Birth preparedness and complication readiness - a qualitative study among community members in rural Tanzania.

Background: Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP/CR) strategies are aimed at reducing delays in seeking, reaching, and receiving care. Counselling on birth preparedness is provided during antenatal care visits. However, it is not clear why birth preparedness messages do not translate to utilisation of facility delivery.

Anti-mosquito plants as an alternative or incremental method for malaria vector control among rural communities of Bagamoyo District, Tanzania.

Background: Plants represent one of the most accessible resources available for mosquito control by communities in Tanzania. However, no documented statistics exist for their contribution in the management of mosquitoes and other insects except through verbal and some publications. This study aimed at assessing communities' knowledge, attitudes and practices of using plants as an alternative method for mosquito control among selected communities in a malaria-prone area in Tanzania.

Barriers to men who have sex with men attending HIV related health services in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The HIV/AIDS disease burden is disproportionately high among men who have sex with men (MSM) worldwide. If this group will continue to be ignored they will continue to be the focus of HIV infection to the general population. This study explored barriers impeding MSM utilizing the HIV related health services currently available.

Impact of training traditional birth attendants on maternal mortality and morbidity in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This paper presents discussion on impact of training traditional birth attendants (TBAs) on overall improvement of reproductive health care with focus on reducing the high rate of maternal and new-born mortality in rural settings in sub-Saharan Africa. The importance of TBAs for years has been denied by professional western trained health practitioners and other scientists until during the late 1980s, when World Health Organization through Safe motherhood 1987 found TBAs have a significant role in reducing maternal and new-born mortality. Trained TBAs in sub-Sahara Africa can have positive impact on reducing maternal and new-born mortality if the programme is well implemented with systematic follow-up after training.

Curricular transformation of health professions education in Tanzania: the process at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (2008-2011).

Tanzania requires more health professionals equipped to tackle its serious health challenges. When it became an independent university in 2007, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) decided to transform its educational offerings to ensure its students practice competently and contribute to improving population health. In 2008, in collaboration with the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), all MUHAS's schools (dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and public health and social sciences) and institutes (traditional medicine and allied health sciences) began a university-wide process to revise curricula.

Experience on healthcare utilization in seven administrative regions of Tanzania.

Health care utilization in many developing countries, Tanzania included, is mainly through the use of traditional medicine (TRM) and its practitioners despite the presence of the conventional medicine. This article presents findings on the study that aimed to get an experience of health care utilization from both urban and rural areas of seven administrative regions in Tanzania. A total of 33 health facility managers were interviewed on health care provision and availability of supplies including drugs, in their respective areas.

Reducing therapeutic injection overuse through patients-prescribers interaction group discussions in Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Inappropriately prescription of injections has been reported in developing and developed countries. Previous studies in Tanzania showed that over 70% of patients attending out- patient clinics at private dispensaries received at least one injection per consultation, a value higher than WHO recommended target of 10%. This is of concern considering the likelihood of adverse effects of possible use of unsafe syringes to transmit HIV, hepatitis B and C, poliomyelitis and added economic impact on the patient and the healthcare system.

Knowledge, attitude and practice toward HIIV/AIDS among the Moran population living in Dar-es-Salaam.

The socio-cultural system holding the Wamasai as a unique ethnic group in Tanzania is gradually declining, resulting in the young Masai warriors (Moran) to move away and seek jobs in urban centres without permission of the elders. Living and working in urban centres increases their chances of exposure to risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, which upon their return home will lead to the infection of other Wamasai in their social interaction especially during initiation ceremonies. The aim of the study was to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices towards HIV/AIDS prevention among the Moran who have migrated to Dar es Salaam City.

Assessing acceptability of parents/guardians of adolescents towards introduction of sex and reproductive health education in schools at Kinondoni Municipal in Dar es Salaam city.

Objectives: To assess acceptability of parents/guardians of adolescents towards the introduction of sex and reproductive health education in the community and schools.

Methods: A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to get 150 participants for this study. A structured questionnaire was used to interview the sampled participants and was supplemented with guided focus group discussion in Kinondoni Municipality of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Sociocultural barriers and malaria health care in Tanzania.

In Tanzania, since the time of its ancestors, cultural beliefs have existed which influence the treatment and management of diseases. This article focuses on malaria as a current major cause of morbidity and mortality in Tanzania. Patients and caretakers have tended to rely on traditional sociocultural practices as a means of treating the convulsions associated with severe malaria in children and often do not seek care at health facilities, therefore, delaying prompt management of the disease.

Knowledge on malaria transmission and its prevention among schoolchildren in Kyela District, south-western Tanzania.

A school-based study was carried out to assess the knowledge on malaria and its prevention among children in Kyela District, south-western, Tanzania in August-September 2004. A total of 400 schoolchildren (age = 10-20 years) from four schools were selected. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on knowledge on malaria transmission, methods of prevention, source of information and use of mosquito nets.

Traditional health practitioner and the scientist: bridging the gap in contemporary health research in Tanzania.

Traditional health practitioners (THPs) and their role in traditional medicine health care system are worldwide acknowledged. Trend in the use of Traditional medicine (TRM) and Alternative or Complementary medicine (CAM) is increasing due to epidemics like HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases like cancer. Despite the wide use of TRM, genuine concern from the public and scientists/biomedical heath practitioners (BHP) on efficacy, safety and quality of TRM has been raised.

Experience of initiating collaboration of traditional healers in managing HIV and AIDS in Tanzania.

Collaboration between traditional healers and biomedical practitioners is now being accepted by many African countries south of the Sahara because of the increasing problem of HIV/AIDS. The key problem, however, is how to initiate collaboration between two health systems which differ in theory of disease causation and management. This paper presents findings on experience learned by initiation of collaboration between traditional healers and the Institute of Traditional Medicine in Arusha and Dar-es-Salaam Municipalities, Tanzania where 132 and 60 traditional healers respectively were interviewed.

Role of traditional healers in psychosocial support in caring for the orphans: a case of Dar-es Salaam City, Tanzania.

Orphans are an increasing problem in developing countries particularly in Africa; due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic; and needs collective effort in intervention processes by including all stakeholders right from the grass roots level. This paper attempts to present the role of traditional healers in psychosocial support for orphan children in Dar-es-Salaam City with special focus on those whose parents have died because of HIV/AIDS. Six traditional healers who were involved in taking care of orphans were visited at their "vilinge" (traditional clinics).

Motor traffic accidents in Dar es Salaam.

The study aimed to examine the general contribution of motor traffic accidents (MTAs) to the total number of deaths in Dar es Salaam city from 1985 to 1991, and the number of people impaired by MTAs in 1991. Data of deaths from all causes, deaths caused by MTAs and of people impaired by MTAs was collected. In seven years the contribution of MTAs to the total number of deaths was more or less constant (24 to 21 people per 1,000 deaths), with the exception of 1985 (48 per 1,000 deaths).