Gates Open Research最新文献

{"title":"The Dominant Role of Community Influences over Individual Contraceptive Choices in Pakistan.","authors":"Olan Naz, Muhammad Ibrahim, Aisha Irum, Ayesha Khan, Adnan Ahmad Khan","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16390.1","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16390.1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Contraceptive use is essential for improving maternal and child health, yet family planning (FP) uptake in Pakistan remains low, with stark disparities shaped by both individual and community-level influences. While individual determinants such as education and wealth have been widely studied, the role of community norms, peer influence, and social networks in shaping contraceptive behaviors remains underexplored. Drawing on Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation Theory this study examines how social learning and collective behaviors influence FP adoption.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>This study analyzed data from the 2017-18 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, including 15,068 married women aged 15-49 nested within primary sampling units. Logistic regression models were estimated for any contraceptive use and modern contraceptive use. Individual-level covariates included age, education, wealth, parity, and decision-making autonomy. Community-level variables-constructed using leave-one-out means-captured shared intention to use family planning, parity norms, health-seeking behavior, wealth, age structure, and mean age at first birth. Predictive margins were used to assess non-linear relationships and potential threshold effects, with robustness assessed using a 75% subsample.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Community intention to use family planning was a strong and consistent predictor of contraceptive behavior. Compared to women in the lowest-intention communities, those residing in medium-high intention communities had significantly higher odds of contraceptive use (OR = 1.86; 95% CI [1.57, 2.21]) and communities with highest intention to use exhibited (OR = 1.92; 95% CI [1.61, 2.29]). At the individual level, education and wealth remained strong predictors, autonomy was modestly significant, its effect was amplified in supportive community environments where FP was normalized.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study underscores the transformative role of community dynamics in shaping contraceptive behaviors in Pakistan. Family planning programs may achieve greater and more durable impact by prioritizing community-wide norm formation and health system engagement rather than focusing solely on individual-level interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"10 ","pages":"42"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13550013/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148919429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating immediate Kangaroo Mother Care as an integral part of small and sick newborn care in facilities with level 2 Special Newborn Care Units: Implementation Research Protocol.","authors":"Sachiyo Yoshida, Anayda Portela","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16392.1","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16392.1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care (iKMC) involves the initiation of skin-to-skin contact (SSC) between the mother (or an additional caregiver) and preterm and/or LBW infants within the first hours of birth, with exclusive breastfeeding. While KMC has traditionally been initiated after the infant stabilizes, immediate initiation of SSC has proven more effective in reducing neonatal mortality. However, despite its proven benefits, the adoption of immediate KMC remains a challenge. This study aims to develop and test an implementation model for integrating immediate KMC into the routine care of small and sick newborns in level 2 Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, and Nigeria.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This multicountry implementation research study will develop and evaluate a scalable model for integrating iKMC into newborn care across six study sites in four countries. The study will involve developing and optimizing an implementation model using a mixed-methods design, combining both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Formative research will be conducted to identify barriers and facilitators to the effective implementation of iKMC, guiding the development of the initial model. The study will benefit from concurrent programme learning, using both qualitative insights and outcome measurements, to iteratively refine the model and ensure high-quality, widespread implementation of iKMC.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study will provide insights into the effective integration of iKMC into existing health systems, addressing key challenges in low-resource settings. Findings will inform scalable strategies for widespread implementation, contributing to global efforts to enhance newborn care and reduce neonatal mortality.