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Adamu AA, Ndwandwe D, Jalo RI, Wiysonge CS. Positioning implementation science in national immunization programmes to improve coverage equity and advance progress toward Immunization Agenda 2030: An urgent global health imperative. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2024; 20:2331872. [PMID: 38556477 PMCID: PMC10984125 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2331872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the availability of effective vaccines for preventing common childhood infectious diseases, there is still significant disparities in access and utilization across many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The factors that drive these disparities are often multilevel, originating from individuals, health facilities, health systems and communities, and also multifaceted. Implementation science has emerged as a field to help address "know-do" gaps in health systems, and can play a significant role in strengthening immunization systems to understand and solve implementation barriers that limit access and uptake within their contexts. This article presents a reflexive perspective on how to position implementation research in immunization programmes to improve coverage equity. Furthermore, key points of synergy between implementation research and vaccination are highlighted, and some potential practice changes that can be applied within specific contexts were proposed. Using a human rights lens, it was concluded that the cost that is associated with implementation failure in immunization programmes is significant and unjust, and future directions for implementation research to optimize its application in practice settings have been recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdu A. Adamu
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Duduzile Ndwandwe
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rabiu I. Jalo
- Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University/Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Charles S. Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Programme, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo
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Adamu AA, Jalo RI, Muhammad ID, Essoh TA, Ndwandwe D, Wiysonge CS. Sustainable financing for vaccination towards advancing universal health coverage in the WHO African region: The strategic role of national health insurance. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2024; 20:2320505. [PMID: 38414114 PMCID: PMC10903629 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2320505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
There is a growing political interest in health reforms in Africa, and many countries are choosing national health insurance as their main financing mechanism for universal health coverage. Although vaccination is an essential health service that can influence progress toward universal health coverage, it is not often prioritized by these national health insurance systems. This paper highlights the potential gains of integrating vaccination into the package of health services that is provided through national health insurance and recommends practical policy actions that can enable countries to harness these benefits at population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdu A. Adamu
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rabiu I. Jalo
- Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University/Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Ibrahim D. Muhammad
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Téné-Alima Essoh
- Agence de Médecine Préventive, Regional Office for Africa, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
| | - Duduzile Ndwandwe
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Charles S. Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Programme, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo
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Doshi RH, Nsasiirwe S, Dahlke M, Atagbaza A, Aluta OE, Tatsinkou AB, Dauda E, Vilajeliu A, Gurung S, Tusiime J, Braka F, Bwaka A, Wanyoike S, Brooks DJ, Blanc DC, Alexander JP, Dahl BA, Lindstrand A, Wiysonge CS. COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage - World Health Organization African Region, 2021-2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024; 73:307-311. [PMID: 38602879 PMCID: PMC11008790 DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7314a3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
With the availability of authorized COVID-19 vaccines in early 2021, vaccination became an effective tool to reduce COVID-19-associated morbidity and mortality. Initially, the World Health Organization (WHO) set an ambitious target to vaccinate 70% of the global population by mid-2022. However, in July 2022, WHO recommended that all countries, including those in the African Region, prioritize COVID-19 vaccination of high-risk groups, including older adults and health care workers, to have the greatest impact on morbidity and mortality. As of December 31, 2023, approximately 860 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been delivered to countries in the African Region, and 646 million doses had been administered. Cumulatively, 38% of the African Region's population had received ≥1 dose, 32% had completed a primary series, and 21% had received ≥1 booster dose. Cumulative total population coverage with ≥1 dose ranged by country from 0.3% to 89%. Coverage with the primary series among older age groups was 52% (range among countries = 15%-96%); primary series coverage among health care workers was 48% (range = 13%-99%). Although the COVID-19 public health emergency of international concern was declared over in May 2023, current WHO recommendations reinforce the need to vaccinate priority populations at highest risk for severe COVID-19 disease and death and build more sustainable programs by integrating COVID-19 vaccination into primary health care, strengthening immunization across the life course, and improving pandemic preparedness.
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Marinda E, Mathentamo Q, Coulson N, Parker S, Dmc Katoto P, Houston G, Magampa M, Pillay N, Ngungu M, Wiysonge CS, van Rooyen H. Impact evaluation of a youth led intervention to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. Vaccine 2024; 42:2089-2098. [PMID: 38423816 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.02.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 vaccination rates in South Africa remain low at 51% of the adult population being fully vaccinated, defined as having two shorts of the COVID-19 vaccine with or without a booster. To improve vaccine uptake, a community-based intervention was tested in a high vaccine hesitancy community in South Africa. Trained community youths used social media, face to face interactions, door to door and neighbourhood outreach activities to deliver the intervention. METHODS To assess if the intervention had an impact, data was collected before the intervention and after the intervention in two districts, Wentworth an intervention site and Newlands East a control site. Both districts are in KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa. The following outcomes, changes on perceptions and knowledge about COVID-19, intention to get vaccinated for those who were not fully vaccinated and vaccination uptake were assessed using difference-in-difference methods applied through Augmented Inverse-Probability Weighting and contrasts of Potential Outcome Means (POM). RESULTS One thousand, one hundred and fifty (1 150) participants agreed to take part in the study at baseline, and 916 (80%) were followed up after the 9-week intervention period. Intention to get vaccinated for COVID-19 was higher (difference-in-difference, DID 20%, 95% CI 6% - 35% higher), more people were fully vaccinated (DID 10%, 95% CI 0% - 20%) or partially vaccinated (DID 16%, 95% CI 6% - 26%) in Wentworth the intervention site compared to Newlands East, the control site. There were noticeable increases on the percentage of study participants indicating trust on the Government's COVID 19 programme, from 24% at baseline to 48% after the intervention in the intervention group than in the control group, 26% baseline and 29% at follow-up. There was a 10% (absolute) increase on the percentage of participants' saying they believed health care workers provided reliable information, 58% at baseline and 68% at follow-up in the intervention group, but there was little change in the control group 56% and 57% for baseline and follow-up respectively. CONCLUSION The youth-led intervention implemented in Wentworth, a community with a high rate of vaccine hesitancy, was effective in increasing vaccination uptake. Given the low COVID-19 vaccine coverage in South Africa and across the African region, as well as the new emerging variant of concern (XBB 1.5), there is an urgent need to scale up such intervention at the community level to address persistent misinformation and promote vaccine equality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmore Marinda
- Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa; School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa.
| | | | - Nancy Coulson
- The Sarraounia Public Health Trust, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa; Wits Mining Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
| | | | - Patrick Dmc Katoto
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7501, South Africa; Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; Centre for General Medicine and Global Health, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | | | | | - Nirvana Pillay
- School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa; The Sarraounia Public Health Trust, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
| | - Mercy Ngungu
- Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7501, South Africa; HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, 4001, South Africa
| | - Heidi van Rooyen
- Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa; SAMRC-Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
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Doutchi M, Ghousmane A, Zampaligre F, Moussa B, Ishagh EK, Talatou Marc O, Oumarou B, Kaya MS, Diawara GA, Camara AM, Moussa S, Bienvenu K, Toko J, Harouna H, Moussa H, Kofi N, Tamuzi JL, Katoto PDMC, Wiysonge CS, Melanga Anya BP. Health transformation toward universal healthcare coverage amidst conflict: examining the impact of international cooperation in Niger. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1303168. [PMID: 38515600 PMCID: PMC10956617 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1303168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Approximately 70% of Sub-Saharan African countries have experienced armed conflicts with significant battle-related fatalities in the past two decades. Niger has witnessed a substantial rise in conflict-affected populations in recent years. In response, international cooperation has aimed to support health transformation in Niger's conflict zones and other conflict-affected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study seeks to review the available evidence on health interventions facilitated by international cooperation in conflict zones, with a focus on Niger. Methods We conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The search was conducted from 2000 to 4 September 2022 using MeSH terms and keywords to identify relevant studies and reports in Sub-Saharan Africa and specifically in Niger. Databases such as PubMed (Medline), Google Scholar, Google, and gray literature were utilized. The findings were presented both narratively and through tables and a conceptual framework. Results Overall, 24 records (10 studies and 14 reports) that highlighted the significant role of international cooperation in promoting health transformation in conflict zones across Sub-Saharan Africa, including Niger, were identified. Major multilateral donors identified were the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), World Bank, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Union, European Commission Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), Global Fund, and Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). Most supports targeted maternal, newborn, child, adolescent, and youth health, nutrition, and psycho-social services. Furthermore, interventions were in the form of public health initiatives, mobile clinic implementation, data management, human resource capacity building, health information systems, health logistics, and research funding in conflict zones. Conclusion This literature review underscores the significant engagement of international cooperation in strengthening and transforming health services in conflict-affected areas across Sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on Niger. However, to optimize the effectiveness of healthcare activities from short- and long-term perspectives, international partners and the Ministry of Public Health need to re-evaluate and reshape their approach to health intervention in conflict zones.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Bizo Moussa
- Bureau de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS), Niamey, Niger
| | - El Khalef Ishagh
- Bureau de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS), Niamey, Niger
| | | | - Batouré Oumarou
- Bureau de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS), Niamey, Niger
| | | | | | | | - Seyni Moussa
- Bureau de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS), Niamey, Niger
| | | | - Joseph Toko
- Bureau de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS), Niamey, Niger
| | - Hamidou Harouna
- Direction de la Surveillance et la Réponse aux Epidémies du Ministère de la Santé Publique, de la Population et des Affaires Sociale, Chargé de la Surveillance, Niamey, Niger
| | - Haladou Moussa
- Bureau de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS), Niamey, Niger
| | - N’Zue Kofi
- Bureau de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS), Niamey, Niger
| | - Jacques Lukenze Tamuzi
- Department of Public Health, Université de Zinder, Zinder, Niger
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Patrick D. M. C. Katoto
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Office of the President and CEO, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Tropical Diseases and Global Health, Department of Medicine, Catholic University of Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Charles S. Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
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Adamu AA, Jalo RI, Ndwandwe D, Wiysonge CS. Informal health sector and routine immunization: making the case for harnessing the potentials of patent medicine vendors for the big catch-up to reduce zero-dose children in sub-Saharan Africa. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1353902. [PMID: 38515595 PMCID: PMC10956693 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1353902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a surge in the number of unimmunized and under-immunized children in Africa. The majority of unimmunized (or zero-dose) children live in hard-to-reach rural areas, urban slums, and communities affected by conflict where health facilities are usually unavailable or difficult to access. In these settings, people mostly rely on the informal health sector for essential health services. Therefore, to reduce zero-dose children, it is critical to expand immunization services beyond health facilities to the informal health sector to meet the immunization needs of children in underserved places. In this perspective article, we propose a framework for the expansion of immunization services through the informal health sector as one of the pillars for the big catch-up plan to improve coverage and equity. In African countries like Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, patent medicine vendors serve as an important informal health sector provider group, and thus, they can be engaged to provide immunization services. A hub-and-spoke model can be used to integrate patent medicine vendors into the immunization system. A hub-and-spoke model is a framework for organization design where services that are provided by a central facility (hub) are complimented by secondary sites (spokes) to optimize access to care. Systems thinking approach should guide the design, implementation, and evaluation of this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdu A. Adamu
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rabiu I. Jalo
- Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University/Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Duduzile Ndwandwe
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Charles S. Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Programme, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Djoué, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
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Dewidar O, Al-Zubaidi A, Bondok M, Abdelrazeq L, Huang J, Jearvis A, Barker LC, Elmestekawy N, Goghomu E, Rader T, Tufte J, Greer-Smith R, Waddington HS, Nicholls SG, Little J, Hardy BJ, Horsley T, Young T, Cuervo LG, Sharp MK, Chamberlain C, Shea B, Craig P, Lawson DO, Rizvi A, Wiysonge CS, Kredo T, Francis D, Kristjansson E, Bhutta Z, Antequera A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Pantoja T, Wang X, Jull J, Roberts JH, Funnell S, White H, Krentel A, Mahande MJ, Ramke J, Wells G, Petkovic J, Pottie K, Niba L, Feng C, Nguliefem MN, Tugwell P, Mbuagbaw L, Welch V. Reporting of equity in observational epidemiology: A methodological review. J Glob Health 2024; 14:04046. [PMID: 38491911 PMCID: PMC10903926 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.14.04046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Observational studies can inform how we understand and address persisting health inequities through the collection, reporting and analysis of health equity factors. However, the extent to which the analysis and reporting of equity-relevant aspects in observational research are generally unknown. Thus, we aimed to systematically evaluate how equity-relevant observational studies reported equity considerations in the study design and analyses. Methods We searched MEDLINE for health equity-relevant observational studies from January 2020 to March 2022, resulting in 16 828 articles. We randomly selected 320 studies, ensuring a balance in focus on populations experiencing inequities, country income settings, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) topic. We extracted information on study design and analysis methods. Results The bulk of the studies were conducted in North America (n = 95, 30%), followed by Europe and Central Asia (n = 55, 17%). Half of the studies (n = 171, 53%) addressed general health and well-being, while 49 (15%) focused on mental health conditions. Two-thirds of the studies (n = 220, 69%) were cross-sectional. Eight (3%) engaged with populations experiencing inequities, while 22 (29%) adapted recruitment methods to reach these populations. Further, 67 studies (21%) examined interaction effects primarily related to race or ethnicity (48%). Two-thirds of the studies (72%) adjusted for characteristics associated with inequities, and 18 studies (6%) used flow diagrams to depict how populations experiencing inequities progressed throughout the studies. Conclusions Despite over 80% of the equity-focused observational studies providing a rationale for a focus on health equity, reporting of study design features relevant to health equity ranged from 0-95%, with over half of the items reported by less than one-quarter of studies. This methodological study is a baseline assessment to inform the development of an equity-focussed reporting guideline for observational studies as an extension of the well-known Strengthening Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guideline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Dewidar
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ali Al-Zubaidi
- Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Mostafa Bondok
- Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Leenah Abdelrazeq
- Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jimmy Huang
- Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alyssa Jearvis
- Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lucy C Barker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nour Elmestekawy
- Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Goghomu
- Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tamara Rader
- Freelance health research librarian, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Janice Tufte
- Hassanah Consulting, Seattle, Washington State, USA
| | - Regina Greer-Smith
- Healthcare Research Associates, LLC/S.T.A.R. Initiative, California, USA
| | - Hugh S Waddington
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- London International Development Centre, London, UK
| | - Stuart G Nicholls
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
- Office for Patient Engagement in Research Activity (OPERA), Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julian Little
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Billie-Jo Hardy
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Well Living House, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tanya Horsley
- Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Taryn Young
- Centre for Evidence Based Health Care, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Luis Gabriel Cuervo
- Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Washington, DC, USA
- Doctoral Programme on Methodology of Biomedical Research and Public Health, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Melissa K Sharp
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Catherine Chamberlain
- Judith Lumley Centre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- Ngangk Yira Research Centre for Aboriginal Health and Social Equity, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
| | - Beverley Shea
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter Craig
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Daeria O Lawson
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anita Rizvi
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Tamara Kredo
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Evidence Based Health Care, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Damian Francis
- School of Health and Human Performance, Georgia College, Milledgeville, Georgia, USA
| | - Elizabeth Kristjansson
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zulfiqar Bhutta
- Centre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
- Institute for Global Health and Development, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Alba Antequera
- Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - GJ Melendez-Torres
- Department of Public Health and Sports Science, University of Exeter College of Medicine and Health, Exeter, UK
| | - Tomas Pantoja
- Family Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Xiaoqin Wang
- Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Janet Jull
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada
| | - Janet Hatcher Roberts
- World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Knowledge Translation and Health Technology Assessment in Health Equity, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Sarah Funnell
- Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario
| | | | - Alison Krentel
- Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Johnson Mahande
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Tanzania
| | - Jacqueline Ramke
- International Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - George Wells
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Jennifer Petkovic
- Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kevin Pottie
- C.T. Lamont Primary Care Research Centre, Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
- Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Loveline Niba
- Department of Public Health, The University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon
- Nutrition and Health Research Group (NHRG), Bamenda, Cameroon
| | - Cindy Feng
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Miriam N Nguliefem
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter Tugwell
- Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Lawrence Mbuagbaw
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vivian Welch
- Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Nnaji CA, Amaechi UA, Wiysonge CS. R21/Matrix-M vaccine: optimising supply, maximising impact. Lancet 2024; 403:525. [PMID: 38341243 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)02716-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Chukwudi A Nnaji
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa; Technical Department, Malaria Consortium, London, UK.
