Gates Open Research最新文献

{"title":"WhatsApp as a medium to collect qualitative data among adolescents: lessons learned and considerations for future use","authors":"Barbara Singer, Caitlin M. Walsh, Lucky Gondwe, Katie Reynolds, Emily Lawrence, Alinafe Kasiya","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.13169.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12688/gatesopenres.13169.2","url":null,"abstract":"<ns3:p>To understand dynamics surrounding adolescents’ access to and use of contraception, perspectives of youth themselves must be considered. Methods of data collection leveraging technological solutions may provide avenues for increased anonymity for adolescents to share their experiences with contraception. With the use of WhatsApp and other smartphone-based messaging applications as platforms for qualitative methodologies, public health researchers may find increased access to adolescents through utilizing mediums that adolescents already engage with in their daily lives. This article describes the methodology of using WhatsApp for conducting focus group discussions with adolescents in Malawi, including lessons learned around data collection, data use, and data quality. In June 2018, VillageReach used WhatsApp to conduct focus group discussions (FGD) to collect qualitative data on contraceptive use from Malawian youth. WhatsApp FGD participants were male and female adolescents, aged 15-19 representing rural and urban populations across three geographic regions of Malawi (northern, central and southern). Youth researchers (YR), aged 22-25, were trained and facilitated fifteen WhatsApp FGDs, as <ns3:italic>in-person</ns3:italic> (12) and <ns3:italic>remote</ns3:italic> (3) sessions. WhatsApp FGDs consisted of a YR sharing fictitious but contextually realistic ASRH scenarios, and managing the virtual discussion with questions and probing. Youth indicated comfort using WhatsApp to express their opinions and experiences related to contraceptive use and preferences. Based on the data collected, the researchers felt that use of the technology may increase willingness to provide additional levels of information during anonymized WhatsApp FGDs vis à vis traditional, in-person FGDs. Using WhatsApp as a methodological tool to facilitate FGDs has practical implications for data collection, data quality, and data analysis. This paper reports lessons learned and advantages and disadvantages of using WhatsApp to conduct FGDs in a low-resource setting. It also calls for developing guidelines and an ethical code of conduct for future use of mobile applications in qualitative research.</ns3:p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"201 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135761747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical Trial Risk Tool: software application using natural language processing to identify the risk of trial uninformativeness","authors":"Thomas A Wood, D. McNair","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.14416.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12688/gatesopenres.14416.1","url":null,"abstract":"Background: A large proportion of clinical trials end without delivering results that are useful for clinical, policy, or research decisions. This problem is called “uninformativeness”. Some high-risk indicators of uninformativeness can be identified at the stage of drafting the protocol, however the necessary information can be hard to find in unstructured text documents. Methods: We have developed a browser-based tool which uses natural language processing to identify and quantify the risk of uninformativeness. The tool reads and parses the text of trial protocols and identifies key features of the trial design, which are fed into a risk model. The application runs in a browser and features a graphical user interface that allows a user to drag and drop the PDF of the trial protocol and visualize the risk indicators and their locations in the text. The user can correct inaccuracies in the tool’s parsing of the text. The tool outputs a PDF report listing the key features extracted. The tool is focused HIV and tuberculosis trials but could be extended to more pathologies in future. Results: On a manually tagged dataset of 300 protocols, the tool was able to identify the condition of a trial with 100% area under curve (AUC), presence or absence of statistical analysis plan with 87% AUC, presence or absence of effect estimate with 95% AUC, number of subjects with 69% accuracy, and simulation with 98% AUC. On a dataset of 11,925 protocols downloaded from ClinicalTrials.gov, the tool was able to identify trial phase with 75% accuracy, number of arms with 58% accuracy, and the countries of investigation with 87% AUC. Conclusion: We have developed and validated a natural language processing tool for identifying and quantifying risks of uninformativeness in clinical trial protocols. The software is open-source and can be accessed at the following link: https://app.clinicaltrialrisk.org","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42977732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Complexity of options related to restarting oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) in national immunization programs after OPV cessation.","authors":"Dominika A Kalkowska, Steven Gf Wassilak, Eric Wiesen, Concepcion F Estivariz, Cara C Burns, Kamran Badizadegan, Kimberly M Thompson","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.14511.1","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.14511.1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> The polio eradication endgame continues to increase in complexity.  