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There are few data on the real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and boosting in Africa, which experienced widespread SARS-CoV-2 infection before vaccine availability. We assessed the association between vaccination and severe COVID-19 in the Western Cape, South Africa, in an observational cohort study of >2 million adults during 2020–2022. We described SARS-CoV-2 testing, COVID-19 outcomes, and vaccine uptake over time. We used multivariable cox models to estimate the association of BNT162b2 and Ad26.COV2.S vaccination with COVID-19-related hospitalization and death, adjusting for demographic characteristics, underlying health conditions, socioeconomic status proxies, and healthcare utilization. We found that by the end of 2022, 41% of surviving adults had completed vaccination and 8% had received a booster dose. Recent vaccination was associated with notable reductions in severe COVID-19 during periods dominated by Delta, and Omicron BA.1/2 and BA.4/5 (sub)lineages. During the latest Omicron BA.4/5 wave, within 3 months of vaccination or boosting, BNT162b2 and Ad26.COV2.S were each 84% effective against death (95% CIs: 57–94 and 49–95, respectively). However, distinct reductions of effectiveness occurred at longer times post completing or boosting vaccination. Results highlight the importance of continued emphasis on COVID-19 vaccination and boosting for those at high risk of severe COVID-19, even in settings with widespread infection-induced immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Disparities in MR access between different countries and healthcare systems are well documented. Determinants of unequal access within the same healthcare system and geographical region are poorly understood. Objective: An analysis of public sector MR utilisation in South Africa's Western Cape province (WCP). Methods: A retrospective study of WCP MR and population data for 2013 and 2018. MR units/106 people, studies, and studies/103 people were calculated for each year, for the whole province and the 'western' and 'eastern' referral pathways, stratified by age (0-14 years, > 14 years) Results: Between 2013 and 2018, the WCP population increased 8% (4.63 vs 5.08 x 106 people) while MR resources were unchanged ('western' = 2 units; 'eastern' = 1), equating to decreasing access (units/106 people) for the province (0.65 vs 0.59;-9.2%), the 'western' (0.97 vs 0.9;-7.2%) and 'eastern' (0.39 vs 0.35; -10.3%) pathways. In 2013, 40% (4005/10 090) of studies were in the 'eastern' pathway serving 55% (2 066 079/4 629 051) of the population. Between 2013 and 2018 'eastern' population growth (n = 286 781) exceeded 'western' (n = 168 469) by 70% (n = 118 312). By 2018, 38% (7939/12 848) of studies were performed in the 'eastern' pathway, then serving 56% (2 849 753/5 084 301) of the population. Among 0-14-year-olds, 'western' utilisation (studies/103 people) exceeded 'eastern' by a factor of approximately 2.4 throughout. In patients > 14 years, the utilisation differential increased from 1.78 to 1.98 in the review period. Conclusion: Ensuring equitable services on the same healthcare platform requires ongoing surveillance of resource and population distribution. MR access can serve as a proxy for equity in highly specialised services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Severe hospitalization or risk of death was similar for BA.4/BA.5 and BA.1 infections. • Previous infection and vaccination strongly protected against severe COVID-19. • Growing population immunity against COVID-19 resulted in reduced severe disease. • Booster vaccinations are important to reduce the public health impact of COVID-19. We aimed to compare the clinical severity of Omicron BA.4/BA.5 infection with BA.1 and earlier variant infections among laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases in the Western Cape, South Africa, using timing of infection to infer the lineage/variant causing infection. We included public sector patients aged ≥20 years with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 between May 01-May 21, 2022 (BA.4/BA.5 wave) and equivalent previous wave periods. We compared the risk between waves of (i) death and (ii) severe hospitalization/death (all within 21 days of diagnosis) using Cox regression adjusted for demographics, comorbidities, admission pressure, vaccination, and previous infection. Among 3793 patients from the BA.4/BA.5 wave and 190,836 patients from previous waves, the risk of severe hospitalization/death was similar in the BA.4/BA.5 and BA.1 waves (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93; 1.34). Both Omicron waves had a lower risk of severe outcomes than previous waves. Previous infection (aHR 0.29, 95% CI 0.24; 0.36) and vaccination (aHR 0.17; 95% CI 0.07; 0.40 for at least three doses vs no vaccine) were protective. Disease severity was similar among diagnosed COVID-19 cases in the BA.4/BA.5 and BA.1 periods in the context of growing immunity against SARS-CoV-2 due to previous infection and vaccination, both of which were strongly protective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To describe province-wide outcomes and temporal trends of the Western Cape Province antiretroviral treatment (ART) programme 5 years since inception, and to demonstrate the utility of the WHO monitoring system for ART. Methods The treatment programme started in 2001 through innovator sites. Rapid scaling-up of ART provision began early in 2004, located predominantly in primary-care facilities. Data on patients starting ART were prospectively captured into facility-based registers, from which monthly cross-sectional activity and quarterly cohort