Niklaus Daniel Labhardt

University of Basel | UNIBAS · Faculty of Medicine

Background: WHO introduced the STEPwise approach to surveillance (STEPS) to monitor trends in non-communicable diseases. For arterial hypertension, the STEPS protocol takes the average of the last two out of three standard blood pressure measurements (SBPM). This study assesses the diagnostic accuracy of SBPM, same-day and next-day unattended auto...

Background: There are no recent data on the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (CVDRFs) in Lesotho. This study aims to assess the prevalence of CVDRFs and their determinants. Methods: We conducted a household-based, cross-sectional survey among adults ≥18 y of age in 120 randomly sampled clusters in two districts. Results: Among 6061 pa...

Despite decreased numbers of sexual partners, the COVID-19 pandemic had limited impact on the prevalence of attending private sex parties, traveling for sex within Switzerland, and practicing chemsex in men with HIV who have sex with men. COVID-19 risk perception was low, and STI-diagnosis incidence rates remained stable over time.

In Lesotho, the hypertension and diabetes care cascades are unknown. We measured awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension and diabetes and identified factors associated with each step of the cascade, based on data from a population-based, cross-sectional survey among adults ≥ 18 years in 120 randomly sampled clusters in the districts of Bu...

Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) remains one of the most important opportunistic infections in people with HIV-1 (PWH). While it is well accepted that active Tuberculosis (TB) leads to rapid progression of immunodeficiency in PWH, the interaction between MTB and HIV-1 during the asymptomatic phase of both infections remains poorly un...

Background In absence of contraindications, same-day initiation (SDI) of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is recommended for people testing HIV-positive who are ready to start treatment. Until 2021, World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines considered the presence of TB symptoms (presumptive TB) a contraindication to SDI due to the risk of TB-immune r...

In the VICONEL HIV cohort in Lesotho, 14’242 adults transitioned from efavirenz- or nevirapine- to dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy by October 2021. Viral suppression <50 copies/mL was 84.8%, 93.9%, and 95.4% pre-, 12 months post-, and 24 months post-transition. Sex, age, pre-transition viral load, and treatment backbone correlated with 24...

Background: Serological data on endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs) and SARS-CoV-2 in southern Africa are scarce. Here, we report on i) endemic HCoV seasonality, ii) SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence, and iii) predictive factors for SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity and strength of SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV serological response during a 17-month period at the start of...

Background: People with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) (PWH) are frequently coinfected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and at risk for progressing from asymptomatic latent TB infection (LTBI) to active tuberculosis (TB). LTBI testing and preventive treatment (TB specific prevention) are recommended, but its efficacy in low transmi...

The World Health Organization recommends same-day initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all persons diagnosed with HIV and ready to start treatment. Evidence, mainly from randomized trials, indicates offering same-day ART increases engagement in care and viral suppression during the first year. In contrast, most observational studies using...

While combination therapy completely suppresses HIV-1 replication in blood, functional virus persists in CD4+ T cell subsets in non-peripheral compartments that are not easily accessible. To fill this gap, we investigated tissue-homing properties of cells that transiently appear in the circulating blood. Through cell separation and in vitro stimula...

Introduction. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 89% of all young people living with HIV, a key population with specific challenges and needs. In-depth knowledge of service demands is needed to tailor and differentiate service delivery for this group. We evaluated HIV care preferences among young people living with HIV who were part of the PEBRA (Peer E...

Objectives We analyzed the attainment of early pharmacological targets of continuous infusion meropenem and piperacillin/tazobactam and the use and effect of a real-time TDM program on subsequent dosing and target attainment in critically ill patients. Methods This was a single centre, retrospective study among patients hospitalized in the intensi...

Objectives: To assess the real-world diagnostic performance of nasal and nasopharyngeal swabs for SD Biosensor STANDARD Q COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test (Ag-RDT). Methods: Individuals ≥5 years with COVID-19 compatible symptoms or history of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 presenting at hospitals in Lesotho received two nasopharyngeal and one nasa...

