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Background Continuous professional development (CPD) has been reported to enhance healthcare workers’ knowledge and skills, improve retention and recruitment, improve the quality of patient care, and reduce patient mortality. Therefore, validated training needs assessment tools are important to facilitate the design of effective CPD programs. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using self-administered questionnaires. Participants were healthcare workers in reproductive, maternal, and neonatal health (RMNH) from seven hospitals, 12 health centers, and 17 dispensaries in eight districts of Mwanza Region, Tanzania. The training needs analysis (TNA) tool that was used for data collection was adapted and translated into Kiswahili from English version of the Hennessy-Hicks’ Training Need Analysis Questionnaire (TNAQ). Results In total, 153 healthcare workers participated in this study. Most participants were female 83 % (n = 127), and 76 % (n = 115) were nurses. The average age was 39 years, and the mean duration working in RMNH was 7.9 years. The reliability of the adapted TNAQ was 0.954. Assessment of construct validity indicated that the comparative fit index was equal to 1. Conclusions The adapted TNAQ appears to be reliable and valid for identifying professional training needs among healthcare workers in RMNH settings in Mwanza Region, Tanzania. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to test the use of the TNAQ in broader healthcare systems and settings.

Background Illness predictive scoring systems are significant and meaningful adjuncts of patient management in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). They assist in predicting patient outcomes, improve clinical decision making and provide insight into the effectiveness of care and management of patients while optimizing the use of hospital resources. We evaluated mortality predictive performance of Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS 3) and Mortality Probability Models (MPM0-III) and compared their performance in predicting outcome as well as identifying disease pattern and factors associated with increased mortality. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients admitted to the ICU of the Aga Khan Hospital, Dar- es- Salaam, Tanzania between August 2018 and April 2020. Demographics, clinical characteristics, outcomes, source of admission, primary admission category, length of stay and the support provided with the worst physiological data within the first hour of ICU admission were extracted. SAPS 3 and MPM0-III scores were calculated using an online web-based calculator. The performance of each model was assessed by discrimination and calibration. Discrimination between survivors and non–survivors was assessed by the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) and calibration was estimated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. Results A total of 331 patients were enrolled in the study with a median age of 58 years (IQR 43-71), most of whom were male (n = 208, 62.8%), of African origin (n = 178, 53.8%) and admitted from the emergency department (n = 306, 92.4%). In- hospital mortality of critically ill patients was 16.1%. Discrimination was very good for all models, the area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve for SAPS 3 and MPM0-III was 0.89 (95% CI [0.844–0.935]) and 0.90 (95% CI [0.864–0.944]) respectively. Calibration as calculated by Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test showed good calibration for SAPS 3 and MPM0-III with Chi- square values of 4.61 and 5.08 respectively and P–Value > 0.05. Conclusion Both SAPS 3 and MPM0-III performed well in predicting mortality and outcome in our cohort of patients admitted to the intensive care unit of a private tertiary hospital. The in-hospital mortality of critically ill patients was lower compared to studies done in other intensive care units in tertiary referral hospitals within Tanzania.

