While chronic kidney disease (CKD) is well characterised in adults, less is known about the prevalence of CKD in children and adolescents, where it is rare and associated with unique characteristics and implications for long-term health outcomes. This study protocol outlines a systematic review to assess the global prevalence of CKD in children and adolescents along with causes and associated risk factors. This is warranted to better characterise prevalence and to identify at-risk groups that would benefit from screening efforts. We will explore the risk and burden of CKD and its variations by sociodemographic characteristics (age group, race, sex/gender) and geographical regions (country, International Society of Nephrology region and income groups based on World Bank country classifications).

We will conduct a systematic review of studies reporting on the prevalence of CKD in children and adolescents following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols 2015 (PRISMA-P-2015) and the PRISMA 2020 methodological guidelines (PRISMA 2020). Searches will be undertaken in the following databases with the date range from 2000 to date: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Citation Index (via Clarivate), Web of Science Core Collection, Google Scholar and grey literature sites (registries, government reports) to identify studies that report on the prevalence of CKD in children and adolescents from ages 0 to 18. The primary outcome will be the global prevalence of CKD in children and adolescents. Secondary outcomes will include the causes of and risk factors for CKD, and examining differences and temporal trends in CKD prevalence across countries, geographical regions, income levels and sociodemographic characteristics.

No direct involvement with patient data will be used in this systematic review, as data will be obtained from previously published reports. Ethical approval is therefore not required. Our findings will be published in an open-access peer-reviewed journal and presented at scientific conferences.

CRD42024547467.

Existing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) do not meet accepted international criteria for measuring health outcomes of hypospadias treatment. This protocol describes the qualitative development (phase I) of a novel PROM to evaluate outcomes of hypospadias treatments.

Participants aged 7 years and older with hypospadias and caregivers of children under 8 years seeking treatment at Boston Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and McMaster Children’s Hospital), will be invited to participate in concept elicitation and cognitive interviews. Concept elicitation interviews will be in-depth and semi-structured to understand concepts important to patients seeking treatment for hypospadias. Cognitive interviews will be performed concurrently to ensure that the scale items, instructions and response options are relevant, understandable and comprehensive. Cognitive interviews will be complemented by expert input. Concept elicitation and cognitive interview transcripts will be coded line-by-line. Participant quotes will be categorised into top-level domains, themes and subthemes. The primary outcome of this research will be to develop a conceptual model representing the patient experience of hypospadias and a novel PROM.

Ethics approval was obtained from Boston Children’s Hospital’s Institutional Review Board (HHS Registration: IRB00000352; Protocol number IRB-P00042425). CHOP, McMaster and CHEO have reliance agreements with Boston Children’s Hospital. Findings from this research will be disseminated at national and international conferences and published in relevant peer-reviewed journals for the target audience.

To describe challenges posed by COVID-19 on tuberculosis (TB) commodity supply, care cascade, active case finding and responses taken by healthcare workers (HCWs) and community health workers (CHWs) during the first year of the pandemic (March 2020 to February 2021).

A qualitative descriptive study involving 25 in-depth interviews and 10 focus group discussions conducted in July 2022.

37 TB treatment facilities were purposively selected from seven regions due to high TB case notifications in 2019 and their provision of TB and COVID-19 services during the first year of the pandemic (March 2020 to February 2021).

Purposive selection of 58 HCWs and 55 CHWs who provided TB services in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

HCWs reported unusual stockouts and delayed receipt of GeneXpert cartridges and sputum containers. TB services faced a decline in client attendance, as clients were hesitant to undergo TB screening, sputum sample collection and contact tracing due to fear of contracting or being diagnosed with COVID-19 and subsequently being quarantined. To mitigate these challenges, HCWs used alternative containers for sputum sample collection, optimised GeneXpert cartridge use by prioritising GeneXpert testing for TB risk groups and diagnosed TB by microscopy, chest X-ray and sputum pooling method. Moreover, they extended drug refill schedules to minimise the risk of contracting COVID-19 in clinics. CHWs used mobile communication for client tracing and focused household visits on TB risk groups.

COVID-19 disrupted TB commodity availability and TB treatment-seeking behaviour. Adaptations like multi-month drug refills and optimised GeneXpert use supported the TB healthcare system’s resilience. While these adaptations offer valuable insights for strengthening TB service delivery, their effectiveness and sustainability require further evaluation. Thus, prospective studies could clarify their long-term impact. National Tuberculosis Program could consider adapting these practices postpandemic, with appropriate modifications to suit different contexts.