Safe blood supply in sub-Saharan Africa: challenges and opportunities

Abstract Background Blood transfusion has been associated with a high risk of transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs). These infections pose great threats to the availability and safety of blood supply for transfusion, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where the burden of disease is alarmingly high. We describe the incidence and determinants of TTIs to help target interventions for safety and increased access to safe blood. Methods This was secondary data analysis of a cohort of blood donors from the Malawi Blood Transfusion Service (MBTS) who donated blood from 2005–2015. Incidence was obtained by dividing the number of new cases by the total person-years at risk and survival probabilities computed by Kaplan-Meier estimates. Logistic regressions were used for risk factors. Results We analysed data from 47,075 registered blood donors of which the majority were male (84%) with a median age of 22 years (IQR=18–22). Of the registered donors, 3,439 (7.31%) were infected with at least one TTI (HIV, HCV or HBV). HBV was the most common TTI with 2.63% (n=1,238), followed by HIV with 1.74% (n=818) and HCV with 1.28% (n=602). Overall, TTI incidence was 43.4 per 10,000. Donors aged 20–24 (OR= 2.15, 95% CI= 1.35–3.40), and 30–34 (OR= 2.68, 95% CI= 1.67–4.32), males (OR= 1.65; 95% CI= 1.47–1.85), and married donors (OR= 1.93; 95% CI= 1.38–2.69) had significantly higher odds of TTI in the multivariate logistic model. Infection with syphilis was a common significant risk factor for incident HIV (OR= 2.62, 95% CI= 1.57–4.38), HCV (OR= 2.03, 95% CI= 1.04–3.98), and HBV (OR= 1.71, 95% CI= 1.01–2.89). Conclusion The overall incidence of TTIs in the Malawian donor population is comparatively low. The incidence of HIV, HCV and HBV is high in males, the unemployed, donors living in the Central Region, involved in high-risk sexual behaviour, and co-infected with syphilis. HBV is most common among supposedly healthy donors, followed by HIV and HCV. TTI therefore, remains a cause for concern toward availability and safe blood supply. Implementation of strict and proper donor selection criteria and continuous screening for TTI indicators can help maximise safe blood supply and transfusion.

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Advancing global equity in cancer genomics – challenges and opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa

Current Opinion in Genetics & Development ◽

10.1016/j.gde.2020.11.006 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 66 ◽

pp. 20-24

Author(s):

Nchangwi S Munung ◽

Melvin A Ambele ◽

Pontsho Moela

Keyword(s):

Cancer Genomics ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Sub Saharan

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The Urban Transition in Sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and Opportunities

Environment and Planning C Government and Policy ◽

10.1068/c3p ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 466-485 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Christine Kessides

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Local Governments ◽

Poverty Reduction ◽

National Development ◽

Favourable Outcome ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Urban Transition ◽

Energy Needs ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Sub Saharan

In this paper I ask how the ongoing processes of urban and local government development in Sub-Saharan Africa can and should benefit the countries, and what conditions must be met to achieve this favourable outcome. The region faces close to a doubling of the urban population in fifteen years. This urban transition poses an opportunity as well as a management challenge. Urban areas represent underutilised resources that concentrate much of the countries' physical, financial, and intellectual capital. Therefore it is critical to understand how they can better serve the national growth and poverty reduction agendas. The paper challenges several common ‘myths’ that cloud discourse about urban development in Africa. I also take a hard look at what the urban transition can offer national development, and what support cities and local governments require to achieve these results. I argue that, rather than devoting more attention to debating the urban contribution to development in Africa, real energy needs to be spent unblocking it.

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Opportunities and Challenges in Realizing Universal Access to Obstetric Ultrasound in Sub-Saharan Africa

Ultrasound International Open ◽

10.1055/s-0043-103948 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 03 (02) ◽

pp. E52-E59 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Sikolia Wanyonyi ◽

Charles Mariara ◽

Sudhir Vinayak ◽

William Stones

Keyword(s):

Universal Access ◽

Perinatal Outcomes ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Future Research ◽

Obstetric Ultrasound ◽

Integral Component ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Potential Benefits ◽

The Subject ◽

Sub Saharan

AbstractThe potential benefits of obstetric ultrasound have yet to be fully realized in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), despite the region bearing the greatest burden of poor perinatal outcomes. We reviewed the literature for challenges and opportunities of universal access to obstetric ultrasound and explored what is needed to make such access an integral component of maternity care in order to address the massive burden of perinatal morbidity and mortality in SSA. Original peer-reviewed literature was searched in various electronic databases using a ‘realist’ approach. While the available data were inconclusive, they identify many opportunities for potential future research on the subject within the region that can help build a strong case to justify the provision of universal access to ultrasound as an integral component of comprehensive antenatal care.

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Increasing Rice Production in Sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and Opportunities

Advances in Agronomy ◽

10.1016/s0065-2113(06)94002-4 ◽

2007 ◽

pp. 55-133 ◽

Cited By ~ 175

Author(s):

V. Balasubramanian ◽

M. Sie ◽

R.J. Hijmans ◽

K. Otsuka

Keyword(s):

Rice Production ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Sub Saharan

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Transforming African Education Systems in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Using ICTs: Challenges and Opportunities

Education Research International ◽

10.1155/2019/6946809 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-29 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Alcardo Alex Barakabitze ◽

Anangisye William-Andey Lazaro ◽

Neterindwa Ainea ◽

Michael Hamza Mkwizu ◽

Hellen Maziku ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Skills Training ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Education Systems ◽

Science Technology ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Living Labs ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

And Mathematics

This paper presents the role of ICTs in transforming Africa’s Education Systems (AES) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects/courses. The paper highlights on a positive shift across Africa in using ICT to improve the quality of teaching and learning through activities such as intensive ICT skills training to teachers, increase in ICT equipments and applications in schools, and emergence of living labs (LLs) and innovation spaces/centres (InnoSpace). We first provide some of the challenges of integrating ICTs in education followed by a description of key past and current ICT initiatives supporting the adoption of ICTs in schools using a number of case studies in sub-Saharan Africa. We further present various ICT-based models for education, as a transformational approach towards integrating ICTs in AES. Moreover, we provide various ICT platforms deployed for education service delivery in disadvantaged African society (e.g., rural areas) including LLs and InnoSpace across the continent. Finally, we highlight our main findings and observations in terms of opportunities and future ICT for education research directions in Africa. Our aim is to provide some guidelines and ensure that Africa uniformly meet the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 4, which is to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning, particularly using ICTs.

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Doing research with police elites in Ghana

Criminology & Criminal Justice ◽

10.1177/1748895818787022 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 19 (5) ◽

pp. 537-553 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emmanuel Addo Sowatey ◽

Justice Tankebe

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Police Officers ◽

Cultural Practices ◽

Ethical Dilemmas ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Informal Social Networks ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Senior Officers

Much of our methodological insights from researching policing in sub-Saharan Africa comes from studies of frontline officers. Consequently, many important methodological questions about research on senior police officers remain unanswered. This article addresses this gap by drawing on insights from interviewing senior officers in Ghana. It focuses on the challenges and opportunities in negotiating access, establishing trust during interviews and dealing with ethical dilemmas. We highlight the role of informal social networks and cultural practices of surprise visits, what we have termed strategic ambush, in securing formal approval for our research. However, this represented mere or putative access for which deference towards institutional gatekeepers was key to its actualization. Deference towards officers and extensive knowledge of the policing environment helped to put the senior officers at ease, and enhanced the chances of a successful interview. Finally, we offer reflections on our responses to unexpected ethical dilemmas that we faced in the field.

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