BACKGROUND:African immigrants in the U.S. are more likely to have a late HIV diagnosis than U.S.-born people, potentially leading to onward transmission. We sought to determine the proportion of African-born people living with HIV (APLWH) who (1) had tested HIV negative prior to diagnosis, and (2) likely acquired HIV in the U.S.METHODS:We interviewed APLWH from 2014 to 2017 and estimated the proportion with post-migration HIV acquisition based on clinical data, HIV testing history, immigration date, and behavioral data.RESULTS:Of 179 participants, 113 (63%) were women. Less than half (44%) reported a negative HIV test prior to diagnosis. Among 142 (79%) participants with sufficient data to evaluate post-migration HIV acquisition, we estimate that 29% acquired HIV post-migration. Most APLWH acquire HIV prior to immigration.DISCUSSION:Approximately one-quarter of APLWH acquire HIV post-migration and HIV testing is infrequent, highlighting the need for prevention efforts for African immigrants in the U.S.

Abstract During 3 months, nine patients with a marrow transplant hospitalized in a leukemia research center and six donor-members of their families developed acute hepatitis. Serum glutamic-oxalace...

El objetivo del estudio fue determinar la seroprevalencia de la enfermedad celiaca (EC) en zonas urbanas del Perú, utilizando una muestra de base poblacional. Se tamizó una muestra aleatoria de mujeres y varones de 18 a 29 años de 26 ciudades del Perú. Para la detección de la EC se utilizó el kit anti-transglutaminasa tisular IgA. Los resultados mayores a 20 AU/ml fueron considerados positivos. La prevalencia ponderada de la EC fue de 1,2% (IC 95%: 0,0‒2,4) y se estima que el número de personas viviendo con EC en el Perú fue de 341 783. La prevalencia de la EC en el Perú resultó ser similar al promedio mundial.

The objective of the study was to determine the seroprevalence of celiac disease (CD) in urban areas of Peru using a population-based sample. A random sample of women and men 18 to 29 years old from 26 cities in Peru was screened. An anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA kit was used for the detection of CD. Results higher than 20 AU / ml were considered positive. The weighted prevalence of celiac disease was 1.2% (CI 95%: 0.0% - 2.4%), thus the estimated number of people living with CD in Peru was 341,783. CD prevalence in Peru is similar to the world average.

Covid-19, Ebola, and HIV Our response to the Covid-19 pandemic should build on lessons from the HIV and Ebola epidemics, including the importance of basing interventions on sound science and of inv...

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in 2016 the global annual incidence of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis and syphilis among people 15 to 49 years of age was 376.4 million infections.1 The increased number of etiological pathogens known to be sexually transmissible, such as Zika and Ebola viruses, new outbreaks of acquired and congenital syphilis and Lymphogranuloma venereum, increasing antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and potential resistance in other sexually transmitted infection pathogens, such as Treponema pallidum and Mycoplasma genitalium, raise additional concerns.2 Facing a global epidemic of sexually transmitted infections, the international public health agenda now emphasizes the importance of strengthening the control of such infections, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), through a combination prevention approach. This approach consists of the simultaneous use of rights-based, evidence-informed and complementary behavioural, biomedical and structural interventions operating at individual, relationship, community and societal levels. The combination of behavioural and biomedical approaches to sexually transmitted infections and/ or HIV prevention is currently debated. Research and prevention programmes often give priority to biomedical approaches.3 Behavioural interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the incidence of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, in various target groups and in a range of settings, whether these interventions are incorporated into combination prevention programmes or delivered separately.4–6 Several meta-analyses have shown that single-session behavioural interventions are as effective as more resource-consuming multisession intensive behavioural interventions for sexually transmitted infections and/ or HIV transmission.4,5,7 Clearly, the findings differ across studies, varying in terms of intervention type and length, theoretical foundation, setting and study design. Most of the studies were conducted in the United States of America and other high-income countries, suggesting the need to examine the role of combining behavioural with biomedical interventions for the reduction of these infections in lowand middle-income countries (Fig. 1).