Nadeem Kassam,1 Eric Aghan,2 Omar Aziz,1 Hanifa Mbithe,1 Kamran Hameed,1 Reena Shah,3 Salim Surani,4 James Orwa,5 Samina Somji1 1Internal Medicine, The Aga Khan Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania & Aga Khan University, Medical College, Dar-es- Salaam, Tanzania; 2Family Medicine, The Aga Khan Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania & Aga Khan University, Medical College, East Africa, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania; 3Infectious Disease & Internal Medicine, The Aga Khan University, Medical College, Nairobi, Kenya; 4Pulmonology & Internal Medicine, Texas a&m University, Texas A&M College Station, TX, USA; 5Population Health, Aga Khan University, Medical College, East Africa, Nairobi, KenyaCorrespondence: Nadeem Kassam Email nadeem.kassam@aku.eduBackground: The emergence of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused millions of deaths worldwide. There has been paucity of data for hospitalized African patients suffering from COVID-19. This study aimed to identify factors associated with in-hospital mortality in patients suffering from COVID-19 in Tanzania.Methods: This was a single center, retrospective, observational cohort study in adult patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infection. Demographics, clinical pattern, laboratory and radiological investigations associated with increased odds of mortality were analyzed.Results: Of the 157 patients, 107 (68.1%) patients survived and 50 (31.8%) died. Mortality was highest in patients suffering with severe (26%) and critical (68%) forms of the disease. The median age of the cohort was 52 years (IQR 42– 61), majority of patients were male (86%) and of African origin (46%), who presented with fever (69%), cough (62%) and difficulty in breathing (43%). Factors that were associated with mortality among our cohort were advanced age (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03– 1.11), being overweight and obese (OR 9.44, 95% CI 2.71– 41.0), suffering with severe form of the disease (OR 4.77, 95% CI 1.18– 25.0) and being admitted to the HDU and ICU (OR 6.68, 95% CI 2.06– 24.6).Conclusion: The overall in-hospital mortality was 31.8%. Older age, obesity, the severe form of the disease and admission to the ICU and HDU were major risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality.Keywords: COVID-19, factors, hospital, mortality, Tanzania

Background: Globally, male involvement in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) is associated with increased benefits for women, their children, and their communities. Between 2016 and 2020, the Aga Khan University implemented the Access to Quality of Care through Extending and Strengthening Health Systems (AQCESS), project funded by the Government of Canada and Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC). A key component of the project was to encourage greater male engagement in RMNCH in rural Kisii and Kilifi, two predominantly patriarchal communities in Kenya, through a wide range of interventions. Toward the end of the project, we conducted a qualitative evaluation to explore how male engagement strategies influenced access to and utilization of RMNCH services. This paper presents the endline evaluative study findings on how male engagement influenced RMNCH in rural Kisii and Kilifi.Methods: The study used complementing qualitative methods in the AQCESS intervention areas. We conducted 10 focus group discussions (FGDs) with 82 community members across four groups including adult women, adult men, adolescent girls, and adolescent boys. We also conducted 11 key informant interviews (KIIs) with facility health managers, and sub-county and county officials who were aware of the AQCESS project.Results: Male engagement activities in Kisii and Kilifi counties were linked to improved knowledge and uptake of family planning (FP), spousal/partner accompaniment to facility care, and defeminization of social and gender roles.Conclusion: This study supports the importance of male involvement in RMNCH in facilitating decisions on women and children's health as well as in improving spousal support for use of FP methods.

OBJECTIVE To compare the proportion of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants detected by routine third-trimester ultrasound vs those detected by selective ultrasound based on serial symphysis-fundus height (SFH) measurements (standard care) in low-risk pregnancy. METHODS This was an open-label randomized controlled trial conducted at a hospital in Kenya between May 2018 and February 2020. Low-risk pregnant women were randomly allocated (ratio of 1:1) to routine ultrasound for fetal growth assessment between 36 + 0 and 37 + 6 weeks' gestation (intervention group) or to standard care, which involved a selective growth scan on clinical suspicion of fetal growth abnormality based on serial SFH measurements (control group). During ultrasound examination, fetal growth was assessed by measurement of the abdominal circumference (AC), and AC

Male involvement in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) is known to improve maternal and child health outcomes. However, there is sub-optimal adoption of male involvement strategies in several low- and middle-income countries such as Kenya. Aga Khan University implemented Access to Quality of Care through Extending and Strengthening Health Systems (AQCESS), a project funded by the Government of Canada and Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC), between 2016 and 2020 in rural Kisii and Kilifi counties, Kenya. A central element in the interventions was increasing male engagement in RMNCH. Between January and March 2020, we conducted an endline qualitative study to examine the perspectives of different community stakeholders, who were aware of the AQCESS project, on the facilitators and barriers to male involvement in RMNCH. We found that targeted information sessions for men on RMNCH are a major facilitator to effective male engagement, particularly when delivered by male authority figures such as church leaders, male champions and teachers. Sub-optimal male engagement arises from tensions men face in directly contributing to the household economy and participating in RMNCH activities. Social-cultural factors such as the feminization of RMNCH and the associated stigma that non-conforming men experience also discourage male engagement.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of mortality as a single infectious agent globally with increasing numbers of case notification in developing countries. This study seeks to investigate the clinical and socio-demographic factors of time to TB treatment interruption among Tuberculosis patients in Kiambu County, 2016–2019. We retrospectively analyzed data for all treatment outcomes patients obtained from TB tracing form linked with the Tuberculosis Information Basic Unit (TIBU) of patients in Kiambu County health facilities using time to treatment interruption as the main outcome. Categorical variables were presented using frequency and percentages. Kaplan-Meir curve was used to analyze probabilities of time to treatment interruptions between intensive and continuation phases. Log-rank test statistics was used to compare the equality of the curves. Cox proportion model was used to determine determinants of treatment interruption. A total of 292 participants were included in this study. Males were 68%, with majority (35%) of the participants were aged 24–35 years; 5.8% were aged 0–14 years and 5.1% aged above 55 years. The overall treatment success rate was 66.8% (cured, 34.6%; completed 32.2%), 60.3% were on intensive phase of treatment. Lack of knowledge and relocation were the major reasons of treatment interruptions. Patients on intensive phase were 1.58 times likely to interrupt treatment compared to those on continuation phase (aHR: 1.581; 95%CI: 1.232–2.031). There is need to develop TB interventions that target men and middle aged population in order to reduce treatment interruption and increase the treatment success rates in the County and Country.

Background Delayed health-seeking continues to contribute to preventable maternal and neonatal deaths in low resource countries. Some of the strategies to avoid the delay include early preparation for the birth and detection of danger signs. We aimed to assess the level of practice and factors associated with birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) in Kenya and Tanzania. Methods We conducted community-based multi-stage cross-sectional surveys in Kilifi and Kisii counties in Kenya and Mwanza region in Tanzania and included women who delivered two years preceding the survey (2016–2017). A woman who mentioned at least three out of five BPCR components was considered well-prepared. Bivariate and multivariable proportional odds model were used to determine the factors associated with the BPCR. The STROBE guidelines for cross-sectional studies informed the design and reporting of this study. Results Only 11.4% (59/519) and 7.6% (31/409) of women were well-prepared for birth and its complications in Kenya and Tanzania, respectively, while 39.7 and 30.6% were unprepared, respectively. Level of education (primary: adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.59, 95% CI: 1.14–2.20, secondary: aOR: 2.24, 95% CI: 1.39–3.59), delivery within health facility (aOR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.15–2.29), good knowledge of danger signs during pregnancy (aOR: 1.28, 95% CI: 0.80–2.04), labour and childbirth (aOR: 1.57, 95% CI: 0.93–2.67), postpartum (aOR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.24–5.79), and antenatal care were associated with BPCR (aOR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.13–1.78). Conclusion Overall, most pregnant women were not prepared for birth and its complications in Kilifi, Kisii and Mwanza region. Improving level of education, creating awareness on danger signs during preconception, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum period, and encouraging antenatal care and skilled birth care among women and their male partners/families are recommended strategies to promote BPCR practices and contribute to improved pregnancy outcomes in women and newborns.

Background: Continuous professional development (CPD) trainings have been reported to enhance health care workers’ knowledge and skills, improve retention and recruitment, improve quality of patient care and reduce patients’ mortality. This calls for validated training needs assessment tools for facilitating the design of effective CPD programs. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using self-administered questionnaires. The survey involved selected Reproductive, Maternal and Neonatal Health (RMNH) health care workers from 7 hospitals, 12 of 51 health centers and 17 of 292 dispensaries within eight districts of Mwanza Region, Tanzania. The training needs assessment (TNA) tool adapted from the Hennessy-Hicks’ Training Needs Assessment Questionnaire (TNAQ) was used for data collection. Results: A total of 153 healthcare workers participated in this study. The majority of participants were females 83% (127) with average age of 39 years. Nurses formed a majority of participants 76% (n=115) with relatively similar mean duration in service or in RMNH of 7.9 years. The reliability of the adapted TNAQ was found to be 0.954. Relatedly, indexes for construct validity indicated that CFI was equal to 1, Chi-square Mean/Degree of Freedom (CMIN/DF) was equal to 0.000 and Mean Square Error Approximation (RMSEA) was equal to 0.185. Conclusion: The adapted TNAQ appear to be reliable and valid for identifying professional training needs of health care workers in RMNH health care settings. The tool has a considerable level of psychometric properties that makes it suitable for assessing the training needs among health care workers of different cadres. However, the applicability of the TNAQ in the wider health care systems remains unclear. Future studies with a large sample size are required to test the use of TNAQ in wider health care systems and learning opportunities.

BackgroundImproving maternal health by reducing maternal mortality/morbidity relates to Goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals. Achieving this goal is supported by antenatal care (ANC), health facility delivery, and postpartum care. This study aimed to understand levels of use and correlates of uptake of maternal healthcare services among women of reproductive age (15–49 years) in Mwanza Region, Tanzania.MethodsA cross-sectional multi-stage sampling household survey was conducted to obtain data from 1476 households in six districts of Mwanza Region. Data for the 409 women who delivered in the 2 years before the survey were analyzed for three outcomes: four or more ANC visits (ANC4+), health facility delivery, and postpartum visits. Factors associated with the three outcomes were determined using generalized estimating equations to account for clustering at the district level while adjusting for all variables.ResultsOf the 409 eligible women, 58.2% attended ANC4+, 76.8% delivered in a health facility, and 43.5% attended a postpartum clinic. Women from peri-urban, island, and rural regions were less likely to have completed ANC4+ or health facility delivery compared with urban women. Education and early first antenatal visit were associated with ANC4+ and health facility delivery. Mothers from peri-urban areas and those who with health facility delivery were more likely to attend postpartum check-ups.ConclusionUse of ANC services in early pregnancy influences the number of ANC visits, leading to higher uptake of ANC4+ and health facility delivery. Postpartum check-ups for mothers and newborns are associated with health facility delivery. Encouraging early initiation of ANC visits may increase the uptake of maternal healthcare services.

