Association between chlorine-treated drinking water, the gut microbiome, and enteric pathogen burden in young children in Haiti: An observational study

OBJECTIVE

The effects of sanitation and hygiene interventions on the gut microbiome and enteric pathogen burden are not well understood. We measured the association between free chlorine residue (FCR) levels in drinking water, microbiome composition, and stool enteric pathogens in infants and young children in Haiti.

METHODS

FCR levels were measured in household drinking water and enteric pathogen burden was evaluated using multiplex RT-PCR of stool among 131 children from one month to five years of age living in Mirebalais, Haiti. Microbiome profiling was performed using metagenomic sequencing.

RESULTS

Most individuals lived in households with undetectable FCR measured in the drinking water (112/131, 86%). Detection of enteric pathogen DNA in stool was common and did not correlate with household water FCR. The infant microbiome in households with detectable FCR demonstrated reduced richness (fewer total number of species, P = 0.04 Kruskall-Wallis test) and less diversity by Inverse Simpson measures (P = 0.05) than households with undetectable FCR. Infants in households with a detectable FCR were more likely to have abundant Bifidobacterium. Using in vitro susceptibility testing, we found that some Bifidobacterium species were resistant to chlorine.

CONCLUSIONS

FCR in household drinking water did not correlate with enteric pathogen burden in our study.

Food Insecurity at Tuberculosis Treatment Initiation Is Associated With Clinical Outcomes in Rural Haiti: A Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis is a leading cause of death worldwide, and food insecurity is known to negatively influence health outcomes through multiple pathways. Few studies have interrogated the relationship between food insecurity and tuberculosis outcomes, particularly independent of nutrition.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective cohort study of adults initiating first-line treatment for clinically suspected or microbiologically confirmed drug-sensitive tuberculosis at a rural referral center in Haiti. We administered a baseline questionnaire, collected clinical data, and analyzed laboratory samples. We used logistic regression models to estimate the relationship between household food insecurity (Household Hunger Scale) and treatment failure or death. We accounted for exclusion of patients lost to follow-up using inverse probability of censoring weighting and adjusted for measured confounders and nutritional status using inverse probability of treatment weighting.

RESULTS

We enrolled 257 participants (37% female) between May 2020 and March 2023 with a median age (interquartile range) of 35 (25-45) years. Of these, 105 (41%) had no hunger in the household, 104 (40%) had moderate hunger in the household, and 48 (19%) had severe hunger in the household. Eleven participants (4%) died, and 6 (3%) had treatment failure. After adjustment, food insecurity was significantly associated with subsequent treatment failure or death (odds ratio 5.78 [95% confidence interval, 1.20-27.8]; P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS

Household food insecurity at tuberculosis treatment initiation was significantly associated with death or treatment failure after accounting for loss to follow-up, measured confounders, and nutritional status. In addition to the known importance of undernutrition, our findings indicate that food insecurity independently affects tuberculosis treatment outcomes in Haiti.

Missing data and missed infections: investigating racial and ethnic disparities in SARS-CoV-2 testing and infection rates in Holyoke, Massachusetts

Routinely collected testing data have been a vital resource for public health response during the COVID-19 pandemic and have revealed the extent to which Black and Hispanic persons have borne a disproportionate burden of SARS-CoV-2 infections and hospitalizations in the United States. However, missing race and ethnicity data and missed infections due to testing disparities limit the interpretation of testing data and obscure the true toll of the pandemic. We investigated potential bias arising from these 2 types of missing data through a case study carried out in Holyoke, Massachusetts, during the prevaccination phase of the pandemic. First, we estimated SARS-CoV-2 testing and case rates by race and ethnicity, imputing missing data using a joint modeling approach. We then investigated disparities in SARS-CoV-2 reported case rates and missed infections by comparing case rate estimates with estimates derived from a COVID-19 seroprevalence survey. Compared with the non-Hispanic White population, we found that the Hispanic population had similar testing rates (476 tested per 1000 vs 480 per 1000) but twice the case rate (8.1% vs 3.7%). We found evidence of inequitable testing, with a higher rate of missed infections in the Hispanic population than in the non-Hispanic White population (79 infections missed per 1000 vs 60 missed per 1000).

