The Bulletin February 2021 Edition - Wits RHI
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The Bulletin February 2021 Edition The bulletin is Wits RHI’s monthly newsletter highlighting all key activities and sharing important updates and information. Town Hall with Professor Helen Rees We have concluded the first round of Town Halls with Professor Helen Rees for this quarter. These sessions were successful and insightful! Below are the Town halls held in February 2021: Shandukani & OPPTIM Teams - 15 February 2021 Research Centre - 19 February 2021 Implementation Science - 23 February 2021 Ward 21 CRS Hall – 09 March 2021 Thank you for attending and engaging with Prof. Rees in these Town Halls Look out for the next round of Town Halls in the second quarter as Prof. Rees continues to meet with various Wits RHI sites across the country.
Vaccine Town Hall On 4 March 2021, Wits RHI hosted its first Vaccine Town Hall with SteerCo. If you missed the session, find out what they said about vaccines, it’s impact in the workplace and the current vaccine implementation plans in South Africa. Watch here: https://cutt.ly/Qzk6llJ � Tips on How to Become a Vaccine Ambassador • Learn about the COVID-19 vaccines plans in your local area and make a vaccination plan for yourself or family members for when vaccine is offered. • Learn more about the new COVID-19 vaccines and their benefits. • Share accurate and timely information about COVID-19 vaccines and information on local vaccination efforts with the people who need it most. • Continue to adhere to COVID-19 protective measures to protect yourself and others.
Important Facts on J&J Roll-out The Johnson & Johnson (J&J) roll-out plan where jabs will be given as part of an implementation study conducted by the South African Medical Research Council and the Department of Health. The study will focus on “real-life” environment roll-out issues and gather additional data on side-effects and the protection the shot offers against severe COVID-19 disease caused by the new SARS- CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) variant, 501Y.V2, that is now dominant in South Africa. 1. It is a single-dose vaccine into the upper arm 2. Efficacy against pre-existing variants - 66% overall - 85% against sever illness - 100% against death 3. Efficacy against the 501Y.2 variant - 57% overall - 85% against sever illness - 100% against death 4. Storage: 2 C – 8 C 5. South Africa will receive 9 million doses Project Updates Catch up to Wits RHI’s latest activities and study updates: Shandukani Research Centre The Johnson and Johnson Ensemble trial, with is single dose vaccine and wider age range was successful worldwide and showed efficacy against the 501Y.V2 variant. Shandukani Research Centre’s Dr Faeezah Patel and Dr Elizea Horne co-lead this trial. This evolved into the SISONKE vaccine roll-out under the banner of an implementation study across all provinces. Half a million doses are expected to be rolled out by April 2021. The team is currently assisting with the vaccine filling at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. Dr Faeezah Patel is the site lead on this historic project. Shandukani’s women power is leading the sites fight against COVID-19
How Project PrEP Developed Innovative Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic In June 2020, Project PrEP team developed innovative ways to mobilise increased numbers of AGYW for PrEP initiations and SRH services so as to achieve the project’s initial targets during the global pandemic. The team strategised and conceptualised a number of innovative strategies to support ongoing services to communities, especially AGYW, who are still the most vulnerable group for new HIV infections in South Africa. This is what they did: • Set up community drop-off points that are closer to the homes of AGYW, such as pharmacies to ensure AGYW could collect their PrEP. • Ensured the majority of AGYW clients are added to WhatsApp support groups for easier and quicker communication. • Boosted social media posts, marketing mobile clinic schedules and availability of community drop-off spots. • Demand Creation Officers loud hailing in communities to promote safe service delivery at facilities and in the community via mobile clinic. • Introduced PrEP desks at entry gates of health facilities. The team on the ground would actively reach out to AGYW in clinic waiting lines to assess the needs of AGYW and support them with expedited service delivery in private gazebos set up next to the PrEP desks, thereby decanting clients away from the clinic and speeding up the healthcare process In November 2020, Project PrEP reached its target of initiating more than 6000 AGYW on oral PrEP, a month ahead of schedule! The project continues to keep going strong and have walked the extra mile, ensuring all their teams have access to ongoing counselling sessions to talk about any anxiety they may experience. This initiative helped to boost morale and team spirit!
