What are the effects of obesity on COVID-19 outcomes? Key messages • There is enough evidence to support the finding that extreme obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m2) increases the chance of a person dying, requiring a breathing tube, being hospitalised, and being admitted to the ICU due to COVID-19.  • Obesity in general will result in a person requiring a breathing tube. • The higher one's BMI gets, the higher the chance that a person will suffer from severe COVID-19 disease.  

Key messages - Quality improvement programmes can improve diabetes care, especially when multiple strategies are used in combination. - Strategies used in these programmes that lead to the largest improvements in key outcomes in people with diabetes are: case management, team changes, patient education and promotion of self-management. Why is improving diabetes care important?

Sometimes people avoid talking about uncertainty in scientific findings…but they shouldn't! Gain insights and practical advice on how to communicate uncertainty in this free resource.

Welcome to the sixth edition of the Cochrane Africa newsletter. In this issue we bring you:

House modifications, such as screening (covering or closing potential house entry points for mosquitoes with mesh or other materials) or the use of specific house materials or designs, such as metals roofs instead of thatched roofs, or elevated rooms, may contribute to reducing the burden of malaria. They work by preventing mosquitoes from entering houses, and reducing the number of bites householders receive indoors.

A comprehensive review of all the evidence available from randomised controlled trials of COVID 19 vaccines up to November 2021 has concluded that most protect against infection and severe or critical illness caused by the virus.

In November 2022 Jimmy Volmink, the 'father of evidence-based medicine in Africa' and dedicated Cochrane member was the speaker for the 2022 Cochrane Lecture. 

Welcome to the fifth issue of the Cochrane Africa newsletter. In this issue we bring you:

Cochrane London 2023: Forward together for trusted evidence 4-6 September 2023 Central London, UK

Launch of new framework to 2027 will build on existing work leading to consumer involvement throughout the entire process of research and dissemination of Cochrane evidence.