BackgroundTimely diagnosis of infant HIV infection is essential for antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. In a randomized controlled trial, we found the Texting Improves Testing (TextIT) intervention (a theory-based text messaging system) to be efficacious for improving infant HIV testing rates and maternal retention in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programs. Using an implementation science approach, we aimed to evaluate real-world effectiveness of the intervention.Methods and findingsIn a pragmatic, cluster-randomized, stepped-wedge trial with 2 time periods of observation, we randomly allocated 10 clinics to begin implementing the intervention immediately and 10 clinics to begin implementing 6 months later. To approximate real-world conditions, inclusion criteria were broad. Women at clinics implementing the intervention received up to 14 text messages during pregnancy and after delivery and had the option to respond to text messages, call, or send inquiry text messages to a designated clinic phone. The primary outcomes were infant HIV testing and maternal retention in care during the first 8 weeks after delivery. We used modified Poisson regression with robust variance estimation to estimate the relative risk and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Generalized estimating equations were applied on individual-level data to account for clustering by site. Between February 2015 and December 2016, 4,681 women were assessed for study participation, and 2,515 were included. Participant characteristics at enrollment did not differ by study arm. Overall median age was 27 years (interquartile range [IQR] 23-30), median gestational age was 30 weeks (IQR 28-34), 99% were receiving ART, and 87% who enrolled during intervention phases owned a phone. Of 2,326 infants analyzed, 1,466 of 1,613 (90.9%) in the intervention group and 609 of 713 (85.4%) in the control group met the primary outcome of HIV virologic testing performed before 8 weeks after birth (adjusted relative risk [aRR] 1.03; 95% CI 0.97-1.10; P = 0.3). Of 2,472 women analyzed, 1,548 of 1,725 (90%) in the intervention group and 571 of 747 (76%) in the control group met the primary outcome of retention in care during the first 8 weeks after delivery (aRR 1.12; 95% CI 0.97-1.30; P = 0.1). This study had two main limitations. Staff at all facilities were aware of ongoing observation, which may have contributed to increased rates of infant HIV testing and maternal retention in care at both intervention and control facilities, and programmatic initiatives to improve maternal and infant retention in care were ongoing at all facilities at the time of this study, which likely limited the ability to demonstrate effectiveness of the trial intervention.ConclusionsIn this study, a larger proportion of infants in the intervention group received HIV testing compared with the control group, but the difference was small and not statistically significant. There was also a nonsignificant increase in maternal postpartum retention in the intervention periods. Despite the lack of a significant effect of the intervention, key lessons emerged, both for strengthening PMTCT and for implementation research in general. Perhaps most important, improving the implementation of usual care may have been sufficient to substantially improve infant HIV testing rates.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Trial Number NCT02350140.

INTRODUCTION:Interactive computer-based interventions (ICBI) are potentially scalable tools for use in real-world settings to promote sexual health and prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies. We developed and assessed the feasibility and acceptability of an ICBI for promoting adolescent and young adult sexual health, and the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing unprotected sex, STIs, and unintended pregnancy.METHODS:This pilot randomized controlled trial enrolled STI Clinic patients, in Seattle, Washington, who were 14-24 years old and reported unprotected vaginal sex during the last 2 months. Both the control and intervention group used a computerized survey to enter their sexual health and only the intervention group received the ICBI. The ICBI included personalized sexual health feedback from a physician avatar; instructive video modules advocating sexual health; and identification of one behavior to change. At 3-month follow-up, participants reported on interim sexual and pregnancy histories and underwent repeat STI testing. We assessed intervention impact on unprotected vaginal sex, number of sexual partners, incident STIs, and unintended pregnancy.RESULTS:Of 272 participants, 242 (89%) completed the study, of whom 65% were female. While these findings did not reach statistical significance, at 3-month follow-up, the intervention group reported a 33% lower rate of unprotected vaginal sex (no condom use) [IRR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.44-1.02]; 29% fewer sex partners [IRR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.50-1.03]; and 48% fewer STIs [IRR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.25-1.08] when compared to the control group. Similarly, as compared to the control group, intervention females reported a lower rate of unprotected vaginal sex (no birth control) [IRR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.47-1.35] and half as many unintended pregnancies (n = 5) versus control females (n = 10) [IRR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.17-1.58]. In exploratory analyses, intervention females reported fewer partners [IRR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.50-1.00] and a significantly lower rate of vaginal sex without condoms [IRR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.30-0.85].CONCLUSION:The intervention was acceptable to both males and females, and at 3-month follow-up, there were non-significant reductions in risk behavior for all outcomes. Among females, exploratory analysis showed a significant reduction in vaginal sex without condoms.

