Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia

A multi-facility data quality assessment of electronic health records for trustworthy AI in HIV public health in Zambia

Artificial intelligence (AI) holds promise for HIV disease surveillance and clinical decision support in sub-Saharan Africa, yet AI reliability and fairness depend fundamentally on data quality, a dimension rarely assessed before model development. This study presents a systemati...

“This is human life, so I don’t know what compensation I can attach to it”: perceptions on compensation in human infection challenge studies in Lusaka, Zambia

Human infection challenge (HIC) studies where healthy volunteers are deliberately infected expedite vaccine development. However, agreement on fair compensation that avoids both exploitation and undue inducement remains elusive. Without clear compensation policies or guidelines,...

Adapting and implementing health systems guidelines: learning lessons from countries

Adapting and implementing evidence-based health system guidelines presents numerous challenges, particularly when they are introduced in settings that differ from those in which they were originally developed [ 1 ]. Effective implementation requires careful consideration of local...

Raising the bar: translating global guidelines to achieve local policy on cholera elimination in Zambia—a qualitative case study

Abstract Background The global roadmap to eliminating cholera by 2030 relies on early detection and response, vaccination in hotspots and effective partnerships. In sub-Saharan Africa, where 60% of the 2.8 million annual cases occur, cholera elimination requires a multisectoral r...

Validation of a National Pediatric HIV Risk Screening Tool at 31 Health Facilities in Zambia

BACKGROUND: To improve testing efficiency, Zambia introduced a national pediatric human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Risk Screening Tool (HRST) in 2019. However, concerns about its sensitivity led to its suspension in 2021 pending formal evaluation. We therefore undertook a forma...

Application of VirCapSeq-VERT for viral pathogen detection in children under five with acute diarrheal illness in Zambia

Diarrheal disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five years, especially in low- and middle-income countries, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. Although rotavirus vaccination has reduced burden in children, a substantial proportion of diarrh...

“My heart is at peace because I know that I am protected:” understanding the factors that facilitate adolescent girls and young women’s uptake of long-acting injectable PrEP in Zambia

Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in EASTERN AND SOUTHERN Africa face a disproportionate risk of HIV acquisition. While effective, uptake of daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention among this population has remained inadequate. Hypothetical preference...

How much are households willing to invest in hand hygiene enabling technologies? A randomised pricing experiment in Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract Access to a dedicated handwashing facility (HWF) increases handwashing with soap (HWWS), an effective behaviour for preventing respiratory and diarrheal disease. Achieving universal hand hygiene will require household investment of a HWF, yet the ability and willingness...