| | - Uchenna A Amaechi
- Evaluation and Learning Unit, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa; Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Programme, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Adamu AA, Jalo RI, Ndwandwe D, Wiysonge CS. Assessing the Implementation Determinants of Pilot Malaria Vaccination Programs in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi through a Complexity Lens: A Rapid Review Using a Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:111. [PMID: 38400095 PMCID: PMC10892876 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12020111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In 2019, national immunization programs in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi commenced the implementation of RTS,S/AS01 vaccination in large-scale pilot schemes. Understanding the implementation context of this malaria vaccination in the pilot countries can provide useful insights for enhancing implementation outcomes in new countries. There has not yet been a proper synthesis of the implementation determinants of malaria vaccination programs. A rapid review was conducted to identify the implementation determinants of the pilot malaria vaccination programs in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi, and describe the mechanism by which these determinants interact with each other. A literature search was conducted in November 2023 in PubMed and Google Scholar to identify those studies that described the factors affecting malaria vaccine implementation in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi. Thirteen studies conducted between 2021 and 2023 were included. A total of 62 implementation determinants of malaria vaccination across all five domains of the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR) were identified. A causal loop diagram showed that these factors are interconnected and interrelated, identifying nine reinforcing loops and two balancing loops. As additional countries in Africa prepare for a malaria vaccine roll-out, it is pertinent to ensure that they have access to adequate information about the implementation context of countries that are already implementing malaria vaccination programs so that they understand the potential barriers and facilitators. This information can be used to inform context-specific systems enhancement to maximize implementation success. Going forward, primary implementation studies that incorporate the causal loop diagram should be integrated into the malaria vaccine implementation program to enable immunization program managers and other key stakeholders to identify and respond to emerging implementation barriers in a timely and systematic manner, to improve overall implementation performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdu A. Adamu
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parrow Valley, Cape Town 7500, South Africa; (D.N.); (C.S.W.)
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Rabiu I. Jalo
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Bayero University Kano, inside Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, along Zaria Road, Kano 700233, Nigeria;
| | - Duduzile Ndwandwe
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parrow Valley, Cape Town 7500, South Africa; (D.N.); (C.S.W.)
| | - Charles S. Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parrow Valley, Cape Town 7500, South Africa; (D.N.); (C.S.W.)
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
- Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases Cluster, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Djoue, Brazzaville BP 06, Congo
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10
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Cooper S, Gadanya MA, Kaawa-Mafigiri D, Katoto PDMC, Sambala EZ, Temfack E, Wiysonge CS. Using social media to build confidence in vaccines: lessons from community engagement and social science research in Africa. BMJ 2024; 384:e075564. [PMID: 38228329 PMCID: PMC10789190 DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2023-075564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Cooper
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | | | - Patrick D M C Katoto
- Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Tropical Diseases and Global Health, Catholic University of Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Centre for General Medicine and Global Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Evanson Z Sambala
- Department of Community and Environmental Health, School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Elvis Temfack
- Division of Public Health Institutes and Research, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, African Union Commission
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- HIV and other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
- Vaccine Preventable Diseases Programme, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo
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11
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Nnaji CA, Wiysonge CS, Cooper S, Mayeye A, Luphondo L, Mabuya T, Kalui N, Lesosky M, Ndwandwe D. Contextualising missed opportunities for children's vaccination: A theory-informed qualitative study in primary care settings in Cape Town, South Africa. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2023; 19:2162771. [PMID: 36601915 PMCID: PMC9980502 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2162771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the contextual factors that may be associated with missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV) from the perspectives of healthcare providers and caregivers attending primary healthcare facilities in the Cape Town Metro Health District, South Africa. The ultimate goal of the assessment was to help inform the design and implementation of a contextually appropriate quality improvement programme targeted at reducing MOV in primary healthcare settings. We used a theory-informed exploratory qualitative research design involving focus group discussions with caregivers of children aged 0-23 months; and in-depth interviews of facility staff. A thematic template analysis approach, integrating the theoretical domains framework (TDF) and the capability, opportunity and motivation model of behavior (COM-B) was used to code and analyze the data. Three focus group sessions were conducted, each consisting of 5-8 caregivers and five in-depth interviews involving facility staff. Capability factors comprised caregivers' knowledge, attitude and behavior toward children's immunization. Opportunity factors included the organization of immunization services, long waiting time, vaccine stock out, staff shortage and health workers' attitude, knowledge and capability to assess children's immunization status and needs. Motivation factors included optimism and beliefs about immunization, fear of vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization safety concerns. This study identified important caregiver-, provider- and health system-related factors, which influence immunization outcomes; offering useful contextual insights for informing quality improvement strategies for reducing MOV at primary healthcare level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chukwudi A. Nnaji
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa,Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa,CONTACT Chukwudi A. Nnaji, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, 1 Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Charles S. Wiysonge
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa,Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa,Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa,HIV and other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
| | - Sara Cooper
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa,Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa,Division of Social & Behavioural Sciences, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Asanda Mayeye
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lucy Luphondo
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Thobile Mabuya
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ntomboxolo Kalui
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Maia Lesosky
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa,Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Duduzile Ndwandwe
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
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12
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Couch MA, Katoto PDMC, Cinini SF, Wiysonge CS. Integrating civil liberty and the ethical principle of autonomy in building public confidence to reduce COVID-19 vaccination inequity in Africa. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2023; 19:2179789. [PMID: 36803523 PMCID: PMC10054293 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2179789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Concerns regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccination have caused hesitancy and lowered uptake globally. While vaccine hesitancy is documented globally, some continents, countries, ethnic groups and age groups are disproportionately affected, resulting in significant global inequities. To date, Africa has the lowest COVID-19 coverage globally, with only 22% of its population completely vaccinated. It might be argued that the difficulty with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Africa was triggered by the anxiety created by misinformation on social media platforms, particularly with the misinformation regarding depopulating Africa, given the significance of maternity in the continent. In this work, we examine numerous determinants of poor vaccination coverage that have received little attention in primary research and that may need to be considered by various stakeholders engaged in the COVID-19 vaccine strategy at the national and continental levels. Our study also emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary team when introducing a new vaccine, for people to trust that the vaccine is truly helpful to them and to be convinced that immunization is, all things considered, worthwhile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn A Couch
- Human Sciences Research Council, Durban, South Africa
- South African Research Ethics Training Initiative (SARETI), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Patrick D M C Katoto
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Tropical Diseases and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Samuel Fikiri Cinini
- Department of Criminology and Forensic Studies, School of Applied Human Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal/Howard Campus, Durban, South Africa
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- HIV and other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
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13
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Oyo-Ita A, Oduwole O, Arikpo D, Effa EE, Esu EB, Balakrishna Y, Chibuzor MT, Oringanje CM, Nwachukwu CE, Wiysonge CS, Meremikwu MM. Interventions for improving coverage of childhood immunisation in low- and middle-income countries. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2023; 12:CD008145. [PMID: 38054505 PMCID: PMC10698843 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd008145.pub4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunisation plays a major role in reducing childhood morbidity and mortality. Getting children immunised against potentially fatal and debilitating vaccine-preventable diseases remains a challenge despite the availability of efficacious vaccines, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. With the introduction of new vaccines, this becomes increasingly difficult. There is therefore a current need to synthesise the available evidence on the strategies used to bridge this gap. This is a second update of the Cochrane Review first published in 2011 and updated in 2016, and it focuses on interventions for improving childhood immunisation coverage in low- and middle-income countries. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of intervention strategies to boost demand and supply of childhood vaccines, and sustain high childhood immunisation coverage in low- and middle-income countries. SEARCH METHODS We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Global Index Medicus (11 July 2022). We searched Embase, LILACS, and Sociological Abstracts (2 September 2014). We searched WHO ICTRP and ClinicalTrials.gov (11 July 2022). In addition, we screened reference lists of relevant systematic reviews for potentially eligible studies, and carried out a citation search for 14 of the included studies (19 February 2020). SELECTION CRITERIA Eligible studies were randomised controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomised RCTs (nRCTs), controlled before-after studies, and interrupted time series conducted in low- and middle-income countries involving children that were under five years of age, caregivers, and healthcare providers. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We independently screened the search output, reviewed full texts of potentially eligible articles, assessed the risk of bias, and extracted data in duplicate, resolving discrepancies by consensus. We conducted random-effects meta-analyses and used GRADE to assess the certainty of the evidence. MAIN RESULTS Forty-one studies involving 100,747 participants are included in the review. Twenty studies were cluster-randomised and 15 studies were individually randomised controlled trials. Six studies were quasi-randomised. The studies were conducted in four upper-middle-income countries (China, Georgia, Mexico, Guatemala), 11 lower-middle-income countries (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Zimbabwe), and three lower-income countries (Afghanistan, Mali, Rwanda). The interventions evaluated in the studies were health education (seven studies), patient reminders (13 studies), digital register (two studies), household incentives (three studies), regular immunisation outreach sessions (two studies), home visits (one study), supportive supervision (two studies), integration of immunisation services with intermittent preventive treatment of malaria (one study), payment for performance (two studies), engagement of community leaders (one study), training on interpersonal communication skills (one study), and logistic support to health facilities (one study). We judged nine of the included studies to have low risk of bias; the risk of bias in eight studies was unclear and 24 studies had high risk of bias. We found low-certainty evidence that health education (risk ratio (RR) 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15 to 1.62; 6 studies, 4375 participants) and home-based records (RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.75; 3 studies, 4019 participants) may improve coverage with DTP3/Penta 3 vaccine. Phone calls/short messages may have little or no effect on DTP3/Penta 3 vaccine uptake (RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.25; 6 studies, 3869 participants; low-certainty evidence); wearable reminders probably have little or no effect on DTP3/Penta 3 uptake (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.07; 2 studies, 1567 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Use of community leaders in combination with provider intervention probably increases the uptake of DTP3/Penta 3 vaccine (RR 1.37, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.69; 1 study, 2020 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). We are uncertain about the effect of immunisation outreach on DTP3/Penta 3 vaccine uptake in children under two years of age (RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.56; 1 study, 541 participants; very low-certainty evidence). We are also uncertain about the following interventions improving full vaccination of children under two years of age: training of health providers on interpersonal communication skills (RR 5.65, 95% CI 3.62 to 8.83; 1 study, 420 participants; very low-certainty evidence), and home visits (RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.45; 1 study, 419 participants; very low-certainty evidence). The same applies to the effect of training of health providers on interpersonal communication skills on the uptake of DTP3/Penta 3 by one year of age (very low-certainty evidence). The integration of immunisation with other services may, however, improve full vaccination (RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.44; 1 study, 1700 participants; low-certainty evidence). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Health education, home-based records, a combination of involvement of community leaders with health provider intervention, and integration of immunisation services may improve vaccine uptake. The certainty of the evidence for the included interventions ranged from moderate to very low. Low certainty of the evidence implies that the true effect of the interventions might be markedly different from the estimated effect. Further, more rigorous RCTs are, therefore, required to generate high-certainty evidence to inform policy and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Oyo-Ita
- Department of Community Health, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Olabisi Oduwole
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Achievers University, Owo, Nigeria
| | - Dachi Arikpo
- Cochrane Nigeria, Institute of Tropical Diseases Research and Prevention, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Emmanuel E Effa
- Internal Medicine, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Ekpereonne B Esu
