Evaluation of a urogenital schistosomiasis behavioural intervention among students from rural schools in Unguja and Pemba islands, Zanzibar (Publications)
school-aged children, those at greatest risk for urogenital schistosomiasis. We assessed the influence of a HEBC intervention, guided by the Health Belief model, among rural schoolchildren on Pemba and Unguja islands [...] Urogenital schistosomiasis is a common experience among children in Zanzibar. There is a paucity of behavioural science-based, health education, and behaviour change (HEBC) interventions for school-aged [...] students that were exposed or not exposed to the HEBC intervention...
Malaria knowledge and long-lasting insecticidal net use in rural communities of central Côte d'Ivoire (Publications)
was to determine factors that influence the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) in three rural communities of Cote d'Ivoire, two of which benefited from recent interventions. METHODS: The study [...] analysis was used to calculate the SEP of households by means of a list of household assets ownership. The concentration index was used to assess the direction of the association between SEP and a given [...] effectiveness of malaria control interventions, it is essential to deepen the...
Effect of mutation and genetic background on drug resistance in <em>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</em> (Publications)
002). We found that the genetic strain background influences the level of isoniazid resistance conveyed by particular mutations (interaction tests of drug resistance mutations across all lineages; P < [...] determined quantitative drug resistance levels of first-line drugs by using Bactec MGIT-960 and drug resistance genotypes by sequencing the hot-spot regions of the relevant genes. We determined recent tr [...] Bacterial factors may contribute to the global emergence and spread of...
Comparison of responses to an asthma symptom questionnaire (ISAAC core questions) completed by adolescents and their parents (Publications)
The primary objective of the study was to determine the impact of the identity of the respondent (parents versus adolescents) on prevalence estimates of asthma symptoms in Swiss adolescents. In addition [...] when a family history of asthma was recorded, when the adolescent was a non-smoker, and when the parental education was high. We conclude that the higher reporting of prevalence rates of current asthma symptoms [...] alone. The level of agreement between parental and self-completed...
Factors influencing the pattern of imported malaria (Publications)
incomplete because of underreporting and lack of homogeneity. These facts and the complexity of factors influencing the transmission of malaria render their interpretation difficult. The relevance of various factors [...] reported to the Federal Office of Public Health of Switzerland were analyzed. The reciprocal impact on data interpretation with regard to Plasmodium species, chemoprophylaxis, onset of first symptoms after return [...] duration of stay, nationality groups, and fatal outcome was...
Genetic similarity of hepatitis C virus and fibrosis progression in chronic and recurrent infection after liver transplantation (Publications)
The effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genetic heterogeneity on clinical features of post-transplantation hepatitis C is controversial. Different regions of the HCV genome have been associated with apoptosis [...] al severity of recurrent hepatitis C. We have compared nucleotide sequences of HCV Core, NS3 and NS5b regions in HCV-1b-infected patients 3 years post-transplantation (n = 22). A cohort of nontransplanted [...] nted patients (n = 22) was used as control of natural chronic HCV-1b...
Parental attitudes towards measles vaccination in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland: a latent class analysis (Publications)
patterns of attitudes towards or against measles vaccination through Latent Class Analysis (LCA) in a sub-sample of mothers living in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. METHODS: Parents of young children [...] Despite the successes of routine national childhood vaccination programmes, measles remains a public health concern. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how patterns of parental attitudes are [...] identify groups of parents showing distinct patterns of attitudes and beliefs...
The effects of growing up on a farm on adult lung function and allergic phenotypes: an international population-based study (Publications)
may impact subsequent lung function and allergic disease risk. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influence of childhood living environment and biodiversity indicators on atopy, asthma and lung function in [...] CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to report beneficial effects of growing up on a farm on adult FEV1. Our study confirmed the beneficial effects of early farm life on sensitisation, asthma and rhinitis, and [...] approximately 10 201 participants aged 26-54 years from 14 countries,...
Large-scale determinants of intestinal schistosomiasis and intermediate host snail distribution across Africa: does climate matter? (Publications)
determinants of the distribution of the African S. mansoni-Biomphalaria system and potential impacts of climatic changes. Snail species distribution models included several combinations of climatic and [...] warming will cause an expansion of the areas potentially suitable for infectious disease transmission. However, the transmission of infectious diseases is governed by a myriad of ecological, economic, evolutionary [...] habitat variables to measure anthropogenic influence. The predictive...
Barriers and facilitators to enrollment and re-enrollment into the community health funds/Tiba Kwa Kadi (CHF/TIKA) in Tanzania: a cross-sectional... (Publications)
Introduction of a health insurance scheme is one of the ways to enhance access to health care services and to protect individuals from catastrophic health expenditures. Little is known on the influence of soci [...] Majority (92.7%) of participants consented to participate, with 229 (49.8%) and 231 (50.2%) members and non members of CHF/TIKA respectively. Majority (90.9%) were aware of CHF/TIKA. Majority of CHF/TIKA members [...] associated with enrollment/re-enrollment rate. CONCLUSIONS: This...