Food Insecurity and Undernutrition Are Associated With Distinct Immunologic Profiles in People With Tuberculosis and Advanced HIV Starting Antiretroviral Therapy

BACKGROUND

Food insecurity and undernutrition are related but distinct concepts contributing to poor HIV and tuberculosis outcomes. Pathways linking them with immunologic profile, which may relate to clinical outcomes, remain understudied.

METHODS

We analyzed data from a cohort study of 165 antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve adults with advanced HIV and newly diagnosed tuberculosis in Botswana from 2009 to 2013. Twenty-nine plasma biomarkers were measured pre-ART and 4 weeks post-ART initiation. We used principal components analysis (PCA) and multivariable linear regression models to assess relationships between immunological profiles and food insecurity (based on the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale), undernutrition (body mass index <18.5 kg/m 2 ), and clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

PCA identified 5 principal components with eigenvalues >1. After adjustment, food insecurity was associated with PC3 pre-ART (0.19 per increased category of severity, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.36) and post-ART (0.24, 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.41). PC3 was driven by higher levels of IFN-α, IFN-γ, interleukin (IL)-12p40, vascular endothelial growth factor, IL-1α, and IL-8 and decreased concentrations of IL-3. Undernutrition was associated with PC5 post-ART (0.49, 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.82). PC5 was driven by higher levels of IL-8, MIP-1α, IL-6, and IL-10 and decreased concentrations in IP-10 and IFN-α. Post-ART PC3 (4.3 percentage point increased risk per increased score of 1, 95% CI: 0.3 to 8.9) and post-ART PC5 (4.8, 95% CI: 0.6 to 8.9) were associated with death in adjusted models.

DISCUSSION

We identified 2 distinct immunologic profiles associated with food insecurity, undernutrition, and clinical outcomes in patients with advanced HIV and tuberculosis. Different pathophysiologic processes may link food insecurity and undernutrition with poor outcomes in this vulnerable patient population. Future studies should assess the impact of improving food access and intake on immune function and clinical outcomes.

Effectiveness of the Euvichol® oral cholera vaccine at 2 years: A case-control and bias-indicator study in Haiti

OBJECTIVES

The World Health Organization recommends the use of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) in cholera control efforts. Euvichol®, pre-qualified in 2015, is the leading component of the Global OCV stockpile, but data on its field effectiveness are limited. To evaluate Euvichol® vaccine effectiveness (VE), we conducted a case-control study between September 2018 to March 2020 following an OCV campaign in November 2017 in Haiti.

METHODS

Cases were individuals with acute watery diarrhea. Stool samples were tested by culture and real-time polymerase chain reaction of the Vibrio cholerae ctxA gene. Cases were matched to four community controls without diarrhea by residence, enrollment time, age, and gender, and interviewed for sociodemographics, risk factors, and self-reported vaccination. Cholera cases were analyzed by conditional logistic regression in the VE study. Non-cholera diarrhea cases were analyzed in a bias-indicator study.

RESULTS

We enrolled 15 cholera cases matched to 60 controls, and 63 non-cholera diarrhea cases matched to 249 controls. In the VE analysis, eight (53%) cases reported vaccination with any number of doses compared to 43 (72%) controls. Adjusted two-dose OCV VE was 69% (95% CI -71 to 94%).

CONCLUSIONS

Between 10-27 months after vaccination, Euvichol® was effective and similar to Shanchol™, suggesting that it can serve as one component of multi-sectoral comprehensive cholera control.

Disparities in SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Race, Ethnicity, Language, and Social Vulnerability: Evidence from a Citywide Seroprevalence Study in Massachusetts, USA

OBJECTIVES

Uncovering and addressing disparities in infectious disease outbreaks require a rapid, methodical understanding of local epidemiology. We conducted a seroprevalence study of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Holyoke, Massachusetts, a majority Hispanic city with high levels of socio-economic disadvantage to estimate seroprevalence and identify disparities in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

METHODS

We invited 2000 randomly sampled households between 11/5/2020 and 12/31/2020 to complete questionnaires and provide dried blood spots for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing. We calculated seroprevalence based on the presence of IgG antibodies using a weighted Bayesian procedure that incorporated uncertainty in antibody test sensitivity and specificity and accounted for household clustering.

