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Strengthening research capacity in Africa is vital for tackling pressing health, educational and socioeconomic challenges facing the continent. At the core of this effort is the cultivation of innovative research leaders through postgraduate training programmes that incorporate mentorship-infused supervision. Such models have demonstrated potential in improving research skills, boosting academic productivity and fostering leadership development among emerging scholars. This systematic review and meta-synthesis protocol aims to examine existing mentorship-infused supervision practices across African higher education institutions. The review seeks to identify effective models, uncover common challenges and barriers, and generate evidence-based recommendations to develop sustainable, contextually relevant strategies. Insights from this work will inform policies and practices to enhance postgraduate research training, advance research leadership and contribute to the broader goal of strengthening research ecosystems across Africa.
A systematic review and thematic meta-synthesis will be undertaken, focusing on qualitative research studies as well as the qualitative components of mixed-methods studies. Relevant studies published in English will be identified through a comprehensive search strategy. The electronic databases, including Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, African Journals Online, EMBASE and CINAHL, will be searched to capture a wide range of peer-reviewed articles and grey literature. Databases will be searched from March 2026. Two reviewers will independently perform study selection, data extraction, quality assessment and evaluation of risk of bias, using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist.
This systematic review and meta-synthesis will analyse publicly available literature and does not require ethical approval, as it involves no primary data collection. It will adhere to established ethical and methodological standards, including proper citation and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The findings will be widely disseminated through open-access journal publication, conference presentations and targeted reports for universities, research institutions and policymakers to inform and support mentorship-based postgraduate research supervision across Africa.
CDR420251049878. Available from https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251049878.
by Anna M. Leone, Friday Saidi, Lauren A. Graybill, Qinghua Li, Twambilile Phanga, Feng-Chang Lin, Twaambo E. Hamoonga, K. Rivet Amico, Wilbroad Mutale, Benjamin H. Chi
ObjectiveWhen measured continuously, adherence to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is consistently low in studies of pregnant and postpartum women. We investigated how PrEP adherence aligned with HIV exposure risk.
MethodsWe conducted a trial of a PrEP adherence support intervention in Lilongwe, Malawi. Pregnant women who met eligibility criteria for PrEP had visits at three and six months following enrollment. At each visit, HIV exposure risk was categorized as low or moderate/high (i.e., higher) risk based on an algorithm. PrEP adherence was measured via tenofovir concentrations, with functional adherence defined at levels consistent with ≥4 doses/week. HIV exposure risk and PrEP adherence were classified as either aligned (i.e., higher HIV risk/PrEP adherence, low HIV risk/PrEP non-adherence) or not aligned (i.e., higher HIV risk/PrEP non-adherence, low HIV risk/PrEP adherence). Probability differences (PD) were used to estimate the effect of the PrEP adherence intervention on aligned PrEP adherence.
Results164 women were included in the analysis. HIV exposure risk was higher for 81 participants (49%) at three months and 89 (54%) at six months. PrEP adherence was low at three months (34%) and at six months (29%). Aligned PrEP adherence was observed in 89 (54%) participants at three months and 83 (51%) at six months. 62% at higher HIV exposure risk were not aligned at month three, which increased to 68% at month six. The probability of aligned PrEP adherence was greater among those randomized to the intervention than those receiving standard of care at three months (PD:15.7%; 95%CI:0.8%, 30.6%). This was also evident in analyses that considered women with high HIV risk but low adherence.
ConclusionAlignment of PrEP adherence with HIV exposure risk was dynamic. PrEP adherence should be considered in the context of evolving HIV exposure risk during pregnancy and postpartum, with greater emphasis on periods of elevated HIV risk exposure.
Nurse-led education programs in childcare settings are critical for improving early childhood health outcomes and caregiver practices. Despite their potential, a systematic synthesis of their effectiveness is lacking.
To summarize the characteristics and evaluate the effectiveness of existing nurse-led education programs in childcare settings through a systematic review of experimental studies.
This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted in five databases from inception to December 9, 2024. Two reviewers independently screened articles, extracted data, and assessed study quality. Due to methodological heterogeneity, a narrative synthesis was performed. The review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024618983).
Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria, involving 900 childcare workers and 920 families. The programs targeted two main areas: prevention of child health issues and management of child health issues. Lectures and group discussions were the most frequently used strategies. Nurses assumed diverse roles, including educators, consultants, and facilitators. The findings revealed several benefits, including reduced rates of upper respiratory illness, improved family health practices—such as appropriate medication use—and enhanced childcare worker competencies in first aid knowledge.
Nurses play a critical role in implementing education programs in childcare settings. Their contributions should be fully integrated into program planning and delivery. Future research should adopt rigorous methodologies to strengthen evidence-based practices and improve child health outcomes and caregiver competencies.
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