- Department of Public Health, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Yusentha Balakrishna
- Biostatistics Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
| | - Moriam T Chibuzor
- Cochrane Nigeria, Institute of Tropical Diseases Research and Prevention, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Chioma M Oringanje
- GIDP Entomology and Insect Science, University of Tucson, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | | | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Programme, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Cité du Djoué, Brazzaville, Congo
| | - Martin M Meremikwu
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria
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14
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Ndwandwe D, Ndlovu M, Mayeye A, Luphondo N, Muvhulawa N, Ntamo Y, Dludla PV, Wiysonge CS. Trends in Vaccine Completeness in Children Aged 0-23 Months in Cape Town, South Africa. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1782. [PMID: 38140186 PMCID: PMC10747087 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11121782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We have previously determined that the occurrence of missed vaccination opportunities in children in Cape Town, South Africa, is shaped by both individual and contextual factors. These factors present valuable openings for enhancing quality and implementing broader strategies to enhance the delivery of routine Immunisation services. METHODS Here, we are further reporting regional-level data on the coverage and factors influencing vaccination completion within a similar study population, based on extensive data analysis from the 2016 South African Demographic and Health Survey. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The study reveals commendable vaccination coverage for most vaccines within recommended schedules, with high rates of initial vaccinations at birth and during the primary vaccination schedule. However, there are notable areas for improvement, particularly in ensuring complete coverage for the second measles vaccine and the 18-month vaccine. Socio-demographic factors also play a role, with maternal education and caregiver awareness campaigns showing the potential to positively influence vaccination completeness. This study emphasises the importance of timely vaccinations during the early months of life and underscores the need for interventions to maintain coverage as children age. Specific sub-districts, such as Tygerberg, may require targeted efforts to enhance vaccination completeness. Additionally, assessing caregiver knowledge about child vaccination is deemed vital, as it can impact vaccination decisions and adherence. CONCLUSIONS The findings provide valuable insights for public health interventions in Cape Town, aimed at reducing the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases and ensuring the health of the region's youngest population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duduzile Ndwandwe
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; (M.N.); (A.M.); (N.L.); (N.M.); (Y.N.); (P.V.D.)
| | - Musawenkosi Ndlovu
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; (M.N.); (A.M.); (N.L.); (N.M.); (Y.N.); (P.V.D.)
| | - Asanda Mayeye
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; (M.N.); (A.M.); (N.L.); (N.M.); (Y.N.); (P.V.D.)
| | - Nomahlubi Luphondo
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; (M.N.); (A.M.); (N.L.); (N.M.); (Y.N.); (P.V.D.)
| | - Ndivhuwo Muvhulawa
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; (M.N.); (A.M.); (N.L.); (N.M.); (Y.N.); (P.V.D.)
- Department of Biochemistry, North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, Mmabatho 2735, South Africa
| | - Yonela Ntamo
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; (M.N.); (A.M.); (N.L.); (N.M.); (Y.N.); (P.V.D.)
| | - Phiwayinkosi V. Dludla
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; (M.N.); (A.M.); (N.L.); (N.M.); (Y.N.); (P.V.D.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa, Empangeni 3886, South Africa
| | - Charles S. Wiysonge
- Vaccine Preventable Diseases Programme, Universal Health Coverage/Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases Cluster, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville P.O. Box 06, Congo;
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Karamagi HC, Oduwole EO, Sy S, Adamu AA, Seydi ABW, Wiysonge CS. Scoping review of African health histories: a protocol. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e075787. [PMID: 37923351 PMCID: PMC10626816 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The history of African health is closely entwined with the history of the continent itself-from precolonial times to the present day. A study of African health histories is critical to understanding the complex interplay between social, economic, environmental and political factors that have shaped health outcomes on the continent. Furthermore, it can shed light on the successes and failures of past health interventions, inform current healthcare policies and practices, and guide future efforts to address the persistent health challenges faced by African populations. This scoping review aims to identify existing literature on African health histories. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The Arksey and O'Malley's framework for conducting scoping reviews will be utilised for the proposed review, which will be reported in compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. The main review question is 'What literature exists on the history of health practices and healthcare delivery systems in Africa from the precolonial era through to the sustainable development goal era?' Keywords such as Africa, health and histories will be used to develop a search strategy to interrogate selected databases and grey literature repositories such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and WHOLIS. Two authors will independently screen titles and abstracts of retrieved records. One author will extract data from articles that meet the inclusion criteria using a purposively designed data charting. The data would be coded and analysed thematically, and the findings presented narratively. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The scoping review is part of a larger project which has approval from the WHO AFRO Ethics Research Committee (Protocol ID: AFR/ERC/2022/11.3). The protocol and subsequent review will be submitted to the integrated African Health Observatory and published in a peer-reviewed journal. REGISTRATION DETAILS https://osf.io/xsaez/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Humphrey Cyprian Karamagi
- Data, Analytics and Knowledge Management team, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo
| | - Elizabeth O Oduwole
- Global Health, University of Stellenbosch Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council, Cochrane South Africa, Tygerberg, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Sokona Sy
- Data, Analytics and Knowledge Management team, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo
| | - Abdu A Adamu
- South African Medical Research Council, Cochrane South Africa, Tygerberg, Western Cape, South Africa
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Aminata B W Seydi
- Data, Analytics and Knowledge Management team, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
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16
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Adamu AA, Essoh TA, Jalo RI, Wiysonge CS. Toward political economy of sustainable financing for immunization in the World Health Organization African Region through a systems thinking lens. Int J Infect Dis 2023; 136:158-161. [PMID: 37774773 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need for countries in Africa to allocate more domestic financial resources to immunization so that national immunization programmes can attain self-reliance in line with World Health Organization's Immunization Agenda 2030. However, resource allocation is fundamentally a political process because other competing needs exist. Political economy analysis (PEA) can guide policy influencers in their engagement with decision makers to tilt their interest in support of sustainable immunization financing. PEA can provide a deeper understanding of the potential constraints and facilitators of a policy direction to expand the fiscal space for immunization using domestic resources within the context of a country's socioeconomic and political realities. To further advance the usefulness of PEA for decision making, a systems thinking lens should be applied to account for the inherent complexity of the social systems involved in resource allocation and implementation. Several methods and tools of systems thinking already exist and can be employed. Causal loop diagrams, when incorporated in a PEA of sustainable financing for immunization can aid the identification of feedback loops which can be used as leverage points for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdu A Adamu
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, 7505, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, 7505, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Téné-Alima Essoh
- Agence de Médecine Préventive, Bureau Regional Afrique, 08 BP 660, Cocody II, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
| | - Rabiu I Jalo
- Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University/Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Along Zaria Road, Kano City, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, 7505, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, 7505, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases Cluster, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Djoue, BP 06, Brazzaville, Congo
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Wang X, Dewidar O, Rizvi A, Huang J, Desai P, Doyle R, Ghogomu E, Rader T, Nicholls SG, Antequera A, Krentel A, Shea B, Hardy BJ, Chamberlain C, Wiysonge CS, Feng C, Juando-Prats C, Lawson DO, Obuku EA, Kristjansson E, von Elm E, Wang H, Ellingwood H, Waddington HS, Ramke J, Jull JE, Hatcher-Roberts J, Tufte J, Little J, Mbuagbaw L, Weeks L, Niba LL, Cuervo LG, Wolfenden L, Kasonde M, Avey MT, Sharp MK, Mahande MJ, Nkangu M, Magwood O, Craig P, Tugwell P, Funnell S, Noorduyn SG, Kredo T, Horsley T, Young T, Pantoja T, Bhutta Z, Martel A, Welch VA. A scoping review establishes need for consensus guidance on reporting health equity in observational studies. J Clin Epidemiol 2023; 160:126-140. [PMID: 37330072 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the support from the available guidance on reporting of health equity in research for our candidate items and to identify additional items for the Strengthening Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology-Equity extension. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING We conducted a scoping review by searching Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Methodology Register, LILACS, and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information up to January 2022. We also searched reference lists and gray literature for additional resources. We included guidance and assessments (hereafter termed "resources") related to conduct and/or reporting for any type of health research with or about people experiencing health inequity. RESULTS We included 34 resources, which supported one or more candidate items or contributed to new items about health equity reporting in observational research. Each candidate item was supported by a median of six (range: 1-15) resources. In addition, 12 resources suggested 13 new items, such as "report the background of investigators". CONCLUSION Existing resources for reporting health equity in observational studies aligned with our interim checklist of candidate items. We also identified additional items that will be considered in the development of a consensus-based and evidence-based guideline for reporting health equity in observational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqin Wang
- Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Omar Dewidar
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6M1, Canada
| | - Anita Rizvi
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Social Sciences, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Jimmy Huang
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6M1, Canada
| | - Payaam Desai
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6M1, Canada
| | - Rebecca Doyle
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6M1, Canada
| | | | - Tamara Rader
- Freelance Health Research Librarian, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Stuart G Nicholls
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Alba Antequera
- International Health Department, ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, 585, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alison Krentel
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6M1, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Beverley Shea
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6M1, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Billie-Jo Hardy
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S, Canada; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Catherine Chamberlain
- Indigenous Health Equity Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010 Victoria, Australia
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, 3629, South Africa; HIV and other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban 4091, South Africa
| | - Cindy Feng
- Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Clara Juando-Prats
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S, Canada; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Daeria O Lawson
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Ekwaro A Obuku
- Africa Centre for Systematic Reviews & Knowledge Translation, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala 7062, Uganda; Department of Global Health Security, Infectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala 7062, Uganda; Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Kristjansson
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Social Sciences, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Erik von Elm
- Cochrane Switzerland, Unisanté Lausanne, Lausanne, CH 1010, Switzerland
| | - Harry Wang
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6M1, Canada; University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Holly Ellingwood
- Department of Psychology, Department of Law, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Hugh Sharma Waddington
- Environmental Health Group, Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK; London International Development Centre, London, Ontario N5V 4T3, Canada
| | - Jacqueline Ramke
- International Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK; School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Janet Elizabeth Jull
- School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Janet Hatcher-Roberts
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6M1, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | | | - Julian Little
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Lawrence Mbuagbaw
- Department of Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada; Biostatistics Unit, Father Sean O'Sullivan Research Centre, St Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 4A6, Canada; Centre for Development of Best Practices in Health (CDBPH), Yaoundé Central Hospital, VGC6+C52, Yaoundé, Cameroon; Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7602, South Africa
| | | | - Loveline Lum Niba
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Bamenda, Amphi 340, Bambili, Bamenda, Cameroon
| | | | - Luke Wolfenden
- School of medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Mwenya Kasonde
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Marc T Avey
- Canadian Council on Animal Care, Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2R3, Canada
| | - Melissa K Sharp
- Department of General Practice, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin D02 YN77, Ireland
| | - Michael Johnson Mahande
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Kilimanjaro M8HH+MQ4, Tanzania
| | - Miriam Nkangu
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Olivia Magwood
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6M1, Canada; Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Peter Craig
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Science Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Peter Tugwell
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6M1, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Sarah Funnell
- Department of Family Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada; Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Stephen G Noorduyn
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Tamara Kredo
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, 3629, South Africa
| | - Tanya Horsley
- Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5N8, Canada
| | - Taryn Young
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Tomas Pantoja
- Department of Family Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Zulfiqar Bhutta
- Centre for Global Child Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada; Institute for Global Health and Development, The Aga Khan University, Karachi 74000, Pakistan
| | - Andrea Martel
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S, Canada
| | - Vivian A Welch
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6M1, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.