RESULTS

Two hundred eighty households including 472 individuals were enrolled. Three hundred twenty-eight individuals underwent antibody testing. Citywide seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG was 13.1% (95% CI 6.9-22.3) compared to 9.8% of the population infected based on publicly reported cases. Seroprevalence was 16.1% (95% CI 6.2-31.8) among Hispanic individuals compared to 9.4% (95% CI 4.6-16.4) among non-Hispanic white individuals. Seroprevalence was higher among Spanish-speaking households (21.9%; 95% CI 8.3-43.9) compared to English-speaking households (10.2%; 95% CI 5.2-18.0) and among individuals in high social vulnerability index (SVI) areas based on the CDC SVI (14.4%; 95% CI 7.1-25.5) compared to low SVI areas (8.2%; 95% CI 3.1-16.9).

CONCLUSIONS

The SARS-CoV-2 IgG seroprevalence in a city with high levels of social vulnerability was 13.1% during the pre-vaccination period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hispanic individuals and individuals in communities characterized by high SVI were at the highest risk of infection. Public health interventions should be designed to ensure that individuals in high social vulnerability communities have access to the tools to combat COVID-19.

Seroprevalence of Vibrio cholerae in Adults, Haiti, 2017

In Haiti in 2017, the prevalence of serum vibriocidal antibody titers against Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1 among adults was 12.4% in Cerca-la-Source and 9.54% in Mirebalais, suggesting a high recent prevalence of infection. Improved surveillance programs to monitor cholera and guide public health interventions in Haiti are necessary.

Poor Sensitivity of Stool Culture Compared to Polymerase Chain Reaction in Surveillance for Vibrio cholerae in Haiti, 2018-2019

We report on the sensitivity and specificity of stool culture compared to polymerase chain reaction for detecting Vibrio cholerae in Haiti during the waning period of the initial outbreak in 2018-2019. We found that stool culture (with a sensitivity of 33.3% and specificity of 97.4%) may not be sufficiently robust in this context.

Food insecurity and risk of cholera: A cross-sectional study and exploratory analysis of potential mediators

BACKGROUND

Food insecurity has been independently associated with developing cholera and there is an inverse relationship between national food security and annual cholera incidence. However, the factors that mediate the risk of cholera among food insecure households remain largely unexplored.

METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

In a cross-sectional survey of rural households in Haiti, we explored the role of food behaviors (i.e., dietary choices and food-handling practices) as mediators of cholera risk among food-insecure families. We generated a series of multivariable regression models to test hypothesized associations between the severity of food insecurity (measured by the Household Hunger Scale), hygiene and food behaviors, and history of severe, medically-attended cholera. Moderate household hunger (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 1.47, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.05-2.04; p = 0.021) and severe hunger (AOR 2.45, 95% CI 1.45-4.15; p = 0.001) were positively associated with a history of severe, medically-attended cholera compared with little to no household hunger. Household hunger was positively associated with three behaviors: antacid use, consumption of leftover non-reheated food, and eating food and beverages prepared outside of the home (i.e., at a restaurant or from a vendor). Consumption of outside food items and antacid use were positively associated with a history of cholera.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that food behaviors may mediate the association between food insecurity and cholera and contribute to an understanding of how interventions could be designed to target food insecurity as part of cholera prevention and control.

An Assessment of a Rapid SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test in Bangladesh

Early detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection is crucial to prevent its spread. This study aimed to document test sensitivity/specificity, correlation with cycle threshold value from polymerase chain reaction (PCR), fitness-for-use in different populations and settings, and user perspectives that could inform large-scale implementation. In this study, we evaluated the performance of a rapid antigen detection test, BD Veritor, and compared this (and another rapid test, Standard Q) against reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) in terms of sensitivity and specificity in 130 symptomatic and 130 asymptomatic adults. In addition, we evaluated the suitability and ease of use of the BD Veritor test in a subsample of study participants (n = 42) and implementers (n = 5). At 95% confidence interval, the sensitivity of the BD Veritor and Standard Q test were 70% and 63% in symptomatic and 87% and 73% in asymptomatic individuals, respectively, regarding positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR results. Overall, the BD Veritor test was 78% sensitive and 99.5% specific compared with RT-PCR irrespective of the cycle threshold. This warrants large field evaluation as well as use of the rapid antigen test for quick assessment of SARS-CoV-2 for containment of epidemics in the country.

