http://edoc.rki.de/176904/43 2026-04-22T05:26:53Z 2026-04-22T05:26:53Z Badjo, Ange Oho Roseline Niendorf, Sandra Jacobsen, Sonja Zongo, Arsène Mas Marques, Andreas Vietor, Ann Christin Kabore, Nongodo Firmin Poda, Armel Some, Satouro Arsène Ouattara, Aminata Ouangraoua, Soumeya Schubert, Grit Eckmanns, Tim Leendertz, Fabian H. Belarbi, Essia Ouedraogo, Abdoul-Salam http://edoc.rki.de/176904/13637 2026-04-21T12:27:24Z 2024-07-08T00:00:00Z

Genetic diversity of enteric viruses responsible of gastroenteritis in urban and rural Burkina Faso Badjo, Ange Oho Roseline; Niendorf, Sandra; Jacobsen, Sonja; Zongo, Arsène; Mas Marques, Andreas; Vietor, Ann Christin; Kabore, Nongodo Firmin; Poda, Armel; Some, Satouro Arsène; Ouattara, Aminata; Ouangraoua, Soumeya; Schubert, Grit; Eckmanns, Tim; Leendertz, Fabian H.; Belarbi, Essia; Ouedraogo, Abdoul-Salam Background: Viral gastrointestinal infections remain a major public health concern in developing countries. In Burkina Faso, there are very limited updated data on the circulating viruses and their genetic diversity. Objectives: This study investigates the detection rates and characteristics of rotavirus A (RVA), norovirus (NoV), sapovirus (SaV) and human astrovirus (HAstV) in patients of all ages with acute gastrointestinal infection in urban and rural areas. Study design & Methods: From 2018 to 2021, stool samples from 1,295 patients with acute gastroenteritis were collected and screened for RVA, NoV, SaV and HAstV. Genotyping and phylogenetic analyses were performed on a subset of samples. Results: At least one virus was detected in 34.1% of samples. NoV and SaV were predominant with detection rates of respectively 10.5 and 8.8%. We identified rare genotypes of NoV GII, RVA and HAstV, recombinant HAstV strains and a potential zoonotic RVA transmission event. Conclusions: We give an up-to-date epidemiological picture of enteric viruses in Burkina Faso, showing a decrease in prevalence but a high diversity of circulating strains. However, viral gastroenteritis remains a public health burden, particularly in pediatric settings. Our data advocate for the implementation of routine viral surveillance and updated management algorithms for diarrheal disease.

2024-07-08T00:00:00Z Baldé, Habibata Geurts, Brogan Fischer, Hanna-Tina Menelik-Obbarius, Sara Kaba, Ibrahima Merhi, Vitali Stein, Karoline Diaconu, Viorela Bahr, Thurid Weishaar, Heide Delamou, Alexandre Mbawah, Abdul Karim El-Bcheraoui, Charbel http://edoc.rki.de/176904/13636 2026-04-21T11:27:24Z 2024-10-04T00:00:00Z

Responding to fluctuations in public and community trust and health seeking behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study of national decision-makers’ perspectives in Guinea and Sierra Leone Baldé, Habibata; Geurts, Brogan; Fischer, Hanna-Tina; Menelik-Obbarius, Sara; Kaba, Ibrahima; Merhi, Vitali; Stein, Karoline; Diaconu, Viorela; Bahr, Thurid; Weishaar, Heide; Delamou, Alexandre; Mbawah, Abdul Karim; El-Bcheraoui, Charbel Background: The level of trust in health systems is often in flux during public health emergencies and presents challenges in providing adequate health services and preventing the spread of disease. Experiences during previous epidemics has shown that lack of trust can impact the continuity of essential health services and response efforts. Guinea and Sierra Leone were greatly challenged by a lack of trust in the system during the Ebola epidemic. We thus sought to investigate what was perceived to influence public and community trust in the health system during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what strategies were employed by national level stakeholders in order to maintain or restore trust in the health system in Guinea and Sierra Leone. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted through a document review and key informant interviews with actors involved in COVID-19 and/or in malaria control efforts in Guinea and Sierra Leone. Key informants were selected based on their role and level of engagement in the national level response. Thirty Six semi-structured interviews (16 in Guinea, 20 in Sierra Leone) were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using an inductive and deductive framework approach to thematic analysis. Results: Key informants described three overarching themes related to changes in trust and health seeking behavior due to COVID-19: (1) reignited fear and uncertainty among the population, (2) adaptations to sensitization and community engagement efforts, and (3) building on the legacy of Ebola as a continuous process. Communication, community engagement, and on-going support to health workers were reiterated as crucial factors for maintaining trust in the health system. Conclusion: Lessons from the Ebola epidemic enabled response actors to consider maintaining and rebuilding trust as a core aim of the pandemic response which helped to ensure continuity of care and mitigate secondary impacts of the pandemic. Monitoring and maintaining trust in health systems is a key consideration for health systems resilience during public health emergencies.

