Kekeletso Kao

Biographic Data

ID6774544
NAMEKekeletso Kao
GIVEN NAMESKekeletso
FAMILY NAMEKao
SIGNATUREKAO K
AFFILIATIONSFIND
ORCID0000-0001-8404-9714
VERIFIEDYes
TOTAL WORKS9
TOTAL CITATIONS1
AUTHOR COUNT9
EDITOR COUNT0
FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR2022
LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR2025
H-INDEX1

  • Factors influencing the rollout and uptake of Covid-19 rapid diagnostic testing

    Open AccessPatrick Achiangia Njukeng, Charles Njumkeng et al.ARTICLEFrontiers in Public Health2025

    Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected healthcare systems in Africa, revealing urgent Challenges in resource-limited settings and the need for effective diagnostic strategies. This study examines the factors influencing the rollout and uptake of COVID-19 antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) in six African countries: Cameroon, Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger, Sierra Leone, and the Republic of Congo. Methods: Utilizing qual…

  • Diagnostics for detection and surveillance of priority epidemic-prone diseases in Africa

    Open AccessAytenew Ashenafi, Olajumoke Sule et al.ARTICLEFrontiers in Public Health2024

    In 2023, Africa experienced 180 public health emergencies, of which 90% were infectious diseases and 75% were related to zoonotic diseases. Testing capacity for epidemic-prone diseases is essential to enable rapid and accurate identification of causative agents, and for action to prevent disease spread. Moreover, testing is pivotal in monitoring disease transmission, evaluating public health interventions and informing targeted resource allocatio…

  • Exploring the use of Covid-19 antigen rapid diagnostic tests among displaced populations in Iraq

    Open AccessLara Abou Ammar, Caitlin M Wolfe et al.ARTICLEConflict and Health2024

    This pilot program was among the first to explore Ag RDT use in Iraqi Kurdistan. Over 99% of respondents reported satisfaction with their experience, and over 90% wanted to see Ag RDTs available for other diseases. Findings can inform implementation of RDTs and screening protocols for other infectious diseases, and patient perspectives on Ag RDTs for testing and screening of COVID-19 among displaced populations can inform health programming withi…

  • The cost of adding rapid screening for diabetes, hypertension, and Covid-19 to Covid-19 vaccination queues in Johannesburg, South Africa

    Open AccessSithabiso Masuku, Sithabiso D Masuku et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2024

    We show the cost of finding potentially new cases of DM and HTN in a vaccine queue, which is an essential first step in understanding the feasibility and resource requirements for such initiatives. However, there is a need for comparative economic analyses that include linkage to care and retention data to fully understand this cost and determine whether opportunistic screening should be added to general mass health activities

  • Contexts for developing of national essential diagnostics list. Lessons from a mixed-methods study of existing documents, stakeholders and decision making on tier-specific essential in-vitro diagnosti…

    Open AccessWinny Koster, Elishebah Mutegi et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2023

    Since 2019, the WHO recommends the development and implementation of National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL) to facilitate availability of In-Vitro Diagnostics (IVDs) across the various tiers of the healthcare pyramid, facilities with or without a laboratory on-site. To be effective, the development of NEDL should take into consideration the challenges and opportunities associated with current modalities for organization of tier specific testi…

  • Strengthening health systems through essential diagnostic lists and diagnostic network optimization

    Open AccessKekeletso Kao, Mikashmi Kohli et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2023

  • Integration of point-of-care screening for type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension into the Covid-19 vaccine programme in Johannesburg, South Africa

    Open AccessAlana T Brennan, Beatrice Vetter et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2023

    Our study underscores the value of utilizing even brief healthcare interactions as opportunities for screening additional health conditions, thereby aiding the identification of previously undiagnosed cases. Integrating NCD screenings into routine healthcare visits holds promise, especially in resource-constrained settings. Nonetheless, concerted efforts to strengthen care linkage are crucial for holistic NCD management and control. These finding…

  • Missed opportunities for integrated testing

    Open AccessGamuchirai P Gwaza, Monkoe Leqheka et al.ARTICLEInternational Journal of…2023Cited by: 1

    Introduction: Integrated testing of TB and HIV can improve health outcomes and save costs. The GeneXpert (GX) instrument, a multi-disease testing platform, can allow for simultaneous HIV and TB testing. However, utilization of the platform for integrated testing remains suboptimal, and there are operational barriers to implementing integrated TB and HIV testing. Methods: We evaluated the implementation of TB and HIV testing on the GX instrument f…

  • Two-test algorithms for infectious disease diagnosis

    Open AccessSunil Pokharel, Lisa J White et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2022

    Diagnostic assays for various infectious diseases, including COVID-19, have been challenged for their utility as standalone point-of-care diagnostic tests due to suboptimal accuracy, complexity, high cost or long turnaround times for results. It is therefore critical to optimise their use to meet the needs of users. We used a simulation approach to estimate diagnostic outcomes, number of tests required and average turnaround time of using two-tes…