Common mental health outcomes among children in conflict with the law in correctional facilities in Africa are an under-researched area with significant public health implications. This review will synthesise available and accessible evidence on the prevalence and associated factors of common mental health outcomes among children in conflict with the law in Africa.

Comprehensive electronic searches will date from 01 January 2015 to 31 December 2025 and will be conducted in PubMed, Sabinet, Scopus, EBSCOhost, Web of Science and PsycINFO. Articles will be screened using defined inclusion and exclusion criteria and assessed for eligibility by three independent reviewers. Discrepancies will be reviewed by a ninth reviewer. The selection process of included articles will be reported by using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses will be used. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool will assess study quality, and data will be synthesised using meta-analysis or a narrative synthesis approach, depending on heterogeneity levels.

This study will not require ethical approval from an institutional review board, as it does not entail the direct collection of data from children in conflict with the law, nor does it pose any risk to their privacy. Once finalised, the full review report will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The key findings will also be shared at both local and international conferences, highlighting common mental health outcomes among children in conflict with the law.

CRD420251011484.

To evaluate the performance of Ghana’s environmental surveillance (ES) system for poliovirus (PV) detection from 2018 to 2022 using standardised indicators developed by the WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A retrospective performance evaluation using 10 key indicators benchmarked against global targets for PV surveillance.

Seven regions across Ghana, participating in the national ES programme implemented under the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

Wastewater sampling was conducted at designated ES sites, supported by field collection teams and laboratory personnel responsible for sample acquisition, processing and reporting of PV detection results.

Detection rates of PV and non-polio enteroviruses (NPEVs), timeliness of sample collection and reporting, data quality and system stability.

A total of 738 wastewater samples were collected. The system demonstrated high sensitivity, detecting circulating vaccine-derived PV type 2 in 51 (6.9%) of samples, Sabin PV types 1 and 3 in 61 (9.5%) and 114 (17.8%), respectively, and NPEVs in 491 (66.5%) of samples. Over 80% of samples met the recommended 21-day collection-to-reporting time frame. Data quality exceeded the ≥80% threshold, and workflows remained stable throughout the evaluation period.

Ghana’s ES system for PV was found to be flexible, stable and effective in generating high-quality data for early detection and public health response. These findings underscore the system’s critical role in supporting polio eradication efforts and highlight its potential as a model for surveillance in similar settings.

In Arizona, chronic diseases, mental health conditions, haemorrhage and infections remain significant causes of severe maternal morbidity (SMM). Community health worker (CHW) interventions address social determinants of health and enhance healthcare access, which is particularly important for improving maternal health among high-risk Medicaid beneficiaries.

The Arizona Health Start Programme (HSP), a home-visiting intervention, uses CHWs to improve maternal and child health outcomes through health education, referral support and advocacy services for at-risk pregnant and postpartum women with children up to age 2 years. Over 80% of HSP participants are insured by Medicaid. The goal of this evaluation is to determine if, among Arizona Medicaid beneficiaries, participation in HSP improves (1) the risk of experiencing SMM, (2) the care management of pregnant women diagnosed with chronic conditions (eg, diabetes, hypertension) and (3) the care management of pregnant women diagnosed with depression, compared with pregnant women who did not participate in HSP. To test our hypothesis, we employ a quasi-experimental design using retrospective data and propensity score matching to establish comparison groups using Arizona Medicaid claims and enrolment records spanning the study period (2008–2019).

No primary data will be collected. This work is supported through an inter-agency contract from Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS); approved by the ADHS Human Subjects Review Board, Project #17–00010, determined as non-human subjects research. Evaluation of the proposed outcomes will be completed by June 2027, and findings will be disseminated to HSP directors, managers and CHWs, as well as through academic journals and conferences.

Antenatal depression (AD), a maternal mental health condition, has been increasingly prevalent in recent years. It is often triggered by various stressors, including hormonal changes, relationship problems and economic challenges. In Ghana, there is currently no recent nationally representative prevalence data on AD, despite a number of studies conducted in various regions.