Assessment of performance and implementation characteristics of rapid point of care SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a need for rapid identification of infectious cases. Testing barriers have prohibited adequate screening for SARS-CoV-2, resulting in significant delays in commencement of treatment and outbreak control measures. This study aimed to generate evidence on the performance and implementation characteristics of the BD Veritor™ Plus System rapid antigen test as compared to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 in Kenya. Methods: This was a field test performance evaluation in adults undergoing testing for SARS-CoV-2. Recruited participants were classified as SARS-CoV-2-positive based on RT-PCR carried out on nasopharyngeal swabs. Antigen tests were performed with simultaneous RT-PCR on 272 participants, allowing estimation of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for the rapid antigen test. Implementation characteristics were assessed. Results: We enrolled 97 PCR negative symptomatic and 128 PCR negative asymptomatic, and 28 PCR positive symptomatic and 19 PCR positive asymptomatic participants. Compared to RT-PCR, the sensitivity of the rapid antigen test was 94% (95% confidence interval [CI] 86.6 to 100.0) while the specificity was 98% (95% CI 96 to 100). There was no association between sensitivity and symptom status, or between the cycle threshold value and sensitivity of the BD Veritor. The rapid test had a quick turnaround time, required minimal resources, and laboratory personnel conducting testing found it easier to use than RT-PCR. The relatively high sensitivity of BD Veritor may be partially attributed to shortages of RT-PCR testing materials, resulting in specimen analysis delays and potential degradation of viral genetic material. Therefore, in resource-constrained settings, rapid antigen tests may perform better than the reference RT-PCR, resulting in prompt institution of isolation and treatment measures.  Conclusion: The BD Veritor rapid antigen test’s high sensitivity should be interpreted with consideration to the challenges occasioned by RT-PCR testing in resource-constrained settings.

Effectiveness of contact tracing in the control of infectious diseases: a systematic review

Background

Contact tracing is used for multiple infectious diseases, most recently for COVID-19, but data regarding its effectiveness in disease control are scarce. To address this knowledge gap and inform public health decision making for COVID-19, we systematically reviewed the existing literature to determine the effectiveness of contact tracing in the control of communicable illness.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from database inception up to Nov 22, 2021, for published studies evaluating associations between provider-initiated contact tracing for transmissible infectious diseases and one of three outcomes of interest: case detection rates among contacts or at the community level, overall forward transmission, or overall disease incidence. Clinical trials and observational studies were eligible, with no language or date restrictions. Reference lists of reviews were searched for additional studies. We excluded studies without a control group, using only mathematical modelling, not reporting a primary outcome of interest, or solely examining patient-initiated contact tracing. One reviewer applied eligibility criteria to each screened abstract and full-text article, and two reviewers independently extracted summary effect estimates and additional data from eligible studies. Only data reported in published manuscripts or supplemental material was extracted. Risk of bias for each included study was assessed with the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool (randomised studies) or the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (non-randomised studies).

Findings

We identified 9050 unique citations, of which 47 studies met the inclusion criteria: six were focused on COVID-19, 20 on tuberculosis, eight on HIV, 12 on curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and one on measles. More than 2 million index patients were included across a variety of settings (both urban and rural areas and low-resource and high-resource settings). Of the 47 studies, 29 (61·7%) used observational designs, including all studies on COVID-19, and 18 (38·3%) were randomised controlled trials. 40 studies compared provider-initiated contact tracing with other interventions or evaluated expansions of provider-initiated contact tracing, and seven compared programmatic adaptations within provider-initiated contact tracing. 29 (72·5%) of the 40 studies evaluating the effect of provider-initiated contact tracing, including four (66·7%) of six COVID-19 studies, found contact tracing interventions were associated with improvements in at least one outcome of interest. 23 (48·9%) studies had low risk of bias, 22 (46·8%) studies had some risk of bias, and two (4·3%) studies (both randomised controlled trials on curable STIs) had high risk of bias.

