Monika Kamkuemah

University of Cape Town | UCT · Department of Child and Adolescent Health

Community oriented, integrated climate and health systems should include indigenous knowledge systems and capitalise on Africa’s young demographic, harnessing mobile technology to unleash a cadre of youth community climate health workers, argue Monika Kamkuemah and colleagues

My focus is at the intersection of climate change and urban health, where I work to bridge the crucial gap between these two domains. In this recent panel discussion, I delved into the world of data and digital technology for inclusive advocacy. Drawing on insights gained from my research in cities like Accra, Cape Town, and Lagos, I discussed the...

Use of effective treatments and management programs is leading to longer survival of people with diabetes. This, in combination with obesity, is thus contributing to a rise in people living with more than one condition, known as multiple long-term conditions (MLTC or multimorbidity). MLTC is defined as the presence of two or more long-term conditio...

Background Chronic non-communicable disease comorbidities are a major problem faced by people living with HIV (PLHIV). Obesity is an important factor contributing to such comorbidities and PLHIV face an elevated risk of obesity. However, there is data paucity on the intersection of obesity and HIV in adolescents and youth living with HIV (AYLHIV) i...

The Cityzens for Clean Air campaign aims to amplify youth voices with advocacy on air pollution, climate and health using citizen scientist data generated by young people. UrbanBetter’s Cityzens initiative aims to harness urban infrastructure and development for planetary health through the air we breathe, our spaces and places and the food we eat....

Purpose Quantitative epidemiological tools are routinely used to assess adolescent diet and physical activity (PA) constructs (behaviour, knowledge, and awareness) as risk factors for non-communicable diseases. This study sought to synthesize evidence on the quantitative epidemiological tools that have been used to assess adolescent diet and PA con...

This systematised literature review synthesised evidence on approaches to mapping food and physical activity (PA) environments in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Of the 60 articles included, 25 and 35 mapped food and PA environments respectively. All studies were cross-sectional with researcher-led data collection. Three types of mapping...

Background: Adolescents and youth living with HIV (AYLHIV) face an elevated non-communicable disease (NCD) risk resulting from HIV, psychosocial challenges, and the complications of antiretroviral therapy. Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of common NCDs and their risk factors among AYLHIV in urban Cape Town, South Africa, in order to in...

Background Chronic non-communicable disease comorbidities are a major problem faced by people living with HIV (PLHIV). Obesity is an important factor contributing to such comorbidities and PLHIV face an elevated risk of obesity. However, there is data paucity on the intersection of obesity and HIV in adolescents and youth living with HIV (AYLHIV) i...

Background Adolescents and youth living with HIV (AYLHIV) face an elevated NCD risk resulting from HIV, psychosocial challenges and the complications of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in six primary care facilities to investigate the prevalence of common NCDs and risk factors among AYLHIV in Cape Town, S...

Background: Adolescents and youth living with HIV (AYLHIV) face an elevated NCD risk resulting from HIV, psychosocial challenges and the complications of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in six primary care facilities to investigate the prevalence of common NCDs and risk factors among AYLHIV in Cape Town,...

Background: Epidemiological transition in high HIV-burden settings is resulting in a rise in HIV/NCD multimorbidity. The majority of NCD risk behaviours start during adolescence, making this an important target group for NCD prevention and multimorbidity prevention in adolescents with a chronic condition such as HIV. However, there is data paucity...

Background: Epidemiological transition in high HIV-burden settings is resulting in a rise in HIV/NCD multimorbidity. The majority of NCD risk behaviours start during adolescence, making this an important target group for NCD prevention and multimorbidity prevention in adolescents with a chronic condition such as HIV. However, there is data paucity...

Background: Epidemiological transition in high HIV-burden settings is resulting in a rise in HIV/NCD multimorbidity. The majority of NCD risk behaviours start during adolescence, making this an important target group for NCD prevention and multimorbidity prevention in adolescents with a chronic condition such as HIV. However, there is data paucity...

Background: South Africa, ranked as the world's second most stressful country to live in, has an estimated 7 million smokers. A dedicated smoking cessation clinic established at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, provides the only clinical service and training centre in the country. Objectives: To evaluate the smokers attending the clinic, in or...

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a chronic infection of increasing importance, especially among people living with HIV/AIDS. Co-infection with HIV can accelerate progression of HCV liver disease to cirrhosis and end-stage liver failure and elevate the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Globally, men who have sex with men (MSM) and people who...

Background: Men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) are at high risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission. Asymptomatic STIs are common in MSM and remain undiagnosed and untreated where syndromic management is advocated. Untreated STIs could be contributing to high HIV rates. This study investigated symptomatic (SSTI) and asymptoma...

ABSTRACT Paradoxical tuberculosis immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB-IRIS) was first described almost two decades ago. We undertook this systematic review and meta-analysis to collate findings across studies that have reported the incidence, clinical features, management and outcomes of paradoxical TB-IRIS. Forty studies that cumulativ...

Objective Long-term use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate is associated with declines in glomerular function and chronic kidney disease in HIV-infected patients. We aimed to assess the prevalence and incidence of renal impairment in a primary care setting in sub-Saharan Africa.Methods We analysed data from 1092 HIV-infected patients initiating tenof...

Emerging international guidelines for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection across sub-Saharan Africa call for the initiation of a triple-drug antiretroviral regimen containing tenofovir, a potentially nephrotoxic agent, in all HIV-infected pregnant women at the first antenatal clinic visit. While there are significant ben...