Gates Open Research最新文献

{"title":"Vasectomy provider decision-making balancing autonomy and non-maleficence: qualitative interviews with providers.","authors":"Alison T Hoover, Dominick Shattuck, Karen L Andes","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.15036.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12688/gatesopenres.15036.2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Male sterilization, or vasectomy, is 99.9% effective at preventing pregnancy with less than a 2% risk of complications. Despite the high efficacy, low risk, low cost, and gender equity benefits of vasectomy, just 2% of women reported that they and their partners relied on vasectomy as their contraceptive method globally in 2019. Health care providers can be both a facilitator and a barrier in men's health generally, and may be in vasectomy provision as well. This study sought to describe the decision-making rationales of experienced vasectomy providers when evaluating patient candidacy in complex cases.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fifteen vasectomy providers belonging to the global Vasectomy Network Google Group from seven countries participated in online interviews using a semi-structured in-depth interview guide. Providers were asked about their vasectomy training, their reasons for vasectomy provision, challenging cases they have faced, and approaches used to manage challenging cases. Vignettes were used to further elicit decision-making rationale. Thematic analysis was conducted using MAXQDA20.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Provider decision-making was predicated on ensuring patients were well-informed, able to consent, and certain about their choice to have a vasectomy. Once those foundational conditions were met, providers filtered patient characteristics through their training, laws and policies, sociocultural norms, experience, and peer influence to produce a cost-benefit breakdown. Based on the cost-benefit analysis, providers determined whether to weigh autonomy or non-maleficence more heavily when determining vasectomy patient candidacy.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Despite clinical best practices that promote prioritizing patient autonomy over non-maleficence, some providers continued to weigh non-maleficence over autonomy in vasectomy patient candidacy evaluations. Non-maleficence was particularly prioritized in cases providers deemed to be at higher risk of regret. The findings of this study suggest vasectomy provider training should emphasize evidence-based best practices in shared decision-making and patient-centered care to facilitate vasectomy provision that honors patient autonomy and rights.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"7 ","pages":"132"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10861492/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144625907","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":"Health care-seeking behavior for childhood illnesses in western Kenya: Qualitative findings from the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Study.","authors":"Sarah Ngere, Maria Maixenchs, Sammy Khagayi, Peter Otieno, Kennedy Ochola, Kelvin Akoth, Aggrey Igunza, Benard Ochieng, Dickens Onyango, Victor Akelo, John Blevins, Beth A Tippett Barr","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.14866.3","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.14866.3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Child mortality in Kenya is 41 per 1,000 live births, despite extensive investment in maternal, newborn, and child health interventions. Caregivers' health-seeking for childhood illness is an important determinant of child survival, and delayed healthcare is associated with high child mortality. We explore determinants of health-seeking decisions for childhood illnesses among caregivers in western Kenya.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a qualitative study of 88 community members between April 2017 and February 2018 using purposive sampling in an informal urban settlement in Kisumu County, and in rural Siaya County. Key informant interviews, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were performed. We adopted the Partners for Applied Social Sciences model focusing on factors that influence the decision-making process to seek healthcare for sick infants and children. The discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data management was completed on <i>Nvivo®</i> software. Iterative analysis process was utilized and themes were identified and collated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our findings reveal four thematic areas: Illness interpretation, the role of social relationship on illness recognition and response, medical pluralism and healthcare access. Participants reported some illnesses are caused by supernatural powers and some by biological factors, and that the illness etiology would determine the health-seeking pathway. It was common to seek consensus from respected community members on the diagnosis and therefore presumed cause and necessary treatment for a child's illness. Medical pluralism was commonly practiced and caregivers would alternate between biomedicine and traditional medicine. Accessibility of healthcare may determine the health seeking pathway. Caregivers unable to afford biomedical care may choose traditional medicine as a cheaper alternative.