Background Since the site of human subjects research has public health, regulatory, ethical, economic, and social implications, we sought to determine the global distribution and migration of clinical research using an open-access trial registry. Methods We obtained individual clinical trial data including location of trial sites, dates of operation, funding source (United States government, pharmaceutical industry, or organization), and clinical study phase (1, 1/2, 2, 2/3, or 3) from ClinicalTrials.gov. We used the World Bank's classification of each country's economic development status ["High Income and a Member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)", "High Income and Non-Member of the OECD", "Upper-Middle Income", "Lower-Middle Income", or "Low Income"] and United Nations Populations Division data for country-specific population estimates. We analyzed data from calendar year 2006 through 2012 by number of clinical trial sites, cumulative trial site-years, trial density (trial site-years/106 population), and annual growth rate (%) for each country, and by development category, funding source, and clinical study phase. Results Over a 7-year period, 89,647 clinical trials operated 784,585 trial sites in 175 countries, contributing 2,443,850 trial site-years. Among those, 652,200 trial sites (83%) were in 25 high-income OECD countries, while 37,195 sites (5%) were in 91 lower-middle or low-income countries. Trial density (trial site-years/106 population) was 540 in the United States, 202 among other high-income OECD countries (excluding the United States), 81 among high-income non-OECD countries, 41 among upper-middle income countries, 5 among lower-middle income countries, and 2 among low-income countries. Annual compound growth rate was positive (ranging from 0.8% among low-income countries to 14.7% among lower-middle income countries) among all economic groups, except the United States (-0.5%). Overall, 29,191 trials (33%) were funded by industry, 4,059 (5%) were funded by the United States government, and 56,397 (63%) were funded by organizations. Countries with emerging economies (low- and middle-income) operated 19% of phase 3 trial sites, as compared to only 6% of phase 1 trial sites. Conclusion Human clinical research remains concentrated in high-income countries, but operational clinical trial sites, particularly for phase 3 trials, may be migrating to low- and middle-income countries with emerging economies.

OBJECTIVE:Text messages significantly improve uptake of infant HIV testing in clinical trial contexts. Women who were excluded from a randomized trial in Kenya were followed to create a comparison between women who were enrolled and did not receive the study SMS intervention and women who were screened but not enrolled. DESIGN:Parallel-cohort randomized controlled trial analysis. METHODS:We compared time to infant HIV testing between women in three groups: the Trial SMS group, the Trial Control group, and the Comparison Cohort comprised of women who were screened but not enrolled. RESULTS:Of the 1,115 women screened, 388 (35%) were eligible for trial enrollment, and were randomized to receive either intervention text messages (Trial SMS; N = 195) or continue usual care (Trial Control; N = 193). Among 727 women not enrolled in the study (Comparison Cohort), we obtained infant HIV testing data from clinic records for 510 (70%). The cumulative probability of infant HIV testing was highest in the Trial SMS group (92.0%; 95% CI 87.5-95.3), followed by the Trial Control group (85.1%; 95% CI 79.5-89.8), and lowest among women in the Comparison Cohort (43.4%; 95% CI 39.2-47.8). CONCLUSIONS:Both the Trial SMS group and the Trial Control group were significantly more likely to have their infants tested for HIV compared to the Comparison Cohort, providing evidence of a "clinical trial effect." This analysis suggests that SMS interventions should be implemented as an adjunct to consistent and engaged delivery of basic health services.