Review will include observational studies which employed standardised diagnostic criteria or validated screening tools. We will search the PubMed, SCOPUS, African Index Medicus (AIM), Science Direct, Web of Science (WoS) and Google Scholar databases. The African Journal Online (AJOL) will also be handsearched. Targeted grey literature search will include selected tertiary institutional repositories, Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Health and Mental Health Authority websites. Studies in English will be included with no limits to date. Data extraction will be performed by two independent reviewers using a structured table, with a third reviewer resolving any discrepancies. Quality assessment of included studies will be conducted using the adapted National Institiute of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool for observational studies. Pooled prevalence estimates will be calculated using a random-effects meta-analysis if studies are sufficiently homogeneous and subgroup analysis.

Given that this study involves no primary data collection, an ethical review is not necessary. The findings will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal, presentations at academic conferences and key national stakeholder events.

CRD42025644715.

Our study aimed to summarise and reflect on current evidence around patient and surgeon perspectives regarding the use of a central intake system (CIS) as a strategy for managing surgical waitlists.

A systematic review was conducted. Searches were performed on 9 October 2023. The strategies used key words such as ‘central intake’, ‘surgery’ and ‘experience’. Medical and the Web of Science core databases were searched.

Titles and abstracts were assessed by two independent reviewers. Studies were included if: the study population was adult (age >18), and patients were referred for non-emergency surgery assessment.

Data were independently extracted by two reviewers using a standardised form. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research was used to assess study quality. Of 2805 studies identified, nine were included with a moderate to high confidence of evidence. Through thematic analysis, four patient and five surgeon themes were identified, with a further two common themes (although conceptualised differently).

Patients value CISs for their potential to create an equitable referral process and clearer timelines, yet they emphasise the importance of preserving autonomy and personalised care by maintaining the option to choose their surgeon. Surgeons recognise the operational benefits of CISs in streamlining referrals and reducing wait times, but also caution that adequate resources, strong leadership and careful case selection are critical to sustain quality and engagement.

These findings highlight the complex balance required to successfully implement CISs. The system-level gains in access and coordination must be carefully aligned with patient-centred values such as choice and trust and supported by organisational culture shifts and leadership commitment. Importantly, the study identifies gaps in end-user involvement and decision-making power that should be addressed to enhance acceptability and effectiveness.

Future actions should consider a framework that incorporates clear governance with continued pilot programmes that include evaluation of patient satisfaction, quantitative and qualitative clinical outcomes, and impact on equity. Additionally, targeted strategies are needed to accommodate complex or specialised cases that may not fit the central intake model. Through careful implementation and continuous stakeholder engagement, central intake models have the potential to meaningfully improve surgical waitlist management while respecting the needs and preferences of both patients and surgeons.

The prevalence of HIV in adolescents is a major global health concern, and research into the influence of HIV on mental health outcomes in this demographic is ongoing. We will conduct a comprehensive systematic review of common mental health outcomes in adolescents with HIV infection (aged 10–24 years). Recognising the specific psychosocial issues that adolescents living with HIV infection are confronted with, this review aims to integrate existing research on the prevalence, risk factors and protective factors related to both positive and negative mental health outcomes in this population.

The following electronic databases will be searched for publications from 1959 up to December 2025: PubMed, PsycINFO, Global Health, Embase, African Journals OnLine and African Index Medicus. The review will focus on both positive and negative mental health outcomes: positive outcomes include resilience, subjective happiness and post-traumatic growth, whereas the negative outcomes include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder and suicidality. Peer-reviewed primary observational studies that report prevalence rates for common mental health outcomes outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, and the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Edition, their associated factors, as well as barriers to and facilitators of use of mental health support services among this population, will be included in the review. Google Scholar and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global as well as Electronic Theses and Dissertations from Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and Kenya, will also be searched for grey literature. The review will be limited to publications in English or French. To assess the methodological rigour of the selected studies, the Joanna Briggs Critical Appraisal Tools will be used. The synthesis will include a narrative summary and, if applicable, a meta-analysis of quantitative data depending on the extent of heterogeneity observed in the included studies. Subgroup analyses will be conducted to investigate differences in mental health outcomes by age, sex and socioeconomic position, where applicable. This systematic review will be reported in accordance with the PRISMA statement.

This review will use secondary data and does not require ethical approval. The findings will be shared through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. The emphasis will be on translating research findings into practical mental health interventions and HIV-specific support services for adolescents.

CRD42024568512.