Top Wits RHI News: Watch and read on what our Wits RHI staff say on the news: The good guys and the bad guys- Africa’s vaccine arms-race and the lessons learnt from HIV & Aids The ARC Insider features Prof. Helen Rees: http://spoti.fi/2NRwJKu Will Africa’s healthcare systems cope with Ebola on top of COVID? Al Jazeera English Inside Story interviewed Prof. Helen Rees: https://cutt.ly/Glg8Af8 Breakthrough in HIV prevention Africa News features Prof. Sinead Delany- Moretlwe: https://cutt.ly/Uk7Cn4y Ivermectin – Silver Bullet or False Hope? Carte Blanche features Prof. Helen Rees: https://youtu.be/oStf_Oku4ZI Discussion on COVID-19 (1 Year since COVID- 19) SA FM features Prof. Helen Rees: https://cutt.ly/uzfNZQa STI/Condom Week 10 - 16 Feb As part of STI/Condom Week (10-16 Feb), Prof. Sinead Delany-Moretlwe and Dr Danielle Travill were part of a discussion with the Wits University’s Faculty of Health Sciences about the various Wits RHI initiatives focusing on STIs. #SexualHealth #Pregnancy #STIs #SexuallyTransmittedInfections #PregnancyHealth Watch the interviews Video 1 (1 min): https://youtu.be/J3uddvBP8R8 Video 2 (7 min): https://youtu.be/gLLbQIy9SaE
One Hour Researcher Join us for a virtual One Hour Researcher by Sibusisiwe Gumede, Study Coordinator & Lebogang Maila, Study Coordinator on “CHARISMA results” Date: Friday, 12 March 2021 Time: 12:00 – 13:00 am Venue: MS Teams https://cutt.ly/Gzepcb0 Look out for these intriguing web of knowledge sessions. Various topics will be tackled in a series of webinars, presentations, documentaries, and discussions. Make space on your diary! Upcoming Conferences: 2021 APS Virtual Convention May 26-27, 2021 Join us for a Meeting of the Minds in May 2021! APS will host a virtual conference that convenes psychological scientists from around the world, and features the latest research and luminaries in the field. Program components from both the APS Annual Convention and the International Convention of Psychological Science (ICPS) will be combined into an interactive online two-day event, plus a Virtual Poster Showcase that will remain available for several months following the live event. Click here for more info: https://cutt.ly/8zf2V3m
Upcoming Conferences: 10th SAAIDS Conference Updated Message from the Chair “We once again call on you to participate in the upcoming SAAIDS2021 conference to unpack issues and put the spotlight right back on HIV and TB. We need to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on HIV and TB. We also need to unpack other epidemics that fuel HIV like gender-based violence and mental health disorders. Lastly, we need to jointly figure out what it will take to end these epidemics, and COVID- 19. ” _Dr Gloria Maimela, 10th SA AIDS Conference Chairperson. The abstract submission closing date has been extended and will now close on Friday, 12 March 2021. To submit an abstract now Click Here To apply for a scholarship now Click Here Wits RHI’s Feb Publications 1. Baeten JM, Palanee-Phillips T, Mgodi NM, Mayo AJ, Szydlo DW, Ramjee G, Gati Mirembe B, Mhlanga F, Hunidzarira P, Mansoor LE, Siva S, Govender V, Makanani B, Naidoo L, Singh N, Nair G, Chinula L, Parikh UM, Mellors JW, Balán IC, Ngure K, van der Straten A, Scheckter R, Garcia M, Peda M, Patterson K, Livant E, Bunge K, Singh D, Jacobson C, Jiao Y, Hendrix CW, Chirenje ZM, Nakabiito C, Taha TE, Jones J, Torjesen K, Nel A, Rosenberg Z, Soto-Torres LE, Hillier SL, Brown ER; MTN- 025/HOPE Study Team. Safety, uptake, and use of a dapivirine vaginal ring for HIV-1 prevention in African women (HOPE): an open-label, extension study. Lancet HIV. 2021 Feb;8(2):e87-e95. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3018(20)30304-0. 2. Boyles T, Stadelman A, Ellis JP, Cresswell FV, Lutje V, Wasserman S, Tiffin N, Wilkinson R. The diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis in adults and adolescents: protocol for a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis to inform a multivariable prediction model. Wellcome Open Res. 2021 Jan 4;4:19. doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15056.3. 3. Brummel SS, Taha TE, Angelidou KN, Saidi F, Atuhaire P, Dula D, Moodley D, Matubu A, Chareka G, Nevrekar N, Vhembo T, Fairlie L, Theron G, Mlay P, George K, Basar M, Chakhtoura N, Browning R, Fowler MG, Currier JS; IMPAACT 1077BF/FF PROMISE Study Team.Brief Report: Impact of ART on Maternal Health After Cessation of Breastfeeding. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2021 Apr 1;86(4):450-454. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000002586. 4. Naidoo K, Mansoor LE, Katz AWK, Garcia M, Kemigisha D, Morar NS, Zimba CC, Chitukuta M, Reddy K, Soto-Torres L, Naidoo S, Montgomery ET. Qualitative Perceptions of Dapivirine VR Adherence and Drug Level Feedback Following an Open- Label Extension Trial. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2021 Apr 1;86(4):e90-e96. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000002590