Research is critical for developing HIV and tuberculosis (TB) programming for U.S. African-born communities, and depends on successful recruitment of African-born people. From January 2014 to June 2016, we recruited African-born people for HIV and TB research in King County, Washington. We compared the characteristics of study participants and the underlying populations of interest, and assessed recruitment strategies. Target enrollment for the HIV study was 167 participants; 51 participants (31%) were enrolled. Target enrollment for the TB study was 218 participants; 38 (17%) were successfully recruited. Of 249 prior TB patients we attempted to contact by phone, we reached 72 (33%). Multiple recruitment strategies were employed with variable impact. Study participants differed from the underlying populations in terms of gender, country of origin and language. Inequities in research participation and in meaningful opportunities for such participation may exacerbate existing health disparities.

Dean T. Jamison, Ala Alwan, Charles N. Mock, Rachel Nugent, David A. Watkins, Olusoji Adeyi, Shuchi Anand, Rifat Atun, Stefano Bertozzi, Zulfiqar Bhutta, Agnes Binagwaho, Robert Black, Mark Blecher, Barry R. Bloom, Elizabeth Brouwer, Donald A. P. Bundy, Dan Chisholm, Alarcos Cieza, Mark Cullen, Kristen Danforth, Nilanthi de Silva, Haile T. Debas, Peter Donkor, Tarun Dua, Kenneth A. Fleming, Mark Gallivan, Patricia García, Atul Gawande, Thomas Gaziano, Hellen Gelband, Roger Glass, Amanda Glassman, Glenda Gray, Demissie Habte, King K. Holmes, Susan Horton, Guy Hutton, Prabhat Jha, Felicia Knaul, Olive Kobusingye, Eric Krakauer, Margaret E. Kruk, Peter Lachmann, Ramanan Laxminarayan, Carol Levin, Lai Meng Looi, Nita Madhav, Adel Mahmoud, Jean-Claude Mbanya, Anthony R. Measham, María Elena Medina-Mora, Carol Medlin, Anne Mills, Jody-Anne Mills, Jaime Montoya, Ole Norheim, Zachary Olson, Folashade Omokhodion, Ben Oppenheim, Toby Ord, Vikram Patel, George C. Patton, John Peabody, Dorairaj Prabhakaran, Jinyuan Qi, Teri Reynolds, Sevket Ruacan, Rengaswamy Sankaranarayanan, Jaime Sepúlveda, Richard Skolnik, Kirk R. Smith, Agnes Soucat, Marleen Temmerman, Stephen Tollman, Stéphane Verguet, Damian Walker, Neff Walker, Yangfeng Wu y Kun Zhao Volumen 9, Capítulo 1

Recognizes that infectious diseases, such as smallpox, cholera, and influenza, are responsible for the largest global burden of premature death and disability until the end of the twentieth century when noncommunicable diseases surpassed them. The decline of the vaccine-preventable diseases has contributed to a recognition that vaccines may be able to prevent other infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis C, and a variety of neglected tropical diseases. Differential diagnosis holds the key to population infection control. For each major infectious disease—HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, viral hepatitis, and neglected tropical diseases—interventions are considered for costs and cost-effectiveness. Because of increased bacterial resistance, interventions look to decrease the need for antibiotics by preventing infections and the unnecessary use of antibiotics in humans and animals. Four challenges must be addressed to achieve meaningful progress countering infectious diseases: (1) targeting of intervention strategies; (2) scaling-up of interventions; (3) integrating services more effectively across disease areas; and (4) developing new technologies including drugs, vaccines, diagnostics, behavioral interventions, and delivery methods.

