Sabine Hermans
Biographic Data
| ID | 6168381 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sabine Hermans |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sabine |
| FAMILY NAME | Hermans |
| SIGNATURE | HERMANS S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5146-2932 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 0 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 9 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 11 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2012 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 0 |
Building a case for accelerated clinical development of drugs and vaccines – what are the driving forces
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic, among others, has shown the world that rapid drug and vaccine development and expedited clinical trials can be effective and safe. The overall benefit of accelerating clinical development would be faster public access to medicines. In this study, we explore key stakeholders' experiences and perceptions of drivers for the acceleration of clinical development. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with …
Gaps in TB-related knowledge and practices
Although tuberculosis is a preventable and treatable disease, its management has been challenging for tuberculosis control and prevention programs in low- and middle- income countries such as Mozambique. We assessed the TB knowledge and healthcare-seeking behaviors among adults with HIV and caregivers of paediatric patients with symptoms of TB. The study was conducted between February and October 2023 at Manhiça District Hospital. A total of 60 i…
Feasibility, challenges, and lessons learned in implementing antiretroviral adherence club models in Northern Tanzania
Introduction : In Tanzania, nearly 1.6 million adults were living with HIV in 2022, with an HIV prevalence rate of 4.4%. We piloted community health worker-managed adherence clubs in two clinics in Shinyanga, Tanzania. We previously demonstrated better stability in care and improved treatment adherence following the establishment of clubs. This study evaluated referral back to the facility, feasibility, and challenges to inform potential scale-up…
Case fatality among people with drug-susceptible TB enrolled in a private health sector TB treatment support program in Bihar, India during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic
Experiencing 27% of the global tuberculosis (TB) burden, India’s TB epidemic is the largest in the world. Due to COVID-19-related disruptions to TB programs, India has also seen the largest drop in TB case notifications of any country globally. We estimated case fatality among people treated for TB in India during the pandemic and compared these to pre-pandemic estimates. A random sample of 4,000 adults enrolled in World Health Partners (WHP), a …
A prospective randomised controlled trial investigating household Sars-CoV-2 transmission in a densely populated community in Cape Town, South Africa – the transmission of Covid-19 in crowded environm…
Participants had significant exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infections prior to the study. In this setting, household transmission mitigation was ineffective. However, CHWs may have facilitated other important healthcare and social referrals
Assessment of regional body composition, physical function and sarcopenia among peruvian women aging with HIV
Management of chronic conditions and optimization of overall health has become a primary global health concern in the care of people living with HIV in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART), particularly in lower-and-middle income countries where infrastructure for chronic disease management may be fragmented. Alterations in body composition can reflect important changes in musculoskeletal health, particularly among populations at…
Non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease
Over the past decade, there have been increasing reports of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) species being implicated in tuberculosis (TB) treatment failure or misdiagnosed as TB. Inadequate awareness of NTM pulmonary disease among healthcare workers (HCWs) may contribute to a low index of suspicion for patients presenting to their hospitals. In this study, we assessed the awareness of NTM pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) among front desk HCWs in Nor…
Integrating isoniazid preventive therapy into the fast-track HIV treatment model in urban Zambia
Most people living with HIV (PLHIV) established on treatment in Zambia receive multi-month prescribing and dispensing (MMSD) antiretroviral therapy (ART) and are enrolled in less-intensive differentiated service delivery (DSD) models such as Fast Track (FT), where clients collect ART every 3–6 months and make clinical visits every 6 months. In 2019, Zambia introduced Isoniazid Preventive Therapy (IPT) with scheduled visits at 2 weeks and 1, 3, an…
Risk factors for Covid-19 mortality among telehealth patients in Bangladesh
Background and objective Estimating the contribution of risk factors of mortality due to COVID-19 is particularly important in settings with low vaccination coverage and limited public health and clinical resources. Very few studies of risk factors of COVID-19 mortality used high-quality data at an individual level from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We examined the contribution of demographic, socioeconomic and clinical risk factors o…
It takes more than a machine
Barriers continue to limit access to viral load (VL) monitoring across sub-Saharan Africa adversely impacting control of the HIV epidemic. The objective of this study was to determine whether the systems and processes required to realize the potential of rapid molecular technology are available at a prototypical lower-level (i.e., level III) health center in rural Uganda. In this open-label pilot study, participants underwent parallel VL testing …
Neighbourhood risk factors of recurrent tuberculosis in Cape Town
BACKGROUND: Individuals with a history of tuberculosis (TB) disease are at higher risk of developing a subsequent episode than those without. Considering the role of social and environmental factors in tuberculosis, we assessed neighbourhood-level risk factors associated with recurrent tuberculosis in Cape Town, South Africa. METHODS: This cohort consisted of patients who completed treatment for their first drug-sensitive TB episode between 2003 …
Assessment of standard HIV testing services delivery to injured persons seeking emergency care in Nairobi, Kenya
Emergency departments (EDs) in Africa are contact points for key groups for HIV testing services (HTS) but understanding of ED-testing delivery is limited which may impeded program impacts. This study evaluated the offering and uptake of standard HTS among injured persons seeking ED care at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi, Kenya. An ED population of adult injured persons was prospectively enrolled (1 March—25 May 2021) and followed th…
Enhanced Integration of TB Services in Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) Settings in Eswatini
Tuberculosis (TB) primarily affects women during their reproductive years and contributes to maternal mortality and poor pregnancy outcomes. For pregnant women living with HIV (WLHIV), TB is the leading cause of non-obstetric maternal mortality, and pregnant WLHIV with TB are at increased risk of transmitting both TB and HIV to their infants. TB diagnosis among pregnant women, particularly WLHIV, remains challenging, and TB preventive treatment (…
Retention in care and predictors of attrition among HIV-infected patients who started antiretroviral therapy in Kinshasa, DRC, before and after the implementation of the ‘treat-all’ strategy
The retention of patients in care is a key pillar of the continuum of HIV care. It has been suggested that the implementation of a “treat-all” strategy may favor attrition (death or lost to follow-up, as opposed to retention), specifically in the subgroup of asymptomatic people living with HIV (PLWH) with high CD4 counts. Attrition in HIV care could mitigate the success of universal antiretroviral therapy (ART) in resource-limited settings. We pe…
Impact of intensified tuberculosis case finding at health facilities on case notifications in Cameroon
There is a large gap between the number of people who develop tuberculosis (TB) and those who are diagnosed, treated and notified, with only an estimated 71% of people with TB notified globally in 2019. Implementing better TB case finding strategies is necessary to close this gap. In Cameroon, 1,597 healthcare workers at 725 health facilities were trained and engaged to intensively screen and test people for TB, then follow-up to link people to a…
A qualitative analysis of the Covid-19 vaccination rollout in Lagos, Nigeria
Mass vaccination has proven useful in the control of COVID-19, though vaccine rollout has met major challenges. The learning curve of this process has been valuable. This qualitative study aimed to assess the plan, the process and the progress of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Lagos, Nigeria. This study was conducted at vaccination centers in eight of the 20 Local Government Areas in Lagos State from May to July 2021 among healthcare adminis…
The Shinyanga Patient
The 2016-2017 Tanzania HIV Impact Survey (THIS) reported the accomplishments towards the 90-90-90 global HIV targets at 61-94-87, affirming the need to focus on the first 90 (i.e., getting 90% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) tested). We conducted a patient-pathway analysis to understand the gap observed, by assessing the alignment between where PLHIV seek healthcare and where HIV services are available in the Shinyanga region, Tanzania. We used…
Beyond viral suppression
Similar HRQoL was observed in DSD and clinic-based care. Our research highlights focus areas to identify supporting interventions, ultimately optimizing HRQoL among PLHIV
Cost-effectiveness of early initiation of first-line combination antiretroviral therapy in Uganda
In HIV-positive patients presenting with CD4 count between 250-350 cells/μl, immediate initiation of cART is a highly cost-effective strategy using the recommended one-time per capita GDP threshold of $490 reported for Uganda. This would constitute an efficient use of scarce health care funds
Implementation and effect of intensified case finding on diagnosis of tuberculosis in a large urban HIV clinic in Uganda
Implementation of ICF in a large HIV clinic yielded more TB suspects and cases, but substantially increased costs and was unable to capture the majority of TB suspects who were referred for diagnosis by clinicians through PCF. The overall yield of TB cases in a mature HIV clinic was low, although targeted screening of those recently enrolled in care may increase the yield
