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Prioritising research and evaluation for digital Health in South Africa - July 2019

This  report is a summary of the seminar on Prioritising Research and Evaluation for Digital Health in South Africa, held at SAMRC Health Systems Research Unit, on 17 July 2019. The event was co-hosted by SAMRC - Jembi Collaborating Centre for Digital Health Innovation, and the WITS Pediatric Research Unit. This report documents the key issues discussed and makes recommendations for the way forward on prioritising topic areas and appropriate methodology for evaluating digital health interventions in South Africa, especially aimed at supporting government digital health initiatives.

Utility of PMTCT data for sentinel surveillance 2019

Antenatal HIV sentinel surveys have been used over several years to monitor the course of the HIV epidemic. They usually use unlinked anonymous testing (UAT) methods which raise ethical and methodological concerns in the current era of test and treat, as pregnant women living with HIV (PWLHIV) could not be traced and referred into care. With increasing coverage of routine HIV testing for pregnant women it becomes prudent to investigate whether routine antenatal HIV testing can be used to monitor antenatal HIV prevalence.

Assessing the Utility of PMTCT Program Data for HIV Sentinel Surveillance Among Pregnant Women in South Africa - 2017

Introduction

Antenatal surveys have been used over several years to monitor antenatal HIV prevalence; however, antenatal surveys are costly to implement. Furthermore, they usually use unlinked anonymous HIV testing, which poses ethical dilemmas in the current era of test and treat, as pregnant women  living with HIV (PWLHIV) cannot be traced and referred into care. With increasing coverage of routine HIV testing for pregnant women it becomes prudent to investigate whether routine antenatal HIV testing can be used to monitor antenatal HIV prevalence.

Evidence synthesis for health policy and systems: a methods guide

Overview

This guide provides a rationale for synthesizing evidence from health policy and systems research (HPSR) to support health policy-making and health systems strengthening.

Saving lives, saving costs: Investment Case for Community Health Workers in South Africa

Community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly shown to have the potential to improve the health status of the population, in particular that of the more disadvantaged or those living in hard to reach areas. Their involvement in mother and child programmes, HIV/AIDs and TB programmes as well as chronic diseases and palliative care has been documented across many countries.

Scaling up PMTCT impact assessments in the context of improving global maternal and child health and survival in sub-Saharan Africa

As a follow-up to the October 2015 B+ Consultative meeting, a small, focused consultation was planned for 23rd July 2016, in Durban, coinciding with the end of the 2016 AIDS Conference. Eight countries were invited, namely Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Resource requirements for community-based care in rural, deep-rural and peri-urban sub-districts: A comparative analysis in 2 districts in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal

Community health workers (CHWs) traditionally played a role in supporting the delivery of high priority interventions relating to HIV, TB and maternal and child health. While they are essential for these programmes and improving access to care, there has been significant inconsistency in the management and functioning of the programmes across South Africa.

Strengthening PHC services in the North-West Province: Staffing scenarios

Primary Health Care (PHC) has been widely documented to play a central role in the health status of a population. Research has also shown it to be the most cost-effective manner to improving a population’s health status. From this perspective, strengthening PHC is a pivotal approach to public health care in South Africa. In addition a strengthened PHC platform would decrease unnecessary visits to hospitals as well as hospitalisation.

External mid-term, formative evaluation of the optimizing HIV treatment access (OHTA) for pregnant and breastfeeding women initiative in Uganda, Malawi, Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV (E-MTCT) is at the forefront of HIV-prevention strategies. Several countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda) have shifted to WHO PMTCT Option B+ policy, a pragmatic public health approach which involves  lifelong HAART for HIV infected pregnant women irrespective of their CD4 count1.

Lifestyle-related disease is on the rise in South Africa, including high blood pressure

 

Lifestyle-related disease is on the rise in South Africa, including high blood pressure.

An ingenious partnership involving Oxford University is putting the nation’s extensive mobile phone network to work in beating the disease.

 

 

(Thanks to Pascale Neuschäfer for clinic footage and Dr Bobrow interview.) 

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