Wits RHI’s Feb Publications 5. Roozen GVT, Meel R, Peper J, Venter WDF, Barth RE, Grobbee DE, Klipstch K, Vos AG. Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic abnormalities in urban African people living with HIV in South Africa. PLoS One. 2021 Feb 2;16(2):e0244742. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244742. eCollection 2021 6. Rucinski KB, Powers KA, Pettifor AE, Black V, Pence BW, Chi BH, Rees H, Schwartz SR. Trajectories of fertility intentions among women living with HIV in South Africa. AIDS Care. 2021 Feb;33(2):180-186. doi: 10.1080/09540121.2020.1719969 7. Scorgie F, Khoza N, Baron D, Lees S, Harvey S, Ramskin L, Stangl A, Colombini M, Mashauri E, Delany-Moretlwe S; EMPOWER study team. Disclosure of PrEP use by young women in South Africa and Tanzania: qualitative findings from a demonstration project. Cult Health Sex. 2021 Feb;23(2):257- 272. doi: 10.1080/13691058.2019.1703041 8. Scorgie F, Khoza N, Delany-Moretlwe S, Velloza J, Mangxilana N, Atujuna M, Chitukuta M, Matambanadzo KV, Hosek S, Makhale L, Celum C.Narrative sexual histories and perceptions of HIV risk among young women taking PrEP in southern Africa: Findings from a novel participatory method. Soc Sci Med. 2021 Feb;270:113600. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113600 Wits RHI’s Feb Publications 9. Steel HC, Venter WDF, Theron AJ, Anderson R, Feldman C, Arulappan N, Rossouw TM.Differential Responsiveness of the Platelet Biomarkers, Systemic CD40 Ligand, CD62P, and Platelet- Derived Growth Factor-BB, to Virally-Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy. Front Immunol. 2021 Jan 29;11:594110. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.594110 10. Voysey M, Costa Clemens SA, Madhi SA, Weckx LY, Folegatti PM, Aley PK, Angus B, Baillie VL, Barnabas SL, Bhorat QE, Bibi S, Briner C, Cicconi P, Clutterbuck EA, Collins AM, Cutland CL, Darton TC, Dheda K, Dold C, Duncan CJA, Emary KRW, Ewer KJ, Flaxman A, Fairlie L, Faust SN, Feng S, Ferreira DM, Finn A, Galiza E, Goodman AL, Green CM, Green CA, Greenland M, Hill C, Hill HC, Hirsch I, Izu A, Jenkin D, Joe CCD, Kerridge S, Koen A, Kwatra G, Lazarus R, Libri V, Lillie PJ, Marchevsky NG, Marshall RP, Mendes AVA, Milan EP, Minassian AM, McGregor A, Mujadidi YF, Nana A, Padayachee SD, Phillips DJ, Pittella A, Plested E, Pollock KM, Ramasamy MN, Ritchie AJ, Robinson H, Schwarzbold AV, Smith A, Song R, Snape MD, Sprinz E, Sutherland RK, Thomson EC, Török ME, Toshner M, Turner DPJ, Vekemans J, Villafana TL, White T, Williams CJ, Douglas AD, Hill AVS, Lambe T, Gilbert SC, Pollard AJ; Oxford COVID Vaccine Trial Group.Single-dose administration and the influence of the timing of the booster dose on immunogenicity and efficacy of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine: a pooled analysis of four randomised trials. Lancet. 2021 Feb 19:S0140- 6736(21)00432-3. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00432-3. Online ahead of print 11. WHO Solidarity Trial Consortium, Pan H, Peto R, Henao-Restrepo AM, Preziosi MP, Sathiyamoorthy V, Abdool Karim Q, Alejandria MM, Hernández García C, Kieny MP, Malekzadeh R, Murthy S, Reddy KS, Roses Periago M, Abi Hanna P, Ader F, Al-Bader AM, Alhasawi A, Allum E, Alotaibi A, Alvarez-Moreno CA, Appadoo S, Asiri A, Aukrust P, Barratt-Due A, Bellani S, Branca M, Cappel-Porter HBC, Cerrato N, Chow TS, Como N, Eustace J, García PJ, Godbole S, Gotuzzo E, Griskevicius L, Hamra R, Hassan M, Hassany M, Hutton D, Irmansyah I, Jancoriene L, Kirwan J, Kumar S, Lennon P, Lopardo G, Lydon P, Magrini N, Maguire T, Manevska S, Manuel O, McGinty S, Medina MT, Mesa Rubio ML, Miranda-Montoya MC, Nel J, Nunes EP, Perola M, Portolés A, Rasmin MR, Raza A, Rees H, Reges PPS, Rogers CA, Salami K, Salvadori MI, Sinani N, Sterne JAC, Stevanovikj M, Tacconelli E, Tikkinen KAO, Trelle S, Zaid H, Røttingen JA, Swaminathan S.Repurposed Antiviral Drugs for Covid- 19 - Interim WHO Solidarity Trial Results. N Engl J Med. 2021 Feb 11;384(6):497-511. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2023184
Please Don’t Let Your Guard Down Stay safe, look after your health and that of your colleagues as well by preventing the spread of COVID- 19. Refresh your knowledge of preventative measures by clicking here: NICD: https://buff.ly/2LiRU6S SA Coronavirus: https://sacoronavirus.co.za/ Play your part. Stop the spread. #IChooseVacciNation #VaccineRolloutSA #COVID19SA #StaySafe © 2021 Wits RHI. All rights reserved
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