“There is a clear research gap when it comes to assessing innovative care models that support the scale-up of access to chronic disease prevention and care. Our aim is to close this gap.”
Felix Gerber, Ravi Gupta, Giuliana Sanchez-Samaniego, Thabo Ishmael Lejone, Thesar Tahirsylaj, Fabian Raeber, Elis Belen Saavedra, Iliana Esquivel, Mamakhala Chitja, Manthabiseng Molulela, Makhebe Khomolishoele, Mota Mota, Matumaole Bane, Sesale Masike, Mamorontsane Pauline Sematle, Manthati Mofokeng, Retselisitsoe Makabateng, Madavida Mphunyane, Lebohang Sao, Mosa Tlahali, Malitaba Litaba, Dave Brian Basler, Kevin Kindler, Irene Ayakaka, Pauline Grimm, Eleonora Seelig, Frédérique Chammartin, Niklaus Daniel Labhardt, Alain Amstutz. Community Health Worker-Led Versus Facility-Based Type 2 Diabetes Care in Rural Lesotho: A Cluster-Randomised Trial within the ComBaCaL Cohort Study.Preprints with THE LANCET, (2025). http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5653533
Lejone, T.I., Gerber, F., Gupta, R., Belus, J.M., Tahirsylaj, T., Lee, T., Sanchez‑Samaniego, G., Kohler, M., Haldemann, M.I., Raeber, F., Williams, A., Khomolishoele, M., Mahlatsi, P., Sematle, P.M., Motlatsi, L., Matjeane, B., Basler, D., Kindler, K., Grimm, P., Rohacek, M., Amstutz, A. and Labhardt, N.D. Feasibility and Acceptability of Diabetes and Hypertension Screening and Diagnosis by Community Health Workers in Rural Lesotho: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study.Annals of Global Health. (2025). https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.4738
Nicoló Spaolonzi, Ravi Gupta, Giuliana Sanchez-Samaniego, Frédérique Chammartin, Alexander W Carter, Thesar Tahirsylaj, Fabian Raeber, Malebona Mathulise Diploma, Thuso Kabi, Mosoetsi Mokaeane, Malehloa Maphenchane, Manthabiseng Molulela, Makhebe Khomolishoele, Mota Mota Diploma, Sesale Masike, Matumaole Bane, Mamoronts’ane Pauline Sematle, Retselisitsoe Makabateng, Lebohang Sa, Mosa Tlahali,Prof Niklaus Daniel Labhardt. Costs and coverage of community health worker-led hypertension and diabetes screening in rural Lesotho (ComBaCaL): cost–consequence analysis of a cohort study.The Lancet Primary Care, (2025).https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanprc.2025.100034
(Comment: Daniel Palazuelos, Afom T Andom, (2025) Benefits and limitations of rigorous cost analyses in community health, The Lancet Primary Care, Volume 1, Issue 4,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanprc.2025.100046
Johnson, N. E., Falgas-Bague, I., Chammartin, F., Gerber, F., Lee, T. T., Gupta, R., Mjadu, R., Nthunya, J., Mokebe, M., Makabateng, R., Sematle, M. P., Letsoela, P., Labhardt, N. D., Amstutz, A., & Belus, J. M. Mental health and substance use problems among adolescents in Lesotho: Prevalence, access to care, and association with lifestyle factors.Journal of research on adolescence : the official journal of the Society for Research on Adolescence, (2025). https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.70062
Gerber, F., Sanchez-Samaniego, G., Tahirsylaj, T., Lejone, T. I., Lee, T., Raeber, F., Chitja, M., Mathulise, M., Kabi, T., Mokaeane, M., Maphenchane, M., Molulela, M., Mota, M., Masike, S., Bane, M., Makabateng, R., Khomolishoele, M., Sematle, M., Gupta, R., Ayakaka, I., … Labhardt, N. D. Cohort profile: the open, prospective Community-Based chronic Care Lesotho (ComBaCaL) cohort - design, baseline chronic disease risk factors and hypertension and diabetes care cascades.BMJ open, (2025). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-093852
Niklaus Labhardt, Felix Gerber, Giuliana Sanchez-Samaniego et al. Community Health Worker-led versus facility-based hypertension care for people with uncontrolled blood pressure in rural Lesotho: a cluster-randomized trial within the ComBaCaL cohort study. PREPRINT at Research Square (2025). https://doi.org/10.21203/RS.3.RS-3805346/V1