Objectives Quality concerns in STI service delivery and missed opportunities for integration with HIV testing and prevention services in South Africa have been well documented. This national evaluation aimed to evaluate current utilisation and adherence to national STI guidelines, including partner notification and integration with HIV services, for diagnosis and management of STIs. Methods Facility surveys assessed infrastructure and resource availability, and standardised patient (SP) assessments evaluated quality of STI care in 50 public clinics in nine provinces in South Africa. The primary outcome was the proportion of SPs receiving essential STI care, defined as: offered an HIV test, condoms, partner notification counselling and correct syndromic treatment. Weighted proportions were generated, and SP findings were compared by gender using χ2 tests with Rao-Scott correction. Results More than 80% of facilities reported medications in stock, with the exceptions of oral cefixime (48.3%), oral erythromycin (75.1%) and paediatric syrups. Among 195 SP encounters, 18.7% (95% CI 10.7% to 30.5%) received all hypothesised essential STI services: offered HIV test (67.1%), offered condoms (31.4%), partner notification counselling (70.2%) and recommended syndromic treatment (60.7%). Men were more likely than women to be offered all services (25.1% vs 12.3%, p=0.023), recommended treatment (70.7% vs 50.9%, p=0.013) and partner notification counselling (79.9% vs 60.6%, p=0.020). Only 6.3% of providers discussed male circumcision with male SPs, and 26.3% discussed family planning with female SPs. Conclusions This evaluation of STI services across South Africa found gaps in the availability of medications, adherence to STI guidelines, condom provision and prevention messaging. Limited integration with HIV services for this high-risk population was a missed opportunity. Quality of STI care should continue to be monitored, and interventions to improve quality should be prioritised as part of national strategic HIV and primary healthcare agendas.

It has been over 10 years since the WHO Sexually Transmitted Diseases Diagnostics Initiative (SDI) published a full supplement in this journal on rapid diagnostic testing for STIs,1 making the case for quality-assured rapid STI tests to help countries achieve their Millennium Development Goals and decrease the STI burden worldwide. The supplement introduced the ASSURED criteria to assess whether diagnostics were appropriate for disease control needs, namely: Affordable, Sensitive, Specific, User-friendly, Rapid and robust, Equipment-free and Deliverable to end users.2 This ASSURED approach has broadened the paradigm of STI testing from rapid to point-of-care testing (POCT) or near-patient testing. Testing and delivering the results rapidly and conveniently to the patient will increase the likelihood of appropriate and immediate treatment and decrease the chances of onward transmission and development of reproductive sequelae. The most recent WHO estimates found that in 2012, among people aged 15–49 years, there were an estimated 6 million new cases of syphilis each year, 78 million cases of gonorrhoea, 131 million cases of chlamydial infection and 142 million cases of trichomoniasis—the four most common curable STIs.3 A separate literature review, including a modelling analysis, suggested that in 2012, 417 million people 15–49 years of age were living with herpes simplex virus type 2 infection worldwide,4 and 291 million women with genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.5 These pandemics, and the growing number of STIs caused by other pathogens have a profound impact on the health and lives of children, adolescents and adults worldwide.6 To achieve a sustainable decrease of STI infections globally, the new WHO STI health sector strategy reaffirms the need for early diagnosis of STIs, …

Conveys the main findings of Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (DCP3), and in particular its conclusions concerning intersectoral policy priorities and essential universal health coverage (EUHC), describing the context in which DCP3's analyses have been undertaken and introducing the substantive topics addressed. DCP3 has four major objectives that go beyond previous editions: (1) to address explicitly the financial risk protection and poverty reduction objective of health systems; (2) to apply systematic attention to the intersectoral determinants of health; (3) to organize interventions into 21 essential packages (EPs); and (4) to provide estimates for low- and lower-middle-income countries of incremental and total costs in 2030 for both EUHC and highest-priority package (HPP)—and of the magnitude of their impact on mortality. In addition to these new elements, DCP3 updates the efforts of DCP1 and DCP2 to assemble and interpret the literature on economic evaluation of health interventions.

Infectious diseases were responsible for the largest global burden of premature death and disability until the end of the twentieth century, when that distinction passed to noncommunicable diseases. Over the previous centuries, global pandemics of infectious diseases, such as smallpox, cholera, and influenza, periodically threatened the survival of entire populations. By the mid-twentieth century, safe, effective, and affordable vaccines and the increasing availability of antibiotics had further reduced the toll of infectious diseases in high-income countries (HICs). The international health regulations of the World Health Organization (WHO) represent a key agreement among 196 countries to implement metrics and measures to detect and control outbreaks of infectious diseases and to prevent pandemics. The authors provide updated estimates of the cost-effectiveness of the major sets of interventions, recognizing that there are large knowledge gaps concerning the economics of many conditions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The authors conclude by outlining future strategies that are relevant to continued progress against these major infectious diseases.