Background: Southern and Eastern Africa is home to more than 2.1 million young people aged 15 to 24 years living with HIV. As compared with other age groups, this population group has poorer outcomes along the HIV care cascade. Young people living with HIV and the research team co-created the PEBRA (Peer Educator-Based Refill of ART) care model. I...

Introduction The surge of the COVID-19 pandemic challenged health services globally, and in Lesotho, the HIV and tuberculosis (TB) services were similarly affected. Integrated, multi-disease diagnostic services were proposed solutions to mitigate these disruptions. We describe and evaluate the effect of an integrated, hospital-based COVID-19, TB an...

Background HIV recency assays are used to distinguish recently acquired infection from long-term infection among individuals newly diagnosed with HIV. Since 2015, the World Health Organisation recommends the use of an algorithm to assess recency of infections which is based on an HIV recency assay and viral load (VL) quantification. We determined t...

We assessed changes in sexual behaviour among people with HIV (PWH) over 20 years. Condom use with stable partners steadily declined from over 90% to 29% since the Swiss U = U statement with similar trajectories between men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexuals. Occasional partnership remained higher among MSM compared to heterosexuals even...

Introduction The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and associated morbidity and mortality are increasing in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). To facilitate access to quality care and improve treatment outcomes, there is a need for innovative community care models and optimized use of non-physician healthcare workers bringing diagnosis and care...

Bioaerosol capture and analysis is emerging as a non-invasive diagnostic method for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this proof-of-concept study conducted in Lesotho, we evaluated the novel and simple AL2 bioaerosol detection device in comparison to conventional nasopharyngeal sampling methods. We de...

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 89% of all young people living with HIV, a key population with specific challenges and needs. In-depth knowledge of service demands is needed to tailor and differentiate service delivery for this group. We evaluated HIV care preferences among young people living with HIV who were part of the PEBRA (Peer Educator Based...

Introduction: HIV programmes across many countries in Africa have recently transitioned people living with HIV from efavirenz (EFV)- to dolutegravir (DTG)-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART). As both drugs are associated with neuropsychiatric adverse effects, this study assessed the mental health and HIV/ART-associated symptoms of people livin...

Background Arterial hypertension (aHT) is the leading cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor in sub-Saharan Africa; it remains, however, underdiagnosed, and undertreated. Community-based care services could potentially expand access to aHT diagnosis and treatment in underserved communities. In this scoping review, we catalogued, described, and ap...

Introduction To sustainably provide good quality care to increasing numbers of people living with HIV (PLHIV) receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in resource-limited settings, care delivery must shift from a “one-size-fits-all” approach to differentiated service delivery models. Such models should reallocate resources from PLHIV who are doing we...

Background Multi-month dispensing (MMD) of antiretroviral therapy (ART) represents one approach of differentiated service delivery (DSD) aiming to improve quality and cost-effectiveness for HIV services in resource-limited settings. However, reduction in clinic visits for people living with HIV (PLWH) should go along with out-of-clinic care tailore...

This 16 page document: "Supplementary Material" contains additional methods and results.

The increasing number of refugees coming from or passing through Schistosoma -endemic areas and arriving in Europe highlights the importance of screening for schistosomiasis on arrival, and focuses attention on the choice of diagnostic test. We evaluate the diagnostic performance of circulating anodic antigen (CAA) detection in 92 asymptomatic refu...

Background The spectrum of clinical manifestations and differential diagnosis associated with coronavirus disease 2019 is broad, ranging from fever and cutaneous eruptions to respiratory distress or even neurological disorders. Coexisting multipathogen infections significantly increase the complexity of the proper diagnostic and therapeutic approac...

Background: Inconsistent data exist regarding the influence of parasitic infection on the prevalence of allergic sensitization and disorders. Objective: To investigate the impact of geohelminth and protozoan infections on sensitization patterns and allergic symptoms of children living in low-income communities in Gqeberha, South Africa. Methods...