Johnson, N. E., Belus, J. M., Gerber, F., Lee, T. T., Ayakaka, I., Letsoela, P., Molulela, M., Chammartin, F., Amstutz, A., & Labhardt, N. D. Prevalence and factors associated with dementia in Lesotho: A cross-sectional, population-based study.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, (2025). https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14614
Firima E, Ntsoaki R, Lukau B, Tlahali M, Gonzalez Fernandez L, Manthabiseng M, et al. Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection and treatment eligibility in Lesotho, Southern Africa: a population-based cross-sectional study with case-based follow-up.BMJ Public Health. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2024-001195
Fernández, L. G., Firima, E., Gupta, R., Sematle, M. P., Khomolishoele, M., Molulela, M., Bane, M., Tlahali, M., McCrosky, S., Lee, T., Chammartin, F., Seelig, E., Gerber, F., Lejone, T. I., Ayakaka, I., Labhardt, N. D., & Amstutz, A. Awareness, treatment, and control among adults living with arterial hypertension or diabetes mellitus in two rural districts in Lesotho.PLOS global public health, (2024). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003721
Felix Gerber, Thesar Tahirsylaj, Thabo Ishmael Lejone, Tristan Lee, Giuliana Sanchez-Samaniego, Fabian Raeber, Sesale Masike, Ravi Gupta, Manthabiseng Molulela, Makhebe Khomolishoele, Mota Mota, Matumaole Bane, Mamoronts’ane Pauline Sematle, Retselisitsoe Makabateng, Jason Immanuel Browne, Jonas Wittwer, Dave Brian Basler, Kevin Kindler, Niklaus Daniel Labhardt, and Alain Amstutz. eConsent administered by Community Health Workers in a study using the Trials within Cohorts (TwiCs) design—Experiences from the Community-Based chronic Care Lesotho (ComBaCaL) project.DIGITAL HEALTH. (2024) https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076241288757
Staehelin, D., Schmid, D., Gerber, F., Dolata, M., & Schwabe, G. Empowering Community Health Workers With Scripted Medicine: Design Science Research Study.JMIR human factors, (2025). https://doi.org/10.2196/57545
Felix Gerber, Ravi Gupta, Thabo Ishmael Lejone, Thesar Tahirsylaj, Tristan Lee, Giuliana Sanchez-Samaniego, Maurus Kohler, Maria-Inés Haldemann, Fabian Raeber, Mamakhala Chitja, Malebona Mathulise, Thuso Kabi, Mosoetsi Mokaeane, Malehloa Maphenchane, Manthabiseng Molulela, Makhebe Khomolishoele, Mota Mota, Sesale Masike, Matumaole Bane, Mamoronts’ane Pauline Sematle, Retselisitsoe Makabateng, Madavida Mphunyane, Sejojo Phaaroe, Dave Brian Basler, Kevin Kindler, Thilo Burkard, Matthias Briel, Frédérique Chammartin, Niklaus Daniel Labhardt & Alain Amstutz. Community-based management of arterial hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors by lay village health workers for people with controlled and uncontrolled blood pressure in rural Lesotho: joint protocol for two cluster-randomized trials within the ComBaCaL cohort study (ComBaCaL aHT Twic 1 and ComBaCaL aHT TwiC 2).Trials 25, (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-024-08226-2
Fabian Raeber; Maria-Inés Haldemann; Somidha Ray; Jacqueline Huber; Emmanuel Firima; Lucia Gonzalez Fernandez; Alain Amstutz; Felix Gerber; Niklaus D. Labhardt; Jennifer M. Belus. Community-based models of care for adolescent and adult depression, suicidal behavior, anxiety, trauma, and substance use in Africa: a scoping review. Frontiers in Psychology, (2024) https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1241403
Emmanuel Firima, Lucia Gonzalez, Molulela Manthabiseng, Matumaole Bane, Blaise Lukau, Bailah Leigh, Beat A. Kaufmann, Maja Weisser, Alain Amstutz, Jasper Tromp, Niklaus Daniel Labhardt & Thilo Burkard. Implementing focused echocardiography and AI-supported analysis in a population-based survey in Lesotho: implications for community-based cardiovascular disease care models.Hypertension Research (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-023-01559-6
Lucia González Fernández, Grace H. Yoon, Emmanuel Firima, Ravi Gupta, Mamoronts’ane Pauline Sematle, Makhebe Khomolishoele, Manthabiseng Molulela, Matumaole Bane, Mosa Tlahani, Tristan T. Lee, Frédérique Chammartin, Felix Gerber, Thabo Lejone, Irene Ayakaka, Niklaus Daniel Labhardt, Alain Amstutz & Jennifer M. Belus. Prevalence of Mental Health and Substance use Problems and Awareness of Need for Services in Lesotho: Results from a Population-Based Survey.Int J Ment Health Addiction (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-024-01309-w