Interpretation

Provider-initiated contact tracing can be an effective public health tool. However, the ability of authorities to make informed choices about its deployment might be limited by heterogenous approaches to contact tracing in studies, a scarcity of quantitative evidence on its effectiveness, and absence of specificity of tracing parameters most important for disease control.

Funding

The Sullivan Family Foundation, Massachusetts General Hospital Executive Committee on Research, and US National Institutes of Health.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Diagnostic Clinical Decision Support: A Pre-Post Implementation Study of CORAL (COvid Risk cALculator)

BACKGROUND

Isolation of hospitalized persons under investigation (PUIs) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reduces nosocomial transmission risk. Efficient evaluation of PUIs is needed to preserve scarce healthcare resources. We describe the development, implementation, and outcomes of an inpatient diagnostic algorithm and clinical decision support system (CDSS) to evaluate PUIs.

METHODS

We conducted a pre-post study of CORAL (COvid Risk cALculator), a CDSS that guides frontline clinicians through a risk-stratified COVID-19 diagnostic workup, removes transmission-based precautions when workup is complete and negative, and triages complex cases to infectious diseases (ID) physician review. Before CORAL, ID physicians reviewed all PUI records to guide workup and precautions. After CORAL, frontline clinicians evaluated PUIs directly using CORAL. We compared pre- and post-CORAL frequency of repeated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), time from NAAT result to PUI status discontinuation, total duration of PUI status, and ID physician work hours, using linear and logistic regression, adjusted for COVID-19 incidence.

RESULTS

Fewer PUIs underwent repeated testing after an initial negative NAAT after CORAL than before CORAL (54% vs 67%, respectively; adjusted odd ratio, 0.53 [95% confidence interval, .44-.63]; P < .01). CORAL significantly reduced average time to PUI status discontinuation (adjusted difference [standard error], -7.4 [0.8] hours per patient), total duration of PUI status (-19.5 [1.9] hours per patient), and average ID physician work-hours (-57.4 [2.0] hours per day) (all P < .01). No patients had a positive NAAT result within 7 days after discontinuation of precautions via CORAL.

CONCLUSIONS

CORAL is an efficient and effective CDSS to guide frontline clinicians through the diagnostic evaluation of PUIs and safe discontinuation of precautions.

Factors associated with diarrheal disease among children aged 1-5 years in a cholera epidemic in rural Haiti

Diarrheal illness is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children in Haiti, and the impact of diarrheal illness was compounded by a cholera outbreak between 2010 and 2019. Our understanding of risk factors for diarrhea among children during this outbreak is limited. We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected as part of a cholera vaccine effectiveness study to identify factors associated with medically attended diarrhea among children in central Haiti from October of 2012 through November of 2016. We identified 47 children aged one to five years old who presented to medical clinics with acute, watery diarrhea, and 166 matched controls who did not have diarrhea, and we performed conditional logistic regression to identify factors associated with diarrhea. Discontinuing exclusive breastfeeding within one month of birth was associated with increased risk of diarrhea (RR 6.9, 95% CI 1.46–32.64), and diarrhea was inversely associated with reported history of supplementation with vitamin A (RR 0.05, 95% CI 0.004–0.56) and zinc (reported among 0% of cases vs. 17% of controls). Because of the concordance in supplementation patterns, it was not possible to attribute the association to vitamin A or zinc independently. While having a respondent who correctly identified ≥3 means of avoiding cholera was associated with reduced risk of diarrhea (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.19–1.01), reported household sanitation practices and knowledge of cholera were not consistently associated with risk of diarrhea. These findings support ongoing efforts to reduce barriers to breastfeeding and promote pediatric supplementation with vitamin A and zinc in Haiti. Given the reduced efficacy of current oral cholera vaccines (OCV) among children, the results reinforce the importance of breastfeeding and micronutrient supplementation in preventing all-cause pediatric diarrheal illness generally and during cholera outbreaks.

