Browsing by Author "Nachega, Jean B"

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    Effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy on maternal and neonatal outcomes in research collaboration
    (2020-12) Nachega, Jean B; Sam-Agudu, Nadia A; Budhram, Samantha
    In the African context, there is a paucity of data on SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated COVID-19 in pregnancy. Given the endemicity of infections such as malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis (TB) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), it is important to evaluate coinfections with SARS-CoV-2 and their impact on maternal/infant outcomes. Robust research is critically needed to evaluate the effects of the added burden of COVID-19 in pregnancy, to help develop evidence-based policies toward improving maternal and infant outcomes. In this perspective, we briefly review current knowledge on the clinical features of COVID-19 in pregnancy; the risks of preterm birth and cesarean delivery secondary to comorbid severity; the effects of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection on the fetus/neonate; and in utero mother-to-child SARS-CoV-2 transmission. We further highlight the need to conduct multicountry surveillance as well as retrospective and prospective cohort studies across SSA. This will enable assessments of SARS-CoV-2 burden among pregnant African women and improve the understanding of the spectrum of COVID-19 manifestations in this population, which may be living with or without HIV, TB, and/or other coinfections/comorbidities. In addition, multicountry studies will allow a better understanding of risk factors and outcomes to be compared across countries and subregions. Such an approach will encourage and strengthen much-needed intra-African, south-to-south multidisciplinary and interprofessional research collaborations. The African Forum for Research and Education in Health’s COVID-19 Research Working Group has embarked upon such a collaboration across Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa.
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    Mobile Health Technology for Enhancing the COVID-19 Response in Africa: A Potential Game Changer?
    (2020-05) Nachega, Jean B; Leisegang, Rory; Kallay, Oscar
    Disclosure: J. B. N. is also a coprincipal investigator of TOGETHER, an adaptive randomized clinical trial of novel agents for treatment of high-risk outpatient COVID-19 patients in South Africa; supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and a member of COVID-19 Scientific Committee of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. R. T. L. is an infectious disease specialist and global health researcher with support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Michael Smith Foundation, for Health Research and Grand Challenges Canada, and is cofounder of the WelTel (www.weltelhealth.com), as well as a member of the roster of experts for the WHO Task Force for Digital Health. He served on the front lines of the 2003 SARS epidemic and led a consortium on the Ebola outbreak response in 2014. Sir Zumla is co-PI of the Pan-African Network on Emerging and Re-Emerging Infections (PANDORA-ID-NET: https://www.pandora-id.net/) funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership the EU Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. Sir Zumla is recipient of a National Institutes of Health Research senior investigator award.
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    Responding to the Challenge of the Dual COVID-19 and Ebola Epidemics in the Democratic Republic of Congo—Priorities for Achieving Control
    (2020) Nachega, Jean B; Mbala-Kingebeni, Placide; Otshudiema, John; Mobula, Linda M
    Abstract. As of June 11, 2020, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported 4,258 COVID-19 cases with 90 deaths. With other African countries, the DRC faces the challenge of striking a balance between easing public health lockdown measures to curtail the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and minimizing both economic hardships for large sectors of the population and negative impacts on health services for other infectious and noninfectious diseases. The DRC recently controlled its tenth Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, but COVID-19 and a new EVD outbreak beginning on June 1, 2020 in the northwest ´Equateur Province have added an additional burden to health services. Although the epidemiology and transmission of EVD and COVID-19 differ, leveraging the public health infrastructures and experiences fromcoordinating the EVD response to guide the public health response toCOVID-19 is critical. Building on the DRC’s 40 years of experience with 10 previous EVD outbreaks, we highlight the DRC’s multi-sectoral public health approach to COVID-19, which includes community-based screening, testing, contact-tracing, risk communication, community engagement, and case management. We also highlight remaining challenges and discuss the way forward for achieving control of both COVID-19 and EVD in the DRC.