Evaluation of the effectiveness of a South African laboratory cryptococcal antigen screening programme using a retrospective cohort and a cluster-randomised trial design

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Cryptococcal meningitis is a common fungal opportunistic infection and a leading cause of death among people with advanced HIV disease in sub-Saharan Africa. The WHO recommends cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) screening followed by pre-emptive therapy to prevent cryptococcal meningitis and death in this population. In 2016, South Africa was the first country to implement reflexive laboratory CrAg screening nationally. The Cryptococcal Antigen Screen-and-Treat National Evaluation Team (CAST-NET) aims to evaluate the effectiveness of this national screening programme to optimise health outcomes.

Methods and analysis

The CAST-NET study consists of two integrated parts: a retrospective cohort study and a cluster-randomised trial (CRT). The retrospective cohort study w

SUBMITTER: DeSanto D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9362797 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature