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The RECOVERY trial was established in March as a randomised clinical trial to test a range of potential treatments for COVID-19, including lopinavir-ritonavir, an antiviral treatment commonly used to treat HIV. There was no significant difference in the primary endpoint of 28-day mortality, and the results were consistent in different subgroups of patients. There was also no evidence of beneficial effects on the risk of progression to mechanical ventilation or length of hospital stay. The trial Steering Committee concluded that there is no beneficial effect of lopinavir-ritonavir in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 and closed that treatment arm.
Inflammation impairs post-hospital discharge growth among children hospitalised with acute illness in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia
Posted 05/12/2025. Data from the CHAIN Network show that among children hospitalised in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, persistent systemic inflammation has a greater role than gut damage or social factors in driving poor post-discharge weight gain and suppresses key growth mediators, helping explain continued growth faltering after discharge from hospital. By James Njunge and Jay Berkley
Guidelines for the treatment of tungiasis
Posted 03/12/2025. Tungiasis, a neglected tropical skin disease, lacked evidence-based treatment until recently. Lynne Elson chaired an expert group that created new PAHO/WHO guidelines. These provide governments in endemic regions with a vital tool to strengthen disease control, marking a significant advance in public health intervention and neglected tropical disease management.
Plasma lipopolysaccharide levels predict mortality in acutely ill children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Posted 02/12/2025. Data from the CHAIN Network show that in acutely-ill hospitalised children from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, high plasma levels of bacterial Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at admission, independently of malnutrition, predict 90-day mortality, linking microbial translocation and systemic inflammation to death risk. By Jay Berkley
Serial cross-sectional school surveys identifies C469Y, P553L, R561H and A675V kelch 13 mutations associated with artemisinin resistance in Western Kenya
Posted 23/11/2025. Analysis of over 24,000 samples from schoolchildren in western Kenya revealed rising genetic mutations linked to artemisinin resistance, including the emerging A675V and newly detected R561H. This study by Isabella Oyier and colleagues highlights school-based surveillance as an effective tool to detect early resistance and calls for urgent follow-up to safeguard malaria treatment efficacy.
A Pragmatic Trial of Glucocorticoids for Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Posted 11/11/2025. Anthony Etyang and colleagues found that adding low-dose oral steroids to routine antibiotic treatment reduced pneumonia deaths among adults in Kenyan hospitals. The SONIA trial, involving 2,180 patients across 18 sites, showed improved 30-day survival without increased side effects, suggesting a safe, low-cost intervention for resource-limited settings.
Factors associated with positive blood cultures in children in nine African and Asian countries: the ACORN2 surveillance network
Posted 07/11/2025. Blood culture yield is low in children. Cristina Ardura-Garcia and colleagues used data from ACORN2, a surveillance network including 19 African and Asian hospitals, to identify routinely collected and readily available factors associated with blood culture positivity in hospitalised children. These findings may optimise blood culture indications in children in LMICs.
Plasma folate dynamics in Plasmodium falciparum-infected African children treated with artemisinin combination therapy and single low-dose primaquine or placebo
Posted 20/10/2025. In 408 falciparum-infected under-5 African children treated with single low dose primaquine (SLDPQ) or placebo plus dihydroartemisinin piperaquine, plasma folate dynamics followed those of haemoglobin with an initial fall followed by a rise and were unaffected by SLDPQ or G6PD status. This research provides more evidence of the safety of SLDPQ. By Bob Taylor
Newborn technology use in low-resource settings: the role of health professionals’ communication in implementation
Posted 16/10/2025. How does the hospital environment in low-resource settings influence the use of newborn care technologies? Gloria Ngaiza and colleagues examined Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and phototherapy. They highlight how the physical setting, socio-organizational factors, technological features, and the broader context impact how health professionals in Kenya communicate, and, ultimately, make decisions to use or not use technologies.
Applying a multi-layered, mixed methods approach to evaluate technology and workforce interventions in Kenyan neonatal units
Posted 07/10/2025. How do we design and ethically implement complex health interventions and evaluations in settings that are under resourced without compromising patient care or research data? Michuki Maina and colleagues used layered mixed methodologies and sustained stakeholder engagement to design and conduct implementation research of a complex intervention in Kenyan neonatal hospitals.