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18
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Mathebula L, Malinga T, Mokgoro M, Ndwandwe D, Wiysonge CS, Gray G. Cholera vaccine clinical trials: A cross-sectional analysis of clinical trials registries. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2023; 19:2261168. [PMID: 37759348 PMCID: PMC10619520 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2261168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cholera has been one of the world's biggest public health challenges for centuries. The presence of this disease brings into focus the social determinants of health in different parts of the world. Research and development efforts to find safe and effective Cholera vaccines are critical to decreasing the disease burden from Vibrio cholerae. We searched the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) on 5 March 2023. We included all registered randomized trials studying Cholera vaccines. We used Microsoft Excel to perform a descriptive analysis of the source registry, geographic distribution, recruitment status, phase of trials, and type of trial sponsor and presented the findings using tables and graphs. The search of ICTRP yielded 84 trials, and 315 trials were identified from CENTRAL. Seventy-four trials were included in the analysis. Most of the trials (66%, n = 49) were registered in ClinicalTrials.gov, followed by Clinical Trials Registry - India (9%, n = 7) and the Cuban Public Registry of Clinical Trials (8%, n = 6). The geographical distribution of the trials indicates that 48% (n = 36) of the trials were conducted in Asia, followed by 23% (n = 17) in North America, 15% (n = 11) in Africa, and 11% (n = 8) in Europe. Results further indicate that 81% (n = 60) of trials have a recruitment status "Not recruiting," followed by 12% (n = 9) with a status "recruiting." With the recent surge in Cholera cases and the limited supply of Cholera vaccines, research indicates the need for Cholera vaccine trials to ensure the availability of vaccines, especially in populations affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindi Mathebula
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Thobile Malinga
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mammekwa Mokgoro
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Duduzile Ndwandwe
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Charles S. Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Programme, World Health Organisation Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo
| | - Glenda Gray
- Office of the President and CEO, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
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19
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Cooper S, Wiysonge CS. Towards a More Critical Public Health Understanding of Vaccine Hesitancy: Key Insights from a Decade of Research. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1155. [PMID: 37514971 PMCID: PMC10386194 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11071155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccine hesitancy has gained renewed attention as an important public health concern worldwide. Against this backdrop, over the last decade, we have conducted various qualitative, social science studies with the broad shared aim of better understanding this complex phenomenon. This has included various Cochrane systematic reviews of qualitative research globally, systematic reviews of qualitative research in Africa, and primary research studies in South Africa. These studies have also explored vaccine hesitancy for various vaccines, including routine childhood vaccination, HPV vaccination and other routine vaccinations for adolescents, and, most recently, COVID-19 vaccination. In this reflective and critical commentary piece we reflect on seven key overarching insights we feel we have gained about this complex phenomenon from the varying studies we have conducted over the past decade. These insights comprise the following: (1) the relationship between vaccine knowledge and hesitancy is complex and may operate in multiple directions; (2) vaccine hesitancy is driven by multiple socio-political forces; (3) vaccine hesitancy may be many things, rather than a single phenomenon; (4) vaccine hesitancy may be an ongoing 'process', rather than a fixed 'stance'; (5) vaccine hesitancy may sometimes be about a 'striving', rather than a 'resisting'; (6) 'distrust' as a driver of vaccine hesitancy needs to be better contextualized and disaggregated; and (7) the 'demand-side' versus 'supply/access-side' distinction of the drivers of suboptimal vaccination may be misleading and unhelpful. In unpacking these insights, we problematize some of the common assumptions within the vaccine hesitancy literature and flag topics that we think could benefit from further scrutiny and debate. Our hope is that this can provide a platform for further engagement on these issues and ultimately contribute towards fostering a more critical public health understanding of vaccine hesitancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Cooper
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7505, South Africa;
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7935, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Charles S. Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7505, South Africa;
- HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban 4091, South Africa
- Vaccine Preventable Diseases Programme, Universal Health Coverage/Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases Cluster, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville P.O. Box 06, Congo
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20
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Katoto PDMC, Byamungu LN, Brand AS, Tamuzi JL, Kakubu MAM, Wiysonge CS, Gray G. Systematic review and meta-analysis of myocarditis and pericarditis in adolescents following COVID-19 BNT162b2 vaccination. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:89. [PMID: 37296167 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00681-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Myocarditis and pericarditis are frequent complications of COVID-19, but have also been reported following vaccination against COVID-19 in adolescents. To build vaccine confidence and inform policy, we characterized the incidence of myocarditis/pericarditis in adolescents following BNT162b2 vaccination and explored the association with dose and sex. We searched national and international databases for studies reporting the incidence of myocarditis/pericarditis following BNT162b2 vaccination as the primary endpoint. The intra-study risk of bias was appraised, and random-effects meta-analyses were performed to estimate the pooled incidence by dose stratified by sex. The pooled incidence of myocarditis/pericarditis was 4.5 (95%CI: 3.14-6.11) per 100,000 vaccinations across all doses. Compared to dose 1, the risk was significantly higher after dose 2 (RR: 8.62, 95%CI: 5.71-13.03). However, adolescents experienced a low risk after a booster dose than after dose 2 (RR: 0.06; 95%CI: 0.04-0.09). Males were approximately seven times (RR: 6.66, 95%CI: 4.77-4.29) more likely than females to present myocarditis/pericarditis. In conclusion, we found a low frequency of myocarditis/pericarditis after BNT162b2, which occurred predominantly after the second dose in male adolescents. The prognosis appears to be favorable, with full recovery in both males and females. National programs are recommended to adopt the causality framework to reduce overreporting, which undercuts the value of the COVID-19 vaccine on adolescent life, as well as to extend the inter-dose interval policy, which has been linked to a lower frequency of myocarditis/pericarditis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick D M C Katoto
- Office of the President and CEO, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
- Centre for Tropical Diseases and Global Health, Department of Medicine, Catholic University of Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
| | - Liliane N Byamungu
- Department of Pediatric, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Amanda S Brand
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jacques L Tamuzi
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- HIV and other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
| | - Glenda Gray
- Office of the President and CEO, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
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21
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Katoto PD, Tamuzi JL, Brand AS, Marangu DM, Byamungu LN, Wiysonge CS, Gray G. Effectiveness of COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) mRNA vaccination in adolescents aged 12-17 years: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2023:2214495. [PMID: 37277959 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2214495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid emergence of COVID-19 variants of concern (VOCs) has hindered vaccine uptake. To inform policy, we investigated the effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccination among adolescents against symptomatic and severe COVID-19 diseases using mostly real-world data (15 studies). We searched international databases until May 2022 and used Cochrane's risk of bias tools for critical appraisal. Random effects models were used to examine overall vaccine effectiveness (VE) across studies (general inverse-variance) and the effect of circulating VOCs on VE (log relative ratio and VE). Meta-regression assessed the effect of age and time on VE (restricted-maximum likelihood). BNT162b2 VE against PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 was 82.7% (95%CI: 78.37-87.31%). VE was higher for severe (88%) than non-severe (35%) outcomes and declining over time improved following booster dose in omicron era [73%(95%CI:65-81%)]. Fully vaccinated adolescents are protected from COVID-19 circulating VOCs by BNT162b2 especially for the need of critical care or life support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Dmc Katoto
- Office of the President and CEO, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Tropical Diseases and Global Health, Department of Medicine, Catholic University of Bukavu, DR, Bukavu, Congo
| | - Jacques L Tamuzi
- Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Amanda S Brand
- Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Diana M Marangu
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Liliane N Byamungu
- Department of Paediatric, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
| | - Glenda Gray
- Office of the President and CEO, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
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22
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Okwundu CI, Olowoyeye A, Uthman OA, Smith J, Wiysonge CS, Bhutani VK, Fiander M, Gautham KS. Transcutaneous bilirubinometry versus total serum bilirubin measurement for newborns. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2023; 5:CD012660. [PMID: 37158489 PMCID: PMC10167941 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd012660.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Jaundice is a very common condition in newborns, affecting up to 60% of term newborns and 80% of preterm newborns in the first week of life. Jaundice is caused by increased bilirubin in the blood from the breakdown of red blood cells. The gold standard for measuring bilirubin levels is obtaining a blood sample and processing it in a laboratory. However, noninvasive transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) measurement devices are widely available and used in many settings to estimate total serum bilirubin (TSB) levels. OBJECTIVES To determine the diagnostic accuracy of transcutaneous bilirubin measurement for detecting hyperbilirubinaemia in newborns. SEARCH METHODS We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and trial registries up to 18 August 2022. We also checked the reference lists of all included studies and relevant systematic reviews for other potentially eligible studies. SELECTION CRITERIA We included cross-sectional and prospective cohort studies that evaluated the accuracy of any TcB device compared to TSB measurement in term or preterm newborn infants (0 to 28 days postnatal age). All included studies provided sufficient data and information to create a 2 × 2 table for the calculation of measures of diagnostic accuracy, including sensitivities and specificities. We excluded studies that only reported correlation coefficients. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two review authors independently applied the eligibility criteria to all citations from the search and extracted data from the included studies using a standard data extraction form. We summarised the available results narratively and, where possible, we combined study data in a meta-analysis. MAIN RESULTS We included 23 studies, involving 5058 participants. All studies had low risk of bias as measured by the QUADAS 2 tool. The studies were conducted in different countries and settings, included newborns of different gestational and postnatal ages, compared various TcB devices (including the JM 101, JM 102, JM 103, BiliChek, Bilitest and JH20-1C) and used different cutoff values for a positive result. In most studies, the TcB measurement was taken from the forehead, sternum, or both. The sensitivity of various TcB cutoff values to detect significant hyperbilirubinaemia ranged from 74% to 100%, and specificity ranged from 18% to 89%. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS The high sensitivity of TcB to detect hyperbilirubinaemia suggests that TcB devices are reliable screening tests for ruling out hyperbilirubinaemia in newborn infants. Positive test results would require confirmation through serum bilirubin measurement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles I Okwundu
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Abiola Olowoyeye
- Phoenix Children's Hospital and University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Olalekan A Uthman
- Warwick Centre for Applied Health Research and Delivery (WCAHRD), Division of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Johan Smith
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Stellenbosch University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Vinod K Bhutani
- Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | | | - Kanekal S Gautham
- Chair of Pediatrics and Pediatrician-in-Chief, Nemours Children's Health System, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida, USA
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23
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Katoto PD, Kakubu MA, Tamuzi JL, Brand AS, Ayuk A, Byamungu LN, Wiysonge CS, Gray G. Immunogenicity and reactogenicity of COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) mRNA vaccination in immunocompromised adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analyses. Expert Rev Vaccines 2023; 22:378-392. [PMID: 37078534 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2023.2204154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccine in immunocompromised adolescents and young adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The study conducted a meta-analysis of post-marketing studies examining BNT162b2 vaccination efficacy and safety among immunocompromised adolescents and young adults worldwide. The review included nine studies and 513 individuals aged between 12 and 24.3 years. The study used a random effect model to estimate pooled proportions, log relative risk, and mean difference, and assessed heterogeneity using the I2 test. The study also examined publication bias using Egger's regression and Begg's rank correlation and assessed bias risk using ROBINS-I. RESULTS The pooled proportions of combined local and systemic reactions after the first and second doses were 30% and 32%, respectively. Adverse events following immunization (AEFI) were most frequent in rheumatic diseases (40%) and least frequent in cystic fibrosis (27%), although hospitalizations for AEFIs were rare. The pooled estimations did not show a statistically significant difference between immunocompromised individuals and healthy controls for neutralizing antibodies, measured IgG, or vaccine effectiveness after the primary dose. However, the evidence quality is low to moderate due to a high risk of bias, and no study could rule out the risk of selection bias, ascertainment bias, or selective outcome reporting. CONCLUSIONS This study provides preliminary evidence that the BNT162b2 vaccine is safe and effective in immunocompromised adolescents and young adults, but with low to moderate evidence quality due to bias risk. The study calls for improved methodological quality in studies involving specific populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Dmc Katoto
- South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Tropical Diseases and Global Health, Department of Medicine, Catholic University of Bukavu, DR Congo
| | | | - Jacques L Tamuzi
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Amanda S Brand
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Adaeze Ayuk
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria
| | - Liliane N Byamungu
- Department of Paediatric, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- HIV and other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
| | - Glenda Gray
- South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
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24
