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The article reports that the Technical Evaluation Reference Group (TERG) is drawing up a concept paper discussing ways to build resilient and sustainable health systems in Africa to help aid the Global Fund in the fight against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis (TB) and malaria.

The laboratory plays an essential role in the diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The ability to make an accurate diagnosis is essential because of the individual and public health implications associated with an STI diagnosis. This is achieved through a combination of direct microscopy, bacterial culture, molecular detection and serological testing. The choice of test is guided by the method with the highest sensitivity and specificity; in most cases, this is nucleic acid amplification testing. With antimicrobial resistance a significant global concern, monitoring resistance trends is crucial in guiding antimicrobial prescribing. STI testing must be both accessible and acceptable to patients, with testing now available in a variety of community and healthcare settings. Self-sampling for STIs offers a suitable alternative to clinician-taken swabs for those who do not want or need an examination. This paper summarizes the current methods available in the diagnosis of STIs and genital infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines surgery-related papers in Africa. One paper refers to the incidence of compartment syndrome in the country which is high and the causes are very variable not just trauma. Another refers to the article published in the "Archives of Surgery" concerning abdominal gunshot wounds wherein some of the patients require laparotomy.

The article focuses on glaucoma, described as being responsible for around 15% of blindness in Africa. Topics discussed include the prevalence of blindness from cataract, the results of the Nigeria blindness survey carried out between 2005 and 2007, and why some patients with glaucoma had gonioscopy. It also details how glaucoma was graded by severity in a paper from Nigeria that looked at new patients presenting with open angle glaucoma to a teaching hospital in Bauchi, North East Nigeria.

The article presents abstracts on papers related to diabetes such as "Exenatide twice daily versus glimepiride for prevention of glycaemic deterioration in patients with type 2 diabetes with metformin failure (EUREXA): an open-label, randomised controlled trial," by B. Gallwitz and colleagues and "The use of pioglitazone and the risk of bladder cancer in people with type 2 diabetes: nested case-control study," by L. Azoulay and colleagues.

The article presents abstracts on paper related to paediatrics which include "Million neonatal deaths: when? Where? Why?," by J. E. Lawn and colleagues, "Umbilical myiasis," by I. F. Burgess, and "Chlorhexidine cord cleansing to reduce neonatal mortality," by D. Osrin and Z. E. Hill, and "Topical umbilical cord care at birth," by J. Zupan, P. Garner, and A. A. Omari.

The article presents abstracts on paper related to medicine which include "Risks of aspirin outweigh benefits in people without cardiovascular disease, shows analysis," by S. Mayor, "A sustainable agenda for tuberculosis control and research," by M. Raviglione and colleagues, and "Global malaria mortality between 1980 and 2010: a systematic analysis," by L. C. Rosenfeld and colleagues.

Information on several papers discussed at National Quality Improvement Forum held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on November 16-18, 2012 organized by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is presented. Topics include the Quality Improvement (QI) approaches, the challenges in facing the quality improvement process, and the quality healthcare services. The forum was attended by members of healthcare facilities, who share their experiences on helping to enhance the quality of care.

The article offers information on mental health in Africa. It mentions that the Global Mental Health Summit and the formation of the Pan-African Network of People with Psychosocial Disability (PANPEP) will have a long-lasting impact on the development of mental healthcare in Africa. Moreover, the paper of Drew and colleagues identifies key factors that restrict or violate the human rights of people with psychosocial disability and evidence-based strategies for countering the violations.

The article discusses the move of the leaders in cardiovascular disease prevention and control to publish a paper which calls for urgent action to reduce premature mortality by 25% by 2025.

The article presents abstracts on papers related to surgery such as "Effect of tranexamic acid on surgical bleeding: systematic review and cumulative metaanalysis," by K. Ker and colleagues and "Safety and efficacy of antibiotics compared with appendicectomy for treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trial," by K. K. Vardhan and colleagues.

The article presents abstracts on papers related to psychology such as "Facilitated physical activity as a treatment for depressed adults: randomised controlled trial," by M. Chalder and colleagues and "Antipsychotic drugs versus placebo for relapse prevention in schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis," by S. Leucht and colleagues.

The article offers information the results of a systematic review of 43 papers which assessed the risk models and scores in predicting the risks of type 2 diabetes.

The author reflects on mobile health and electronic health (mHealth and eHealth) solutions for health communication problems in Africa. He says that mobile and computers offer new opportunities, particularly for continuing professional development (CPD), but most people still prefer paper source as medium. He says doctor Francis Omaswa will discuss medical education in Africa at the Africa Health Webinar on Medical Education on May 24, 2012, sponsored by the Laureate International Universities.