Introduction Cervical cancer is among the most common cancers and is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in women worldwide [1]. Women in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) disproportionately bear the burden of cervical cancer; 85% of cervical cancer morbidity and 88% of cervical cancer mortality occur in this region [2-4]. In East Africa, among all types of cancers in women, cervical cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality with 52,633 new cases and 37,017 deaths estimated in 2018 [5]. Without adequate investment in cervical cancer control, these rates are only expected to rise [2]. Treatment for cervical cancer is critical for control and secondary disease prevention in LMICs [2]. However, most LMICs have limited infrastructure and human resource capacity to support surgical screening and subsequent treatment with radiotherapy, evidenced by the lack of trained health personnel and inadequate availability of treatment equipment [2]. Where services are available, the cost of treatment often prohibits access [6, 7]. Further, issues such as late presentation at diagnosis, low pretreatment performance status, which indicates a patient's ability to tolerate chemotherapy, lack of adherence to treatment or post-treatment follow-up, and low quality of care worsen patient outcomes [2, 8-11]. Among important programmatic and patient-related aspects of cervical cancer treatment is post-treatment follow-up. Women receiving therapy for invasive cancer
Background Since the discovery of direct-acting antivirals, treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) is increasingly accessible in low-resource settings, but quality of care in these settings is not known. We described progression through the cascade of care among individuals who screened positive for HCV antibodies during a mass screening campaign in Kirehe and Kayonza, two rural Rwandan districts, in September 2019. Methods This retrospective cohort study used routine clinical data to assess proportions of participants completing each stage of the cascade of care, including: (a) screening positive on rapid diagnostic test; (b) return of initial viral load results; (c) detectable viral load; (d) treatment assessment; (e) treatment initiation; (f) return of sustained virological response (SVR12) results; and (g) achieving SVR12. We proposed three indicators to assess timely care provision and used medians and interquartile ranges (IQR) to describe the time to complete the cascade of care. Results Overall, 666 participants screened HCV positive, among them, 452 (68.1%) were female and median age was 61 years (IQR: 47, 70). Viral load results were returned for 537 (80.6%) participants of whom 448 (83.4%) had detectable viral loads. Of these, 398 (88.8%) were assessed for treatment, 394 (99%) were initiated, but only 222 (56.3%) had results returned for SVR12. Among those with SVR12 results, 208 (93.7%) achieved SVR12. When assessing timely care provision, we found 65.9% (95% CI: 62.0, 69.7) of initial viral load results were returned ≤ 30 days of screening; 45% (95% CI: 40.1, 49.8) of people with detectable viral load completed treatment assessment ≤ 90 days of initial viral load results; and 12.5% (95% CI: 9.2, 16.3) of SVR12 results were returned ≤ 210 days of treatment initiation among those who initiated treatment. The overall median time from screening to SVR12 assessment was 437 days. Conclusion Despite high rates of SVR12 among those who completed all stages of the cascade of care, we identified gaps and delays in the treatment cascade. Improving communication between viral load testing hubs and health facilities could reduce the turn-around time for viral load testing, and actively monitor timeliness of care provision could improve quality of HCV care.
Background Little is known about father's involvement in the care of children born with perinatal risk factors. This study aimed to understand father's involvement in the care of children born preterm, low birth weight (LBW) and/or with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in rural Rwanda and assess child and home environment factors associated with father involvement. Methods A cross‐sectional study of children born preterm, LBW or with HIE who were discharged from Kirehe District Hospital neonatal unit from May 2015 to April 2016 and those enrolled in a neonatal unit follow‐up programme from May 2016 to November 2017. Interviews were conducted when the children were ages 24–47 months in the child's home. Primary caregivers reported on father involvement in parenting, home environment, child disability, and child development outcomes. Children's nutritional status were directly measured. Only children whose fathers were living in the home were included in the sample. Bivariate analyses were conducted using Fisher's exact test and Wilcoxon Rank Sum test. Results A total of 236 children aged 24–47 months were included in this study, 66.4% were born preterm or LBW with a mean age of 33.3 months. 73.5% of children were at risk of disability and 77.7% had potential delay in overall child development. 15.5% of fathers reported engaging in four or more activities with their child in the last 3 days. Factors associated with father involvement included smaller household size (p = 0.004), mother engaged in decision‐making (p = 0.027), being on‐track in developmental milestones for problem solving (p = 0.042) and mother's involvement in learning activities (p = 0.043); the number of activities a father engaged in was significantly associated with the child's overall development (p = 0.032). Conclusion We found that father involvement in activities to support learning was low amongst children born preterm/LBW and/or with HIE. Programme interventions should encourage fathers to engage with their children given the benefits for children's development.