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Health seeking behavior was driven by illness interpretation, financial cost associated with healthcare and advice from extended family and community. These findings enrich the perspectives of health education programs to develop health messages that address factors that hinder prompt health care seeking.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"8 ","pages":"31"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11413273/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142283950","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":"\"Life mapping\" exploring the lived experience of COVID-19 on access to HIV treatment and care in Malawi.","authors":"Jane Harries, Ruby T Zolowere, Khokhelwa Zokwana, Krista Lauer, Jelena Bozinovski, Solange L Baptiste","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.15927.2","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.15927.2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi exacerbated, existing public health challenges including access to HIV treatment and care services. \"Life Mapping,\" a component of the Citizen Science community-led project in Malawi, documented the lived experiences and perspectives of people living with HIV in the context of COVID-19.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Citizen Science Life Maps is a three-year qualitative, longitudinal project utilizing collaborative and participatory research methods through digital storytelling to document peoples' daily lives. Twenty participants living with HIV were recruited between 2022 and 2023 in two central regional districts of Malawi and two urban areas. The participants were given mobile smart phones to document the impact of COVID-19 on HIV prevention and treatment services, HIV treatment literacy, mental health and the COVID -19 vaccine. Data was analyzed using a thematic analysis approach.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Access to HIV prevention and treatment slowly recovered yet introducing multi-month anti- retroviral dispensing raised concerns. In the absence of mental health care services, participants were resourceful in seeking alternative ways to deal with mental health. However, state sponsored violence in relation to COVID-19 public health measures impacted negatively not only on mental well-being but also on HIV treatment adherence. Whilst most recognized the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine, especially for people living with HIV, myths, misinformation, and conspiracy theories around the vaccine persisted especially religious themed misinformation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The relationship between misinformation and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is complex and medical and scientific approaches may not be sufficient to prevent misinformation. Fear and misinformation are likely attributed to global uncertainty during the pandemic and the speed at which vaccines were developed with minimal opportunity to prepare global communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"8 ","pages":"70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11781794/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143065167","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":"Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS): Manhiça site description, Mozambique.","authors":"Charfudin Sacoor, Pio Vitorino, Ariel Nhacolo, Khátia Munguambe, Rita Mabunda, Marcelino Garrine, Edgar Jamisse, Amílcar Magaço, Elísio Xerinda, António Sitoe, Fabíola Fernandes, Carla Carrilho, Maria Maixenchs, Percina Chirinda, Tacilta Nhampossa, Bento Nhancale, Natalia Rakislova, Justina Bramugy, Arsénio Nhacolo, Sara Ajanovic, Marta Valente, Arsénia Massinga, Rosauro Varo, Clara Menéndez, Jaume Ordi, Inácio Mandomando, Quique Bassat","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.13931.3","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.13931.3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Manhiça Health Research Centre (Manhiça HDSS) was established in 1996 in Manhiça, a rural district at Maputo Province in the southern part of Mozambique with approximately 49,000 inhabited households, a total population of 209.000 individuals, and an annual estimated birth cohort of about 5000 babies. Since 2016, Manhiça HDSS is implementing the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) program aiming to investigate causes of death (CoD) in stillbirths and children under the age of 5 years using an innovative post-mortem technique known as Minimally Invasive Tissue sampling (MITS), comprehensive pathogen screening using molecular methods, clinical record abstraction and verbal autopsy. Both in-hospital and community pediatric deaths are investigated using MITS. For this, community-wide socio-demographic approaches (notification of community deaths by key informants, formative research involving several segments of the community, availability of free phone lines for notification of medical emergencies and deaths, etc.) are conducted alongside to foster community awareness, involvement and adherence as well as to compute mortality estimates and collect relevant information of health and mortality determinants. The main objective of this paper is to describe the Manhiça Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) site and the CHAMPS research environment in place including the local capacities among its reference hospital, laboratories, data center and other relevant areas involved in this ambitious surveillance and research project, whose ultimate aim is to improve child survival through public health actions derived from credible estimates and understanding of the major causes of childhood mortality in Mozambique.