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"10 ","pages":"41"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13332074/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148390517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping of the country-wide prevalence of non-malarial febrile illnesses in areas with varying malaria transmission intensities in Mainland Tanzania.","authors":"Salehe S Mandai, Angelina J Kisambale, Daniel A Petro, Catherine Bakari, Gervas A Chacha, Rule Budodo, Rashid A Madebe, Dativa Pereus, Daniel P Challe, Ramadhani Moshi, Ruth A Mbwambo, Grace K Kanyankole, Sijenunu Aaron, Daniel Mbwambo, Stella Kajange, Samwel Lazaro, Ntuli Kapologwe, Celine I Mandara, Misago D Seth, Deus S Ishengoma","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16391.1","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16391.1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Despite the declining malaria burden in endemic countries, reports of febrile episodes do not align with the current patterns of malaria transmission. This highlights the presence of non-malarial febrile illnesses (NMFIs), which are difficult to distinguish from malaria. This study assessed the country-wide prevalence of NMFIs and their patterns across various malaria transmission settings in Mainland Tanzania.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study recruited patients aged ≥ 6 months from 86 health facilities in all 26 regions of Tanzania. All patients were tested for malaria using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). For this study, patients with fever who tested negative by RDT were operationally classified as having NMFIs and their prevalence was determined accordingly, Logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with NMFIs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 18,568 patients tested, 8,273 (44.6%) were considered to have NMFIs because they tested negative by RDT. Higher prevalence of NMFIs occurred in females (45.8%) than in males (42.8%), adults (aged ≥ 15 years, with 50.6%) compared to under-fives (42.6%) and school children (aged 5 -< 15 years, 34.3%), and in very low (65.5%) compared to high transmission areas (34.5%). NMFIs were significantly more likely in females than in males (aOR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.10-1.26), under-fives (aOR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.47-1.76) and less likely in high transmission areas (aOR = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.08-0.13), and school children (aOR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.64-0.77).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings show a high prevalence of NMFIs overall, and higher prevalence and odds of NMFIs in females and individuals from low and very low transmission areas. These groups should be targeted with appropriate point-of-care tests and treatment strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"10 ","pages":"40"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13332075/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148390430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Missed Opportunities for Childhood Immunization in Pakistan: Failure to Vaccinate Despite Health System Contact.","authors":"Areesh Fatmee, Zia Un Nisa, Muhammad Ibrahim, Aisha Irum, Ayesha Khan, Adnan Ahmad Khan","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16388.1","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16388.1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite global gains in vaccination coverage, Pakistan continues to lag in achieving universal immunization, with vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) contributing to approximately 15% of all deaths annually. We explored missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV) when eligible children failed to receive vaccines when their mothers visited healthcare facilities for unrelated medical needs. Secondary data analysis was conducted using the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey (PSLM) 2019-20, comprising 195,000 households and 103,464 eligible children. MOV was defined as the failure to administer an age-appropriate dose of either pentavalent (Penta-1, 2, 3) or measles (Measles-1, 2) vaccines during a maternal health visit. Weighted multivariate binomial logistic regression was used to explore the association between maternal visits to private healthcare facilities and MOV, adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Geospatial analysis was used to visualize district-level disparities using ArcGIS. Approximately 25% of children aged 1-5 years missed at least one dose of pentavalent or measles vaccination with regional variations. The rates of missed doses were similar for the first, second, and third antigen doses. Rural areas, male children, and households with uneducated mothers had more missed vaccinations, while missed opportunities were more common when mothers visited private healthcare facilities, particularly in urban settings (adjusted Odds Ratio (OR): 1.563 for Penta-1, Confidence Interval (CI): 1.519-1.608) where the private sector predominates and because the public sector accounts for nearly all vaccinations. However, since nearly all vaccinations are in the public sector and the bulk of healthcare seeking is in the private sector, opportunities to vaccinate missed children are lost. Policy and technological solutions that can identify and refer to these children for vaccination can close the national gap in universal vaccination.