Background In 2016 Rwanda adopted “treat all” where all patients with HIV are immediately eligible for ART regardless of disease progression. Despite widespread availability of treatment, it is unknown whether presentation with advanced HIV persists. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort among patients aged ≥ 15 who enrolled in care between July 2016 and July 2018 in three rural Rwandan districts. We estimated the prevalence of advanced HIV, defined as presenting with CD4 count < 200 cells/mm3 or WHO stage 3 or 4, and compared baseline characteristics of patients with and without advanced HIV. We compared cumulative incidences and time to events using Chi squared tests and Cox proportional hazards models, respectively, for (a) viral load tests; (b) viral suppression; (c) death; and (d) treatment failure (a composite of death, lost to follow up, or virologic failure). Results Among 957 patients, 105 (11.0%) presented with advanced HIV. These patients were significantly more likely to have low body mass index, come from Burera district, be older, and be identified through inpatient settings rather than through voluntary or prenatal testing. Patients with advanced HIV had significantly higher risks of death at 12-months (9.5% vs 1.5%, p < 0.001) and 18-months (10.5% vs 1.9%, p < 0.001) and significantly higher risk of treatment failure at 12-months (21.9% vs. 14.2%, p = 0.037). After adjusting for confounders, patients with advanced HIV had still higher rates of death (adjusted Hazard ratio [aHR] = 4.4, 95% CI: 1.9, 10.2, p < 0.001) and treatment failure (aHR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.5, p = 0.017), but no difference in viral load testing (aHR = 1.1, 95% CI: 0.8, 1.5, p = 0.442) or viral suppression (aHR = 1.0, 95% CI: 0.8, 1.4, p = 0.949). When allowing for the hazard ratio to vary over time, patients with advanced HIV experienced elevated rates of treatment failure in the first six of enrollment, but not after nine months. Conclusion Presenting with advanced HIV remains common and is still associated with poor patient outcomes. Sensitization of the community to the benefits of early ART initiation, identification of patients with advanced HIV, and holistic support programs for the first 6 months of treatment may be needed to improve outcomes.
Introduction: Rwanda’s Hepatitis C elimination campaign has relied on mass screening campaigns. An alternative “micro-elimination” strategy, which focuses on specific segments of the population such as non-communicable disease (NCD) patients, could be a more efficient approach to identifying patients and linking them to care. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study used routine data collected during a targeted screening campaign among NCD patients in Kirehe, Kayonza, and Burera districts of Rwanda and patients receiving oncology services from the Butaro District Hospital. The campaign used rapid diagnostic tests to screen for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and Hepatitis C antibody (anti-HCV). We reported prevalence and 95% confidence intervals for HBsAg and anti-HCV, assessed for associations between patients’ clinical programs and hepatitis B and C, and reported outcomes along the cascade of care for the two diseases. Results: out of 7,622 were NCD patients, 3398 (45.9%) of whom self-reported a prior hepatitis screening. Prevalence of HBsAg was 2.0% (95% CI: 1.7%-2.3%) and anti-HCV was 6.7% (95% CI: 6.2%-7.3%). The prevalence of HBsAg was significantly higher among patients younger than 40 years (2.4%). Increased age was significantly associated with anti-HCV (12.0% among patients ≥70 years). Of the 148 individuals who screened positive for HbsAg, 124 had viral load results returned, 102 had detectable viral loads (median viral load: 451 UI/mL), 9 were eligible for treatment, and three were linked to care of the 507 individuals who screened positive for anti-HCV, 468 had their viral load results returned (median viral load: 1,130,000 UI/mL), 304 had detectable viral loads, and 230 were linked to care. Conclusion: Anti-HCV prevalence among Rwandan patients with NCD was high, likely due to their older age. Findings of this study indicated that HBsAg was high concentrated among NCD patients below 40 years maybe as consequence of their sexual behavior at late adolescent age. Repeated screening and elevated hepatitis risk among repeat screeners suggests suboptimal linkage to hepatitis treatment. NCD-HCV co-infected patients had high HCV viral loads and may be at risk of poor outcomes from hepatitis C. Hepatitis C micro-elimination campaigns among NCD patients are a feasible and acceptable strategy to enhance case detection in this high-prevalence population with elevated viral loads and may support linkage to care for hepatitis C among elderly populations.
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