Background: The burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing in low- and middle-income countries, including sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). However, awareness of and access to T2DM diagnosis and care remain low in SSA, leading to delayed treatment, early morbidity, and mortality. Particularly in rural settings with long distances to health care...

Objectives To assess the real-world diagnostic performance of nasal and nasopharyngeal swabs for SD Biosensor STANDARD Q COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test (Ag-RDT). Methods Individuals ≥5 years with COVID-19 compatible symptoms or history of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 presenting at hospitals in Lesotho received two nasopharyngeal and one nasal swa...

Background Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, no direct antiviral treatment is effective as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) was repurposed as a potential PEP agent against COVID-19. Methods We conducted a pragmatic open-label, parallel, cluster-randomised superiority trial in four sites in Switzerland and Br...

Background: Children living with HIV and taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) are a priority group for routine viral load (VL) monitoring. As per Lesotho guidelines, a VL ≥1000 copies/mL ("unsuppressed") should trigger adherence counseling and a follow-up VL; 2 consecutive unsuppressed VLs ("virologic failure") qualify for switching to second-line...

Background: Long-term symptoms after acute COVID-19 are highly debated. Nevertheless, data on long-term symptoms of COVID-19 in healthcare workers are scarce. Methods: We assessed frequency and risk factors of persisting symptoms in a retrospective cohort of healthcare workers infected with SARS-CoV-2. Results: Persistent symptoms at 3 and 12...

Background Community-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) dispensing by lay workers is an important differentiated service delivery model in sub-Sahara Africa. However, patients new in care are generally excluded from such models. Home-based same-day ART initiation is becoming widespread practice, but linkage to the clinic is challenging. The pragmat...

Objectives: Since 2018, the World Health Organization has recommended dolutegravir (DTG)-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART) for most people living with HIV. Country programmes across Africa have subsequently transitioned from other, mostly nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based ART to DTG-based ART. This study aims to asse...

Objectives Tuberculosis symptoms are very common among people living with HIV (PLHIV) initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART), are not specific for tuberculosis disease and may result in delayed ART start. The risks and benefits of same-day ART initiation in PLHIV with tuberculosis symptoms are unknown. Methods We systematically reviewed nine data...

Background: The burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing in low- and middle-income countries, including sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). However, awareness of and access to T2DM diagnosis and care remain low in SSA, leading to delayed treatment, early morbidity, and mortality. Particularly in rural settings with long distances to health care...

Objective: Eritrea is the most frequent country of origin among asylum seekers in Switzerland. On their journey through the desert and across the Mediterranean Sea, Eritrea refugees are often exposed to traumatizing experiences. The aim of this study is to assess the mental health status and resilience of Eritrean migrants in Switzerland upon arri...

Introduction: Arterial hypertension (aHT) is the most important cardiovascular risk factor (CVRF) in adults living in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), leading to an excess of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Life-long aHT service delivery models in the region remain mostly anchored to health facilities and are provided by physicians o...

Introduction: In the HOSENG trial (NCT03598686), the secondary distribution of oral self-tests for persons absent or refusing to test during a home-based HIV testing campaign in rural Lesotho resulted in an increase in testing coverage of 21% compared to a testing campaign without secondary distribution. This study aims to determine the per patient...

Abstract Background: Community-based antiretroviral treatment (ART) dispensing by lay workers is an important differentiated service delivery model in sub-Sahara Africa. However, patients new in care are generally excluded from such models. Home-based same-day ART initiation is becoming widespread practice, but linkage to the clinic is challenging...

Background Addressing the uptake of research findings into policy-making is increasingly important for researchers who ultimately seek to contribute to improved health outcomes. The aims of the Swiss Programme for Research on Global Issues for Development (r4d Programme) initiated by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Swiss Agency for De...

Objectives: WHO guidelines on ART define the HIV-1 viral load (VL) threshold for treatment failure at 1000 copies/mL. The Switch Either near Suppression Or THOusand (SESOTHO) trial, conducted in Lesotho from 2017 to 2020, found that patients with persistent viraemia below this threshold (100-999 copies/mL) benefit from switching to second-line ART...

