Research Papers/Topics in Biostatistics

Spatial temporal analysis of the distribution of pediatric tuberculosis patterns in Kenya

ABSTRACT Tuberculosis is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally. Kenya is among the 22 high burden countries that contribute 80% of the global burden and is ranked number 15 worldwide while in Africa, it is ranked number five. Among children, it is a top 10 cause of mortality. However children with TB are given low priority in most national health programs and are a neglected group in this epidemic. This is because from a TB control point of view, they rarely transmit the disease...

High-Risk Sex Practice And Its Determinants Among Hiv-Positive Women On Hiv Care Services: A Case Of Thika Level 5 Hospital, Kiambu, Kenya

ABSTRACT HIV/AIDS remains a major health issue in Kenya and in the whole world. Over 34 million people are currently living with the HIV and a majority of them are in the Sub-Sahara Africa; a big pool for potential HIV transmission. In Kenya, out of a population of 40 million, over 1.6 million are HIV infected and approximately 100,000 new infections are realized yearly, most of them through unprotected sexual intercourse. This study sought to estimate the prevalence of high-risk sex and to i...

Molecular Characterisation Of Gp41 And Gp120 V3 Loop In Hiv-1c Infected Patients Failing Salvage Therapy In Botswana

ABSTRACT  Multi-drug resistant (MDR) HIV-1 infection remains a challenge in individuals with extensive antiretroviral treatment (ART) experience, in terms of high mortality and probability of onward transmission. New therapeutic options within old drug and new drug classes are therefore essential. This study sought to determine coreceptor usage and T20 resistance associated mutations in patients failing salvage therapy from clinics around Botswana, through characterizing gp120 V3 loop and gp...

Modelling Progression Of HIV/AIDS Disease Using Homogenous Semimarkov Processes: Cohort Study, Namibia

Abstract The progression of HIV infection to AIDS and then to death can be considered as a Markovan stochastic process. Disease progression can be broken down into a finite number of intermediate states, based on CD4 counts. The four states of the Markov process of HIV/AIDS progression are commonly defined as: S1: CD4 count > 500 cells/microlitre of blood; S2: 350 < CD4 count ≤ 500 cells/microlitre of blood; S3: 200 < CD4 count ≤ 350 cells/microlitre of blood; S4: CD4 count ≤ 200 cells...

A Spatial Temporal Analysis Of Survival Among Tb And Hiv Co–Infected Patients In Erongo Region, Namibi

Abstract Namibia is among the Sub-Sahara African countries with a high burden of TB and HIV coinfection in the world. The interaction between TB and HIV/AIDS makes the diagnosis and management of the co-infection difficult. The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors, assess spatial and space-time clusters mortality among TB and HIV in Erongo Region. A retrospective cohort study from 2003 to 2017 was carried out using data consisting of 3145 subjects from all the 16 health faciliti...

A Copula Approach To Sample Selection Modeling Of Treatment Adherence And Viral Suppression Among HIV Patients On Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) In Namibia

ABSTRACT Namibia has a generalized human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic, with HIV mainly transmitted through heterosexual transmission. Although the number of people receiving ART has increased, the achievement of the 90-90-90 strategy on testing, treatment and suppression has not been evaluated. Moreover, examining factors associated with treatment adherence and viral suppression will assist in designing appropriate accelerated interventions. However, modelling treatment adherence an...

An Application Of Survival Analysis On The Prevalence And Risk Factors Of Breast Cancer In Namibia

ABSTRACT Cancer is a universal disease that affects people regardless of race, sex, socio-economic status and culture. With just an approximated population size of 2.3 million people NSA (2011), Namibia is not excluded from this. If not detected on time and treated on time, cancer can make treatment less likely to succeed and reduce the chances of survival. The study was aimed at examining the prevalence and trends for breast cancer patients, regardless of patients’ sex, as well as establi...

Body Wasting Among Tuberculosis Patients In Urban Uganda

Background Although body wasting is a cardinal feature of tuberculosis, its etiology and management is poorly understood; and its assessment is overlooked in research and in clinical practice. Objective We established whether body wasting modifies survival and body composition changes during and after tuberculosis treatment; whether HIV modifies dietary intake among tuberculosis patients; whether dietary intake differs by wasting and severity of disease status; and whether dietary intake inf...

Performance Comparison Of Data Mining Techniques For Predicting Hiv Status Among Female Sex Workers In Ghana

ABSTRACT Introduction: The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) disease still remains a global public health issue. An intriguing observation is the increasing rate of the infection among Female Sex Workers (FSW). HIV Testing Services (HTS) is an essential entry point for any HIV intervention service for FSW and studies like the Integrated Bio-Behavioral Surveillance Surveys (IBBSS) anonymously link the HIV test results of FSW with their respect...

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HIGHER-RISK SEXUAL BEHAVIOR IN TEN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA COUNTRIES BASED ON THEIR THREE MOST CURRENT DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH SURVEYS

ABSTRACT Background Higher-Risk Sexual Behavior (H-RSB) is an act whereby people engage in sexual activities with multiple partners and do not consistently use condom. This practice is very common in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Though the prevalence of HIV is decreasing in sub-Saharan Africa H-RSB keep increasing in the region. Objective This study investigated and compared the trends and determinants of Higher-Risk Sexual Behavior among ten countries in SSA. Method Data for this study was obta...