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Cost-effectiveness of early initiation of first-line combination antiretroviral therapy in Uganda
In HIV-positive patients presenting with CD4 count between 250-350 cells/μl, immediate initiation of cART is a highly cost-effective strategy using the recommended one-time per capita GDP threshold of $490 reported for Uganda. This would constitute an efficient use of scarce health care funds
Implementation and effect of intensified case finding on diagnosis of tuberculosis in a large urban HIV clinic in Uganda
Implementation of ICF in a large HIV clinic yielded more TB suspects and cases, but substantially increased costs and was unable to capture the majority of TB suspects who were referred for diagnosis by clinicians through PCF. The overall yield of TB cases in a mature HIV clinic was low, although targeted screening of those recently enrolled in care may increase the yield
The Shinyanga Patient
The 2016-2017 Tanzania HIV Impact Survey (THIS) reported the accomplishments towards the 90-90-90 global HIV targets at 61-94-87, affirming the need to focus on the first 90 (i.e., getting 90% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) tested). We conducted a patient-pathway analysis to understand the gap observed, by assessing the alignment between where PLHIV seek healthcare and where HIV services are available in the Shinyanga region, Tanzania. We used…
Beyond viral suppression
Similar HRQoL was observed in DSD and clinic-based care. Our research highlights focus areas to identify supporting interventions, ultimately optimizing HRQoL among PLHIV
Assessment of standard HIV testing services delivery to injured persons seeking emergency care in Nairobi, Kenya
Emergency departments (EDs) in Africa are contact points for key groups for HIV testing services (HTS) but understanding of ED-testing delivery is limited which may impeded program impacts. This study evaluated the offering and uptake of standard HTS among injured persons seeking ED care at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi, Kenya. An ED population of adult injured persons was prospectively enrolled (1 March—25 May 2021) and followed th…
Enhanced Integration of TB Services in Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) Settings in Eswatini
Tuberculosis (TB) primarily affects women during their reproductive years and contributes to maternal mortality and poor pregnancy outcomes. For pregnant women living with HIV (WLHIV), TB is the leading cause of non-obstetric maternal mortality, and pregnant WLHIV with TB are at increased risk of transmitting both TB and HIV to their infants. TB diagnosis among pregnant women, particularly WLHIV, remains challenging, and TB preventive treatment (…
Retention in care and predictors of attrition among HIV-infected patients who started antiretroviral therapy in Kinshasa, DRC, before and after the implementation of the ‘treat-all’ strategy
The retention of patients in care is a key pillar of the continuum of HIV care. It has been suggested that the implementation of a “treat-all” strategy may favor attrition (death or lost to follow-up, as opposed to retention), specifically in the subgroup of asymptomatic people living with HIV (PLWH) with high CD4 counts. Attrition in HIV care could mitigate the success of universal antiretroviral therapy (ART) in resource-limited settings. We pe…
Impact of intensified tuberculosis case finding at health facilities on case notifications in Cameroon
There is a large gap between the number of people who develop tuberculosis (TB) and those who are diagnosed, treated and notified, with only an estimated 71% of people with TB notified globally in 2019. Implementing better TB case finding strategies is necessary to close this gap. In Cameroon, 1,597 healthcare workers at 725 health facilities were trained and engaged to intensively screen and test people for TB, then follow-up to link people to a…
A qualitative analysis of the Covid-19 vaccination rollout in Lagos, Nigeria
Mass vaccination has proven useful in the control of COVID-19, though vaccine rollout has met major challenges. The learning curve of this process has been valuable. This qualitative study aimed to assess the plan, the process and the progress of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Lagos, Nigeria. This study was conducted at vaccination centers in eight of the 20 Local Government Areas in Lagos State from May to July 2021 among healthcare adminis…
Assessment of regional body composition, physical function and sarcopenia among peruvian women aging with HIV
Management of chronic conditions and optimization of overall health has become a primary global health concern in the care of people living with HIV in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART), particularly in lower-and-middle income countries where infrastructure for chronic disease management may be fragmented. Alterations in body composition can reflect important changes in musculoskeletal health, particularly among populations at…
Non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease
Over the past decade, there have been increasing reports of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) species being implicated in tuberculosis (TB) treatment failure or misdiagnosed as TB. Inadequate awareness of NTM pulmonary disease among healthcare workers (HCWs) may contribute to a low index of suspicion for patients presenting to their hospitals. In this study, we assessed the awareness of NTM pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) among front desk HCWs in Nor…
Integrating isoniazid preventive therapy into the fast-track HIV treatment model in urban Zambia
Most people living with HIV (PLHIV) established on treatment in Zambia receive multi-month prescribing and dispensing (MMSD) antiretroviral therapy (ART) and are enrolled in less-intensive differentiated service delivery (DSD) models such as Fast Track (FT), where clients collect ART every 3–6 months and make clinical visits every 6 months. In 2019, Zambia introduced Isoniazid Preventive Therapy (IPT) with scheduled visits at 2 weeks and 1, 3, an…
Risk factors for Covid-19 mortality among telehealth patients in Bangladesh
Background and objective Estimating the contribution of risk factors of mortality due to COVID-19 is particularly important in settings with low vaccination coverage and limited public health and clinical resources. Very few studies of risk factors of COVID-19 mortality used high-quality data at an individual level from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We examined the contribution of demographic, socioeconomic and clinical risk factors o…
It takes more than a machine
Barriers continue to limit access to viral load (VL) monitoring across sub-Saharan Africa adversely impacting control of the HIV epidemic. The objective of this study was to determine whether the systems and processes required to realize the potential of rapid molecular technology are available at a prototypical lower-level (i.e., level III) health center in rural Uganda. In this open-label pilot study, participants underwent parallel VL testing …
Neighbourhood risk factors of recurrent tuberculosis in Cape Town
BACKGROUND: Individuals with a history of tuberculosis (TB) disease are at higher risk of developing a subsequent episode than those without. Considering the role of social and environmental factors in tuberculosis, we assessed neighbourhood-level risk factors associated with recurrent tuberculosis in Cape Town, South Africa. METHODS: This cohort consisted of patients who completed treatment for their first drug-sensitive TB episode between 2003 …
Case fatality among people with drug-susceptible TB enrolled in a private health sector TB treatment support program in Bihar, India during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic
Experiencing 27% of the global tuberculosis (TB) burden, India’s TB epidemic is the largest in the world. Due to COVID-19-related disruptions to TB programs, India has also seen the largest drop in TB case notifications of any country globally. We estimated case fatality among people treated for TB in India during the pandemic and compared these to pre-pandemic estimates. A random sample of 4,000 adults enrolled in World Health Partners (WHP), a …
A prospective randomised controlled trial investigating household Sars-CoV-2 transmission in a densely populated community in Cape Town, South Africa – the transmission of Covid-19 in crowded environm…
Participants had significant exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infections prior to the study. In this setting, household transmission mitigation was ineffective. However, CHWs may have facilitated other important healthcare and social referrals
Gaps in TB-related knowledge and practices
Although tuberculosis is a preventable and treatable disease, its management has been challenging for tuberculosis control and prevention programs in low- and middle- income countries such as Mozambique. We assessed the TB knowledge and healthcare-seeking behaviors among adults with HIV and caregivers of paediatric patients with symptoms of TB. The study was conducted between February and October 2023 at Manhiça District Hospital. A total of 60 i…
Feasibility, challenges, and lessons learned in implementing antiretroviral adherence club models in Northern Tanzania
Introduction : In Tanzania, nearly 1.6 million adults were living with HIV in 2022, with an HIV prevalence rate of 4.4%. We piloted community health worker-managed adherence clubs in two clinics in Shinyanga, Tanzania. We previously demonstrated better stability in care and improved treatment adherence following the establishment of clubs. This study evaluated referral back to the facility, feasibility, and challenges to inform potential scale-up…
Building a case for accelerated clinical development of drugs and vaccines – what are the driving forces
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic, among others, has shown the world that rapid drug and vaccine development and expedited clinical trials can be effective and safe. The overall benefit of accelerating clinical development would be faster public access to medicines. In this study, we explore key stakeholders' experiences and perceptions of drivers for the acceleration of clinical development. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with …
Medicine (18 works) · Family medicine (12 works) · Environmental health (11 works) · Internal Medicine (10 works) · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (9 works) · Population (9 works) · Tuberculosis (8 works) · Health care (7 works) · Pediatrics (7 works) · Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology (7 works)