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":" ","pages":"4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11374382/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47401234","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":"Estimating the impact of vaccination: lessons learned in the first phase of the Vaccine Impact Modelling Consortium.","authors":"Katy A M Gaythorpe, Xiang Li, Hannah Clapham, Emily Dansereau, Rich Fitzjohn, Wes Hinsley, Daniel Hogan, Mark Jit, Tewodaj Mengistu, T Alex Perkins, Allison Portnoy, Emilia Vynnycky, Kim Woodruff, Neil M Ferguson, Caroline L Trotter","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.15556.1","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.15556.1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Estimates of the global health impact of immunisation are important for quantifying historical benefits as well as planning future investments and strategy. The Vaccine Impact Modelling Consortium (VIMC) was established in 2016 to provide reliable estimates of the health impact of immunisation. In this article we examine the consortium in its first five-year phase. We detail how vaccine impact was defined and the methods used to estimate it as well as the technical infrastructure required to underpin robust reproducibility of the outputs. We highlight some of the applications of estimates to date, how these were communicated and what their effect were. Finally, we explore some of the lessons learnt and remaining challenges for estimating the impact of vaccines and forming effective modelling consortia then discuss how this may be addressed in the second phase of VIMC. Modelled estimates are not a replacement for surveillance; however, they can examine theoretical counterfactuals and highlight data gaps to complement other activities. VIMC has implemented strategies to produce robust, standardised estimates of immunisation impact. But through the first phase of the consortium, critical lessons have been learnt both on the technical infrastructure and the effective engagement with modellers and stakeholders. To be successful, a productive dialogue with estimate consumers, producers and stakeholders needs to be underpinned by a rigorous and transparent analytical framework as well as an approach for building expertise in the short and long term.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"8 ","pages":"97"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11467163/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142462759","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":"Power calculation for mosquito bioassays: Quantifying variability in the WHO tube bioassay and developing sample size guidance for the PBO synergism assay using a Shiny application.","authors":"Frank Mechan, Giorgio Praulins, Jack Gillespie, Katherine Gleave, Annabel Murphy-Fegan, Daniel P McDermott, David Weetman, Rosemary Susan Lees","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16123.1","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.16123.1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The WHO tube bioassay is a method for exposing mosquitos to determine susceptibility to insecticides, with mortality to discriminating doses <98% indicating possible resistance and <90% confirming resistance. This bioassay is also used for synergism testing to assess if susceptibility is restored by pre-exposure to the synergist piperonyl butoxide.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Here we perform testing with pyrethroid-susceptible and pyrethroid-resistant <i>An. gambiae</i> to quantify the variability of the WHO tube bioassay and identify its sources. These estimates of within and between day variability are then used to evaluate the power of the bioassay to detect a mortality difference between pyrethroid-only and pyrethroid-PBO.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We show that approximately two-thirds of variation occurs between days, with the pyrethroid-susceptible strain twice as variable as the pyrethroid-resistant strain. The total number of mosquitoes in the tube and their bodyweight contributes to approximately 10% of this variability. Changes in temperature and humidity, within a climate-controlled insectary, didn't impact mortality. Using a simulation-based framework, we show that the current synergism guidelines, using a 4x4 design, can reliably detect a difference between 90% and 100% mortality (>90% power). However, as the mortality of either group gets closer to 50%, a 10% difference between groups is more difficult to reliably detect. In the worst-case scenario where the mortality of either group is 50%, the mortality difference must be >22.5% to be detected with 80% power. We provide an R shiny application to assess power for other comparisons.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings indicate that detecting synergism with the WHO tube assay is more difficult than assumed by the current WHO guidelines. Additionally, we demonstrate the value of using a Shiny application to make the outputs of simulation-based power analysis readily available to end-users, allowing them to determine the number of tubes needed to detect a given mortality difference.