The need for a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS in north-western Somalia: evidence from a seroprevalence survey

Abdalla, Eltagi A. M.; Ekanem, Ekpenyong E.; Said, D.; Arube, P.; Gboun, Michael; Mohammed, Fewzia

doi:10.26719/2010.16.2.141

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…After screening for duplicates, the literature search identified a total of 83 articles for assessment. Thirty‐five articles met the eligibility criteria after screening by title and abstract, but four of these were excluded after full text review . The most common reasons for exclusion were as follows: non‐experimental reports ( n = 16), social science and/or health policy studies without study subjects from Somaliland ( n = 13), non‐human or animal studies ( n = 12), and abstracts or letters ( n = 8).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of a bibliometric literature review to assess medical research capacity in post‐conflict and developing countries: Somaliland 1991–2013

Boyce

Rosch

Finlayson

et al. 2015

Tropical Med Int Health

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Abstractobjectives Effective healthcare systems require high-quality research to guide evidence-based interventions and strategic planning. In low-and middle-income countries, especially those emerging from violent conflict, research capacity often lags behind other aspects of health system development.Here, we sought to bibliometrically review health-related research output in Somaliland, a postconflict self-declared, autonomous nation on the Horn of Africa, as a means of assessing research capacity.methods We reviewed articles on health-related research conducted in Somaliland between 1991 and 2013 that included a description of the experimental design, and articles were published in either a peer-reviewed journal or as part of a scholarly programme receiving formal review. We did not include policy or social science research that did not enrol or interact with subjects from Somaliland. Using online databases, all studies meeting minimum eligibility criteria were reviewed in regard to Somaliland-based co-authorship, topic of research and specific measures of quality.results A total of 37 studies were included in this review. Of these, only 19 (51%) included coauthorship by Somaliland-based researchers. Of the 21 studies reporting ethical approval, 16 (64%) received approval from the Somalia or Somaliland Ministry of Health, while five received approval from a university or national commission. More than two-thirds of published research was limited to a few areas of investigation with most (19, 51%) following basic cross-sectional study designs. The number of articles published per year increased from 0 to 1 in the years 1991-2007 to a maximum of 8 in 2013.conclusions Research activity in Somaliland is extremely limited. Investigators from high-income countries have largely directed the research agenda in Somaliland; only half of the included studies list co-authors from institutions in Somaliland. Leadership and governance of health research in Somaliland is required to define national priorities, promote scholarly activity and guide the responsible conduct of research. The methods used here to assess research capacity may be generalisable to other low-and middle-income countries and post-conflict settings to measure the impact of research capacity-building efforts.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of a bibliometric literature review to assess medical research capacity in post‐conflict and developing countries: Somaliland 1991–2013

Boyce

Rosch

Finlayson

et al. 2015

Tropical Med Int Health

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show abstract

“…Somalia is an East African country and little is known about HIV situation in the country though estimates show a prevalence of 1% 4. Sentinel surveillance data in 2010 showed a prevalence of 1.2% among pregnant women aged 15–24 years, 12.3% among patients with sexually transmitted diseases, and 5.6% among TB patients in Somaliland regions 5. Although the prevalence is low, due to the ongoing conflict, HIV sentinel surveillance cannot reach most of the affected areas, and the current HIV infection problem may be greater than the figures indicate 6.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4 Sentinel surveillance data in 2010 showed a prevalence of 1.2% among pregnant women aged 15–24 years, 12.3% among patients with sexually transmitted diseases, and 5.6% among TB patients in Somaliland regions. 5 Although the prevalence is low, due to the ongoing conflict, HIV sentinel surveillance cannot reach most of the affected areas, and the current HIV infection problem may be greater than the figures indicate. 6 However, it is believed that the actual prevalence might be higher because of the unwillingness of PLHIV to reveal their status because of stigma and the political insecurity, making it difficult to conduct reliable nationwide research.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

<p>Sick and solo: a qualitative study on the life experiences of people living with HIV in Somalia</p>

