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: Introduction: Health challenges in the 21st century underscore the need for adaptable and innovative approaches in public health. Academic institutions can and should contribute much more effectively to generate and translate scientific knowledge that will result in better programmes to improve societal health. Academic accountability to local communities and society requires universities to actively engage with local communities, understanding the context, their needs, and leveraging their knowledge and local experience. The Programme Science initiative provides a framework to optimize the scale, quality and impact of public health programmes, by integrating diverse approaches during the iterative cycle of research and practice within the strategic planning, programme implementation and programme management and evaluation. We illustrate how the Programme Science framework could be a useful tool for academic institutions to accomplish accountability to local communities and society through the experience of Project HOPE in Peru. Discussion: Project HOPE applied the Programme Science framework to introduce HPV self‐sampling into a women's health programme in Peru. Collaboration with local authorities and community members was pivotal in all phases of the project, ensuring interventions aligned with community needs and addressing social determinants of health. The HOPE Ladies—community women trained and empowered to promote and provide the HPV kits—crafted the messages used through the study and developed strategies to reach individuals and provided support to women's journey through health centres. By engaging communities in co‐creating knowledge and addressing health inequities, academic institutions can generate contextually relevant and socially just scientific knowledge. The active participation of community women in Project HOPE was instrumental in improving service utilization and addressing barriers to self‐sampling. Conclusions: The Programme Science approach offers a pathway for academic institutions to enhance their accountability to communities and society at large. By embedding researchers within public health programmes and prioritizing community engagement, academic institutions can ensure that research findings directly inform policy improvements and programmatic decisions. However, achieving this requires a realignment of research agendas and recognition of the value of community engagement. Establishing Programme Science networks involving academia, government and funding entities can further reinforce academic accountability and enhance the impact of public health programmes., INTRODUCTION Health issues in the 21st century are increasingly complex. Populations worldwide are expanding and ageing, leading to a rise in non‐communicable diseases added to the emerging and re‐emerging infections [...]

In Peru, there is little information about the HIV care continuum. Therefore, we conducted a study to describe the HIV care continuum among male sex workers (MSWs) in Lima. We applied close-ended surveys with 209 MSWs about their engagement in the HIV care continuum and open-ended surveys with 34 MSWs who are people living with HIV (PLHIV) to explore their linkage to and retention in HIV care. Of 209 MSWs, only 71% (n=148) reported a lifetime HIV test and 56% (n=116) of all MSWs received confirmatory HIV test results. Of the 34 MSWs who are PLHIV, 76% had received HIV care at least once, but only 59% were currently in care, 50% were currently taking ART(antiretroviral therapy) and an even lower 32% had been on ART for 6 months or more. The primary reason for non-linkage to HIV care is the multiple visits to link at the Ministry of Health (MOH). Remaining in care was also challenging, particularly at non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Substantial barriers linking to and remaining in HIV care result in significant delays in linkage and high proportions of PLHIV that remain unlinked or become unstably linked following initial linkage. Urgent implementation science research is needed to facilitate linkage to HIV care and strengthen retention in HIV care post-linkage.

Objective To define the prevalences and manifestations of reproductive tract infections (RTIs) in rural Peruvian women. Methods During 1997-98, we visited 18 rural districts in coastal, highlands, and jungle regions of Peru. We administered standardized questionnaires and pelvic examinations to members of women's community-based organizations; and collected vaginal fluid for pH, amine odour, Gram stain, microscopy, and culture for Trichomonas vaginalis; cervical specimens for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae; human papilloma virus (HPV) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, and blood for syphilis serology. Findings The 754 participants averaged 36.9 years of age and 1.7 sex partners ever; 77% reported symptoms indicative of RTIs; 51% and 26% reported their symptoms spontaneously or only with specific questioning, respectively. Symptoms reported spontaneously included abnormal vaginal discharge (29.3% and 22.9%, respectively). One or more RTIs, found in 70.4% of participants, included bacterial vaginosis (43.7%), trichomoniasis (16.5%), vulvovaginal candidiasis (4.5%), chlamydial infection (6.8%), gonorrhoea (1,2%), syphilis seropositivity (1.7%), cervical HPV infection (4.9%), and genital warts or ulcers (2.8%). Of 715 adequate Pap smears, 7 revealed cancer, 4 high-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesions (SIL) and 15 low-grade SIL. Clinical algorithms had very low sensitivity and predictive values for cervical infection, but over half the women with symptoms of malodorous vaginal discharge, signs of abnormal vaginal discharge, or both, had bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis. Conclusion Overall, 77% of women had symptoms indicative of RTIs, and 70% had objective evidence of one or more RTIs. Women with selected symptoms and signs of vaginal infection could benefit from standard metronidazole therapy. Keywords Trichomonas vaginitis/diagnosis/therapy; Chlamydia infections/diagnosis/therapy; Gonorrhea/diagnosis/therapy; Papillomavirus infections/diagnosis/therapy; Syphilis/diagnosis/therapy; Sexually transmitted diseases, Bacterial/diagnosis; Vaginal discharge/therapy; Risk factors; Peru (source: MeSH, NLM). Mots cles Trichomonas vaginalis/diagnostic/therapeutique; Chlamydia, Infection/diagnosticc/therapeutique; Gonococcie/diagnosticc/ therapeutique; Papillomavirus, Infections/diagnosticc/therapeutique; Syphilis/diagnostic/therapeutique; Maladies sexuellement transmissibles bacteriennes/diagnostic; Perte vaginale/therapeutique; Facteur risque; Perou (source: MeSH, INSERM). Palabras clave Trichomonas vaginalis/diagnostico/terapia; Infecciones por chlamydia/diagnostico; Gonorrea/diagnostico/terapia; Infecciones por papillomavirus/diagnostico/terapia; Sifilis/diagnostico/terapia; Enfermedades bacterianas sexualmente transmisibles/ diagnostico; Excretion vaginal/terapia; Factores de riesgo; Peru (fuente: DeCS, BIREME). [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII.] Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2004;82:483-492., Voir page 490 le resume en francais. En la pagina 491 figura un resumen en espanol. [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII.] Introduction The ReproSalud Project in Peru was started in [...]