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Mavundza EJ, Cooper S, Wiysonge CS. A Systematic Review of Factors That Influence Parents’ Views and Practices around Routine Childhood Vaccination in Africa: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11030563. [PMID: 36992146 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11030563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A Cochrane review which explored the factors that influence caregivers’ views and practices around routine childhood vaccines worldwide was conducted by Cooper and colleagues. After sampling 154 studies that met their inclusion criteria, the authors included 27 studies in their synthesis, of which 6 were from Africa. The aim of the current review was to synthesise all 27 studies conducted in Africa. We wanted to determine if the inclusion of additional African studies will change any of the themes, concepts or theory generated in the Cochrane review. Our review found that parents’ views and practices regarding childhood vaccination in Africa were influenced by various factors, which we categorised into five themes, namely, ideas and practices surrounding health and illness (Theme 1); social communities and networks (Theme 2); political events, relations, and processes (Theme 3); lack of information or knowledge (Theme 4); and access-supply-demand interactions (Theme 5). All of the themes identified in our review were also identified in the Cochrane review except for one theme, which was lack of information or knowledge. This finding will help to promote vaccine acceptance and uptake in Africa by developing and implementing interventions tailored to address lack of knowledge and information around vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edison J Mavundza
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7500, South Africa
| | - Sara Cooper
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7500, South Africa
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7500, South Africa
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
- HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban 4091, South Africa
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25
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Cooper S, van Rooyen H, Wiysonge CS. Addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in South Africa- moving beyond a reliance on information-based responses. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022; 18:2107851. [PMID: 35993844 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2107851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been over a year since South Africa officially began its national COVID-19 vaccination programme. Yet, currently only half of the adult population is fully vaccinated. While supply-related challenges continue to contribute to suboptimal vaccination coverage, so too does vaccine hesitancy. Drawing on research conducted over the last year, we highlight some overarching insights around the nature and drivers of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in South Africa and how this complex phenomenon might be addressed. We have found multiple socio-economic and political root causes of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, many of which are not knowledge-related. These include inter alia fear and uncertainty, practical challenges around access, experiences of poverty and marginalization, and the ongoing geopolitics surrounding the pandemic. Intervention strategies therefore need to form part of broader development and trust-building measures that focus on relationships, transparency, inclusion, equity and justice. This is essential if we hope to bolster acceptance of and demand for vaccines during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Cooper
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.,School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Heidi van Rooyen
- Impact Centre, Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa.,SAMRC-Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, South Africa
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.,School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.,HIV and other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
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26
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Katoto PDMC, Brand AS, Byamungu LN, Tamuzi JL, Mahwire TC, Kitenge MK, Wiysonge CS, Gray G. Safety of COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNtech (BNT162b2) mRNA vaccination in adolescents aged 12-17 years: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022; 18:2144039. [PMID: 36367429 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2144039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected adolescents. Safe and effective vaccines are pivotal tools in controlling this pandemic. We reviewed the safety profile of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents using mostly real-world data to assist decision-making. We used random-effects model meta-analysis to derive pooled rates of single or grouped adverse events following immunization (AEFI) after each primary and booster dose, as well as after combining all doses. Reporting on over one million participants with safety data were included. The most-reported local and systemic AEFIs were pain/swelling/erythema/redness and fatigue/headache/myalgia, respectively. AESIs were rarely reported but were more frequent after the second dose than they were after the first and the booster doses. Health impact was less common among adolescents after receiving BNT162b2 vaccine. Rare life-threatening AEFIs were reported across all doses in real-world studies. Our findings highlight the significance of enhancing national and regional vaccination programs to ensure public confidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick D M C Katoto
- Office of the President and CEO, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.,Centre for Tropical Diseases and Global Health, Department of Medicine, Catholic University of Bukavu, Bukavu, DR Congo
| | - Amanda S Brand
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Liliane N Byamungu
- Department of Pediatric, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Jacques L Tamuzi
- Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Tamirirashe C Mahwire
- Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Marcel K Kitenge
- Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.,HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
| | - Glenda Gray
- Office of the President and CEO, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
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27
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Schmidt BM, Späth C, van Pinxteren M, Chi PC, Wiysonge CS, Oliver J, Colvin CJ. Barriers and facilitators of and strategies for successful community engagement in infectious disease clinical trials in low- and middle-income countries. Hippokratia 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.mr000066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bey-Marrié Schmidt
- School of Public Health; University of the Western Cape; Cape Town South Africa
| | - Carmen Späth
- School of Public Health; University of the Western Cape; Cape Town South Africa
| | - Myrna van Pinxteren
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine; University of Cape Town; Cape Town South Africa
| | | | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa; South African Medical Research Council; Cape Town South Africa
- HIV and other Infectious Diseases Research Unit; South African Medical Research Council; Durban 4901 South Africa
| | - Joy Oliver
- Cochrane South Africa; South African Medical Research Council; Cape Town South Africa
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28
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Alobwede SM, Kidzeru EB, Katoto PDMC, Lumngwena EN, Cooper S, Goliath R, Jackson A, Wiysonge CS, Shey MS. Influenza Vaccination Uptake and Hesitancy among Healthcare Workers in Early 2021 at the Start of the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in Cape Town, South Africa. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1176. [PMID: 35893825 PMCID: PMC9332543 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10081176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccination attitudes among healthcare workers (HCWs) predict their level of vaccination uptake and intention to recommend vaccinations to their patients. To our knowledge, no study has been conducted in South Africa to assess hesitancy toward influenza vaccines among HCWs. We adapted a questionnaire developed and validated by Betsch and colleagues and used it to conduct online and face-to-face interviews among HCWs at the start of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess predictors of influenza vaccine hesitancy. Of 401 participants, 64.5% were women, 49.2% were nurses, and 12.5% were physicians. A total of 54.9% were willing to accept, 20.4% were undecided, and 24.7% intended to refuse influenza vaccination. Participants who were above 25 years of age and physicians were more likely to accept the vaccine. Key predictors of vaccine acceptance were confidence in the effectiveness, consideration of benefits and risks, and willingness to be vaccinated to protect others. Influenza vaccine hesitancy was highest in those who did not trust that influenza vaccines are safe. For future flu seasons, tailored education programs on the safety and effectiveness of flu vaccines targeting younger HCWs, could be vital to improving vaccine uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel M. Alobwede
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa;
- Clinical Division, Department of Research and Innovation, Partners in Sexual Health, Cape Town 7500, South Africa
| | - Elvis B. Kidzeru
- Centre for Research on Health and Priority Pathologies (CRHPP), Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plant Studies (IMPM), Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Yaounde P.O. Box 13033, Cameroon;
- Hair and Skin Research Laboratory, Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine and Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiation Medicine, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Patrick D. M. C. Katoto
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7500, South Africa; (P.D.M.C.K.); (S.C.); (C.S.W.)
- Centre for General Medicine and Global Health, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Evelyn N. Lumngwena
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa;
- Centre for the Study of Emerging and Re-Emerging Infections (CREMER), Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plant Studies (IMPM), Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Yaounde P.O. Box 13033, Cameroon
| | - Sara Cooper
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7500, South Africa; (P.D.M.C.K.); (S.C.); (C.S.W.)
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Francie Van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Rene Goliath
- Wellcome Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (R.G.); (A.J.)
| | - Amanda Jackson
- Wellcome Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (R.G.); (A.J.)
| | - Charles S. Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7500, South Africa; (P.D.M.C.K.); (S.C.); (C.S.W.)
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Francie Van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
- HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban 4091, South Africa
| | - Muki S. Shey
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa;
- Wellcome Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (R.G.); (A.J.)
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
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29
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Wiysonge CS, Ndwandwe D, Mathebula L, Goga A, Gray G. Randomised trials of COVID-19 vaccines in Africa – charting the path forward. S AFR J SCI 2022. [DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2022/13224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccines have played a critical role in controlling disease outbreaks, hence the proliferation of the development and testing of multiple vaccine candidates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Randomised trials are gold standards for evaluating the safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical interventions such as COVID-19 vaccines. However, contextual differences may attenuate effects of COVID-19 vaccines. Thus, the need to conduct COVID-19 vaccine trials in all settings, including in Africa. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of planned, ongoing, and completed COVID-19 vaccine trials in Africa. We searched the South African National Clinical Trials Register, Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) on 12 January and 30 April 2022; and complemented this with a search of ClinicalTrials.gov on 17 May 2022. We screened the search output and included randomised trials with at least one recruitment site in Africa. We identified only 108 eligible trials: 90 (83%) evaluating candidate COVID-19 vaccines, 11 (10%) assessing if existing vaccines could prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 7 (7%) evaluating interventions for improving COVID-19 vaccination coverage. South Africa had the highest number of trials at 58 (54%). Beyond South Africa, countries with more than 10 trial sites include Kenya, Ghana, Egypt, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Among the trials, 14 (13%) do not have principal investigators based in Africa, 39 (30%) are funded by industry, and 91 (84%) are funded by institutions based outside the host country. COVID-19 vaccine trials with recruitment sites in Africa represented only 7% of the 1453 COVID-19 vaccine trials in the ICTRP. The paucity of COVID-19 vaccine trials conducted on the African continent is a cause for concern. This has implications for the role that Africa may play in future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles S. Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
| | - Duduzile Ndwandwe
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lindi Mathebula
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ameena Goga
- HIV and other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Glenda Gray
- Office of the President and CEO, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
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30
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Tankwanchi ABS, Jaca A, Ndlambe AM, Zantsi ZP, Bowman B, Garrison MM, Larson HJ, Vermund SH, Wiysonge CS. Non-COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among migrant populations worldwide: a scoping review of the literature, 2000-2020. Expert Rev Vaccines 2022; 21:1269-1287. [DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2022.2084075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Anelisa Jaca
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, SA
| | - Asiphe M Ndlambe
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, SA
| | - Zukiswa P Zantsi
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, SA
| | - Brett Bowman
- Department of Psychology, School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, SA
| | - Michelle M Garrison
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Heidi J Larson
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sten H Vermund
- Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, SA
- Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, SA
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, SA
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31
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Wiysonge CS, Alobwede SM, de Marie C Katoto P, Kidzeru EB, Lumngwena EN, Cooper S, Goliath R, Jackson A, Shey MS. COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy among healthcare workers in South Africa. Expert Rev Vaccines 2022; 21:549-559. [PMID: 34990311 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2022.2023355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We assessed willingness to accept vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among healthcare workers(HCWs) at the start of South Africa's vaccination roll-out. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey among HCWs in Cape Town in March-May 2021 and assessed predictors of vaccination intentions. RESULTS We recruited 395 participants; 64% women, 49% nurses, and 13% physicians. Of these, 233(59.0%) would accept and 163 (41.0%) were vaccine hesitant i.e. would either refuse or were unsure whether they would accept COVID-19 vaccination. People who did not trust that COVID-19 vaccines are effective were the most hesitant (p = 0.038). Older participants and physicians were more likely to accept vaccination than younger participants (p < 0.01) and other HCWs (p = 0.042) respectively. Other predictors of vaccine acceptance were trust that vaccines are compatible with religion (p < 0.001), consideration of benefits and risks of vaccination (p < 0.001), willingness to be vaccinated to protect others (p < 0.001), and viewing vaccination as a collective action for COVID-19 control (p = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is high among HCWs in Cape Town. Reducing this would require trust-building interventions, including tailored education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Samuel M Alobwede
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences and Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Patrick de Marie C Katoto
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Francie van Zijl Drive, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Elvis B Kidzeru
- Hair and Skin Research Laboratory, Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences and Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- The Medical Research Centre (CRM), Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plant Studies (Impm), Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Evelyn N Lumngwena
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Cape Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for the Study of Emerging and Re-emerging Infections (CREMER), Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plant Studies (Impm), Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Sara Cooper
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rene Goliath
- Wellcome Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Africa (Cidri-africa), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Amanda Jackson
- Wellcome Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Africa (Cidri-africa), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Muki S Shey
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences and Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Wellcome Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Africa (Cidri-africa), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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32