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"10 ","pages":"39"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13291288/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148328588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of institutional trust in the formalization of women's savings and loans groups: Experiences from the Nigeria for Women Project.","authors":"Cody Bock, Anna McBride, Thomas de Hoop, Christopher Paek, Yetunde Fatogun, Michael Gboyega Ilesanmi","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16389.1","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16389.1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper presents evidence on the role of institutional trust in the formation and formalization of government-supported women's savings groups, known as Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) and implemented through the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP). While existing research has shown the vital role of peer trust in the operation and effectiveness of savings groups, less is known about how institutional trust affects the formalization and scale up of savings groups. This paper examines how underlying drivers of institutional trust and mistrust shape savings group formalization processes and outcomes. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions with participants, community members, and staff of the NFWP suggest that project implementers were able to overcome initial mistrust of the NFWP by leveraging community structures, demonstrating consistency, and providing promised services. Community mobilization through reputable social networks contributed to the facilitation of group formation, which in turn helped address challenges associated with a weak institutional environment and poor experiences with previous livelihood interventions. A demonstrated record of success also enabled building the credibility of the project.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"10 ","pages":"38"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13312888/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148360248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High Spatial Resolution Building Characteristics for the Global South: Insights from the Google Open Buildings Temporal Dataset (2016-2023).","authors":"Rhorom Priyatikanto, Heather Chamberlain, Maksym Bondarenko, Wenbin Zhang, Natalia Tejedor Garavito, Andrew Tatem","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16386.1","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16386.1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The need for detailed built-up area data for applications such as population modelling, urban planning, and environmental research is growing due to the pace of global population changes, particularly in the Global South, where existing datasets have limitations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Here, we processed the Google Open Buildings Temporal (OBT) dataset to derive six 100-m spatial resolution datasets per year on building characteristics. The characteristics include building count, total perimeter, total area, total volume, height variance, and mean distance to the nearest building edges. These were calculated using arithmetic operations, convolutions, and spatial aggregation. The derived data was validated against a set of existing largescale open spatial datasets on buildings and human settlement extents for single timepoints. Additionally, temporal consistency was assessed, with polynomial fitting explored to test suitability for smoothing the data where significant fluctuations were seen.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The new dataset strongly correlated with the Google Open Buildings Polygons dataset (e.g., building count: <i>r</i> = 0.88; building area: <i>r</i> = 0.90) but showed systematic perimeter underestimation in dense areas due to blending effects. Weaker correlations were found with other datasets due to methodological differences. Internally, building height variance correlated moderately with total volume ( <i>r</i> = 0.47). A strong positive correlation ( <i>r</i> > 0.8) existed between building count, area, volume, and population. Temporal analysis revealed significant fluctuations in most characteristics, especially height-related metrics, with second-order polynomial fitting proving optimal for smoothing.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A validated 100-m resolution building characteristics dataset for the Global South, covering each year from 2016 to 2023, derived from Google OBT, was produced. While showing consistency with similar largescale spatial datasets, temporal fluctuations indicate a need for further processing for time-series applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"10 ","pages":"33"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13230486/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148162679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geospatial Settlement Data and Immunization Reach in Polio SIAs: Evidence from Axis of Intractable Transmission States in Northern Nigeria.","authors":"Abubakar Shehu, Loveth Metiboba, Nnenna Ohiaeri, Oluwatosin Ilesanmi, David Akpan, Busayo Fashoto, Glory Ugochukwu Nwakaogor, Atef Fawaz, Ota Akhigbe, Adedayo Odukoya, Oluwadamilare Akindipe, Friday Daniel","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16387.1","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16387.1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The persistent transmission of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in Northern Nigeria, especially in the Axis of Intractable Transmission (AIT) states, Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina, and Zamfara, despite national certification of wild poliovirus interruption, is strongly associated with fragmented settlement visibility, population denominator inaccuracies, and uneven implementation of Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs). This study examines whether these geospatial investments as broader ecosystem of interventions improve immunization reach and operational quality during cVDPV2 