Staehelin, D., Dolata, M., Peyer, N., Gerber, F., Schwabe, G. Algorithmic Management for Community Health Worker in Sub-Saharan Africa: Curse or Blessing? INTERACT (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42286-7_6
Felix Gerber, Ravi Gupta, Thabo Ishmael Lejone, Thesar Tahirsylaj, Tristan Lee, Maurus Kohler, Maria Ines Haldemann, Fabian Räber, Mamakhala Chitja, Molulela Manthabiseng, Makhebe Khomolishoele, Mota Mota, Matumaole Bane, Pauline Mamorontsane Sematle, Retselisitsoe Makabateng, Madavida Mphunyane, Sejojo Phaaroe, Dave Basler, Kevin Kindler, Eleonora Seelig, Matthias Briel, Frédérique Chammartin, Niklaus Daniel Labhardt & Alain Amstutz. Community-based type 2 diabetes care by lay village health workers in rural Lesotho: protocol for a cluster-randomized trial within the ComBaCaL cohort study (ComBaCaL T2D TwiC).Trials (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07729-8
Lucia González Fernández, Emmanuel Firima, Ravi Gupta, Mamoronts'ane Pauline Sematle, Makhebe Khomolishoele, Manthabiseng Molulela, Matumaole Bane, Raphaela Meli, Mosa Tlahali, Tristan Lee, Frédérique Chammartin, Felix Gerber, Thabo Ishmael Lejone, Irene Ayakaka, Maja Weisser, Alain Amstutz, Niklaus Daniel Labhardt, Prevalence and determinants of cardiovascular risk factors in Lesotho: a population-based survey, International Health (2024), https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihad058
Firima, E., Gonzalez, L., Khan, M. A., Manthabiseng, M., Sematle, M. P., Bane, M., Khomolishoele, M., Leisa, I., Retselisitsoe, L., Burkard, T., Seelig, E., Lee, T., Chammartin, F., Gupta, R., Leigh, B., Weisser, M., Amstutz, A., & Labhardt, N. D. . High Rates of Undiagnosed Target Organ Damage Among Adults with Elevated Blood Pressure or Diabetes Mellitus in a Community-Based Survey in Lesotho.Journal of epidemiology and global health, (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44197-023-00158-5
Emmanuel Firima, Lefokotsane Retselisitso, Ikhetheleng Leisa, Molulela Manthabiseng, Mamoronts’ane P. Sematle, Matumaole Bane, Makhebe Khomolishoele, Lucia Gonzalez, Ravi Gupta, Stephen McCrosky, Tristan Lee, Frédérique Chammartin, Bailah Leigh, Maja Weisser, Alain Amstutz, Thilo Burkard, Niklaus Daniel Labhardt. Head-to-head comparison of the WHO STEPwise approach with immediate unattended and delayed unattended automated blood pressure measurements during household-based screening: a diagnostic accuracy study in Lesotho. eClinicalMedicine, (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102197
Fernández, L. G., Firima, E., Robinson, E., Ursprung, F., Huber, J., Amstutz, A., Gupta, R., Gerber, F., Mokhohlane, J., Lejone, T., Ayakaka, I., Xu, H., & Labhardt, N. D. Community-based care models for arterial hypertension management in non-pregnant adults in sub-Saharan Africa: a literature scoping review and framework for designing chronic services.BMC public health, (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13467-4
Firima, E., Gonzalez, L., Ursprung, F., Robinson, E., Huber, J., Belus, J. M., Raeber, F., Gupta, R., Deen, G. F., Amstutz, A., Leigh, B., Weisser, M., & Labhardt, N. D. . Community-based models of care for management of type 2 diabetes mellitus among non-pregnant adults in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review.PloS one, (2023). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278353
Firima, E., Gonzalez, L., Huber, J., Belus, J. M., Raeber, F., Gupta, R., Mokhohlane, J., Mphunyane, M., Amstutz, A., & Labhardt, N. D. . Community-based models of care for management of type 2 diabetes mellitus among non-pregnant adults in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol.F1000Research, (2021). https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.52114.2