reports were aggregated. Retention in care, mortality, loss to follow-up and laboratory outcomes were calculated at 6-monthly durations on ART. Findings By the end of March 2006, 16 234 patients were in care. The cohort analysis included 12 587 adults and 1709 children. Women accounted for 70% of adults enrolled. After 4 and 3 years on ART respectively, 72.0% of adults (95% confidence interval, CI: 68.0-75.6) and 81.5% (95% CI: 75.7-86.1) of children remained in care. The percentage of adults starting ART with CD4 counts less than 50 cells/μl fell from 51.3% in 2001 to 21.5% in 2005, while mortality at 6 months fell from 12.7% to 6.6%, offset in part by an increase in loss to follow-up (reaching 4.7% at 6 months in 2005). Over 85% of adults tested had viral loads below 400 copies/ml at 6-monthly durations until 4 years on ART. Conclusion The location of care in primary-care sites in this programme was associated with good retention in care, while the scaling-up of ART provision was associated with reduced early mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective was to compare COVID-19 outcomes in the Omicron-driven fourth wave with prior waves in the Western Cape, assess the contribution of undiagnosed prior infection to differences in outcomes in a context of high seroprevalence due to prior infection and determine whether protection against severe disease conferred by prior infection and/or vaccination was maintained., Methods: In this cohort study, we included public sector patients aged ≥20 years with a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis between 14 November and 11 December 2021 (wave four) and equivalent prior wave periods. We compared the risk between waves of the following outcomes using Cox regression: death, severe hospitalisation or death and any hospitalisation or death (all ≤14 days after diagnosis) adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities, geography, vaccination and prior infection., Results: We included 5144 patients from wave four and 11,609 from prior waves. The risk of all outcomes was lower in wave four compared to the Delta-driven wave three (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] for death 0.27 [0.19; 0.38]. Risk reduction was lower when adjusting for vaccination and prior diagnosed infection (aHR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.29; 0.59) and reduced further when accounting for unascertained prior infections (aHR: 0.72). Vaccine protection was maintained in wave four (aHR for outcome of death: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.10; 0.58)., Conclusions: In the Omicron-driven wave, severe COVID-19 outcomes were reduced mostly due to protection conferred by prior infection and/or vaccination, but intrinsically reduced virulence may account for a modest reduction in risk of severe hospitalisation or death compared to the Delta-driven wave., (© 2022 The Authors Tropical Medicine & International Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The reduction of inequality is a key United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (WHO, Human Resources for Health: foundation for Universal Health Coverage and the post-2015 development agenda, 2014; Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform, 2020). Despite marked disparities in radiological services globally, particularly between metropolitan and rural populations in low- and middle-income countries, there has been little work on imaging resources and utilization patterns in any setting (Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform, 2020; WHO, Local Production and Technology Transfer to Increase Access to Medical Devices, 2019; European Society of Radiology (ESR), Insights Imaging 6:573-7, 2015; Maboreke et al., An audit of licensed Zimbabwean radiology equipment resources as a measure of healthcare access and equity, 2020; Kabongo et al., Pan Afr Med J 22, 2015; Skedgel et al., Med Decis Making 35:94-105, 2015; Mollura et al., J Am Coll Radiol 913-9, 2014; Culp et al., J Am Coll Radiol 12:475-80, 2015; Mbewe et al., An audit of licenced Zambian diagnostic imaging equipment and personnel, 2020). To achieve equity, a better understanding of the integral components of the so called "imaging enterprise" is important. The aim was to analyse a provincial radiological service in a middle-income country., Methods: An institutional review board-approved retrospective audit of radiological data for the public healthcare sector of the Western Cape Province of South Africa for 2017, utilizing provincial databases. We conducted population-based analyses of imaging equipment, personnel, and service utilization data for the whole province, the metropolitan and the rural areas., Results: Metropolitan population density exceeds rural by a factor of ninety (1682 vs 19 people/km 2 ). Rural imaging facilities by population are double the metropolitan (20 vs 11/10 6 people). Metropolitan imaging personnel by population (112 vs 53/10 6 people) and equipment unit (1.7 vs 0.7/unit) are more than double the rural. Overall population-based utilization of imaging services was 30% higher in the metropole (289 vs 214 studies/10 3 people), with mammography (24 vs 5 studies/10 3 woman > 40 years) and CT (21 vs 6/10 3 people) recording the highest, and plain radiography (203 vs 171/10 3 people) the lowest differences., Conclusion: Despite attempts to achieve imaging equity through the provision of increased facilities/million people in the rural areas, differential utilization patterns persist. The achievement of equity must be seen as a process involving incremental improvements and iterative analyses that define progress towards the goal., (© 2021. The Author(s).)