Awareness of the rational use of medicines and the medication counseling practice in community pharmacies in Nyamagana district, Mwanza: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Community pharmacies play a vital role in promoting the rational use of medicines by providing medication counseling to their clients to ensure the safe and appropriate use of medicines. Thus, this study aimed to assess awareness of the rational use of medicines and the medication counseling practice in community pharmacies.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from June to July 2021.

Histopathological patterns and topographical distribution of Kaposi Sarcoma at Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania.

Background: Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is derived from endothelial cell lineage; it is caused by Human Herpes Virus-8 (HHV-8) facilitated by immune suppression. KS remains one of the commonest sarcoma seen in Tanzania. The paucity of recent data makes monitoring the disease a challenge.

Retinopathy in adults with hypertension and diabetes mellitus in Western Tanzania: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Little is known about the retinal manifestations of arterial hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM) in Western Tanzania and how to maximise the utilisation of scarce eye health resources. To address this, we determined the prevalence of hypertensive and diabetic retinopathy (DR), associated risk factors and relevant patient knowledge.

Methods: Adults with HTN or DM attending outpatient clinics at Bugando Medical Center (BMC) from June to August 2017 were enrolled.

Prevalence of syphilis, neurosyphilis and associated factors in a cross-sectional analysis of HIV infected patients attending Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania.

Background: HIV-syphilis co-infection can enhance the rapid progression of early or late latent syphilis to neurosyphilis and can cause catastrophic neurological complications. In studies in Mwanza, syphilis affects ~ 8% of healthy outpatients and studies done in the 1990s have suggested that up to 23.5% of HIV-syphilis co-infected patients also have neurosyphilis.

Red reflex examination in reproductive and child health clinics for early detection of paediatric cataract and ocular media disorders: cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy and feasibility studies from Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

Background/objectives: Late presentation of congenital cataract in the developing world has led to poor outcomes such that cataract is the leading cause of childhood blindness. Our hypothesis was that, sensitivity of red-reflex testing is greater than sensitivity of torchlight examination. We aimed to compare sensitivity of new red reflex screening tools and assess the feasibility of Arclight red reflex screening in the community.

The Arclight Ophthalmoscope: A Reliable Low-Cost Alternative to the Standard Direct Ophthalmoscope.

Background. The Arclight ophthalmoscope is a low-cost alternative to standard direct ophthalmoscopes. This study compared the Arclight ophthalmoscope with the Heine K180 direct ophthalmoscope to evaluate its reliability in assessing the vertical cup disc ratio (VCDR) and its ease of use (EOU).

Homicide of children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Background: Although data are sparse, it has been estimated that the highest rates of homicide death amongst children are in Africa. Little information is available on ages 0-14 years. No known quantitative surveillance of early neonaticide (killed at less than one week) has been conducted previously in Africa.

Implementation of WHO/CDC Guidelines for Intentional Injury Death Surveillance: A Mixed-Methods Approach in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

A foundational implementation of the WHO/CDC Injury Surveillance Guidelines was conducted in Dar es Salaam region of the United Republic of Tanzania in 2005. The Guidelines were adapted to gather qualitative as well as quantitative data about intentional injury mortality which were collected concurrently at the Muhimbili National Hospital Mortuary. An interview schedule of 12 quantitative variables and one open-ended question, participant observation and newspaper reports were used.

Homicide death in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 2005.

Violence disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries. Deeper understanding is needed in areas where little research has occurred. The objectives of the study were to: (a) ascertain rate of homicide death; (b) describe the victims and circumstances surrounding their deaths in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 2005.

Malignant lymphomas (ML) and HIV infection in Tanzania.

Background: HIV infection is reported to be associated with some malignant lymphomas (ML) so called AIDS-related lymphomas (ARL), with an aggressive behavior and poor prognosis. The ML frequency, pathogenicity, clinical patterns and possible association with AIDS in Tanzania, are not well documented impeding the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies.

Methods: Sections of 176 archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsies of ML patients at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH)/Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Tanzania from 1996-2001 were stained for hematoxylin and eosin and selected (70) cases for expression of pan-leucocytic (CD45), B-cell (CD20), T-cell (CD3), Hodgkin/RS cell (CD30), histiocyte (CD68) and proliferation (Ki-67) antigen markers.

Histopathology of malignant tumours of childhood in Tanzania.

Objective: To determine the frequency distribution of malignant tumours of childhood aged 0-14 years.

Design: A retrospective histopathological review of 541 cases of malignant tumours of childhood.

Setting: Cancer Registry, Department of Histopathology, Muhimbili Medical Centre, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Incidence and characteristics of Myasthenia gravis in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Objective: To ascertain the annual incidence and characterise the clinical features of Myasthenia gravis in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania during a ten-year period from 1st January 1988 to 31 December 1998.

Design: Prospective cumulative registration at a major urban hospital of all patients with newly diagnosed Myasthenia gravis who were resident in Dar es salaam.

Setting: Muhimbili Medical Centre Teaching Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Accessory cells and macrophages in the histopathology of SIVsm-infected cynomolgus monkeys.

Thirty-three out of 39 cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) infected with SIVsm (strain SMM-3) developed various pathologies similar to those seen in human AIDS. Lymphadenopathy was frequently seen (72%) and was characterized by hyperplasia followed by involution of follicle/germinal centres due to follicular dendritic cell (FDC) destruction corresponding to the degree of immunodeficiency. Various organs such as the lungs, liver, central nervous system, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system and adrenals showed histopathological changes with prominent monocyte/macrophage and multinucleated giant cell formation.

Spindle cell ploidy and proliferation in endemic and epidemic African Kaposi's sarcoma.

Comparative studies of ploidy and proliferative activity of spindle cells in sections of 20 (skin, 17; lymph node, 3) biopsy specimens from African patients, 10 with endemic Kaposi's sarcoma (EKS) and 10 with AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (AKS) were performed by histopathology, feulgen-based DNA measurement and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)/cyclin immunohistochemistry, respectively. All specimens were classified as nodular lesions with basically the same histology. In 17 cases immunostained for cyclin/PCNA, the percentage of proliferating spindle cells range between 2-18, with a higher mean rate in AKS although this was not statistically significant.