Antimicrobial usage among acutely ill hospitalized children aged 2‒23 months in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
Posted 29/09/2025. Overuse of antimicrobials strongly drives antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Among 3,101 acutely ill children admitted to 9 hospitals in Africa and South Asia, 91% received antimicrobials, including 11% where antimicrobials were not indicated. Notably, there was limited escalation and de-escalation of antimicrobial treatment, likely due to a lack of guidance. By Jay Berkley
Communication among health professionals using newborn technology for care: an exploratory scoping review
Posted 30/09/2025. Effective communication supports the adoption of health interventions. Gloria Ngaiza and colleagues reviewed communication among health professionals using newborn technology for care. The findings showed limited information, centred on a few technologies and disciplines of health professionals. The context of technology use was also crucial in communication, and further research is necessary to explore these areas.
Making MALDI-TOF MS for entomological parameters accessible: A practical guide for in-house library creation
Posted 23/09/2025. MALDI-TOF MS remains underutilised in entomology due to challenges in reference library construction. Marta Maia and colleagues demystify the process and share a detailed workflow for creating in-house libraries. The versatility of this platform is highlighted as it may be used for analysing multiple parameters including species, age, infection, and blood-meal source.
Delivery of care in high mortality hospital settings: a direct observational study examining 1848 h of neonatal nursing in Kenya
Posted 20/08/2025. In resource-constrained countries, deploying better technologies is expected to improve neonatal care, but little attention has been paid to nurse staffing. Abdulazeez Imam and colleagues demonstrate high levels of missed nursing care and ‘off-loading’ of care to largely unsupervised nursing students and mothers, resulting from severe newborn unit nursing shortages in Kenya.
R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine drives diverse immune responses in pre-exposed adults: insights from a phase IIb controlled human malaria infection trial
Posted 23/07/2025. Elizabeth Kibwana and colleagues show the R21/Matrix-M vaccine induces broad, durable and functional antibody responses (IgG1/3, IgA, IgM) with complement fixing ability, and produces memory B cells, along with increased T follicular helper cells in Kenyan adults. These findings support its potential effectiveness in malaria-endemic populations, advancing vaccine strategies for individuals with prior exposure
Single low dose primaquine to block the transmission of Plasmodium falciparum—proposed stand-alone and ACT-adapted regimens
Posted 16/07/2025. At long last and almost 13 years since the WHO recommendation, we now have evidenced-based regimens of single low dose primaquine to block the transmission of Plasmodium falciparum and help eliminate artemisinin and partner drug resistant malaria which is currently spreading rapidly across eastern Africa and beyond. By Bob Taylor
Phenotypic and genotypic insecticide resistance profiles of main malaria vectors in Kwale county, coastal Kenya
Posted 17/06/2025. Marta Maia and colleagues characterised phenotypic and genotypic insecticide resistance of malaria vectors in Coastal Kenya. Multiple mutations associated with resistance mechanisms were detected, including target site (L1014S and L1014F) and metabolic resistance (CYP6P9a, CYP6P9b, 6.5kb S.V, GSTe2-L119F). Resistance has increased since 2017. Evidence supports regular monitoring and the use of PBO-combination nets.
Age structure and parity status determination of Afrotropical malaria vectors using MALDI-TOF MS
Posted 15/05/2025. Understanding the age structure of a mosquito populations is the best way to evaluate how well vector control interventions are working. However, age-grading is hard and usually done through complex dissections. Here Marta Maia and colleagues present a method using MALDI-TOF MS exploiting protein changes associated with senescence for age-grading of malaria vectors.
Creating different global health futures: mapping the health research ecosystem and taking decolonial action
Posted 29/04/2025. Decolonisation in global health emphasises the need to challenge and change entrenched power asymmetries and unfair health research practices. Nadia Tagoe, Sassy Molyneux, Caesar Atuire and colleagues have proposed practical decolonial action using a four-step framework and a reflexive tool that can help transform key domains of the global health knowledge ecosystem.
Putting health facilities on the map: a renewed call to create geolocated, comprehensive, updated, openly licensed dataset of health facilities in sub-Saharan African countries
Posted 15/04/2025. Healthcare service provision and planning depend on the availability of a comprehensive health facility database (HFDB) to adequately meet the healthcare needs of a population. However, the availability of HFDBs has remained a big challenge in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Peter Macharia and colleagues elaborate historical developments and the current status of HFDBS while describing the steps required and challenges to overcome for harmonized SSA-wide HFDBs.
Situational analysis of antibiotic prescriptions in Kenyan neonatal units for antimicrobial stewardship: a retrospective longitudinal study
Posted 08/04/2025. High antibiotic use in Kenyan neonatal units may contribute to antimicrobial resistance. A study of 88,000 neonatal admissions in 22 hospitals found 62.6% received antibiotics at admission, mostly first-line drugs. However, non-first-line use was higher in outborn neonates. Monitoring antibiotic patterns at scale feasible and crucial for assessing antimicrobial stewardship and reducing resistance. With Jalemba Aluvaala and Mike English