Browsing by Author "Brandon Brown"

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    Open Access
    Addressing Ebola-related Stigma
    (Global Health Action, 2014) Mariam Davtyan; Brandon Brown; Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan
    Background HIV/AIDS and Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) are contemporary epidemics associated with significant social stigma in which communities affected suffer from social rejection, violence, and diminished quality of life. Objective To compare and contrast stigma related to HIV/AIDS and EVD, and strategically think how lessons learned from HIV stigma can be applied to the current EVD epidemic. Methods To identify relevant articles about HIV/AIDS and EVD-related stigma, we conducted an extensive literature review using multiple search engines. PubMed was used to search for relevant peer-reviewed journal articles and Google for online sources. We also consulted the websites of the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health to retrieve up-to-date information about EVD and HIV/AIDS. Results Many stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors directed towards those with EVD are strikingly similar to those with HIV/AIDS but there are significant differences worthy of discussion. Both diseases are life-threatening and there is no medical cure. Additionally misinformation about affected groups and modes of transmission runs rampant. Unlike in persons with EVD, historically criminalized and marginalized populations carry a disproportionately higher risk for HIV infection. Moreover, mortality due to EVD occurs within a shorter time span as compared to HIV/AIDS.
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    Open Access
    Addressing the socio-development needs of adolescents living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria : a call for action
    (African Journal of Reproductive Health, 2014) Morenike O. Folayan; Morolake Odetoyinbo; Brandon Brown; Abigail Harrison Affiliations
    The widespread use of antiretroviral therapy and remarkable success in the treatment of paediatric HIV infection has changed the face of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic in children from a fatal disease to that of a chronic illness. Many children living with HIV are surviving into adolescence. This sub-population of people living with HIV is emerging as a public health challenge and burden in terms of healthcare management and service utilization than previously anticipated. This article provides an overview of the socio-developmental challenges facing adolescents living with HIV especially in a resource-limited setting like Nigeria. These include concerns about their healthy sexuality, safer sex and transition to adulthood, disclosure of their status and potential stigma, challenges faced with daily living, access and adherence to treatment, access to care and support, and clinic transition. Other issues include reality of death and implications for fertility intentions, mental health concerns and neurocognitive development. Coping strategies and needed support for adolescents living with HIV are also discussed, and the implications for policy formulation and programme design and implementation in Nigeria are highlighted. L'utilisation généralisée de la thérapie antirétrovirale et des succès remarquables dans le traitement de l'infection du VIH chez les enfants a changé le visage de l'épidémie du virus d'immunodéficience humaine (VIH) chez les enfants d'une maladie mortelle ? celui d'une maladie chronique. Beaucoup d'enfants vivant avec le VIH survivent ? l'adolescence. Cette sous-population de personnes vivant avec le VIH est en train de devenir un problème de santé publique et de la charge en termes de gestion des soins de santé et l'utilisation des services que prévu avant. Cet article donne un aperçu des défis du développement social auxquels sont confrontés les adolescents vivant avec le VIH en particulier dans un contexte de ressources limitées comme le Nigeria. Il s'agit notamment des préoccupations concernant leur santé sexuelle, les rapports sexuels protégés et le passage ? l'âge adulte, la divulgation de leur statut et de la stigmatisation potentielle, les défis rencontrés dans la vie quotidienne, l'accès au traitement et l'observance du traitement, l'accès aux soins et au soutien, et la transition de la clinique. D'autres questions comprennent la réalité de la mort et des implications pour les intentions de la fécondité, des problèmes de santé mentale et le développement neurocognitif. Les stratégies d'adaptation et le soutien nécessaire pour les adolescents vivant avec le VIH sont également discutés, et les implications pour la formulation des politiques et de la conception des programmes et la mise en oeuvre au Nigeria sont mis en évidence.
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    Considerations for stakeholder engagement and COVID-19 related clinical trials’ conduct in sub-Saharan Africa
    (Wiley, 2021) Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan, Brandon BroBridget Haire, Chinedum Peace Babalola, Nicaise Ndemb; Brandon Brown; | Bridget Haire; Chinedum Peace Babalola |; Nicaise Ndembi
    The aim of this study is to determine how stakeholder engagement can be adapted for the conduct of COVID-19-related clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa. Nine essential stakeholder engagement practices were reviewed: formative research; stakeholder engagement plan; communications and issues management plan; protocol development; informed consent process; standard of prevention for vaccine research and standard of care for treatment research; policies on trial-related physical, psychological, financial, and/or social harms; trial accrual, follow-up, exit trial closure and results dissemination; and post-trial access to trial products or procedures. The norms, values, and practices of collectivist societies in Sub-Saharan Africa and the low research literacy pose challenges to the conduct of clinical trials. Civil-society organizations, members of community advisory boards and ethics committees, young persons, COVID-19 survivors, researchers, government, and the private sector are assets for the implementation and translation of COVID-19 related clinical trials. Adapting ethics guidelines to the socio-cultural context of the region can facilitate achieving the aim of stakeholder engagement