Diarrheal diseases are leading causes of illness and death among children throughout the world, and children in Haiti were particularly impacted by diarrhea during the cholera outbreak that started in 2010. Between 2012 and 2016, data were collected as part of a case-control study of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) effectiveness in Haiti. We analyzed data from that study to identify factors associated with diarrheal illness, including cholera and non-cholera diarrhea, among children ages one through five years old. We found a direct association between longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding and supplementation with vitamin A and zinc and a reduced risk of diarrhea. These findings shed light on potentially important components of efforts to reduce pediatric diarrheal illness in Haiti generally, and to reduce pediatric diarrhea in the context of cholera outbreaks in Haiti and elsewhere.

Defining Polysaccharide-Specific Antibody Targets against Vibrio cholerae O139 in Humans following O139 Cholera and following Vaccination with a Commercial Bivalent Oral Cholera Vaccine, and Evaluation of Conjugate Vaccines Targeting O139

Cholera caused by Vibrio cholerae O139 could reemerge, and proactive development of an effective O139 vaccine would be prudent. To define immunoreactive and potentially immunogenic carbohydrate targets of Vibrio cholerae O139, we assessed immunoreactivities of various O-specific polysaccharide (OSP)-related saccharides with plasma from humans hospitalized with cholera caused by O139, comparing responses to those induced in recipients of a commercial oral whole-cell killed bivalent (O1 and O139) cholera vaccine (WC-O1/O139). We also assessed conjugate vaccines containing selected subsets of these saccharides for their ability to induce protective immunity using a mouse model of cholera. We found that patients with wild-type O139 cholera develop IgM, IgA, and IgG immune responses against O139 OSP and many of its fragments, but we were able to detect only a moderate IgM response to purified O139 OSP-core, and none to its fragments, in immunologically naive recipients of WC-O1/O139. We found that immunoreactivity of O139-specific polysaccharides with antibodies elicited by wild-type infection markedly increase when saccharides contain colitose and phosphate residues, that a synthetic terminal tetrasaccharide fragment of OSP is more immunoreactive and protectively immunogenic than complete OSP, that native OSP-core is a better protective immunogen than the synthetic OSP lacking core, and that functional vibriocidal activity of antibodies predicts in vivo protection in our model but depends on capsule thickness. Our results suggest that O139 OSP-specific responses are not prominent following vaccination with a currently available oral cholera vaccine in immunologically naive humans and that vaccines targeting V. cholerae O139 should be based on native OSP-core or terminal tetrasaccharide. IMPORTANCE Cholera is a severe dehydrating illness of humans caused by Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1 or O139. Protection against cholera is serogroup specific, and serogroup specificity is defined by O-specific polysaccharide (OSP). Little is known about immunity to O139 OSP. In this study, we used synthetic fragments of the O139 OSP to define immune responses to OSP in humans recovering from cholera caused by V. cholerae O139, compared these responses to those induced by the available O139 vaccine, and evaluated O139 fragments in next-generation conjugate vaccines. We found that the terminal tetrasaccharide of O139 is a primary immune target but that the currently available bivalent cholera vaccine poorly induces an anti-O139 OSP response in immunologically naive individuals.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Eligibility and HIV Incidence in the United States

Background

The connection between food insecurity and HIV outcomes is well established. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the primary food safety net program in the United States, may have collateral impacts on HIV incidence. “Broad-based categorical eligibility” for SNAP is a policy that provides a mechanism for states to increase the income or asset limits for SNAP eligibility.

Methods

We estimated the association between the number of new HIV diagnoses in 2010–2014 for each state and (1) state income limits and (2) state asset limits for SNAP eligibility. We fitted multivariable negative binomial regression models with number of HIV diagnoses specified as the outcome; SNAP policies as the primary explanatory variable of interest; state and year fixed effects; and time-varying covariates related to the costs of food, health care, housing, employment, other SNAP policies, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families spending.

Results

HIV diagnoses within states had a statistically significant association with state income limits for SNAP eligibility (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.94 per increase in the income limit by 35% of federal poverty level; 95% CI, 0.91–0.98), but no association with state asset limits (increased asset limit vs no change: IRR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.94–1.10; eliminated asset limit vs no change: IRR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.99–1.10).

Conclusions

State income limits for SNAP eligibility were inversely associated with the number of new HIV diagnoses for states between 2010 and 2014. Proposals to eliminate the use of broad-based categorical eligibility to increase the income limit for SNAP may undercut efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the United States.