Background Pediatric rheumatic diseases impart a significant disease burden upon children and their families with the potential to cause diminished quality of life and significant direct and indirect costs [1-3]. Determination of the burden of disease is a prerequisite to improving access to care and optimizing use of the healthcare ecosystem for the well-being of these patients [4-5]. Objectives We thus set out to describe what clinical cases were referred to the Pediatric Rheumatology Service at Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi, Kenya (AKUHN) for the first 18 months since its establishment. Methods A prospective chart review of all patients referred to the pediatric rheumatology service at AKUHN was undertaken from October 2016 to March 2018. Patients were followed up for at least 3 months to determine the course of their disease. Data on bio-demographics and diagnosis was extracted from medical records of these patients and documented in a standard study tool. Frequencies were calculated for each disease category and sub-category. Results A total of 113 patients attended the pediatric rheumatology service of which 61.06% (69 of 113) were female and 53.15% (59 of 113) were aged above 10 years. Most patients attending the service were Kenyan accounting for 95.58% (108 of 113). Among the Kenyan patients seen, 77.88% (88 of 113) were from the capital, Nairobi. Out-patients accounted for 84.96% (96 of 113) of the patients compared to 15.04% (17 of 113) who were seen as in-patients. Inflammatory musculoskeletal conditions accounted for 36.3% of all cases (41 of 113) compared to 52.2% (59 of 113) of non-inflammatory musculoskeletal conditions. Among the inflammatory conditions diagnosed, reactive arthritis accounted for 29.3% (12 of 41), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) accounted for 14.6% (6 of 41) and vasculitis accounted for 12.2% (5 of 41) of the cases as demonstrated in graph 1. The non-inflammatory musculoskeletal conditions included mechanical joint pain 42.4% (25 of 59), conversion disorder 13.6% (8of 59), benign joint hypermobility 8.5% (5 of 59) among others as illustrated in graph 1. The other medical conditions diagnosed at the pediatric rheumatology service were two cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and one case of neurofibromatosis, serum sickness, sturge weber syndrome, diabetes, eczema, epidermolysis bullosa and a case of suspected griscelli syndrome. There were four patients lost to follow up; two children with prolonged fever and two others with unexplained painless unilateral limb swelling. There were three mortalities; two lupus patients and the systemic scleroderma patient, all of whom succumbed to sepsis. Conclusion Non inflammatory mechanical musculoskeletal complaints are the commonest complaints noted at AKUHN pediatric rheumatology clinic. The three commonest inflammatory musculoskeletal conditions are reactive arthritis, JIA and vasculitis. Sepsis was the main cause of mortality among the pediatric rheumatology patients. Further studies are required to better describe the burden and natural history of these diseases in Kenya and Sub-Sahara Africa at large. References [1] Moorthy LN, Peterson MG, Hassett AL, Lehman TJ. Burden of childhood onset arthritis. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2010;8:20. [2] Minden K, Niewerth M, Listing J, et al. The economic burden of juvenile idiopathic arthritis-results from the German paediatric rheumatologic database. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2009;27(5):863–9. [3] Bernatsky S, Duffy C, Malleson P, Feldman DE, St Pierre Y, Clarke AE. Economic impact of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;57(1):44–8. [4] WHO Scientific Group on the Burden of Musculoskeletal Conditions at the Start of the New Millenium. The burden of musculoskeletal conditions at the start of the new millenium. World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 2003; 919(i-x):1–218. [5] Scott C, Webb K. Pediatric rheumatology in sub-Saharan Africa. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2014;53(8):1357–8. Disclosure of Interests None declared