Salad¹,

Mohamed²,

Da’ar³

et al. 2019

HIV

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BackgroundHIV stigma and the resultant fear of being identified as HIV-positive can compromise the effectiveness of HIV programs by undermining early diagnosis and antiretroviral treatment initiation and adherence of people living with HIV (PLHIV). In the wake of the longstanding conflict in the country, little is known about the life experiences of PLHIV in Somalia.MethodsA qualitative study using unstructured interviews was conducted in Somalia from September to December 2017. A convenience sampling approach was used to recruit 13 participants, including 10 persons who live with HIV and three senior officials who work for the HIV program at the Ministry of Health. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis.ResultsOur findings show that PLHIV are alienated and prefer to isolate themselves due to widespread stigma subjected to them by their family members, society, employers, and health providers, which continue to undermine the scale-up of testing and treatment of PLHIV in Somalia. Consequently, they are reluctant to seek voluntary diagnosis and treatment of HIV. They often come to know about their status when their partners are found HIV positive, they are tested for other clinical purposes, or when an individual’s health deteriorates, and all other means fail to work in improving his/her situation. The study also pointed out a shortage of facilities that provide HIV diagnosis, counseling and treatment in Somalia.ConclusionAddressing stigma and discrimination subjected to PLHIV are critical to a successful HIV response in Somalia. To successfully address stigma, HIV programs need evidence on effective interventions at individual, community, and societal levels in order to strategically incorporate stigma and discrimination reduction into national HIV programs.

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Prevalence of Curable Sexually Transmitted Infections in Pregnant Women in Low- and Middle-Income Countries From 2010 to 2015

Davey¹,

Shull²,

Billings³

et al. 2016

Sexual Trans Dis

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Background Current literature comparing the prevalence rates of curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in pregnant women in various global regions is limited. As a result, antenatal screening practices for curable STIs in pregnant women, specifically Treponema pallidum (syphilis), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) vary around the world, differing by country and particular STI. Methods We conducted a systematic review of publications on STI prevalence among pregnant women in 30 different low- and middle-income countries. We searched PubMed for studies reporting prevalence of syphilis, CT, NG, and TV in pregnant women. English language studies published between January 1, 2010, and March 1, 2015, were included. The adjusted mean STI prevalence by region was calculated via multivariable linear regression adjusting for health care setting, women’s mean age, study sample size, and sensitivity of diagnostic test. Results We identified 75 studies that met inclusion criteria, providing 116 point prevalence estimates for curable STIs among 3,489,621 pregnant women. Adjusted mean prevalence for NG ranged from 1.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0–1.3) in Latin America to 4.6% (95% CI, 4.0–5.2) in Southern Africa; syphilis prevalence ranged from 1.1% (95% CI, 0.5–1.6) in Asia to 6.5% (95% CI, 4.7–6.3) in Southern Africa; CT ranged from 0.8% (95% CI, 0.4–1.1) in Asia to 11.2% (95% CI, 6.0–16.4) in Latin America; and TV ranged from 3.9% (95% CI, 2.2–5.6) in Latin America to 24.6% (95% CI, 17.9–31.4) in Southern Africa. Conclusions Although we observed a wide variation in STI burden in pregnancy after adjusting for age, test, and health care setting, further valid comparison may depend on adjustment for access to care and screening practices.

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The need for a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS in north-western Somalia: evidence from a seroprevalence survey

Cited by 5 publications

References 1 publication

Use of a bibliometric literature review to assess medical research capacity in post‐conflict and developing countries: Somaliland 1991–2013

Use of a bibliometric literature review to assess medical research capacity in post‐conflict and developing countries: Somaliland 1991–2013

<p>Sick and solo: a qualitative study on the life experiences of people living with HIV in Somalia</p>

Prevalence of Curable Sexually Transmitted Infections in Pregnant Women in Low- and Middle-Income Countries From 2010 to 2015

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