With polio cases caused by wild poliovirus type 1 and circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses of all three types (1, 2 and 3) reported in 2022, the number, formulation, and use of poliovirus vaccines poses challenges for national immunization programs and vaccine suppliers.  Prior poliovirus transmission modeling of globally-coordinated type-specific cessation of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) assumed creation of Sabin monovalent OPV (mOPV) stockpiles for emergencies and explored the potential need to restart OPV if the world reached a specified cumulative threshold number of cases after OPV cessation. <b>Methods:</b>  We document the actual experience of type 2 OPV (OPV2) cessation and reconsider prior modeling assumptions related to OPV restart.  We develop updated decision trees of national immunization options for poliovirus vaccines considering different possibilities for OPV restart. <b>Results:</b>  While OPV restart represented a hypothetical situation for risk management and contingency planning to support the 2013-2018 Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) Strategic Plan, the actual epidemiological experience since OPV2 cessation raises questions about what, if any, trigger(s) could lead to restarting the use of OPV2 in routine immunization and/or plans for potential future restart of type 1 and 3 OPV after their respective cessation.  The emergency use listing of a genetically stabilized novel type 2 OPV (nOPV2) and continued evaluation of nOPV for types 1 and/or 3 add further complexity by increasing the combinations of possible OPV formulations for OPV restart.  <b>Conclusions:</b> Expanding on a 2019 discussion of the logistical challenges and implications of restarting OPV, we find a complex structure of the many options and many issues related to OPV restart decisions and policies as of early 2023.  We anticipate many challenges for forecasting prospective vaccine supply needs during the polio endgame due to increasing potential combinations of poliovirus vaccine choices.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"7 ","pages":"55"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10403636/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9953109","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":"Experiences of violence among female and male grade eight learners: baseline findings from the Girls Achieve Power (GAP Year) trial across three South African townships","authors":"Alison Kutywayo, Sasha Frade, Glory Chidumwa, Tshepo Mahuma, Nicolette P. Naidoo, Saiqa Mullick","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.13276.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12688/gatesopenres.13276.3","url":null,"abstract":"<ns4:p><ns4:bold>Background:</ns4:bold> South African adolescents experience disproportionally high rates of violence, with lifelong health, social and economic impacts. Few papers present risk factors associated with experiences of adolescent violence.</ns4:p><ns4:p> <ns4:bold>Methods: </ns4:bold>A baseline cross-sectional survey was done (April 2017 – Sept 2018) with 3432 grade 8 learners in the Girls Achieve Power (GAP Year) trial from 26 high schools in three townships (Soweto and Tembisa, Gauteng and Khayelitsha, Western Cape). Collected data on lifetime experiences of different types of violence, perpetrators, and place of violence. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to enumerate experiences of, and factors associated with violence.</ns4:p><ns4:p> <ns4:bold>Results: </ns4:bold>A total of 2383 respondents are included. Most (63.1%) were girls, 81.5% aged 12-14. In total 25.9% had ever experienced violence, higher among boys (p=<0.001). Physical violence was most common (35.7%), then psychological (21.8%), sexual (13.1%), neglect (10.6%), cyberbullying (7.6%), corporal punishment (6.5%) and economic abuse (4.8%). Boys experienced more physical violence (36.0%); girls experienced more psychological violence (22.2%). Gauteng had double the reports of sexual violence (18.4% vs 7.6%, p<0.001). Violence happened most at school (27.4%), followed by the park (19.8%) or their friends’ home (12.9%).</ns4:p><ns4:p> Multivariate analysis showed that boys (aOR 1.68; 95% CV 1.32-2.14; p<0.001), those aged 15-17 years (aOR 1.41; 95% CV 1.04-1.89; p=0.025), those who ever used substances (aOR 1.90; 95% CI 1.9-2.28; p<0.001), and those who sometimes feel worthless (aOR 1.33; 95% CI 1.09-1.63, p=0.005) were at higher odds of ever experiencing violence. Those who had ever had sex were more likely to have ever experienced violence (aOR 1.42; 95% CI 1.10-1.83; p=0.008).