Background:Pediatric rheumatic diseases are chronic illnesses that impart a significant disease burden upon societies (1-3). Determination of the burden and clinical characteristics of these diseases is a critical first step to improving access to care and optimizing use of existing health systems for the well-being of these patients (4-6). A pediatric rheumatology registry is critical in defining the spectrum, clinical characteristics, outcomes and responses of various interventions for pediatric rheumatic diseases. Given that none exists in Kenya, the Kenya Pediatric Rheumatology Registry (KAPRI) registry offers a platform to generate this much needed data in sub-Sahara Africa.Objectives:Our objective was to determine the baseline patient characteristics, clinical features and outcomes of the Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) patients assessed at the Aga Khan University Medical College East Africa who were enrolled into the KAPRI registry from inception in March 2019 to December 2020.Methods:All patients with an ICD 10 M code diagnosis of Juvenile Arthritis were selected from the KAPRI registry database. Age, gender, laboratory and clinical features at diagnosis and treatment options offered were extracted from the database. A further detailed chart review was undertaken to determine the proportion of patients who achieved remission or minimally active diseases.Results:Among the 207 patients enrolled thus far, 16 (7.7%) were diagnosed to have JIA. Majority of the patients were females (75%; n=12) with a mean age of 7 years and 3 months (Range:1 year – 13 years 7 months).All patients had joint pain and swelling as the initial presenting complaints. Majority of the patients had polyarticular JIA (75%, n=12). The other 4 patients were oligoarticular (n=2) and systemic JIA (n=2). Among the polyarticular JIA patients (n=12), only 3 (25%) were rheumatoid factor (RF) positive and 1 was antinuclear antibody (ANA) positive. The oligoarticular and systemic JIA patients were all negative for antinuclear antibody, rheumatoid factor and cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-ccp). Seven patients (43.8%) required biological therapies; tocilizumab (n=2: systemic JIA), adalimumab (n=2: polyarticular JIA), etanercept (n=2: polyarticular JIA) and tofacitnib (n=1: polyarticular JIA). One patient with systemic JIA on tocilizumab developed herpes simplex which was successfully managed with oral acyclovir. All the other patients did not develop any infections, allergic reactions or any other untoward events as adverse outcomes following the use of biological therapies. Five patients have attained remission as illustrated in the Table 1 below. Two patients have been lost to follow up.Conclusion:Seronegative polyarticular JIA was the predominant form of JIA observed with a predilection to affect more girls and boys. Over a period of 2 years, remission has been attained among 31.25% of the patients (5 of 16) with use of synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and biological therapies.References:[1]Moorthy LN, Peterson MG, Hassett AL, Lehman TJ. Burden of childhood onset arthritis. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2010;8:20.[2]Minden K, Niewerth M, Listing J, et al. The economic burden of juvenile idiopathic arthritis-results from the German paediatric rheumatologic database. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2009;27(5):863–9.[3]Bernatsky S, Duffy C, Malleson P, Feldman DE, St Pierre Y, Clarke AE. Economic impact of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;57(1):44–8.[4]Migowa A, Colmegna I, Hitchon C, Were E, Ng’ang’a E, Ngwiri T, et al. The spectrum of rheumatic in-patient diagnoses at a pediatric hospital in Kenya. Pediatric Rheumatology (2017)[5]Woolf AD. The bone and joint decade 2000–2010. Ann Rheum Dis. 2000; 59(2):81–2.[6]Scott C, Webb K. Pediatric rheumatology in sub-Saharan Africa. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2014;53(8):1357–8.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

BackgroundOutcomes in well-resourced, intensive care units (ICUs) in Kenya are thought to be comparable to those in high-income countries (HICs) but risk-adjusted mortality data is unavailable. We undertook an evaluation of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi ICU to analyze patient clinical-demographic characteristics, compare the performance of Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), delta-SOFA at 48 hours and Mortality Prediction Model-III (MPM-III) mortality prediction systems, and identify factors associated with increased risk of mortality.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted of adult patients admitted to the ICU between January 2015 and September 2017. SOFA and MPM-III scores were determined at admission and SOFA repeated at 48 hours.ResultsApproximately 33% of patients did not meet ICU admission criteria. Mortality among the population of critically ill patients in the ICU was 31.7%, most of whom were male (61.4%) with a median age of 53.4 years. High adjusted odds of mortality were found among critically ill patients with leukemia (aOR 6.32, p0.05) while delta-SOFA was borderline (p = 0.05).ConclusionMortality among the critically ill was higher than expected in this well-resourced ICU. 48-hour SOFA performed better than admission SOFA, MPM-III and delta-SOFA in our cohort. While a large proportion of patients did not meet admission criteria but were boarded in the ICU, critically ill patients stepped-up from the step-down unit were unlikely to survive. Patients admitted following a cardiac arrest, and those with advanced disease such as leukemia, stage-4 HIV and metastatic cancer, had particularly poor outcomes. Policies for fair allocation of beds, protocol-driven admission criteria and appropriate case selection could contribute to lowering the risk of mortality among the critically ill to a level on par with HICs.