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"8 ","pages":"96"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11576473/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142681490","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 Brain Imaging for Global Health (BRIGHT) Project: Longitudinal cohort study protocol.","authors":"Sarah Lloyd-Fox, Sam McCann, Bosiljka Milosavljevic, Laura Katus, Anna Blasi, Chiara Bulgarelli, Maria Crespo-Llado, Giulia Ghillia, Tijan Fadera, Ebrima Mbye, Luke Mason, Fabakary Njai, Omar Njie, Marta Perapoch-Amado, Maria Rozhko, Fatima Sosseh, Mariama Saidykhan, Ebou Touray, Sophie E Moore, Clare E Elwell","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.14795.2","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.14795.2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There is a scarcity of prospective longitudinal research targeted at early postnatal life which maps developmental pathways of early-stage processing and brain specialisation in the context of early adversity. Follow up from infancy into the one-five year age range is key, as it constitutes a critical gap between infant and early childhood studies. Availability of portable neuroimaging (functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG)) has enabled access to rural settings increasing the diversity of our sampling and broadening developmental research to include previously underrepresented ethnic-racial and geographical groups in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). The primary objective of the Brain Imaging for Global Health (BRIGHT) project was to establish brain function - using longitudinal data from mother - for-age reference curves infant dyads living in the UK and rural Gambia and investigate the association between context-associated moderators and developmental trajectories across the first two years of life in The Gambia. In total, 265 participating families were seen during pregnancy, at 7-14 days, 1-, 5-, 8-, 12-, 18- and 24-months post-partum. An additional visit is now underway at 3-5 years to assess pre-school outcomes. The majority of our Gambian cohort live in poverty, but while resource-poor in many factors they commonly experience a rich and beneficial family and caregiving context with multigenerational care and a close-knit supportive community. Understanding the impact of different factors at play in such an environment ( <i>i.e.</i>, detrimental undernutrition <i>versus</i> beneficial multigenerational family support) will (i) improve the representativeness of models of general cognitive developmental pathways from birth, (ii) identify causal pathways of altered trajectories associated with early adversity at both individual and group level, and (iii) identify the context-associated moderators ( <i>i.e.</i> social context) that protect development despite the presence of poverty-associated challenges. This will in turn contribute to the development of targeted interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"7 ","pages":"126"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11452580/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142380585","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":"Characterization of longitudinal nasopharyngeal microbiome patterns in maternally HIV-exposed Zambian infants.","authors":"Aubrey R Odom, Christopher J Gill, Rachel Pieciak, Arshad Ismail, Donald Thea, William B MacLeod, W Evan Johnson, Rotem Lapidot","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.14041.2","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.14041.2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Previous studies of infants born to HIV-positive mothers have linked HIV exposure to poor outcomes from gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses, and to overall increased mortality rates. The mechanism behind this is unknown, but it is possible that differences in the nasopharyngeal (NP) microbiome between infants who are HIV-unexposed or HIV-exposed could play a role in perpetuating some outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a longitudinal analysis of 170 NP swabs of healthy infants who are HIV-exposed (n=10) infants and their HIV(+) mothers, and infants who are HIV-unexposed, uninfected (HUU; n=10) .and their HIV(-) mothers. These swabs were identified from a sample library collected in Lusaka, Zambia between 2015 and 2016. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we characterized the maturation of the microbiome over the first 14 weeks of life to determine what quantifiable differences exist between HIV-exposed and HUU infants, and what patterns are reflected in the mothers' NP microbiomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In both HIV-exposed and HUU infants, <i>Staphylococcus</i> and <i>Corynebacterium</i> began as primary colonizers of the NP microbiome but were in time replaced by <i>Dolosigranulum</i>, <i>Streptococcus</i>, <i>Moraxella</i> and <i>Haemophilus</i>. When evaluating the interaction between HIV exposure status and time of sampling among infants, the microbe <i>Staphylococcus haemolyticus</i> showed a distinctive high association with HIV exposure at birth. When comparing infants to their mothers with paired analyses, HIV-exposed infants' NP microbiome composition was only slightly different from their HIV(+) mothers at birth or 14 weeks, including in their carriage of <i>S. pneumoniae</i>, <i>H. influenzae</i>, and <i>S. haemolyticus</i>.