Access to quality care before, during, and after childbirth remains an effective means of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. Therefore, the study identified factors influencing the utilization of prenatal care services among women of childbearing age in South Africa. This is a retrospective study based on secondary data from the South African Demographic Health Survey (DHS) conducted from 1998 to 2016. In South Africa, 21.0% of mothers had used ANC services. Higher odds of seeking prenatal care were found in women aged 35 years and older (cOR = 1.26, 95% CI; 1.08–1.47, p = 0.003), married or cohabiting (cOR = 1.13, 95% CI; 1.004–1.27) observed, p = 0.043), higher level of education (tertiary education: cOR = 0.55, p = 0.001), female residents in urban areas (cOR = 1.35, 95% CI; 1.20–1.52, p = 0.001), higher wealth index (cOR = 1.32, 95% CI; 1.15–1.51, p = 0.001), employed (cOR = 1.48, 95% CI; 1.29–1.70, p = 0.001) and media exposure (cOR = 1.27, 95% CI; 1.12–1.44), p = 0.001). The findings of this study provide insight into the need to make maternal health services more accessible, more widely used, and of a higher quality. This requires effective strategic policies that promote patronage to reduce maternal mortality and improve newborn outcomes in South Africa.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the oldest human diseases, and preventing treatment failure is critical. This is because TB cases pose a risk to the immediate and remote communities due to the potential for spread, particularly for multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains that have been associated with higher morbidity and mortality rates. Hence, this study looked at the factors that influence TB treatment outcomes in Southwest Nigeria. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 712 TB patients from 25 directly observed treatment short course (DOTS) centers, out of which 566 (79.49%) were new treatment cases, and 102 (14.33%) were retreatment cases. The outcome variable was computed into successful treatment where ‘Yes’ was assigned to TB treatment completed and cured, and ‘No’ was assigned to all the remaining outcomes following the standard TB definition. Independent variables included in the analysis were the patient’s socio-demographic characteristics (such as age, sex, distance from the facility, marital status, family type, education, and computed socioeconomic status from modified DHS household assets), clinical and facility parameters (such as the HIV status, facility of access to healthcare, healthcare workers attitudes, services offered at the facility, appearance of the facility, number of people seeking care and waiting time at the facility). Bivariate analysis showed that HIV status (OR: 3.53, 95% CI: 1.83–6.82; p = 0.001), healthcare worker attitude (OR: 2.13, 95% CI: 1.21–3.74; p = 0.01), services offered at the facility (OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.49–0.92; p = 0.01), appearance of facility (OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.46–0.98; p = 0.04), and number of people seeking care (OR: 2.47, 95% CI: 1.72–3.55; p = 0.001) were associated with higher odds of successful treatment outcome with statistical significance. After multivariate analysis, reactive HIV status (aOR: 3.37, 95% CI: 1.67–6.80; p = 0.001), positive attitude of healthcare workers (aOR: 2.58, 95% CI: 1.36–4.89; p = 0.04), excellent services offered at the healthcare facility (aOR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.36–0.78; p = 0.001) and few people seeking care (aOR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.21–3.84; p = 0.001) became independent significant determinants of successful treatment outcome. The study concluded that reactive HIV status, positive attitude of healthcare workers, few people seeking healthcare, and excellent service provided were all factors that contributed to successful treatment outcomes.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remain major public health issues in sub-Saharan Africa. The co-occurrence of these diseases is a growing concern in the region, and social determinants, the circumstances under which people are born, live, work, and age, are known to influence the risk of disease transmission, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. Here, we present a protocol for the evidence synthesis on the social determinants of HIV/TB coinfections in sub-Saharan Africa. The high prevalence of Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in sub-Saharan Africa presents significant public health challenges. TB/HIV comorbidity is influenced by various social determinants, including social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors, impacting disease transmission risk, accurate diagnosis, and treatment outcomes. This study protocol aims to provide an evidence synthesis on the social determinants of HIV/TB coinfection in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods and analysis: The researchers will use the Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) methodological framework to guide the scoping review. First, databases such as PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and PsychInfo will be searched. The researchers will then proceed in two steps. Before finalising the study selection, two independent reviewers will examine the article titles and abstracts for eligibility and inclusion. The researchers will then conduct a full-text screening of the articles based on the selected titles and abstracts. The authors’ tool will be used to extract data, ensuring that the articles are properly screened and that the risk of bias is minimized. The chosen studies will be examined using a standardized tool to examine all bibliographic data and study characteristics. Ethics and dissemination: The review will provide an overview of the social determinants influencing the prevalence and outcomes of TB/HIV comorbidity in the region, as well as identify any research gaps. Policymakers, researchers, and healthcare professionals will benefit from the findings in developing targeted interventions to address the social determinants of TB/HIV comorbidity in sub-Saharan Africa.

COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has had a significant negative impact on issues such as the reproductive health of young girls. One of the consequences of the pandemic is a shortage of contraceptives and devices due to supply chain disruptions. The concern is that due to a lack of data, it is unclear how much these restrictions have impacted contraceptive use among youth from sub-Saharan Africa during COVID-19. Thousands of Kenyan schoolgirls have become pregnant due to the lockdown. It was recently reported from Gauteng, one of the South African provinces, that between April 2020 and March 2021 there were over 23,000 teenage pregnancies, with 934 girls aged 10 to 14 giving birth. This opinion piece aims to stimulate discussion on these issues while also addressing the issue of the importance of data for studying contraceptive use and teenage pregnancy in the face of hard-hit pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic in SSA.

Introduction Mental health issues among women in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), especially those living with HIV, pose a major public health challenge. Despite the established connections between HIV status and mental health outcomes, there is a noticeable absence of targeted interventions for this group within the literature. Many studies tend to focus on broad mental health concerns without addressing the specific needs of women with HIV, or they neglect to incorporate mental health elements into current HIV-related programmes. This scoping review aims to gather and analyse the existing research on interventions designed to improve the mental health of women in SSA, both with and without HIV. It will identify barriers preventing this population from accessing mental healthcare, highlight important gaps in the current literature and suggest directions for future research. Methods and analysis To conduct this scoping review, the researcher will adhere to the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley. The literature search will span several databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science and PsychInfo, to ensure a comprehensive collection of relevant studies. The selection process will involve two stages: two independent reviewers will initially screen titles for eligibility and a full-text review of the selected articles. A specially designed tool will be used for data extraction, focusing on minimising bias and accurately capturing study details. The final selection of studies will be analysed using a standardised tool to comprehensively assess all bibliographic information and study characteristics. The planned study dates for the review will be January to March 2025. Ethics and dissemination No ethical approval is required as the review will draw on publicly available publications and materials. The study’s conclusions will be subject to peer review and published in a scientific journal, with the abstract shared at local and international conferences. Key findings will be disseminated to health ministries, community-based organisations focused on women’s mental health and HIV, and policymakers to inform policy decisions regarding mental health interventions for women in SSA.

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa faces a significant burden of mental health challenges, including depression and anxiety, particularly among vulnerable populations such as women and individuals living with HIV. This study proposes a machine learning-guided Lyric Analysis Peer Support Intervention (LAPSI) to predict psychological distress and inform interventions. The study utilizes machine learning to generate risk profiles, presenting an innovative application in identifying psychological distress risk factors for developing targeted interventions. Objective: The objective of this study is to utilize machine learning models to generate risk profiles that predict psychological distress among HIV-positive and HIV-negative populations and to use these profiles to guide thematic development for LAPSI, ensuring confidentiality and informed consent. Methods: The study aims to leverage machine learning algorithms such as Logistic Regression and Random Forest to generate risk profiles and to analyze demographic, socio-economic, and psychological factors, including HIV status, age, education, and employment. Introducing a novel application of machine learning in the identification of psychological distress risk factors for intervention development while adhering to ethical standards for handling sensitive data like HIV status. Prior to data collection, ethical approval will be obtained, ensuring participant confidentiality and informed consent. Themes generated from the risk profiles will inform song selection and peer support intervention for LAPSI. Results: The machine learning models are expected to highlight education, employment status, and marital status as critical predictors of psychological distress. Geographical and demographic variables, such as district and age, are hypothesized to play a significant role in predicting distress among both HIV-positive and HIV-negative cohorts. Conclusion: This study posits that machine learning models will provide actionable insights into predicting psychological distress, enabling targeted interventions through LAPSI. This short communication argues for integrating LAPSI into health policies and calls upon health policy actors to recognize its potential in addressing the mental health crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa, advocating for partnerships with local communities, healthcare providers, and mental health advocates to tailor and implement this intervention effectively.