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Oduwole EO, Laurenzi CA, Mahomed H, Wiysonge CS. Enhancing Routine Childhood Vaccination Uptake in the Cape Metropolitan District, South Africa: Perspectives and Recommendations from Point-of-Care Vaccinators. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10030453. [PMID: 35335085 PMCID: PMC8950960 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10030453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccination, and particularly childhood vaccination, is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest public health interventions in history. Nevertheless, challenges exist that threaten the progress of childhood vaccination in many parts of the world. We investigated challenges to vaccination experienced by point-of-care vaccinators in the Cape Town Metropolitan District (Cape Metro), and reported on their current and proposed efforts to combat these challenges. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 vaccinators in 16 purposively selected healthcare facilities in the Cape Metro from September to November 2019. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic and narrative analysis methods. Challenges of both the demand and the supply side of routine vaccination were reported by the study participants, as were contextual challenges such as community safety issues. Defaulting was the most common challenge encountered, reported by 16 of the 19 participants. The use of computerized appointment systems, the enlistment of community health workers to track down defaulters, and the use of certificates to incentivize caregivers are part of the creative ways of mitigating some of the challenges encountered by these vaccinators. Their insightful recommendations can positively influence the landscape of childhood vaccination uptake in the Cape Metro and beyond if adapted and applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth O. Oduwole
- Division of Health Systems and Public Health, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa;
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7505, South Africa;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +27-08-2799-0866
| | - Christina A. Laurenzi
- Institute for Life Course Health Research, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa;
| | - Hassan Mahomed
- Division of Health Systems and Public Health, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa;
| | - Charles S. Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7505, South Africa;
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
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33
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Nnaji CA, Owoyemi AJ, Amaechi UA, Wiyeh AB, Ndwandwe DE, Wiysonge CS. Taking stock of global immunisation coverage progress: the gains, the losses and the journey ahead. Int Health 2021; 13:653-657. [PMID: 31927563 PMCID: PMC8643426 DOI: 10.1093/inthealth/ihz120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the enormous benefits of vaccination, global immunisation coverage progress has stalled and remains suboptimal in many countries. In this commentary, we review the recently published update of the World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund Estimates of National Immunization Coverage. We highlight trends in which, despite substantial gains made in improving immunisation coverage at the global level, there remain numerous challenges with reaching and sustaining optimal coverage. We contextualise the trends by exploring plausible supply- and demand-side root causes. Based on these, we stress the need for targeted, context-appropriate strategies for reaching and maintaining optimal immunisation coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- C A Nnaji
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - A J Owoyemi
- Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, United States of America
| | - U A Amaechi
- Strategy, Investment and Impact Division, Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - A B Wiyeh
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - D E Ndwandwe
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - C S Wiysonge
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
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34
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Jaca A, Sishuba M, Jacobson Vann JC, Wiysonge CS, Ndwandwe D. Interventions to improve vaccination uptake among adults. Hippokratia 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd015057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anelisa Jaca
- Cochrane South Africa; South African Medical Research Council; Cape Town South Africa
| | - Masibulele Sishuba
- Cochrane South Africa; South African Medical Research Council; Cape Town South Africa
| | | | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa; South African Medical Research Council; Cape Town South Africa
| | - Duduzile Ndwandwe
- Cochrane South Africa; South African Medical Research Council; Cape Town South Africa
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35
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Oduwole EO, Esterhuizen TM, Mahomed H, Wiysonge CS. Estimating Vaccine Confidence Levels among Healthcare Staff and Students of a Tertiary Institution in South Africa. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:1246. [PMID: 34835177 PMCID: PMC8618030 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9111246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthcare workers were the first group scheduled to receive COVID-19 vaccines when they became available in South Africa. Therefore, estimating vaccine confidence levels and intention to receive COVID-19 vaccines among healthcare workers ahead of the national vaccination roll-out was imperative. We conducted an online survey from 4 February to 7 March 2021, to assess vaccine sentiments and COVID-19 vaccine intentions among healthcare staff and students at a tertiary institution in South Africa. We enrolled 1015 participants (74.7% female). Among the participants, 89.5% (confidence interval (CI) 87.2-91.4) were willing to accept a COVID-19 vaccine, 95.4% (CI 93.9-96.6) agreed that vaccines are important for them, 95.4% (CI 93.8-96.6) that vaccines are safe, 97.4% (CI 96.2-98.3) that vaccines are effective, and 96.1% (CI 94.6-97.2) that vaccines are compatible with religion. Log binomial regression revealed statistically significant positive associations between COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and the belief that vaccines are safe (relative risk (RR) 32.2, CI 4.67-221.89), effective (RR 21.4, CI 3.16-145.82), important for children (RR 3.5, CI 1.78-6.99), important for self (RR 18.5, CI 4.78-71.12), or compatible with religion (RR 2.2, CI 1.46-3.78). The vaccine confidence levels of the study respondents were highly positive. Nevertheless, this could be further enhanced by targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth O. Oduwole
- Department of Global Health, Division of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa;
| | - Tonya M. Esterhuizen
- Department of Global Health, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; (T.M.E.); (C.S.W.)
| | - Hassan Mahomed
- Department of Global Health, Division of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa;
| | - Charles S. Wiysonge
- Department of Global Health, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; (T.M.E.); (C.S.W.)
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
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Cooper S, Schmidt BM, Sambala EZ, Swartz A, Colvin CJ, Leon N, Wiysonge CS. Factors that influence parents' and informal caregivers' views and practices regarding routine childhood vaccination: a qualitative evidence synthesis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2021; 10:CD013265. [PMID: 34706066 PMCID: PMC8550333 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd013265.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent serious illnesses and deaths in children. However, worldwide, many children do not receive all recommended vaccinations, for several potential reasons. Vaccines might be unavailable, or parents may experience difficulties in accessing vaccination services; for instance, because of poor quality health services, distance from a health facility, or lack of money. Some parents may not accept available vaccines and vaccination services. Our understanding of what influences parents' views and practices around childhood vaccination, and why some parents may not accept vaccines for their children, is still limited. This synthesis links to Cochrane Reviews of the effectiveness of interventions to improve coverage or uptake of childhood vaccination. OBJECTIVES - Explore parents' and informal caregivers' views and practices regarding routine childhood vaccination, and the factors influencing acceptance, hesitancy, or nonacceptance of routine childhood vaccination. - Develop a conceptual understanding of what and how different factors reduce parental acceptance of routine childhood vaccination. - Explore how the findings of this review can enhance our understanding of the related Cochrane Reviews of intervention effectiveness. SEARCH METHODS We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and three other databases for eligible studies from 1974 to June 2020. SELECTION CRITERIA We included studies that: utilised qualitative methods for data collection and analysis; focused on parents' or caregivers' views, practices, acceptance, hesitancy, or refusal of routine vaccination for children aged up to six years; and were from any setting globally where childhood vaccination is provided. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We used a pre-specified sampling frame to sample from eligible studies, aiming to capture studies that were conceptually rich, relevant to the review's phenomenon of interest, from diverse geographical settings, and from a range of income-level settings. We extracted contextual and methodological data from each sampled study. We used a meta-ethnographic approach to analyse and synthesise the evidence. We assessed methodological limitations using a list of criteria used in previous Cochrane Reviews and originally based on the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme quality assessment tool for qualitative studies. We used the GRADE-CERQual (Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research) approach to assess our confidence in each finding. We integrated the findings of this review with those from relevant Cochrane Reviews of intervention effectiveness. We did this by mapping whether the underlying theories or components of trial interventions included in those reviews related to or targeted the overarching factors influencing parental views and practices regarding routine childhood vaccination identified by this review. MAIN RESULTS We included 145 studies in the review and sampled 27 of these for our analysis. Six studies were conducted in Africa, seven in the Americas, four in South-East Asia, nine in Europe, and one in the Western Pacific. Studies included urban and rural settings, and high-, middle-, and low-income settings. Many complex factors were found to influence parents' vaccination views and practices, which we divided into four themes. Firstly, parents' vaccination ideas and practices may be influenced by their broader ideas and practices surrounding health and illness generally, and specifically with regards to their children, and their perceptions of the role of vaccination within this context. Secondly, many parents' vaccination ideas and practices were influenced by the vaccination ideas and practices of the people they mix with socially. At the same time, shared vaccination ideas and practices helped some parents establish social relationships, which in turn strengthened their views and practices around vaccination. Thirdly, parents' vaccination ideas and practices may be influenced by wider political issues and concerns, and particularly their trust (or distrust) in those associated with vaccination programmes. Finally, parents' vaccination ideas and practices may be influenced by their access to and experiences of vaccination services and their frontline healthcare workers. We developed two concepts for understanding possible pathways to reduced acceptance of childhood vaccination. The first concept, 'neoliberal logic', suggests that many parents, particularly from high-income countries, understood health and healthcare decisions as matters of individual risk, choice, and responsibility. Some parents experienced this understanding as in conflict with vaccination programmes, which emphasise generalised risk and population health. This perceived conflict led some parents to be less accepting of vaccination for their children. The second concept, 'social exclusion', suggests that some parents, particularly from low- and middle-income countries, were less accepting of childhood vaccination due to their experiences of social exclusion. Social exclusion may damage trustful relationships between government and the public, generate feelings of isolation and resentment, and give rise to demotivation in the face of public services that are poor quality and difficult to access. These factors in turn led some parents who were socially excluded to distrust vaccination, to refuse vaccination as a form of resistance or a way to bring about change, or to avoid vaccination due to the time, costs, and distress it creates. Many of the overarching factors our review identified as influencing parents' vaccination views and practices were underrepresented in the interventions tested in the four related Cochrane Reviews of intervention effectiveness. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Our review has revealed that parents' views and practices regarding childhood vaccination are complex and dynamic social processes that reflect multiple webs of influence, meaning, and logic. We have provided a theorised understanding of the social processes contributing to vaccination acceptance (or not), thereby complementing but also extending more individualistic models of vaccination acceptance. Successful development of interventions to promote acceptance and uptake of childhood vaccination will require an understanding of, and then tailoring to, the specific factors influencing vaccination views and practices of the group(s) in the target setting. The themes and concepts developed through our review could serve as a basis for gaining this understanding, and subsequent development of interventions that are potentially more aligned with the norms, expectations, and concerns of target users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Cooper
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Social and Behavioural Sciences, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Bey-Marrié Schmidt
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Evanson Z Sambala
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- School of Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Alison Swartz
- Division of Social and Behavioural Sciences, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher J Colvin
- Division of Social and Behavioural Sciences, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Natalie Leon
- Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Oduwole EO, Mahomed H, Laurenzi CA, Larson HJ, Wiysonge CS. Point-of-care vaccinators' perceptions of vaccine hesitancy drivers: A qualitative study from the cape metropolitan district, South Africa. Vaccine 2021; 39:5506-5512. [PMID: 34446319 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.08.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vaccination coverage remains suboptimal in many parts of the world, especially in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), including South Africa. Vaccine hesitancy, a recognized factor contributing to low vaccination uptake in many parts of the world, is suspect in the suboptimal vaccination coverage level in South Africa, particularly in the Western Cape Province. We aimed to investigate vaccine hesitancy and to describe point-of-care vaccinators' perceptions of the drivers of vaccine hesitancy in the Cape Metropolitan District, South Africa (Cape Metro). We conducted in-depth interviews with 19 point-of-care vaccinators in 16 purposively selected healthcare facilities in the Cape Metro between September and November 2019. Participants were sampled purposively as 'rich cases' who had been delivering vaccination services for at least five years post-qualification. We organized the data thematically in ATLAS.ti and report findings thematically by the types of reasons participants reported for vaccine hesitancy amongst clients. FINDINGS Of the 19 interviewees, 11 (59%) reported having encountered vaccine-hesitant clients at some point in their careers. Reasons reported for vaccine hesitancy by clients included: (a) religion, (b) internet misinformation, (c) concern over causing the child pain, (d) natural immunity development, and (e) concern about possible adverse effect following immunization. Vaccine hesitancy in the Cape Metro cuts across all socio-economic classes. Also, some communities perceived to be vaccine-hesitant were mentioned by the participants in this study. CONCLUSIONS Attitude towards vaccination are generally positive in the Cape Metro. However, vaccine hesitancy is present. The issues of vaccine hesitancy at the reported levels can still be mitigated by continuous health education in the clinics and communities, as well as stakeholder engagement as suggested by the point-of-care vaccinators in the Cape Metro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth O Oduwole
- Division of Health Systems and Public Health, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa; Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Hassan Mahomed
- Division of Health Systems and Public Health, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Christina A Laurenzi
- Institute for Life Course Health Research, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
| | - Heidi J Larson
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Department of Health Metrics Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
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Cooper S, Wiysonge CS. Editorial overview: applying an implementation science lens to vaccines. Curr Opin Immunol 2021; 71:iii-vi. [PMID: 34503765 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Cooper