Anti-Racism and Anti-Colonialism Praxis in Global Health-Reflection and Action for Practitioners in US Academic Medical Centers

The movement to decolonize global health and address power inequities among its actors is not new. Founded on the work of colonized and marginalized people themselves, initiatives at universities, schools of public health, and international development organizations have emerged to call for anti-racism and anti-colonialism within the field. US Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) have been less vocal in this wider discussion, despite their large engagement in the field through clinical, research, and medical education activities. As global health practitioners currently based at an AMC, we believe that it is important to critically evaluate our practices. We therefore propose three starting questions for our colleagues and students to consider and act upon as they adopt and navigate a praxis in anti-racism and anti-colonialism as foundational principles in global health. These questions call on us to closely examine the legacies of racism and colonialism in global health, the value placed on different ways of knowing in this field, and our motivations for engaging in this work. They are presented as a tool to reexamine global health, challenging the constructed binary of the "global South" and "global North," and the perceived ideas of poverty and resource scarcity as the natural immutable reality of the global South.

Barriers and facilitators influencing facility-based childbirth in rural Haiti: a mixed method study with a convergent design

Introduction

Haiti has the highest maternal mortality rate in the Western Hemisphere. Facility-based childbirth is promoted as the standard of care for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. We conducted a convergent, mixed methods study to assess barriers and facilitators to facility-based childbirth at Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais (HUM) in Mirebalais, Haiti.

Methods

We conducted secondary analyses of a prospective cohort of pregnant women seeking antenatal care at HUM and quantitatively assessed predictors of not having a facility-based childbirth at HUM. We prospectively enrolled 30 pregnant women and interviewed them about their experiences delivering at home or at HUM.

Results

Of 1105 pregnant women seeking antenatal care at the hospital between May and December 2017, 773 (70%) returned to the hospital for facility-based childbirth. In multivariable analyses, living farther from the hospital (adjusted OR (AOR)=0.73; 95% CI 0.56 to 0.96), poverty (AOR=0.93; 95% CI 0.88 to 0.99) and household hunger (AOR=0.45; 95% CI 0.26 to 0.79) were associated with not having a facility-based childbirth. Primigravid women were more likely to have a facility-based childbirth (AOR=1.34, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.76). Qualitative data provided insight into the value women place on traditional birth attendants (‘matrons’) during home-based childbirths. While women perceived facility-based childbirths as better equipped to handle birth complications, barriers such as distance, costs of transportation and supplies, discomfort of facility birthing practices and mistreatment by medical staff resulted in negative perceptions of facility-based childbirths.

Conclusion

Pregnant women in rural Haiti must overcome substantial structural barriers and forfeit valued support from traditional birth attendants when they pursue facility-based childbirths. If traditional birth attendants could be involved in care alongside midwives at facilities, women may be more inclined to deliver there. While complex structural barriers remain, the inclusion of matrons at facilities may increase uptake of facility-based childbirths, and ultimately improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Achieving coordinated national immunity and cholera elimination in Haiti through vaccination: a modelling study

BACKGROUND

Cholera was introduced into Haiti in 2010. Since then, more than 820 000 cases and nearly 10 000 deaths have been reported. Oral cholera vaccine (OCV) is safe and effective, but has not been seen as a primary tool for cholera elimination due to a limited period of protection and constrained supplies. Regionally, epidemic cholera is contained to the island of Hispaniola, and the lowest numbers of cases since the epidemic began were reported in 2019. Hence, Haiti may represent a unique opportunity to eliminate cholera with OCV.

METHODS

In this modelling study, we assessed the probability of elimination, time to elimination, and percentage of cases averted with OCV campaign scenarios in Haiti through simulations from four modelling teams. For a 10-year period from January 19, 2019, to Jan 13, 2029, we compared a no vaccination scenario with five OCV campaign scenarios that differed in geographical scope, coverage, and rollout duration. Teams used weekly department-level reports of suspected cholera cases from the Haiti Ministry of Public Health and Population to calibrate the models and used common vaccine-related assumptions, but other model features were determined independently.