BackgroundPrimary care (PC) is the foundation of the Kenyan health care system, providing comprehensive care, health promotion and managing all illnesses across the lifecycle. In the private sector in Nairobi, PC is principally offered by the general practitioners, also known as family doctors (FDs). The majority have no postgraduate training. Little is known about how patients perceive their capability.AimTo assess patients' perceptions of the scope of practice of FDs working in private sector PC clinics in Nairobi and their awareness of the new category of family physicians (FPs) and the discipline of family medicine.SettingPrivate sector PC clinics in Nairobi.MethodsA descriptive survey using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. Simple random sampling was used to recruit 162 patient participants.ResultsOf the participants, 30% knew the difference between FPs and FDs. There was a high to moderate confidence that FDs could treat common illnesses; provide lifestyle advice; family planning (66%) and childhood immunisations (64%). In adolescents and adults, low confidence was expressed in their ability to manage tuberculosis (58%), human immunodeficiency virus (55%) and cancer (33%). In the elderly, there was low confidence in their ability to manage depression (55%), anxiety (57%), urinary incontinence (57%) and diabetes (59%). There was low confidence in their ability to provide antenatal care (55%) and Pap smears (42%).ConclusionPatients did not perceive that FDs could offer fully comprehensive PC services. These perceptions may be addressed by defining the expected package of care, designing a system that encourages the utilisation of PC and employing FPs.

Introduction. Data examining mammographic breast density (MBD) among patients in Sub-Saharan Africa are sparse. We evaluated how MBD relates to breast cancer characteristics in Kenyan women undergoing diagnostic mammography. Methods. This cross-sectional study included women with pathologically confirmed breast cancers (n=123). Pretreatment mammograms of the unaffected breast were assessed to estimate absolute dense area (cm2), nondense area (cm2), and percent density (PD). Relationships between density measurements and clinical characteristics were evaluated using analysis of covariance. Results. Median PD and dense area were 24.9% and 85.3 cm2. Higher PD and dense area were observed in younger women (P<0.01). Higher dense and nondense areas were observed in obese women (P-trend < 0.01). Estrogen receptor (ER) positive patients (73%) had higher PD and dense area than ER-negative patients (P≤0.02). Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients (17%) had lower PD and dense area (P≤0.01) compared with non-TNBCs. No associations were observed between MBD and tumor size and grade. Conclusions. Our findings show discordant relationships between MBD and molecular tumor subtypes to those previously observed in Western populations. The relatively low breast density observed at diagnosis may have important implications for cancer prevention initiatives in Kenya. Subsequent larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Objective We investigated the survival of patients who had undergone elective reconstruction of the ascending aorta for degenerative aneurysms. The long-term survival was compared to an age- and sex-matched case-control population. An analysis of risk factors, influencing survival was made. Methods and results From May 1998 to January 2012, 72 patients underwent elective reconstruction of the ascending aorta for degenerative disease at the department of Cardiothoracic Surgery of the Jessa Hospital, Hasselt, Belgium. Sixty patients were treated with Bentall procedures, whereas 12 received valve-sparing procedures. The average age of the patient group was 65.5 years (range 24-80), with 64% males. Thirty-day mortality was 9.7% (consistent with calculated Euroscore II: 9.2%). The long-term survival was 80.9% at 3, 5 and 10 years. No deaths occurred between 3 and 10 years postoperatively. In an age- and sex case-matched Belgian population, 3-, 5- and 10-year survival were 95.7%, 94.7% and 85.2%, respectively. Long-term survival was not significantly different between both groups. Poor NYHA class at the time of surgery (P = 0.041) and COPD (P = 0.028) had a significant impact on global survival. Valve-sparing operations provide similar long-term survival, avoiding thrombo-embolic complications. Conclusions Reconstruction of the ascending aorta for degenerative aneurysmal disease restores normal life expectancy, compared with an age- and sex-matched case-control population. Early mortality is consistent with the Euroscore II risk calculation. Whereas late survival progressively declines in the average population, it remains constant in the treated group after 3 years. COPD and poor functional class significantly impair survival. Valve-sparing procedures confer a similar long-term survival as valve replacement.