The World Bank is publishing nine volumes of Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition (DCP3) between 2015 and 2018. Volume 9, Improving Health and Reducing Poverty, summarises the main messages from all the volumes and contains cross-cutting analyses. This Review draws on all nine volumes to convey conclusions. The analysis in DCP3 is built around 21 essential packages that were developed in the nine volumes. Each essential package addresses the concerns of a major professional community (eg, child health or surgery) and contains a mix of intersectoral policies and health-sector interventions. 71 intersectoral prevention policies were identified in total, 29 of which are priorities for early introduction. Interventions within the health sector were grouped onto five platforms (population based, community level, health centre, first-level hospital, and referral hospital). DCP3 defines a model concept of essential universal health coverage (EUHC) with 218 interventions that provides a starting point for country-specific analysis of priorities. Assuming steady-state implementation by 2030, EUHC in lower-middle-income countries would reduce premature deaths by an estimated 4·2 million per year. Estimated total costs prove substantial: about 9·1% of (current) gross national income (GNI) in low-income countries and 5·2% of GNI in lower-middle-income countries. Financing provision of continuing intervention against chronic conditions accounts for about half of estimated incremental costs. For lower-middle-income countries, the mortality reduction from implementing the EUHC can only reach about half the mortality reduction in non-communicable diseases called for by the Sustainable Development Goals. Full achievement will require increased investment or sustained intersectoral action, and actions by finance ministries to tax smoking and polluting emissions and to reduce or eliminate (often large) subsidies on fossil fuels appear of central importance. DCP3 is intended to be a model starting point for analyses at the country level, but country-specific cost structures, epidemiological needs, and national priorities will generally lead to definitions of EUHC that differ from country to country and from the model in this Review. DCP3 is particularly relevant as achievement of EUHC relies increasingly on greater domestic finance, with global developmental assistance in health focusing more on global public goods. In addition to assessing effects on mortality, DCP3 looked at outcomes of EUHC not encompassed by the disability-adjusted life-year metric and related cost-effectiveness analyses. The other objectives included financial protection (potentially better provided upstream by keeping people out of the hospital rather than downstream by paying their hospital bills for them), stillbirths averted, palliative care, contraception, and child physical and intellectual growth. The first 1000 days after conception are highly important for child development, but the next 7000 days are likewise important and often neglected.

BackgroundAntimicrobial-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a major public health threat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends ceftriaxone 250 mg plus azithromycin (AZM) 1 g for gonorrhea treatment. Resistance to AZM could affect gonorrhea control efforts.MethodsUsing gonococcal isolates collected at the Public Health-Seattle & King County (PHSKC) Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Clinic from 2012 to 2016, focusing on 2014-2016, we compared cases with the CDC AZM alert value minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (≥2 µg/mL) to those with AZM MIC ≤1 µg/mL, antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and clinical outcomes.ResultsIn 2012 and 2013, none of the 263 patients from whom we isolated N. gonorrhoeae from the urethra were infected with organisms with an AZM MIC ≥2 µg/mL. Between 2014 and 2016, 4.4% of 926 gonorrhea cases demonstrated reduced susceptibility to AZM; 93% of these cases occurred among men who have sex with men (MSM). Among MSM, 5.0% of 2014-2016 cases demonstrated reduced susceptibility to AZM. No AZM alert value isolates had concomitant cephalosporin resistance. There were 2 potential treatment failures: 1 pharyngeal infection treated with AZM 2 g alone, and 1 pharyngeal infection that persisted after study drug.ConclusionsAmong MSM with gonorrhea in Seattle, 5% have gonorrhea with reduced susceptibility to AZM. The World Health Organization recommends changing treatment guidelines when >5% of isolates are resistant to a recommended drug. The emergence of resistant AZM gonorrhea should prompt reconsideration of current treatment recommendations, and highlights the need for new therapies for gonorrhea.