FINDINGS

Among campaigns with the same vaccination coverage (70% fully vaccinated), the median probability of elimination after 5 years was 0-18% for no vaccination, 0-33% for 2-year campaigns focused in the two departments with the highest historical incidence, 0-72% for three-department campaigns, and 35-100% for nationwide campaigns. Two-department campaigns averted a median of 12-58% of infections, three-department campaigns averted 29-80% of infections, and national campaigns averted 58-95% of infections. Extending the national campaign to a 5-year rollout (compared to a 2-year rollout), reduced the probability of elimination to 0-95% and the proportion of cases averted to 37-86%.

INTERPRETATION

Models suggest that the probability of achieving zero transmission of Vibrio cholerae in Haiti with current methods of control is low, and that bolder action is needed to promote elimination of cholera from the region. Large-scale cholera vaccination campaigns in Haiti would offer the opportunity to synchronise nationwide immunity, providing near-term population protection while improvements to water and sanitation promote long-term cholera elimination.

FUNDING

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Global Good Fund, Institute for Disease Modeling, Swiss National Science Foundation, and US National Institutes of Health.

Mortality Over Long-term Follow-up for People With HIV Receiving Longitudinal Care and Antiretroviral Therapy in Rural Haiti

BACKGROUND

Deaths from HIV have fallen dramatically with the increasing availability of fully suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART), and yet HIV remains the ninth leading cause of death in low-income countries. As more people with HIV enter care and receive ART, the focus will need to shift from expanding ART to including long-term program effectiveness and outcomes for people with HIV already engaged in care.

METHODS

We evaluated risk factors for mortality among people with HIV on ART receiving longitudinal care in rural Haiti. We assessed baseline characteristics using a household survey and abstracted clinical characteristics from the electronic record. We used multivariable Cox regression models to identify risk factors for mortality.

RESULTS

There were 464 people included in this study with a median follow-up (interquartile range [IQR]) of 69 (44-77) months, during which time 37 (8%) were lost to follow-up and 118 (25%) died (median time to death [IQR], 29 [12-53] months). After adjustment, poverty (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 1.12 per 10-percentage point increased probability; 95% CI, 1.01-1.24) and single marital status (AHR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.08-2.36) were associated with increased mortality. Age (AHR, 0.78 per 10-year increase; 95% CI, 0.64-0.94), role function quality of life (AHR, 0.75 per quintile increase; 95% CI, 0.62-0.90), and CD4 count (AHR, 0.66 per 100 cells/μL; 95% CI, 0.58-0.75) were associated with decreased mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Poverty, marital status, and quality of life were associated with mortality. Social protection should be evaluated as a strategy to reduce mortality for people with HIV in concert with increasing access to ART.

Food insecurity as a risk factor for preterm birth: a prospective facility-based cohort study in rural Haiti

INTRODUCTION

Haiti has an estimated neonatal mortality rate of 32/1000 live births, the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Preterm birth and being born small for gestational age (SGA) are major causes of adverse neonatal outcomes worldwide. To reduce preterm birth and infants born SGA, it is important to understand which women are most at risk and how risk varies within countries. There are few studies estimating the prevalence and risk factors for these conditions in Haiti, particularly in rural regions.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective cohort study of pregnant women at a rural tertiary care centre in Haiti from May to December 2017. We collected data during interviews and from the medical record. We built multivariable models to identify risk factors for preterm birth and being born SGA among women who had a facility-based delivery.

RESULTS

1089 pregnant women delivered at the hospital and were included in this analysis. Median gestational age at delivery was 38 weeks (IQR 36-40). In multivariable analyses, risk factors for preterm birth included maternal age <20 years (adjusted OR (AOR) 1.76, 95% CI 1.14 to 2.72) and >34 years (AOR 1.46, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.11) and severe hunger in the household (AOR 1.57, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.26). Risk factors for SGA were age >34 years (AOR 1.76, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.59), twin pregnancy (AOR 3.28, 95% CI 1.20 to 8.95) and first pregnancy (AOR 1.57, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.23). Number of prior abortions was associated with reduced risk for SGA (AOR 0.41, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.97).

CONCLUSIONS

Food insecurity as a risk factor for preterm birth stands out as an important addition to the understanding of the risk of neonatal morbidity and mortality. This association highlights a potentially important intervention target to improve birth outcomes and suggests that food support has an important role to play for pregnant women who are food insecure in low-income settings.