2024-10-04T00:00:00Z Bammert, Philip Schüttig, Wiebke Iashchenko, Iryna Spallek, Jacob Rattay, Petra Schneider, Sven Richter, Matthias Pischke, Claudia R. Dragano, Nico Sundmacher, Leonie http://edoc.rki.de/176904/13635 2026-04-21T11:27:24Z 2024-02-28T00:00:00Z

The role of sociodemographic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors in the use of preventive healthcare services in children and adolescents: results of the KiGGS Wave 2 study Bammert, Philip; Schüttig, Wiebke; Iashchenko, Iryna; Spallek, Jacob; Rattay, Petra; Schneider, Sven; Richter, Matthias; Pischke, Claudia R.; Dragano, Nico; Sundmacher, Leonie Background: In Germany, various preventive services are offered to children and adolescents. These include regular standardized examinations (so called U/J examinations) and several vaccinations. Although strongly recommended, most of them are not mandatory. Our aim is to identify factors associated with the use of U/J examinations and vaccination against diphtheria, hepatitis B, Hib, pertussis, polio, and tetanus. While previous research has focused on sociodemographic factors, we also include socioeconomic, behavioral, and psychosocial factors. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from 15,023 participants (aged 0–17 years) of the nationwide representative KiGGS Wave 2 Survey. Participation in U/J examinations was assessed using a questionnaire, filled out by participants and/or their parents. Information on vaccination status was drawn from the participants’ vaccination booklets. To identify relevant determinants for the use of preventive examinations and vaccinations, unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were employed with up to 16 different independent variables. Results: Various independent variables showed an association with the use of preventive services. Higher socioeconomic status, absence of migration background, and lower household size were associated with significantly higher utilization of U examinations. Parents’ marital status, area of residence, behavioral and psychosocial factors yielded insignificant results for most U/J examinations. Higher vaccination rates were found for children with no migration background, with residence in eastern Germany, lower household size, and with married parents. Conclusion: This study attempted to depict the influence of sociodemographic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors on the use of several preventive services. Our results indicate that predominantly sociodemographic variables influence the use of preventive services. Further efforts should be made to investigate the interplay of different determinants of healthcare use in children and adolescents.

2024-02-28T00:00:00Z Bammert, Philip Schüttig, Wiebke Novelli, Anna Iashchenko, Iryna Spallek, Jacob Blume, Miriam Diehl, Katharina Moor, Irene Dragano, Nico Sundmacher, Leonie http://edoc.rki.de/176904/13634 2026-04-21T11:27:23Z 2024-02-23T00:00:00Z

The role of mesolevel characteristics of the health care system and socioeconomic factors on health care use – results of a scoping review Bammert, Philip; Schüttig, Wiebke; Novelli, Anna; Iashchenko, Iryna; Spallek, Jacob; Blume, Miriam; Diehl, Katharina; Moor, Irene; Dragano, Nico; Sundmacher, Leonie Background: Besides macrolevel characteristics of a health care system, mesolevel access characteristics can exert influence on socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare use. These reflect access to healthcare, which is shaped on a smaller scale than the national level, by the institutions and establishments of a health system that individuals interact with on a regular basis. This scoping review maps the existing evidence about the influence of mesolevel access characteristics and socioeconomic position on healthcare use. Furthermore, it summarizes the evidence on the interaction between mesolevel access characteristics and socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare use. Methods: We used the databases MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO and followed the ‘Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR)’ recommendations. The included quantitative studies used a measure of socioeconomic position, a mesolevel access characteristic, and a measure of individual healthcare utilisation. Studies published between 2000 and 2020 in high income countries were considered. Results: Of the 9501 potentially eligible manuscripts, 158 studies were included after a two-stage screening process. The included studies contained a wide spectrum of outcomes and were thus summarised to the overarching categories: use of preventive services, use of curative services, and potentially avoidable service use. Exemplary outcomes were screening uptake, physician visits and avoidable hospitalisations. Access variables included healthcare system characteristics such as physician density or distance to physician. The effects of socioeconomic position on healthcare use as well as of mesolevel access characteristics were investigated by most studies. The results show that socioeconomic and access factors play a crucial role in healthcare use. However, the interaction between socioeconomic position and mesolevel access characteristics is addressed in only few studies. Conclusions: Socioeconomic position and mesolevel access characteristics are important when examining variation in healthcare use. Additionally, studies provide initial evidence that moderation effects exist between the two factors, although research on this topic is sparse. Further research is needed to investigate whether adapting access characteristics at the mesolevel can reduce socioeconomic inequity in health care use.

2024-02-23T00:00:00Z