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Cost analysis of the treatment of severe acute malnutrition in West Africa
No full textWe regret that this article is behind a paywall.We present an updated cost analysis to provide new estimates of the cost of providing community-based treatment for severe acute malnutrition, including expenditure shares for major cost categories. We calculated total and per child costs from a provider perspective. We categorized costs into three main activities (outpatient treatment, inpatient treatment, and management/administration) and four cost categories within each activity (personnel; therapeutic food; medical supplies; and infrastructure and logistical support). For each category, total costs were calculated by multiplying input quantities expended in the Médecins Sans Frontières nutrition program in Niger during a 12-month study period by 2015 input prices. All children received outpatient treatment, with 43% also receiving inpatient treatment. In this large, well-established program, the average cost per child treated was €148.86, with outpatient and inpatient treatment costs of €75.50 and €134.57 per child, respectively. Therapeutic food (44%, €32.98 per child) and personnel (35%, €26.70 per child) dominated outpatient costs, while personnel (56%, €75.47 per child) dominated in the cost of inpatient care. Sensitivity analyses suggested lowering prices of medical treatments, and therapeutic food had limited effect on total costs per child, while increasing program size and decreasing use of expatriate staff support reduced total costs per child substantially. Updated estimates of severe acute malnutrition treatment cost are substantially lower than previously published values, and important cost savings may be possible with increases in coverage/program size and integration into national health programs. These updated estimates can be used to suggest approaches to improve efficiency and inform national-level resource allocation
Outcomes of Antiretroviral Therapy Among Younger Versus Older Adolescents and Adults in an Urban Clinic, Zimbabwe
Get PDFSetting: A non-governmental organisation-supported clinic offering health services including antiretroviral therapy (ART).\ud
Objective: To compare ART retention between younger (age 10–14 years) vs. older (age 15–19 years) adolescents and younger (age 20–29 years) vs. older (age 30 years) adults and determine adolescent- and adult-specific attrition-associated factors among those initiated on ART between 2010 and 2011.\ud
Design: Retrospective cohort study.\ud
Results: Of 110 (7%) adolescents and 1484 (93%) adults included in the study, no differences in retention were observed between younger vs. older adolescents at 6, 12 and 24 months. More younger adolescents were initiated with body mass index 16 kg/m2 compared with older adolescents (64% vs. 47%; P = 0.04). There were more females (74% vs. 52%, P 0.001) and fewer patients initiating ART with CD4 count 350 cells/mm3 (77% vs. 81%, P = 0.007) among younger vs. older adults. Younger adults demonstrated more attrition than older adults at all time-points. No attrition risk factors were observed among adolescents. Attrition-associated\ud
factors among adults included being younger, having a lower CD4 count and advanced human immunodeficiency virus disease at initiation, and initiation on a stavudine-based regimen.\ud
Conclusion: Younger adults demonstrated greater attrition and may require more attention. We were unable to demonstrate differences in attrition among younger vs. older adolescents. Loss to follow-up was the main reason for attrition across all age groups. Overall, earlier presentation\ud
for ART care appears important for improved ART retention among adults
Research & development in the dark: what does it take to make one medicine? And what could it take?
No full textEarlier this year a series of advertisements appeared in London's Westminster tube stations asking viewers to consider a seemingly simple question, 'what does it take to make one medicine?' But as it turns out, this question is not so simple to answer. In this commentary we highlight some key considerations and questions on what it takes to make one medicine, and what it could take to develop medicines that meet people's health needs and are accessible and affordable for all who need them
Where There is Hope: A Qualitative Study Examining Patients' Adherence to Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Treatment in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan
No full textTreatment for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is lengthy, has severe side effects, and raises adherence challenges. In the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Ministry of Health (MoH) programme in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan, a region with a high burden of MDR-TB, patient loss from treatment (LFT) remains high despite adherence support strategies. While certain factors associated with LFT have been identified, there is limited understanding of why some patients are able to adhere to treatment while others are not. We conducted a qualitative study to explore patients' experiences with MDR-TB treatment, with the aim of providing insight into the barriers and enablers to treatment-taking to inform future strategies of adherence support
Convergence of a Diabetes Mellitus, Protein Energy Malnutrition, and TB Epidemic: the Neglected Elderly Population
No full textOn a global scale, nearly two billion persons are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. From this vast reservoir of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection, a substantial number will develop active TB during their lifetime, with some being able to transmit TB or Multi-drug- resistant (MDR) TB to others. There is clinical evidence pointing to a higher prevalence of infectious diseases including TB among individuals with Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Furthermore, ageing and diabetes mellitus may further aggravate protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), which in turn impairs T-lymphocyte mediated immunologic defenses, thereby increasing the risk of developing active TB and compromising TB treatment. This article aims to a) highlight synergistic mechanisms associated with immunosenescence, DM and PEM in relation to the development of active TB and b) identify nutritional, clinical and epidemiological research gaps
Mental Health Problems Among Conflict-Affected Adults in Grozny, Chechnya: a Qualitative Study
No full textA decade of conflict in Chechnya destroyed infrastructure and resulted in widespread exposure to violence. Amidst substantial reconstruction, periodic violence has contributed to an ongoing atmosphere of insecurity. We conducted a qualitative study to understand the mental health and psychosocial problems affecting adult Chechens in this context to inform development of assessment tools for an evaluation study related to individual counseling
Assessing the Asymptomatic Reservoir and Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine Effectiveness in a Low Transmission Setting Threatened by Artemisinin Resistant Plasmodium Falciparum
No full textIn Cambodia, elimination of artemisinin resistance through direct elimination of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite may be the only strategy. Prevalence and incidence at district and village levels were assessed in Chey Saen district, Preah Vihear province, North of Cambodia. Molecular and clinical indicators for artemisinin resistance were documented
Linezolid-Associated Optic Neuropathy in Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Patients in Mumbai, India
No full textPatients on linezolid-containing drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) regimen often develop adverse-events, particularly peripheral and optic neuropathy. Programmatic data and experiences of linezolid-associated optic neuropathy from high DR-TB burden settings are lacking. The study aimed to determine the frequency of and risk-factors associated with linezolid-associated optic neuropathy and document the experiences related to treatment/care of DR-TB patients on linezolid-containing regimens
In Vivo Efficacy of Artesunate-Amodiaquine and Artemether-Lumefantrine for the Treatment of Uncomplicated Falciparum Malaria: an Open-Randomized, Non-Inferiority Clinical Trial in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo
No full textBetween 2009 and 2012, malaria cases diagnosed in a Médecins sans Frontières programme have increased fivefold in Baraka, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The cause of this increase is not known. An in vivo drug efficacy trial was conducted to determine whether increased treatment failure rates may have contributed to the apparent increase in malaria diagnoses
