Reviewer ’s report  
Title: Selected indicators and determinants of women's health i n the vicinity of a copper mine 
development in northwestern Zambia  
 
Version: 1 Date: 13 Feb 2018  
 
Reviewer: Stephan Böse O'Reilly  
 
Reviewer's report:  
Selected indicators of women's health and associated determinants in the vicinity of a copper 
mine development in northwestern Zambia  
 
Dear authors  
 
Thank you for an interesting manuscript, which I reviewed with pleasure.  
 
The t opic is of great public health impact. Especially in low income countries new jobs are 
needed, and in sub -Saharan Africa mining is a major industry. It is the expected outcome, that 
new jobs create income and the health in general improves.  
 
I have the following comments to make.  
 
Line 68 -72: "The Trident project potentially influences on all three dimensions of sustainable 
development: society … economy …  and the environment (e.g. through the alteration of 
ecosystems, mining and associated i nfrastructures)". Here you mention that e.g. the project might 
have an influence on the environment. In line 84 -85 you write "Both surveys included a broad 
spectrum of biomedical, environmental, structural, behavioural and knowledge indicators". You 
say cl early environment is an important dimension, you have included the data for environmental 
health, but you do not give the results. I would suggest to present the results, to avoid any 
"speculation".  
 
Line 100: "we present a selection of health outcomes ..  indicators". You need to explain why you 
only present a selection and why you selected the parameters you do present. In Additional File 1 
the questionnaire is listed. It is obvious that you had many more parameters examined. But you 
only present some in this paper. My suggestion is to explain why you only present those samples 
and add to the supplement a file with all results.  
 
Line 152: "to have several biomedical indicators measured". My question is why you did not test 
for HIV? If you take blood you co uld test HIV as well. In my opinion a large scale mining 
company has to provide treatment for HIV/Aids (or make at least other ongoing HIB/Aids 
projects available for the community.  
 
Line 256 -257: "We speculate that women who did not participate in the he alth road shows have a 
migration background". As far as I understand you had the data if somebody has a migration 
background or not. You should be able with adequate statistical methods to prove your 
"speculation".    
 
Line 275 -276: "As reported elsewhere,  the malaria prevalence assessed during the same surveys 
in children under 5 years of age has almost doubled". Interesting result, but what do you want to 
discuss with this sentence?  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, plea se specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
Yes 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript  or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects req uire further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
I am able to assess the statistics  
Quality of written Engl ish 
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
Acceptable  
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary f rom an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financial ly from the publication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents  relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
If you can answer no to all o f the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
 
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