve maternal health. We developed and analysed global, regional, and subregional estimates of the causes of maternal death during 2003-09, with a novel method, updating the previous WHO systematic review. ⋯ Between 2003 and 2009, haemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, and sepsis were responsible for more than half of maternal deaths worldwide. More than a quarter of deaths were attributable to indirect causes. These analyses should inform the prioritisation of health policies, programmes, and funding to reduce maternal deaths at regional and global levels. Further efforts are needed to improve the availability and quality of data related to maternal mortality.
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The Lancet. Global health · Jun 2014
Sensitivity and specificity of HAT Sero-K-SeT, a rapid diagnostic test for serodiagnosis of sleeping sickness caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense: a case-control study.
Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a life-threatening infection affecting rural populations in sub-Saharan Africa. Large-scale population screening by antibody detection with the Card Agglutination Test for Trypanosomiasis (CATT)/Trypanosoma brucei (T b) gambiense helped reduce the number of reported cases of gambiense HAT to fewer than 10 000 in 2011. Because low case numbers lead to decreased cost-effectiveness of such active screening, we aimed to assess diagnostic accuracy of a rapid serodiagnostic test (HAT Sero-K-SeT) applicable in primary health-care centres. ⋯ The diagnostic accuracy of HAT Sero-K-SeT is adequate for T b gambiense antibody detection in local health centres and could be used for active screening whenever a cold chain and electricity supply are unavailable and CATT/T b gambiense cannot be done.