The prevalence of Parkinson's disease in rural Tanzania.

The prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD) varies worldwide from 7 to 450 per 100,000, and appears low in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) but few data exist. We conducted a prevalence study of PD in rural Tanzania. A door-to-door study was conducted in the Hai district project area (population 161,071), using a screening questionnaire followed by structured history and examination of positive responders.

The quality of essential antimicrobial and antimalarial drugs marketed in Rwanda and Tanzania: influence of tropical storage conditions on in vitro dissolution.

Objective: The quality of 33 formulations of essential antimicrobial and antimalarial drugs (amoxicillin capsules, metronidazole tablets, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim tablets, quinine tablets and sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine tablets) marketed in Rwanda and Tanzania was assessed and the influence of tropical storage conditions on potency and in vitro dissolution investigated.

Methods: Drug content and in vitro dissolution were determined immediately after purchase and during 6-month storage under simulated tropical conditions (75% relative humidity, 40 degrees C) using the methods described in the USP 24 monographs on the drugs concerned.

Results And Discussion: At the time of purchase, the drug content of all the formulations was within the limits recommended by the USP 24, but after 6-month storage, the drug content of one sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim and one quinine formulation were found to be substandard.

In vitro evaluation of the quality of essential drugs on the Tanzanian market.

We evaluated the in vitro availability and its stability under simulated tropical conditions of various formulations of four essential drugs marketed in Tanzania. We obtained 22 formulations (containing paracetamol, acetylsalicylic acid, chloroquine or sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine) from wholesale pharmacies in Dar es Salaam and the Medical Stores Department (Tanzania). The drug content, in vitro availability (dissolution) and its stability under simulated tropical conditions were determined using methods specified in the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) 24 monograph of the respective drugs.

Stroke mortality in urban and rural Tanzania. Adult Morbidity and Mortality Project.

Background: Most data for stroke mortality in sub-Saharan Africa are hospital based. We aimed to establish the contribution of cerebrovascular disease to all-cause mortality and cerebrovascular disease mortality rates in adults aged 15 years or more in one urban and two rural areas of Tanzania.

Methods: Regular censuses of the three surveillance populations consisting of 307,820 people (125,932 aged below 15 years and 181,888 aged 15 or more) were undertaken with prospective monitoring of all deaths arising in these populations between June 1, 1992 and May 31, 1995.

Application of the new ADA criteria for the diagnosis of diabetes to population studies in sub-Saharan Africa. American diabetes association.

Aims: To examine the implications for epidemiological studies of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommendation that the fasting blood glucose at a lowered level becomes the main diagnostic test for diabetes on cross-sectional-based data from sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: Data from 11 surveys conducted in rural, peri-urban and urban Cameroon (n = 1804), South Africa (n = 3799) and Tanzania (n = 10013) which measured fasting (ADA criteria) and 2-h blood glucose concentrations during a standard 75 g OGTT (old WHO criteria) were analysed.

Results: The prevalence of diabetes was higher in eight of the 11 surveys when applying the new ADA compared to the old WHO criteria.