</ns4:p><ns4:p> <ns4:bold>Conclusion: </ns4:bold>Urgently need wider adoption, scaling, and sustaining of evidence-based primary violence prevention and structural interventions are required to reduce the high burden of adolescent violence. Stakeholders across the ecological model are needed to tackle harmful cultural norms that perpetuate violence.</ns4:p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135418876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Collective norms and modern contraceptive use in men and women: A multilevel analysis of DHS Program data in Nigeria and Zambia","authors":"S. Riese, Shireen Assaf, Jeffrey D. Edmeades, Oluwatoyin Aladejebi, M. Phiri","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.14406.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12688/gatesopenres.14406.1","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Social norms have long been understood as essential for demographic preferences, intentions and behavior, despite a lack of consistent definitions and measures in the field. Recent work has more clearly defined these norms, both at the individual and community/collective levels. However, past research on the effect of social norms on contraceptive use has focused mainly on the influence of individual-level norms, largely among women only, contributing to mixed findings. Methods: This study addresses this gap through the use of multilevel models to identify associations between collective gender, fertility, and family planning norms and individual use of modern contraceptives for both men and women, using recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from Nigeria and Zambia. Multiple measures of variation, including community-level random effects and the intraclass correlation, are calculated, providing evidence of the general effect of community factors on behavior. Results: Our findings support the importance of social, demographic and economic context on how collective gender, fertility, and family planning norms relate to modern contraceptive use. Different social norms are associated with use in the two countries, and, even within the same country, men and women’s use are influenced by different norms. Among the examined norms, only collective fertility norms were associated with use for all the groups examined, consistently associated with lower use of modern contraception. Overall, clustering at the community level explained a larger proportion of variance in individual use in men compared to women, suggesting that men’s behavior was more consistently associated with the measured social norms than women’s. Conclusions: These findings suggest that careful attention should be paid to understanding and measuring social norms when considering programs or policy around the provision of modern contraception and that these should not assume that social norms influence men and women’s behaviors in the same way.","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49178793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Circulation of respiratory viruses during the COVID-19 pandemic in The Gambia.","authors":"Sheikh Jarju, Elina Senghore, Helen Brotherton, Lucy Affleck, Alasana Saidykhan, Samba Jallow, Ebrima Krubally, Edrisa Sinjanka, Morris Ngor Ndene, Fabakary Bajo, Musa M Sanyang, Binta Saidy, Alasana Bah, Nuredin I Mohammed, Karen Forrest, Ed Clarke, Umberto Dalessandro, Abdul K Sesay, Effua Usuf, Carla Cerami, Anna Roca, Beate Kampmann, Thushan I de Silva","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.14155.3","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.14155.3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> In many countries, non-pharmaceutical interventions to limit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission resulted in significant reductions in other respiratory viruses. However, similar data from Africa are limited. We explored the extent to which viruses such as influenza and rhinovirus co-circulated with SARS-CoV-2 in The Gambia during the COVID-19 pandemic.  <b>Methods</b>: Between April 2020 and March 2022, respiratory viruses were detected using RT-PCR in nasopharyngeal swabs from 1397 participants with influenza-like illness. An assay to detect SARS-CoV-2 and a viral multiplex RT-PCR assay was used as previously described  to detect influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) A and B, parainfluenza viruses 1-4, human metapneumovirus (HMPV), adenovirus, seasonal coronaviruses (229E, OC43, NL63) and human rhinovirus. <b>Results:</b> Overall virus positivity was 44.2%, with prevalence higher in children <5 years (80%) compared to children aged 5-17 years (53.1%), adults aged 18-50 (39.5%) and >50 years (39.9%), p<0.0001. After SARS-CoV-2 (18.3%), rhinoviruses (10.5%) and influenza viruses (5.5%) were the most prevalent. SARS-CoV-2 positivity was