Objectives: A Neisseria gonorrhoeae antimicrobial susceptibility quality control comparison programme was re-established in Latin America and the Caribbean to ensure antimicrobial susceptibility data produced from the region are comparable nationally and internationally.Methods: Three panels, consisting of N. gonorrhoeae isolates comprising reference strains and other characterised isolates were sent to 11 participating laboratories between 2013 and 2015. Antimicrobial susceptibilities for these isolates were determined using agar dilution, Etest or disc diffusion methods. Modal minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for each panel isolate/antibiotic combination were calculated. The guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute were used for interpretations of antimicrobial susceptibility. The agreement of MICs with the modal MICs was determined for each of the participating laboratories as well as for each of the antibiotics tested.Results: Five of 11 laboratories that participated in at least one panel had an overall average agreement between participants' MIC results and modal MICs of >90%. For other laboratories, agreements ranged from 60.0% to 82.4%. The proportion of agreement between interpretations for all the antibiotics, except penicillin and tetracycline, was >90%. The percentages of agreement between MIC results and their modes for erythromycin, spectinomycin, cefixime and azithromycin were >90%. Tetracycline, ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin agreement ranged from 84.5% to 89.1%, while penicillin had 78.8% agreement between MICs and modal MICs.Conclusions: The participating laboratories had acceptable results, similar to other international quality assurance programmes. It is important to ensure continuation of the International Gonococcal Antimicrobial Susceptibility Quality Control Comparison Programme to ensure that participants can identify and correct any problems in antimicrobial susceptibility testing for N. gonorrhoeae as they arise and continue to generate reproducible and reliable data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objetives. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in general population of Peruvian women 18-29 year old in 20 cities using data from the PREVEN project. We also determined the association between clinical and behavioral data with the Nugent score for BV detection. Materials and methods. A total of 6,322 women were interviewed and also provided vaginal swabs. Results. The observed prevalence of BV was 23.7% and it was significantly associated with having more sexual partners in the last 12 months (compared with cero partners, prevalence ratio [PR]: 1.22, p=0.020 for 2 partners and y PR: 1.46, p=<0.001 for 3 or more partners), not using condoms in the last intercourse (PR: 1.16, p=0.034), being resident of the highlands (PR: 1.18, p=0.004) and having abnormal or malodorous vaginal discharge (RP: 1.20, p<0.001). Conclusions. The high BV prevalence found remarks the need for health services strengthened in their capacities to detect and treat this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Peru, a significant proportion of people tested for HIV and syphilis do not receive timely results. Our objective was to assess the institutional feasibility of implementing simultaneous HIV/syphilis point-of-care tests and client perceptions regarding these point-of-care tests. Point-of-care tests were implemented in a hospital consultation room in a marginalised zone of Lima. A time-series design was used to compare the proportion of tested clients who received timely results, with and without the point-of-care test intervention. Experience and satisfaction with point-of-care tests was evaluated with 149 people. In the 6 months without intervention, 69% and 61% of clients tested for HIV and syphilis, respectively, received their results within the required 45-minute window. During the 2-month point-of-care test intervention, all clients tested for HIV (n = 387) and syphilis (n = 398) received their results within 45 minutes. All clients surveyed were completely satisfied (52%) or satisfied (48%) with the simultaneous HIV/syphilis point-of-care test screening process. Additionally, 73% strongly agreed with the statement ‘I feel satisfied with the rapid testing process.’ Screening using point-of-care tests represents an important opportunity to reduce the time, resource and cost burden for users and institutions and increase the proportion of users receiving their test results in a timely manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]