SIAs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective operational analysis was conducted using data from nine consecutive SIAs (April 2024-June 2025). We extracted state-level indicators from the Master List of Settlements (MLoS) geospatial records and campaign data, which included (1) geospatial completeness, defined as the proportion of settlements with validated coordinates; (2) settlement tracking coverage; (3) MLoS-derived population targets for children; and (4) number of children vaccinated. Descriptive statistics, bivariate exploratory relationships, and temporal learning analysis were performed to evaluate how geospatial status influenced tracking outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Geospatial completeness ranged from 92.1% (Zamfara) to 100% (Kebbi) and was associated with higher, more stable tracking coverage. Kebbi, with complete geolocation of settlements, demonstrated consistently strong tracking performance (mean 93%). Settlement tracking correlated positively with vaccination outputs in Kebbi and Sokoto but demonstrated saturation effects in Katsina and diminishing returns in Zamfara. Operational learning was observed in Sokoto, Katsina, and Zamfara, each demonstrating 8 to 10 percentage point improvements in tracking coverage across rounds.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In addition to other contributory factors, settlement-level geolocation improves the quality and reach of cVDPV2 SIAs by strengthening visibility of target populations and promoting more reliable tracking. The MLoS updates and tracking of settlements and vaccination teams demonstrated transformative potential in optimizing vaccination campaigns by improving equity, accountability, and efficiency. Its deployment offers valuable lessons for enhancing immunization efforts in resource-constrained and security-compromised settings, emphasizing the importance of strategic integration and sustained investments in public health innovation.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"10 ","pages":"32"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13230485/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148162717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Community-level Monitoring of Antimicrobial Resistance following Mass Administration of Azithromycin to Reduce Child Mortality in Côte d'Ivoire: Results from Two Rounds of Surveillance.","authors":"Lisa Dulli, Valérie Gbonon, Fatoumata Touré, Daouda Touré, Bertin Guédé Kipré, Felicity Nelson, Kate Murray, Emily Evens, Mireille Dosso, Pat Sadate-Ngatchou","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16385.1","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16385.1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mass Drug Administration (MDA) of azithromycin for the elimination of trachoma and, more recently, for the reduction of child mortality, are public health strategies shown, with mixed results, to contribute to the development of azithromycin resistance in treated communities. The objective of this study was to monitor bacterial resistance to azithromycin among children targeted by bi-annual MDA-azithromycin campaigns to improve child survival in eight high-mortality regions of Côte d'Ivoire.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Two rounds of cross-sectional surveys were carried out in targeted health districts using a 2-stage cluster sampling to select representative samples of children aged 1-11 months at the time of the most recent MDA. Parents/primary caregivers were interviewed about the child's overall health and exposure to MDA, azithromycin, and other antibiotics. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected to estimate the carriage of <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i> and the prevalence of macrolide-resistant <i>S. pneumoniae</i> using erythromycin as a proxy for azithromycin. Phenotypic and genotypic determinants of macrolide resistance were tested in a subsample of resistant bacteria using duplex PCR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 606 and 692 eligible children in 2022 and 2023, respectively, were included in the analyses. Prevalence of <i>S. pneumoniae</i> carriage was 28.8% (95%CI:22.4, 35.3) in 2022 and 30.8% (95%CI:25.0, 36.7) in 2023 (p=0.6506). There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of erythromycin-resistant <i>S. pneumoniae</i> between the two surveys (32.8% (95%CI:25.3, 40.2) versus 26.2% (95%CI:19.8, 32.6); p=0.0537). The majority of macrolide resistance phenotypes in both surveys were predominantly constitutive macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSb), carried by erm(B)-type genes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Community-level bacterial resistance to azithromycin in our samples of <i>S. pneumoniae</i> did not increase significantly between the two surveys. As countries weigh the benefits and costs to implement MDA azithromycin, more is needed to interpret the relevancy and clinical impact of observed antimicrobial resistance.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"10 ","pages":"31"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13230484/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148162660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The presence of the wAnD strain of Wolbachia is correlated with lower levels of Plasmodium sporozoites and a less diverse microbiome in wild Anopheles demeilloni mosquito cephalothoraxes.","authors":"Seynabou Sougoufara, Janvier Bandibabone, Laura Chatterley, Isabel Hughes, Carolina Molina Taberes, Jade Ball, Thomas Palliaser, Vishaal Dhokiya, Eva Heinz, Grant Hughes, Thomas Walker","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16384.1","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16384.1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The increasing insecticide resistance of malaria vectors is an urgent concern for disease control and novel vector control strategies are needed. <i>Wolbachia</i> are endosymbiotic bacteria that can invade mosquito populations and reduce transmission of human pathogens. <i>Wolbachia</i> strains in wild <i>Anopheles (An.)