lower in children <5 (4.3%) and 5-17 years (12.7%) than in adults aged 18-50 (19.3%) and >50 years (24.3%), p<0.0001. In contrast, rhinoviruses were most prevalent in children <5 years (28.7%), followed by children aged 5-17 (15.8%), adults aged 18-50 (8.3%) and >50 years (6.3%), p<0.0001. Four SARS-CoV-2 waves occurred, with 36.1%-52.4% SARS-CoV-2 positivity during peak months. Influenza infections were observed in both 2020 and 2021 during the rainy season as expected (peak positivity 16.4%-23.5%). Peaks of rhinovirus were asynchronous to the months when SARS-CoV-2 and influenza peaked. <b>Conclusion</b>: Our data show that many respiratory viruses continued to circulate during the COVID-19 pandemic in The Gambia, including human rhinoviruses, despite the presence of NPIs during the early stages of the pandemic, and influenza peaks during expected months.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"6 ","pages":"148"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9883272.3/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9198688","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":"Using the HIV Prevention Self-Assessment Tools (PSAT) to assess and monitor sex workers HIV programmes in selected countries in Africa","authors":"F. Emmanuel, Lulama Lunika, Jani Swart-Van Biljon, Kerry Mangold, Mohamed Khan, Puveshni Crozier, Daniel Byamukama, Fred Nana Poku, Ezinne Okey-Uchendu, Magreth Kagashe, J. Mazive, E. Mubanga, Celeste Madondo, R. Yekeye, M. Mugambi, D. Gondwe, Rosemary Kindyomunda, I. Modisaotsile, C. Benedikt, P. Bhattacharjee","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.14265.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12688/gatesopenres.14265.1","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The HIV Prevention Self-Assessment Tools (PSATs) were developed by the Global Prevention Coalition as an easy-to-use tool for country-led review of national HIV prevention response against a global standardised set of programmatic components. As part of the South to South Learning Network (SSLN), country-level data on HIV prevention programmes for sex workers were collected by 10 African countries, using the PSAT to self-assess their HIV prevention progress. Methods: Data were collected August 2020 to July 2021 from participating countries. In each country, a technical team of 8-10 members completed the tool with support from the SSLN. The PSAT collects data for three programme domains: management, implementation and outcomes and sustainability, each of which comprises essential programme functions and elements. Once all elements are scored, the tool automatically calculates the final scores for each domain, on a scale of 1-5. Also, 15 interviews were conducted with 15 country leaders to understand the ease and usefulness of the PSAT process. Results: The overall PSAT scores ranged between 4.1 (Kenya) to 2.3 in Zambia. Of the three domains, Programme Management achieved the highest scores, with four countries (Kenya, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa) scoring more than four. High scores were seen in the Programme Implementation domain as well; five countries (Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi and Uganda) scored between 3 to 4. For Programme Outcomes and Sustainability, other than Kenya, which did not score the outcomes, all countries scored poorly with scores ranging between 3.8 to 1.5. Comparing PSAT scores with UNAIDS suggested epidemic metrics have shown that countries with the highest PSAT scores also have high condom use rates and significant reductions in HIV incidence from 2010 to 2019. Conclusions: This exercise has helped country’s leadership to self-reflect on their HIV prevention programmes, increase ownership and identify areas that need strengthening.","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44722672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of anti-retroviral regimen on proximal tubular function in Zambian adolescents and young adults living with HIV: A cross sectional study","authors":"A. Mweemba, P. Kelly, D. Heimburger, W. Mutale, S. Nzala, W. Wester, Justor Banda, L. Mulenga, M. Siwingwa, J. Todd","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.14458.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12688/gatesopenres.14458.1","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Tenofovir regimens remain the preferred formulations in the HIV guidelines for adolescents and young adults in Zambia and globally. However, some adolescents and young adults are maintained on abacavir by clinicians because of anxiety about possible proximal tubular dysfunction from tenofovir. We assessed the effect of two regimens on proximal tubular function in adolescents and young adults living with HIV. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 180 participants with HIV receiving either tenofovir or abacavir for ≥12 months at the largest tertiary teaching hospital. Two first-morning urine and blood specimens were collected and analyzed for proximal tubular markers, glomerular function, electrolytes, and routine monitoring tests. Proximal tubular function was determined by measuring the fractional excretion of phosphate (FePO4). Proximal tubular dysfunction was defined by FePO4 ≥20% regardless of serum phosphate and FePO4  ≥10-20% when serum phosphate was below 0.81mmol/L. Results: The prevalence of proximal tubular dysfunction was 6% and was higher in the tenofovir group than the abacavir (10% vs. 2%, p<0.058). However, after adjusting for potential confounders, tenofovir was not associated with worse proximal tubular function. Age, urine b2-microglobulin: creatinine ratio, C-reactive protein, and urine protein: creatinine ratio was all associated with worsening proximal tubular dysfunction. Reduced estimated glomelurar filtration rate (eGFR) was found in four (2.2%) participants; three of which were on tenofovir. Conclusions: Proximal tubular dysfunction defined by FePO4 was more prevalent in the tenofovir group than the abacavir group, but not after adjusting for age. Our findings should be interpreted with caution as age differences between the two groups confounded the results.","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45116684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adult malaria mortality during 2019 at Bo Government Hospital, Sierra Leone","authors":"Satta Sylvia T.K. Kpagoi, Ashley Aimone, Rashid Ansumana, Ibrahim Swaray, Hellen Gelband, John W. Eikelboom, Prabhat Jha, Isaac I. Bogoch","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.14396.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12688/gatesopenres.14396.1","url":null,"abstract":"<ns4:p>It is uncertain whether malaria is an important cause of death among adults in endemic areas. We performed a chart review of adults admitted to Bo Government Hospital during 2019. Of 893 admissions, 149 (59% female, mean age 58.5 years) had a laboratory diagnosis of malaria and 22 (14.8%) died. Mortality was significantly higher among patients with severe malaria compared with those who had non-severe malaria (6/20 [30%] versus 16/129 [12.4%], <ns4:italic>p</ns4:italic>=0.031). Our results suggest that malaria is a common cause of death in hospitalized Sierra Leonian adults.</ns4:p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"29 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135598746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Drug and Therapeutics Committee (DTC) evolvement and expanded scope in Ethiopia.","authors":"Habtamu Seyoum, Zinabie Feleke, Dinkineh Bikila, Alebel Yaregal, Amsalu Demisie, Seid Ali, Salem Fisseha, Yigeremu Abebe, Audrey Battu, Felix Lam, Regasa Bayisa","doi":"10.12688/gatesopenres.13200.2","DOIUrl":"10.12688/gatesopenres.13200.2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As a key partner of Ministry of Health (MOH) Ethiopia, The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) had been implementing the Child Survival Project (CSP) since October 2015. Strengthening DTC was one of its focuses to improve overall supply chain management (SCM). The objective of this study are to review the evolution of DTCs in Ethiopia from their early years to current practice and identify the major driving and hindering factors for their functionality. A descriptive mixed study design was employed. The study made use of qualitative data supplemented with quantitative data, generated from both primary and secondary sources through key informant interviews and desk review methods. DTCs were introduced in Ethiopia in the early 1980s. The mandate of DTCs has been given to four different government organizations during that time. As a result, due to a lack of coordination among these organizations, its implementation was lagging. Recently, the government and its partners have given attention to DTCs. More than 5847 professionals underwent DTC training from 2016 onwards. DTC establishment in health facilities improved from 85% to 98% between 2015 and 2019 during baseline and end-line assessments carried out by CHAI/CSP. Similarly, DTC functionality in HFs improved from 20% to 63%. The CHAI/CSP regular supervision data analysis revealed that DTC establishment improved from 83% to 100% of HFs, while its functionality improved from 5% to 72% between 2016 and 2019, respectively. A chi-square test of independence examining the relationship between facility and pharmacy head training on DTCs and functionality of DTC in the same facility revealed a significant association between the two variables at p<0.0001. <b>Conclusions:</b> Providing consistent capacity building and availing strong monitoring and evaluation system improves functionality of DTCs. Moreover, national coordinating bodies for DTCs and similar structures at Regional Health Bureaus and woreda health offices should be established.</p>","PeriodicalId":12593,"journal":{"name":"Gates Open Research","volume":"5 ","pages":"70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10285046/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9716460","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}