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our analyses indicate that the HIV-exposed infants in our study exhibit subtle differences in the NP microbial composition throughout the sampling interval. Given our results and the sampling limitations of our study, we believe that further research must be conducted in order to confidently understand the relationship between HIV exposure and infants' NP microbiomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"6 ","pages":"143"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11427455/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142344901","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":"Feasibility of increasing calcium content of drinking tap water following quality regulations to improve calcium intake at population level.","authors":"Natalia Matamoros, María Bernardita Puchulu, Jorge E Colman Lerner, Eduard Maury-Sintjago, Jorge L López, Verónica Sosio, José M Belizán, Andrés Porta, Gabriela Cormick","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.15184.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12688/gatesopenres.15184.2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Calcium intake is below recommendations in several parts of the world. Improving calcium intake has benefits not only for bone health but also helps to prevent pregnancy hypertension disorders. Calcium concentration of tap water is usually low The aim of the present study was to determine the maximum amount of calcium that can be added to tap water while complying with drinking water Argentine regulations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Tap water samples were collected from the Province of Buenos Aires (Argentina). Physicochemical properties and saturation index were measured. Different incremental concentrations of calcium chloride were added to the experimental aliquots.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Baseline water had a mean calcium concentration of 22.00 ± 2.54 mg/L, water hardness of 89.9 ± 6.4 mg/L CaCO ₃, and a saturation index of -1.50 ± 0.11. After the addition of 0.4554 ± 0.0071 g of salt, water hard-ness reached 355.0 ± 7.1 mg/L CaCO ₃, a calcium concentration of 140.50 ± 2.12 mg/L, and a saturation index -0.53 ± 0.02.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study shows that at laboratory level it is feasible to increase calcium concentration of drinking water by adding calcium chloride while complying with national standards. Calcium concentration of drinking tap water could be evaluated and minimum calcium concentration of tap water regulated so as to improve calcium intake in populations with low calcium intake.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"8 ","pages":"5"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11421485/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142344904","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":"Programmatic mapping and estimating the population size of female sex workers, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs and transgender populations in Kenya.","authors":"Janet Musimbi, Helgar Musyoki, Mary Mugambi, Shem Kaosa, Japheth Kioko, Diane Aluko, Waruiru Wanjiru, Solomon Wambua, Ravi Prakash, Shajy Isac, Parinita Bhattacharjee, Faran Emmanuel","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.13623.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12688/gatesopenres.13623.4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Effective coverage of Human Immunodeficiency Virus prevention services for Key Populations (KPs) including female sex workers (FSWs), men who have sex with men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID) and transgender (TG) people necessitates periodic validation of physical venues and size estimates. Kenya conducted a robust size estimation of KPs in 2012 and a repeat mapping and size estimation exercise was conducted in 2018 to update KP Size Estimates and sub-typologies within each County for calculation of realistic program indicators.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A prospective mixed methods programmatic mapping approach adopted comprised two steps. The first step involved consolidating and documenting all known venues where KPs congregate while the second step included visiting and validating these venues confirming their active status. Data were collected in 34 out of 47 Counties in Kenya between January and March 2018. Data collected included estimated number of KPs (range), venue typology and timing of operation of each venue.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We estimated a total number of 167,940 (129,271 to 206,609) FSWs; 32,580 (24,704 to 40,455) MSM; 16,063 (12,426 to 19,691) PWIDs and 4,305 (2,826 to 5,783) transgender people congregating at 10,250, 1,729, 401 and 1,218 venues respectively. Majority of the venues for FSW (81%), MSM (64%) and transgender people (67%) were bars with and without lodging, PWIDs were mostly found on streets and injecting dens (70%). Around 9% of FSW and MSM and11% of PWIDs were below the age of 18 years.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study provided information on young KPs, female PWIDs, MSWs and for the first time, TG people in Kenya. The exercise updated size estimates of KPs by typology and provided new evidence for resource allocation, planning of interventions and targets. Programmatic mapping continues to be a useful approach supporting programs to achieve high levels of coverage and prioritize resources.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"6 ","pages":"112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11259589/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144625985","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}