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa; School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, So uth African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa; School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
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Mashunye TR, Ndwandwe DE, Dube KR, Shey M, Shelton M, Wiysonge CS. Fractional dose compared with standard dose inactivated poliovirus vaccine in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Infect Dis 2021; 21:1161-1174. [PMID: 33939958 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(20)30693-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since WHO recommended introduction of at least a single dose of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) in routine immunisation schedules, there have been global IPV shortages. Fractional-dose IPV (fIPV) administration is one of the strategies to ensure IPV availability. We reviewed studies comparing the effects of fractional with full-dose IPV vaccination to determine when seroconversion proportions with each strategy become similar in children aged 5 years and younger. METHOD In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched 16 databases in July, 2019, for trials and observational studies, including ongoing studies that compare immunogenicity and adverse events of fractional-dose (0·1 mL) to full-dose (0·5 mL) IPV in healthy children aged 5 years or younger regardless of study design, number of doses, and route of administration. Screening, selection of articles, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were done in duplicate, and conflicts were resolved by discussion or arbitration by a third author. We assessed immunogenicity, the main outcome, as proportion of seroconverted participants and changes in geometric mean titres of anti-poliovirus antibodies. Timepoints were eligible for analysis if measurements were done at least 4 weeks after vaccination. Summary estimates were pooled by use of random-effects meta-analysis. Analysis was stratified by study design, type of outcome measure, type of poliovirus, and number of doses given. We assessed heterogeneity using the χ2 test of homogeneity and quantified it using the I2 statistic. We assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, and the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. The study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42018092647. FINDINGS 860 records were screened for eligibility, of which 36 potentially eligible full-text articles were assessed and 14 articles were included in the final analysis: two ongoing trials and 12 articles reporting on ten completed studies. For poliovirus type 2, there were no significant differences in the proportions of seroconversions between fractional and full doses of IPV for two or three doses: the risk ratio for serconversion at one dose was 0·61 (95% CI 0·51-0·72), at two doses was 0·90 (0·82-1·00), and at three doses was 0·95 (0·91-1·00). Geometric mean titres (GMTs) for poliovirus type 2 were lower for fIPV than for full-dose IPV: -0·51 (95% CI -0·87 to -0·14) at one dose, -0·49 (-0·70 to -0·28) at two doses, and -0·98 (-1·46 to -0·51) at three doses. The seroconversion meta-analysis for the three-dose comparison was homogeneous (p=0·45; I2=0%), whereas heterogeneity was observed in the two-dose (p<0·00001; I2=88%) and one-dose (p=0·0004; I2=74%) comparisons. Heterogeneity was observed in meta-analyses of GMTs for one-dose (p<0·00001; I2=92%), two-dose (p=0·002; I2=80%), and three-dose (p<0·00001; I2=93%) comparisons. Findings for types 1 and 3 were similar to those for type 2. The certainty of the evidence was high for the three-dose comparisons and moderate for the rest of the comparisons. INTERPRETATION There is no substantial difference in seroconversion between three doses of fIPV and three doses of full-dose IPV, although the full dose gives higher titres of antibodies for poliovirus type 1, 2, and 3. Use of fractional IPV instead of the full dose can stretch supplies and possibly lower the cost of vaccination. FUNDING South African Medical Research Council and the National Research Foundation of South Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thandiwe R Mashunye
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Duduzile E Ndwandwe
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kopano R Dube
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Muki Shey
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Wellcome Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mary Shelton
- Health Sciences Library, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
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Abstract
COVID-19 is a pandemic of unprecedented proportions in recent human history. Less than 18 months since the onset of the pandemic, there are close to two hundred million confirmed cases and four million deaths worldwide. There have also been massive efforts geared towards finding safe and effective vaccines. By July 2021 there were 184 COVID-19 vaccine candidates in pre-clinical development, 105 in clinical development, and 18 vaccines approved for emergency use by at least one regulatory authority. These vaccines include whole virus live attenuated or inactivated, protein-based, viral vector, and nucleic acid vaccines. By mid-2021 three billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered around the world, mostly in high-income countries. COVID-19 vaccination provides hope for an end to the pandemic, if and only if there would be equal access and optimal uptake in all countries around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duduzile Ndwandwe
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Parow Valley, 7501, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Parow Valley, 7501, Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, 7505, Cape Town, South Africa; School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, 7925, Cape Town, South Africa
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Affiliation(s)
- Chukwudi A Nnaji
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Duduzile Ndwandwe
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Maia Lesosky
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Hassan Mahomed
- Western Cape Provincial Department of Health, Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Health Systems and Public Health, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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Mavundza EJ, Iwu-Jaja CJ, Wiyeh AB, Gausi B, Abdullahi LH, Halle-Ekane G, Wiysonge CS. A Systematic Review of Interventions to Improve HPV Vaccination Coverage. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9070687. [PMID: 34201421 PMCID: PMC8310215 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9070687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Although most HPV infections are transient and asymptomatic, persistent infection with high-risk HPV types may results in diseases. Although there are currently three effective and safe prophylactic HPV vaccines that are used across the world, HPV vaccination coverage remains low. This review evaluates the effects of the interventions to improve HPV vaccination coverage. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and checked the reference lists of relevant articles for eligible studies. Thirty-five studies met inclusion criteria. Our review found that various evaluated interventions have improved HPV vaccination coverage, including narrative education, outreach plus reminders, reminders, financial incentives plus reminders, brief motivational behavioral interventions, provider prompts, training, training plus assessment and feedback, consultation, funding, and multicomponent interventions. However, the evaluation of these intervention was conducted in high-income countries, mainly the United States of America. There is, therefore, a need for studies to evaluate the effect of these interventions in low-and middle-income countries, where there is a high burden of HPV and limited HPV vaccination programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edison J. Mavundza
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, Cape Town 7501, South Africa;
- Correspondence:
| | - Chinwe J. Iwu-Jaja
- Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa;
| | - Alison B. Wiyeh
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;
| | - Blessings Gausi
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa;
| | - Leila H. Abdullahi
- African Institute for Development Policy, Nairobi P.O. Box 14688-00800, Kenya;
| | | | - Charles S. Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, Cape Town 7501, South Africa;
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa;
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
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Uthman OA, Ndwandwe D, Uthman MMB, Yaya S, Wiysonge CS. Multilevel Analysis of Individual and Contextual Factors Associated with Polio Non-Vaccination in Africa: Further Analyses to Enhance Policy and Opportunity to Save More Lives. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9070683. [PMID: 34206156 PMCID: PMC8310107 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9070683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Africa was certified polio-free in 2020 and to maintain the polio-free status, African countries need to attain and maintain optimal routine polio vaccination coverage. One indicator for optimal polio vaccination coverage is the prevalence of children who have received no polio vaccination through routine services. The objective of the study was to examine the individual-, neighbourhood-, and country-level factors associated with non-vaccination against polio in Africa. Methods: We applied multivariable multilevel logistic regression analyses on recent demographic and health survey data collected from 2010 onwards in Africa. We identified 64,867 children aged 12-23 months (Level 1) nested within 16,283 neighbourhoods (Level 2) from 32 countries (Level 3). Results: The prevalence of non-vaccination for polio ranged from 2.19% in Egypt to 32.74% in Guinea. We found the following factors to be independent predictors of the increased odds of non-vaccination for polio: being a male child, born to mother with no formal education, living in poorer households; being from a polygamous family, living in neighbourhoods with high maternal illiteracy, high unemployment rate, and low access to media. Conclusions: We found that both individual and contextual factors are associated with non-vaccination for Polio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olalekan A. Uthman
- Warwick Centre for Global Health, Division of Health Sciences, University of Warwick Medical School, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
- Department of Global Health, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa;
- Correspondence:
| | - Duduzile Ndwandwe
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, Cape Town 7501, South Africa;
| | - Muhammed M. B. Uthman
- Department of Epidemiology & Community Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin 240211, Nigeria;
| | - Sanni Yaya
- School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada;
- The George Institute for Global Health, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Charles S. Wiysonge
- Department of Global Health, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa;
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, Cape Town 7501, South Africa;
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
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Nachega JB, Sam-Agudu NA, Masekela R, van der Zalm MM, Nsanzimana S, Condo J, Ntoumi F, Rabie H, Kruger M, Wiysonge CS, Ditekemena JD, Chirimwami RB, Ntakwinja M, Mukwege DM, Noormahomed E, Paleker M, Mahomed H, Tamfum JJM, Zumla A, Suleman F. Addressing challenges to rolling out COVID-19 vaccines in African countries. Lancet Glob Health 2021; 9:e746-e748. [PMID: 33713633 PMCID: PMC7946417 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(21)00097-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jean B Nachega
- Department of Medicine and Center for Infectious Diseases, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Epidemiology, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Center for Global Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Nadia A Sam-Agudu
- International Research Center of Excellence, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria; Department of Pediatrics and Institute of Human Virology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Refiloe Masekela
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Marieke M van der Zalm
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Jeanine Condo
- School of Public Health, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda; School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Francine Ntoumi
- Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo; Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Helena Rabie
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mariana Kruger
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa; Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - John D Ditekemena
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR Congo
| | | | | | - Denis M Mukwege
- Panzi Hospital, Université Evangelique en Afrique, Bukavu, DR Congo
| | | | - Masudah Paleker
- Division of Health Systems and Public Health, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa; Western Cape Department of Health, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Hassan Mahomed
- Division of Health Systems and Public Health, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa; Western Cape Department of Health, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR Congo; National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, DR Congo
| | - Alimuddin Zumla
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Hospitals, London, UK
| | - Fatima Suleman
- Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa
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Jaca A, Iwu-Jaja CJ, Balakrishna Y, Pienaar E, Wiysonge CS. A global bibliometric analysis of research productivity on vaccine hesitancy from 1974 to 2019. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2021; 17:3016-3022. [PMID: 33939571 PMCID: PMC8381789 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1903294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccine hesitancy is a phenomenon where individuals delay or refuse to take some or all vaccines. The objective of this study was to conduct a global bibliometric analysis of research productivity and identify country level indicators that could be associated with publications on vaccine hesitancy. We searched PubMed and Web of Science for publications from 1974 to 2019, and selected articles focused on behavioral and social aspects of vaccination. Data on country-level indicators were obtained from the World Bank. We used Spearman’s correlation and zero-inflated negative-binomial regression models to ascertain the association between country level indicators and the number of publications. We identified 4314 articles, with 1099 eligible for inclusion. The United States of America (461 publications, 41.9%), Canada (84 publications, 7.6%) and the United Kingdom (68 publications, 6.2%) had the highest number of publications. Although various country indicators had significant correlations with vaccine hesitancy publications, only gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national income (GNI) per capita were independent positive predictors of the number of publications. When the number of publications were standardized by GDP, the Gambia, Somalia and Malawi ranked highest in decreasing order. The United States, Canada and United Kingdom ranked highest (in that order) when standardized by current health expenditure. Overall, high-income countries were more productive in vaccine hesitancy research than low-and-middle-income countries. There is a need for more investment in research on vaccine hesitancy in low-and-middle-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anelisa Jaca
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Chinwe J Iwu-Jaja
- Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Yusentha Balakrishna
- Biostatistics Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
| | - Elizabeth Pienaar
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.,School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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Nnaji CA, Wiysonge CS, Okeibunor JC, Malinga T, Adamu AA, Tumusiime P, Karamagi H. Implementation research approaches to promoting universal health coverage in Africa: a scoping review. BMC Health Serv Res 2021; 21:414. [PMID: 33941178 PMCID: PMC8094606 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-06449-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Implementation research has emerged as part of evidence-based decision-making efforts to plug current gaps in the translation of research evidence into health policy and practice. While there has been a growing number of initiatives promoting the uptake of implementation research in Africa, its role and effectiveness remain unclear, particularly in the context of universal health coverage (UHC). Hence, this scoping review aimed to identify and characterise the use of implementation research initiatives for assessing UHC-related interventions or programmes in Africa. METHODS The review protocol was developed based on the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley, as enhanced by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The review is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). MEDLINE, Scopus and the Cochrane Library were searched. The search also included a hand search of relevant grey literature and reference lists. Literature sources involving the application of implementation research in the context of UHC in Africa were eligible for inclusion. RESULTS The database search yielded 2153 records. We identified 12 additional records from hand search of reference lists. After the removal of duplicates, we had 2051 unique records, of which 26 studies were included in the review. Implementation research was used within ten distinct UHC-related contexts, including HIV; maternal and child health; voluntary male medical circumcision; healthcare financing; immunisation; healthcare data quality; malaria diagnosis; primary healthcare quality improvement; surgery and typhoid fever control. The consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR) was the most frequently used framework. Qualitative and mixed-methods study designs were the commonest methods used. Implementation research was mostly used to guide post-implementation evaluation of health programmes and the contextualisation of findings to improve future implementation outcomes. The most commonly reported contextual facilitators were political support, funding, sustained collaboration and effective programme leadership. Reported barriers included inadequate human and other resources; lack of incentives; perception of implementation as additional work burden; and socio-cultural barriers. CONCLUSIONS This review demonstrates that implementation research can be used to achieve UHC-related outcomes in Africa. It has identified important facilitators and barriers to the use of implementation research for promoting UHC in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chukwudi A Nnaji
