Koeun Choi

Yale-New Haven Hospital | YNHH

Background Infections with the tapeworm Taenia solium (taeniosis and cysticercosis) are Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) highly endemic in Madagascar. These infections are however underdiagnosed, underreported and their burden at the community level remains unknown especially in rural remote settings. This study aims at assessing the prevalence of...

Introduction South Africa, home to the world's largest HIV epidemic, has made great strides in improving access to HIV services, but specific groups, particularly young men, remain difficult to engage in the HIV care cascade. Alcohol use disorder, prevalent in South Africa, further complicates engagement. Congregate settings where alcohol is served...

Background Despite extensive rollout of tuberculosis preventive therapy (TPT) in South Africa to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis among people living with HIV (PWH), rates of initiation and completion have remained suboptimal. Objective This study aimed to identify factors associated with low TPT prescription rates among health care workers (H...

Background Community-based intensive case finding (CBICF) is an effective strategy for infectious disease case detection, particularly for hard-to-reach populations. Alcohol use is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for tuberculosis. We report on the association of alcohol use with tuberculosis case detection as part of a CBICF in a rural res...

Background Despite South Africa’s initial successful rollout of tuberculosis preventative therapy (TPT) to reduce tuberculosis (TB) incidence among HIV-infected patients, recent data suggest prescription rates have decreased. This study aimed to identify associations with low prescription rates among healthcare workers (HCWs) in rural South Africa....

Background Despite widespread access to HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy (ART), men, and especially young men, remain difficult to engage in HIV services. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) further complicates engagement. Congregate alcohol venues, known as shebeens, are an ideal place to engage with young men for HIV testing, treatment, and preventi...

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) is a promising tool to deliver healthcare interventions to underserved populations. We characterized the use of mobile devices in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to tailor mHealth interventions for people living with HIV and at risk for acquiring HIV in the middle-income country. Methods: We surveyed partici...

Background mHealth (mobile health) is a promising tool to deliver healthcare interventions to underserved populations. Across low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), the prevalence of smartphones has risen to 42%. Effective mHealth deployment in LMIC requires an understanding of how LMIC populations use mobile technology. We characterized the use...

Background Men’s lack of engagement in healthcare hinders HIV efforts in sub-Saharan Africa. Masculine norms and lack of accessibility in a female-dominated healthcare system deter male health-seeking behavior. Community interventions combat the gender gap. In South Africa (SA), alcohol-based venues (ABV) are common locales for men. We created an A...

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections carry the highest number of disability adjusted life years among all neglected tropical diseases, disproportionately affecting low-income countries such as Madagascar. This study describes the epidemiology of STH and S. stercoralis infections in twelve remote villages surrounding Ranomafana National Park (...