Infectious Diseases

This study was undertaken to determine providers’ and patients’ adherence to national tuberculosis (TB) treatment guidelines. The key findings are expected to provide information regarding factors influencing provider adherence to guidelines, such as providers’ TB-related knowledge and attitudes, environmental factors and resources necessary to adhere to TB diagnosis and treatment standards. [adapted from author]

This study describes the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of tuberculosis (TB) program personnel involved with tracing activities as part of a national pilot project in South Africa, the TB Tracer Project, which aims to decrease default rates and improve patient outcomes. [adapted from abstract]

This study aimed to identify determinants of caregivers’ use of village malaria workers services for childhood illness and caregivers’ knowledge of malaria management. [adapted from abstract]

The aim of this study was to assess health workers’ perceptions, practices use of malaria diagnostics, prescription behavior and factors affecting adherence to test results at primary health care facilities in Kibaha District, Coast Region, Tanzania. [adapted from abstract]

This article reports on an intervention to enhance the knowledge and behavior of community health workers on providing adequate
education to patients on malaria. [adapted from author]

This article shares various experiences in using mobile phones for malaria programs from news reports and research studies and how the mobile phone is becoming a valuable tool in fighting malaria from improving management of the information flow between health managers, health workers and patients to assisting health workers in parasite diagnosis. [adapted from author]

This cross-sectional study was therefore designed to assess the level of knowledge and practice of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy among health workers. [adapted from abstract]

This review evaluated the effects of a home- or community-based program for treating malaria in a malaria endemic setting through interventions involving training community health workers or mothers. [adapted from author]

The purpose of this article is to review human resource development and capacity-building efforts within China’s National Methadone Maintenance Treatment Programme, illustrate changes in program performance metrics over time, and convey lessons that will provide guidance to other developing countries attempting to implement similar programs. [from author]

This study was undertaken to determine providers’ adherence with evidence based TB standards and guidelines in Zambia at national, provincial/district and facility-based levels. [adapted from summary]

This document describes some of the challenges to cholera preparedness and response in a human resource limited setting, the strategies used to ensure effective cholera management, some lessons learned as well as issues for public health policy and practice. [from summary]

The authors describe the design of a cluster-randomized controlled study to investigate the role of sustainable institutional incentives to improve management of malaria in peripheral health facilities. This study will demonstrate whether facility-based rather than individual incentives are compelling enough to change provider behavior and whether these incentives lead to cost savings as a result of targeted drug consumption. [from author]

A recent trial in Kenya showed that text-message reminders on adherence to malaria case-management sent to health workers’ mobile phones improved management of pediatric outpatients by 25 percentage points. This paper examines costs and cost-effectiveness of this intervention. [from abstract]

This article reports on a successful partnership to improve access and reduce family and community resistance to polio vaccination in India. The partners trained thousands of mobilizers from high-risk communities to visit households, promote government-run child immunization services, track children’s immunization history and encourage vaccination of children missing scheduled vaccinations, and mobilize local opinion leaders. [adapted from author]

This study examined the role of blood based interferon-gamma release assays versus the tuberculin skin test for health workers exposed to tuberculosis. [adapted from abstract]

PCT aims to improve adherence to tuberculosis treatment by giving patients the choice of having drug intake supervised at the health facility by a medical professional or at home by a supporter of their choice. This study assessed whether key elements of the PCT approach were being implemented, evaluated supporters’ knowledge, captured opinions on factors contributing to treatment completion, and assessed how treatment completion was measured. [from abstract]

The concurrent tuberculosis (TB) and HIV epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa place all healthcare workers at increased risk of exposure to TB. This study explores personal experiences, attitudes and perceptions of medical doctors following treatment for TB within the healthcare system. [from abstract]

The study was carried out to determine the knowledge, perception, and practice of malaria monitoring and evaluation among selected health staff, and to identify related socio-demographic factors, including cadre of staff. [from abstract]

This article reports on a successful project using mobile phone technology for rapidly detecting and treating patients with malaria in a remote area of Bangladesh. [adapted from abstract]

The aim of this qualitative pilot study was to investigate primary health workers’ practices which lead to diagnostic and treatment decisions for febrile children under five years of age in Zanzibar rural health facilities and identify primary influences shaping clinical practice, including past training among health workers, types of diagnostic tools used, and educational factors. [from author]

This issue covers why TB infection control is an important issue for nurses; how TB is spread; creating an enabling environment for TB infection control; and administrative, environmental and personal controls. [adapted from author]

This review assessed evidence on community-based diagnosis and care of malaria including investigation of interventions to improve the quality of services provided by community health workers (CHWs); strengthen referrals by CHWs to facility-based providers; build the capacity of health systems to support community case management; and integrate malaria diagnosis and case management with other health services at the community level. [adapted from summary]

This review looked for evidence for the most effective approach to deliver malaria treatment in developing countries, by public sector, formal and informal private sector, and community health workers. The authors analysed 31 studies to assess providers based on six criteria: knowledge and practice of provider, diagnosis, referral practices, price of medicine, availability of ACT, and treatment coverage and impact on morbidity and mortality. [from abstract]

This study provided an opportunity to assess the influence of health workers’ attitude to the usage of new malaria treatment recommendations. Overall, results showed variations in health workers attitudes and practices regarding new treatment recommendations in terms of type of health facility, ownership and type of health worker at six months post changes and two years later. [from author]

The objective of this article was to study the role of informal health practitioners in delays in initiating tuberculosis (TB) treatment in new smear-positive TB patients. [from author]

This document is an evaluation of the implementation of a tool to assist in supervision, assessment and creation of action plans for quality improvement in facilities where TB is diagnosed and treated. [adapated from introduction]

In Senegal, an pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of a malaria treatment program in remote villages by volunteer home care providers. This paper reports the results of the scale-up in the targeted communities and the impact of the strategy on malaria in the formal health sector. [adapted from abstract]

Using South Africa as a case study, this article reports on the engagement of non-governmental organizations and community care workers in the implementation of collaborative tuberculosis/HIV activities in rural South Africa, including extent of participation and constraints and opportunities to enhance effective participation. [adapted from abstract]

In many countries with a high burden of tuberculosis, most patients receive treatment in the private sector. This study evaluates a multifaceted case-detection strategy in Karachi, Pakistan, targeting the private sector. [from abstract]

This paper presents the results of a qualitative study to investigate the perceptions and experiences of health workers involved in a a cluster-randomized controlled trial of a novel intervention to improve health worker malaria case management in 107 government health facilities in Kenya. The intervention involved sending text-messages about paediatric outpatient malaria case-management accompanied by motivating quotes to health workers’ mobile phones. [from abstract]