Objectives In resource-limited settings, the World Health Organization recommends enhanced adherence counselling (EAC) for individuals with an unsuppressed HIV-1 viral load (VL) and to remeasure VL after three months to avoid unnecessary regimen switches. Only in case this follow-up VL remains unsuppressed, a regimen switch is indicated. We aimed t...

Objective: Eritrea tops the list of origin of asylum seekers in Switzerland. On their journey through the desert and across the Mediterranean Sea, refugees may be exposed to traumatizing experiences. The aim of this study is to assess the mental health status of Eritrean migrants in Switzerland upon arrival and one-year post-arrival, using standard...

Background Arterial hypertension is the most prevalent risk factor for cardiovascular disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Only a few and mostly small randomized trials have studied antihypertensive treatments in people of African descent living in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods In this open-label, three-arm, parallel randomized controlled trial conducted...

Introduction Lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) has been proposed as repurposed drugs for pre-exposure and postexposure prophylaxis as well as therapy of COVID-19. Coronavirus postexposure prophylaxis (COPEP) trial aims at assessing their efficacy as postexposure ring-prophylaxis among adults exposed to SARS-CoV-2. Methods and analysis COPEP is a two-arm...

Abstract Background Globally, the majority of people living with HIV have no or only limited access to HIV drug resistance testing to guide the selection of antiretroviral drugs. This is of particular concern for children and adolescents, who experience high rates of treatment failure. The GIVE MOVE trial assesses the clinical impact and cost-effec...

Background In sub-Saharan Africa, home-based HIV testing is validated and accepted, but coverage is low because household members are often absent during home-based testing campaigns. We aimed to measure the effect of a secondary distribution of oral-fluid HIV self-tests on coverage during home-based testing in rural Lesotho. Methods The Home-Base...

Background Current World Health Organization (WHO) antiretroviral therapy (ART) guidelines define virologic failure as two consecutive viral load (VL) measurements ≥1,000 copies/mL, triggering empiric switch to next-line ART. This trial assessed if patients with sustained low-level HIV-1 viremia on first-line ART benefit from a switch to second-lin...

Introduction Home‐based HIV testing fails to reach high coverage among adolescents and young adults (AYA), mainly because they are often absent during the day of home‐based testing. ADORE (ADolescent ORal tEsting) is a mixed‐method nested study among AYA in rural Lesotho, measuring the effect of home‐based secondary distribution of oral HIV self‐te...

Background Arterial hypertension is the most prevalent risk factor for cardiovascular disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Only a few and mostly small randomized trials have studied antihypertensive treatments in people of African descent living in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods In this open-label, three-arm, parallel randomized controlled trial conducted a...

Lesotho presents the second highest adult human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence globally. Among people living with HIV, data on hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) co‐infection are limited. We report HBV and HCV co‐infection data from a multicentre cross‐sectional study among adult and pediatric patients taking antiretroviral...

Background: Despite tremendous progress in controlling the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, HIV-related mortality continues to increase among adolescents and young people living with HIV (AYPLHIV). Globally, sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 85% of the AYPLHIV. Overall outcomes along the HIV care cascade are worse among AYPLHIV as compared to all...

Objective: For the past 10 years, refugees from Eritrea represented the majority of asylum seekers in Switzerland. However, data on their health status remains limited. In this cross-sectional survey followed by a 1-year cohort study, we screened newly arrived Eritrean refugees for cardiovascular risk factors at arrival and 1-year post registratio...

Background: The CASCADE trial showed that compared to usual care (UC), offering same-day (SD) ART during home-based HIV testing improved engagement in care and viral suppression 12 months after diagnosis. However, open questions remain regarding long-term outcomes and the risk of propagating drug resistance. Methods: After completion of the prim...

Background: Home-based HIV testing and counselling (HB-HTC) is frequently used to increase awareness of HIV status in sub-Saharan Africa. Whereas acceptance of HB-HTC is usually high, testing coverage may remain low due to household members being absent during the home visits. This study assessed whether two consecutive visits, one during the week...