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph C Okeibunor
- Health Systems and Services Cluster, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo
| | - Thobile Malinga
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Abdu A Adamu
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Prosper Tumusiime
- Health Systems and Services Cluster, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo
| | - Humphrey Karamagi
- Health Systems and Services Cluster, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo
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Adamu AA, Essoh TA, Adeyanju GC, Jalo RI, Saleh Y, Aplogan A, Wiysonge CS. Drivers of hesitancy towards recommended childhood vaccines in African settings: a scoping review of literature from Kenya, Malawi and Ethiopia. Expert Rev Vaccines 2021; 20:611-621. [PMID: 33682587 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2021.1899819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is a dearth of literature on vaccine hesitancy in Africa. In this study, we aimed to explore the drivers of hesitancy toward recommended childhood vaccines in Kenya, Malawi, and Ethiopia. METHODS A scoping review methodology was used as this evidence synthesis approach is suitable for mapping existing literature and identifying knowledge gaps. For this study, we systematically searched four electronic databases for published and unpublished literature from the three African countries. The methodological framework that was used is in line with Arksey and O'Malley's recommendations as modified by Levac. RESULTS A total of 23 publications met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Majority of the studies were published after 2012. In these three African countries, hesitancy toward recommended childhood vaccines is driven by a mix of caregiver-related factors, health systems-related factors as well as the influence of community context. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that vaccine hesitancy in Kenya, Malawi, and Ethiopia is a complex phenomenon that is driven by multiple interrelated and interconnected factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdu A Adamu
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.,Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Téné-Alima Essoh
- Agence De Médecine Préventive (AMP) Afrique - Preventive Medicine Agency Africa, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
| | - Gbadebo Collins Adeyanju
- Psychology and Infectious Diseases Lab, Department of Media and Communication Science, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany.,Centre for Empirical Research in Economics and Behavioural Science (CEREB), University of ErfurtErfurt, Germany
| | - Rabiu I Jalo
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Science, Bayero University Kano, Kano State, Nigeria.,Department of Community Medicine, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State, Nigeria
| | - Yusuf Saleh
- Department of Community Medicine, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State, Nigeria
| | - Aristide Aplogan
- Agence De Médecine Préventive (AMP) Afrique - Preventive Medicine Agency Africa, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.,Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.,Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
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Abstract
BACKGROUND This is a updated version of our Cochrane Review published in Issue 6, 2012. Sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) continue to rise worldwide, imposing an enormous morbidity and mortality burden. Effective prevention strategies, including microbicides, are needed to achieve the goals of the World Heath Organization (WHO) global strategy for the prevention and control of these infections. OBJECTIVES To determine the effectiveness and safety of topical microbicides for preventing acquisition of STIs, including HIV. SEARCH METHODS We undertook a comprehensive search of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, CLIB, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and reference lists of relevant articles up to August 2020. In addition, we contacted relevant organisations and experts. SELECTION CRITERIA We included randomised controlled trials of vaginal microbicides compared to placebo (except for nonoxynol-9 because it is covered in related Cochrane Reviews). Eligible participants were sexually-active non-pregnant, WSM and MSM, who had no laboratory confirmed STIs. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two review authors independently screened and selected studies, extracted data, and assessed risks of bias in duplicate, resolving differences by consensus. We conducted a fixed-effect meta-analysis, stratified by type of microbicide, and assessed the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach. MAIN RESULTS We included eight trials from the earlier version of the review and four new trials, i.e. a total of 12 trials with 32,464 participants (all WSM). We did not find any eligible study that enrolled MSM or reported fungal STI as an outcome. We have no study awaiting assessment. All 12 trials were conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, with one having a study site in the USA, and another having a site in India. Vaginal microbicides tested were BufferGel and PRO 2000 (1 trial, 3101 women), Carraguard (1 trial, 6202 women), cellulose sulphate (2 trials, 3069 women), dapivirine (2 trials, 4588 women), PRO 2000 (1 trial, 9385 women), C31G (SAVVY) (2 trials, 4295 women), and tenofovir (3 trials, 4958 women). All microbicides were compared to placebo and all trials had low risk of bias. Dapivirine probably reduces the risk of acquiring HIV infection: risk ratio (RR) 0.71, (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57 to 0.89, I2 = 0%, 2 trials, 4588 women; moderate-certainty evidence). The other microbicides may result in little to no difference in the risk of acquiring HIV (low-certainty evidence); including tenofovir (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.02, cellulose sulphate (RR 1.20, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.95, BufferGel (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.73 to 1.52), Carraguard (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.11), PRO 2000 (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.14), and SAVVY (RR 1.38, 95% CI 0.79 to 2.41). Existing evidence suggests that cellulose sulphate (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.37 to 2.62, 1 trial, 1425 women), and PRO 2000 (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.73 to 1.23) may result in little to no difference in the risk of getting herpes simplex virus type 2 infection (low-certainty evidence). Two studies reported data on tenofovir's effect on this virus. One suggested that tenofovir may reduce the risk (RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.82; 224 participants) while the other did not find evidence of an effect (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.03; 1003 participants). We have not reported the pooled result because of substantial heterogeneity of effect between the two studies (l2 = 85%). The evidence also suggests that dapivirine (RR 1.70, 95% CI 0.63 to 4.59), tenofovir (RR 1.27, 95% CI 0.58 to 2.78), cellulose sulphate (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.81), and (Carraguard (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.52) may have little or no effect on the risk of acquiring syphilis (low-certainty evidence). In addition, dapivirine (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.07), tenofovir (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.13), cellulose sulphate (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.99), BufferGel (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.45), Carraguard (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.12), and PRO 2000 (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.22) may result in little to no difference in the risk of acquiring chlamydia infection (low-certainty evidence). The evidence also suggests that current topical microbicides may not have an effect on the risk of acquiring gonorrhoea, condyloma acuminatum, trichomoniasis, or human papillomavirus infection (low-certainty evidence). Microbicide use in the 12 trials, compared to placebo, did not lead to any difference in adverse event rates. No study reported on acceptability of the intervention. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence shows that vaginal dapivirine microbicide probably reduces HIV acquisition in women who have sex with men. Other types of vaginal microbicides have not shown evidence of an effect on acquisition of STIs, including HIV. Further research should continue on the development and testing of new microbicides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jael Obiero
- Department of Reproductive Health and Biology, Institute of Primate Research, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Paul Ogongo
- Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Institute of Primate Research, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Peter G Mwethera
- Head, Reproductive Health & Biology, Institute of Primate Research, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The strain on public resources to meet the healthcare needs of populations through publicly-provided health insurance programmes is increasing and many governments turn to private health insurance (PHI) to ease the pressure on government budgets. With the goal of improving access to basic health care for citizens through PHI programmes, several high-income countries have developed strong regulations for PHI schemes. Low- and middle-income countries have the opportunity to learn from this experience to optimise PHI. If poorly regulated, PHI can hardly achieve an adequate quantity or quality of population coverage, as can be seen in the USA where a third of adults younger than 65 years of age have no insurance, sporadic coverage or coverage that exposes them to high out-of-pocket healthcare costs. OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of policies that regulate private health insurance on utilisation, quality, and cost of health care provided. SEARCH METHODS In November 2019 we searched CENTRAL; MEDLINE; Embase; Sociological Abstracts and Social Services Abstracts; ICTRP; ClinicalTrials.gov; and Web of Science Core Collection for papers that have cited the included studies. This complemented the search conducted in February 2017 in IBSS; EconLit; and Global Health. We also searched selected grey literature databases and web-sites. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised trials, non-randomised trials, interrupted time series (ITS) studies, and controlled before-after (CBA) studies conducted in any population or setting that assessed one or more of the following interventions that governments use to regulate private health insurance: legislation and licensing, monitoring, auditing, and intelligence. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two review authors independently assessed study eligibility, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias and certainty of the evidence resolving discrepancies by consensus. We planned to summarise the results (using random-effects or fixed-effect meta-analysis) to produce an overall summary if an average intervention effect across studies was considered meaningful, and we would have discussed the implications of any differences in intervention effects across studies. However, due to the nature of the data obtained, we have provided a narrative synthesis of the findings. MAIN RESULTS We included seven CBA studies, conducted in the USA, and that directly assessed state laws on cancer screening. Only for-profit PHI schemes were addressed in the included studies and no study addressed other types of PHI (community and not for-profit). The seven studies were assessed as having 'unclear risk' of bias. All seven studies reported on utilisation of healthcare services, and one study reported on costs. None of the included studies reported on quality of health care and patient health outcomes. We assessed the certainty of evidence for patient health outcomes, and utilisation and costs of healthcare services as very low. Therefore, we are uncertain of the effects of government mandates on for-profit PHI schemes. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Our review suggests that, from currently available evidence, it is uncertain whether policies that regulate private health insurance have an effect on utilisation of healthcare services, costs, quality of care, or patient health outcomes. The findings come from studies conducted in the USA and might therefore not be applicable to other countries; since the regulatory environment could be different. Studies are required in countries at different income levels because the effects of government regulation of PHI are likely to differ across these income and health system settings. Further studies should assess the different types of regulation (including regulation and licensing, monitoring, auditing, and intelligence). While regulatory research on PHI remains relatively scanty, future research can draw on the rich body of research on the regulation of other health financing interventions such as user fees and results-based provider payments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nkengafac Villyen Motaze
- Centre for the Development of Best Practices in Health (CDBPH), Yaoundé Central Hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), A Division of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Primus Che Chi
- Health Systems and Research Ethics, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Pierre Ongolo-Zogo
- Centre for the Development of Best Practices in Health (CDBPH), Yaoundé Central Hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Jean Serge Ndongo
- Centre for the Development of Best Practices in Health (CDBPH), Yaoundé Central Hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town , Cape Town, South Africa
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Nnaji CA, Wiysonge CS, Okeibunor J, Malinga T, Adamu AA, Tumusiime P, Karamagi H. Protocol for a scoping review of implementation research approaches to universal health coverage in Africa. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e041721. [PMID: 33589452 PMCID: PMC7887369 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-041721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Implementation research has emerged as part of evidence-based decision-making efforts to plug current gaps in the translation of research evidence into health policy and practice. While there has been a growing number of institutions and initiatives promoting the uptake of implementation research in Africa, their role and effectiveness remain unclear, particularly in the context of universal health coverage (UHC). This review aims to extensively identify and characterise the nature, facilitators and barriers to the use of implementation research for assessing or evaluating UHC-related interventions or programmes in Africa. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This scoping review will be developed based on the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley and enhanced by the Joanna Briggs Institute. It will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. A comprehensive search of the following electronic databases will be conducted: Medline (via PubMed), Scopus and the Cochrane Library. Relevant grey literature and reference lists will also be searched. All publications describing the application of implementation research in the context of UHC will be considered for inclusion. Findings will be narratively synthesised and analysed using a predefined conceptual framework. Where applicable, quantitative evidence will be aggregated using summary statistics. There will be consultation of stakeholders, including UHC-oriented health professionals, programme managers, implementation researchers and policy-makers; to provide methodological, conceptual and practical insights. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The data used in this review will be sourced from publicly available literature; hence, this study will not require ethical approval. Findings and recommendations will be disseminated to reach a diverse audience, including UHC advocates, implementation researchers and key health system stakeholders within the African region. Additionally, findings will be disseminated through an open-access publication in a relevant peer-reviewed journal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chukwudi A Nnaji
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Charles S Wiysonge
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Joseph Okeibunor
- Health Systems and Services Cluster, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo
| | - Thobile Malinga
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Abdu A Adamu
- Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Prosper Tumusiime
- Health Systems and Services Cluster, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo
| | - Humphrey Karamagi
- Health Systems and Services Cluster, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo
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