Reuben Musarandega

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation · Global Strategic Information & Evaluation

Introduction: Reducing maternal mortality is a high-priority global health goal, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where the maternal mortality ratios (MMRs) of most of the countries is higher than the average global MMR. We implemented two cross-sectional reproductive age mortality surveys, in 2007-08 and 2018-19, to assess changes in the MMR and...

Background Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.1 target is to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to less than 70 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births by 2030. In the Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality strategy, a supplementary target was added, that no country has an MMR above 140 by 2030. We conducted two cross-sectional repro...

Guidance to improve national reporting MATERNAL MORTALITY MEASUREMENT Guidance to improve national reporting Maternal mortality measurement: guidance to improve national reporting ISBN 978-92-4-005237-6 (electronic version) ISBN 978-92-4-005238-3 (print version)

Background Reducing maternal mortality is a priority of Sustainable Development Goal 3.1 which requires frequent epidemiological analysis of trends and patterns of the causes of maternal deaths. We conducted two reproductive age mortality surveys to analyse the epidemiology of maternal mortality in Zimbabwe and analysed the changes in the causes of...

Background: Reducing maternal mortality is a priority of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.1 which requires frequent epidemiological analysis of trends, patterns and causes of maternal deaths. We conducted two reproductive age mortality surveys (RAMOS) to analyse the epidemiology of maternal mortality in Zimbabwe; assessing changes in the causes...

Background: Maternal deaths remain high in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and their causes of maternal death must be analysed frequently in this region to guide interventions. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of studies published from 2015 to 2020 that reported the causes of maternal deaths in 57 SSA countries. The objective was to identify t...

Background Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) carries the highest burden of maternal mortality, yet, the accurate maternal mortality ratios (MMR) are uncertain in most SSA countries. Measuring maternal mortality is challenging in this region, where civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems are weak or non-existent. We describe a protocol designe...

Background: Gobally, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the largest maternal mortality burden, but the region lacks accurate data. Objective: To review methods historically used to measure maternal mortality in SSA to inform future study methods. Search strategy: We searched databases: PubMed, Medline, WorldCat and CINHAL, using keywords "maternal m...

Abstract Background Achievement of the elimination target for mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV in selected countries has increased hope to end the HIV epidemic in children across the world. However, MTCT rates remain well above the 5% elimination target in most sub-Saharan Africa countries. These countries require innovative strategies to...

Background: In 2017, Zimbabwe adopted a modified version of the World Health Organization 2016 recommendation on HIV birth testing by offering HIV testing at birth only to infants at "high risk" of HIV transmission. There is limited evidence on the effectiveness of this approach. Our study assessed the sensitivity and specificity of birth testing...

Background With the introduction of 2016 World Health Organization guidelines recommending universal antiretroviral therapy (ART), there has been increased recognition of the lack of men engaging in HIV testing and treatment. Studies in sub-Saharan Africa indicate there have been challenges engaging men in HIV testing and HIV-positive men into trea...

Background: Practical ways are needed to scale-up pediatric HIV testing in sub-Saharan Africa, where testing is usually limited to HIV-exposed children in maternal and child health clinics. Methods: We implemented an enhanced pediatric HIV testing program in 33 health facilities in Zimbabwe by integrating HIV testing into all pediatric health se...

Background Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) adopted 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) guidelines recommending initiation of HIV-positive pregnant and breastfeeding women (PPBW) on lifelong antiretroviral treatment (ART) irrespective of clinical stage (Option B+). Option B...

Background: Age-disaggregated analyses of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) program data to assess the uptake of HIV services by pregnant adolescent women are limited but are critical to understanding the unique needs of this vulnerable, high risk population. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patient-level PMTCT...

BACKGROUND EGPAF provides technical support to the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) for the implementation of HIV programs in Zimbabwe. From January 2013 to March 2014, EGPAF conducted a capacity building program (CCP) including clinical-attachment and clinical-mentorship involving 414 nurses in 207 health facilities across seven provinces...

Background: Zimbabwe’s MOHCC adopted the 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) PMTCT guidelines recommending the initiation of HIV positive pregnant and breastfeeding women (PPBW) on lifelong antiretroviral treatment irrespective of their clinical or immunological stage (Option B+). Option B+ was officially launched in November 2013. . The acceptabi...

We estimated HIV-free infant survival and mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT) rates in Zimbabwe, some of the first community-based estimates from a UNAIDS priority country. In 2012 we surveyed mother-infant pairs residing in the catchment areas of 157 health facilities randomly selected from 5 of 10 provinces in Zimbabwe. Enrolled infants were...

To examine the uptake of services and behaviors in the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) cascade in Zimbabwe and to determine factors associated with MTCT and maternal antiretroviral therapy (ART) or antiretroviral (ARV) prophylaxis. Analysis of cross-sectional data from mother-infant pairs. We analyzed baseline data collected...

Background The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) has been providing technical and financial support to the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) in Zimbabwe to implement PMTCT and pediatric care and treatment programs since 2001. The adoption of WHO 2010 Option A PMTCT guidelines in Zimbabwe necessitated research to identify n...

Background Zimbabwe is transitioning to Option B+, in so doing, has realized that accessibility of ART must be scaled-up to all HIV-positive pregnant and lactating women throughout the country – including those in hard-to-reach communities. Health facility- community linkages are instrumental to achieve effective implementation of the revised guide...

the 2010 WHO PMTCT Guidelines, requiring early ANC registration and improved retention in PMTCT care, necessitated strengthening of health facility-community linkages • Village Health Workers (VHW) are a cadre of national health workers, stationed in villages throughout the country; they form an important link between facilities and communities and...

High poverty levels characterise sub-Saharan Africa, Zimbabwe included. Over 80 per cent of Zimbabwe's population lived below the total consumption poverty line and 70 per cent below the food poverty line in 2003. This plummeting of social indicators resulted from the freefall suffered by the country's economy from the 1990s, after unsuccessful att...

Background: Reducing maternal mortality is a priority of Sustainable Development Goal 3.1 which requires frequent epidemiological analysis of trends and patterns of the causes of maternal deaths. We conducted two reproductive age mortality surveys to analyse the epidemiology of maternal mortality in Zimbabwe and analysed the changes in the causes o...