</i> malaria vectors are rare, with only two known genuine symbioses; <i>An. moucheti</i> with <i>w</i>AnM and <i>An. demeilloni</i> with <i>w</i>AnD. In this study, we set out to determine if there was a correlation between <i>w</i>AnD in different <i>An. demeilloni</i> mosquito body parts, infective stage <i>Plasmodium (Pl.) falciparum</i> malaria sporozoites in cephalothoraxes and the mosquito microbiome.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We undertook a combination of quantitative PCR, <i>16S rRNA</i> amplicon sequencing and sanger sequencing of the <i>Wolbachia surface protein</i> ( <i>wsp</i>) gene after isolating <i>An. demeilloni</i> female body parts from wild caught individuals collected in 2021 and 2024 from the Sud Kivu region of Democratic Republic of Congo. Results <i>Wolbachia</i> prevalence rates were significantly higher in abdomens compared to cephalothoraxes and density was also significantly higher in abdomens (P<0.0001). Overall sporozoite prevalence was 1.3% (9/704) which was not significantly different between <i>Wolbachia</i>-positive and <i>Wolbachia</i>-negative cephalothoraxes (P=0.3630) despite <i>Pl. falciparum</i> only detected in <i>Wolbachia</i>-negative cephalothoraxes. However, <i>Wolbachia</i>-positive abdomens were associated with a lower sporozoites rate compared to <i>Wolbachia</i>-negative abdomens (P=0.0329). <i>16S rRNA</i> amplicon sequencing revealed no significant difference in alpha/beta diversities between abdomens and cephalothoraxes but the cephalothorax microbiome composition between <i>Wolbachia</i>-positive and <i>Wolbachia</i>-negative was significantly different (P<0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings indicate a significant effect of the <i>w</i>AnD strain on the cephalothorax microbiome and potentially the ability of sporozoites to reach Salivary glands in mosquitoes with <i>Wolbachia</i>-infected abdomens. Further studies are needed to determine the mechanisms in which the <i>w</i>AnD strain interacts with <i>Plasmodium</i> sporozoites in <i>An. demeilloni</i> and if this strain could be used for malaria biocontrol through transinfection of major malaria vectors.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"10 ","pages":"28"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13248515/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148217469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Culturally Grounded Method for Dialogue Between Indigenous Peoples and Researchers on Emerging Technologies: Lessons from the Gene Drive Context.","authors":"Neida Delia Andi Arimuya, Federica Bernardini, Pedro Jose Cabrera Andi, Gladman Chibememe, Florina Lopez Miro, Lucy Mulenkei, Aisatou Musa, Faith Nataya, Fabio Niespolo, Tony Nolan, Samantha O'Loughlin, Kamal Kumar Rai, Ndiaga Sall, Brian Tarimo, Jose Rafael Teran Maigua, María Yolanda Teran Maigua, Delphine Thizy, Carolina Torres","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16383.1","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16383.1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper presents a participatory method for conducing a collaborative and culturally appropriate dialogue process between gene drive researchers and Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Coordinated by the Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research and representatives of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), this dialogue aimed to build trust and facilitate mutual understanding and create a safe space for sharing traditional knowledge, rather than to reach decisions on the research or implementation of gene drive technology. Over a three-year period, the dialogue evolved through multiple formats, recognising the specific needs to establish a meaningful and culturally appropriate dialogue between these two groups, while ensuring that Indigenous Peoples and local communities could share their traditional knowledge, traditions and innovations in a safe and trusted environment. The method integrates key engagement principles - such as good faith, reciprocity, inclusivity, and respect for Indigenous Peoples and local communities' knowledge systems - and describes how they were operationalised in practice. It provides a concrete example of applied engagement methodology in the context of gene drive and explores how these principles have influenced the dialogue's format and the journey of both groups throughout this process, while also sharing some of the challenges they encountered. This is not a theoretical review, but a joint account from practitioners from diverse backgrounds and interests, on how engagement methods can be implemented in real-world settings. The approach offers practical insights for designing sustained and scalable engagement strategies between scientists and Indigenous Peoples on complex and emerging science topics.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"10 ","pages":"27"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13176445/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147963323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}