Background: Emergency care systems are critical to improving care for time-sensitive emergency conditions. The growth and development of these systems in Sub-Saharan Africa is becoming a priority. Layperson knowledge and recognition of emergency symptoms and subsequent care-seeking behavior are key to achieving timely access to care and appropriate treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn Tanzania, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is under-diagnosed, and uptake of evidence-based care is sub-optimal. Using an implementation science approach, an intervention was developed to address local barriers to care: the Multicomponent Intervention for Improving Myocardial Infarction Care in Tanzania (MIMIC). This single-arm pre-post trial was conducted in a northern Tanzanian emergency department (ED).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: 2.4 million neonatal deaths and 2.6 million stillbirths occur each year.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExperiences of violence have been reported to be associated with lower levels of subjective wellbeing (SWB). However, little is known about this association in conflict settings and among forcibly displaced populations. In this study we exploit data from a representative sample of refugee teachers from Nyarugusu Refugee Camp collected as part of a larger study, to examine the association between demographic characteristics and SWB, and between experiences of violence and SWB.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Although the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is rising in sub-Saharan Africa, the uptake of evidence-based care for the diagnosis and treatment of AMI is limited throughout the region. In Tanzania, studies have revealed common misdiagnosis of AMI, infrequent administration of aspirin, and high short-term mortality rates following AMI.
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the implementation and efficacy outcomes of an intervention, the Multicomponent Intervention to Improve Acute Myocardial Infarction Care (MIMIC), which was developed to improve the delivery of evidence-based AMI care in Tanzania.
The study explores barriers and suggestions for improving viral load testing (VLT) uptake in Tanzania, revealing that only 58% of patients receive VLT annually, contrary to the Tanzanian National Guidelines toward the 95-95-95 UNAIDS targets. Twelve individual interviews and three patient-focus groups were conducted as part of a qualitative study conducted in six human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinics in Dar es Salaam to identify potential suggestions for access enhancement, as well as barriers to VLT uptake. Using King's theory of goal attainment, we found that missing appointments was the primary individual barrier to VLT uptake, along with limited knowledge among individuals living with HIV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization increases the risk of subsequent infection by MRSA strain complex interlinking between hospital and community-acquired MRSA which increases the chance of drug resistance and severity of the disease.
Objective: Genomic characterization of Staphylococcus aures strains isolated from patients attending regional referral hospitals in Tanzania.
Methodology: A laboratory-based cross-sectional study using short read-based sequencing technology, (Nextseq550,Illumina, Inc.
In the pursuit of mental and physical health, effective pain management stands as a cornerstone. Here, we examine a potential sex bias in pain management. Leveraging insights from psychological research showing that females' pain is stereotypically judged as less intense than males' pain, we hypothesize that there may be tangible differences in pain management decisions based on patients' sex.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) exhibits significant variability in pharmacokinetics and clinical response, partly due to genetic variations. However, data from sub-Saharan African populations are lacking. We examined plasma methadone variability and pharmacogenetic influences among opioid-addicted Tanzanian patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide with severe health, social, and economic repercussions. Although vaccines have significantly reduced the severity of symptoms and deaths, alternative medications derived from natural products (NPs) are vital to further decrease fatalities, especially in regions with low vaccine uptake. When paired with the latest computational developments, NPs, which have been used to cure illnesses and infections for thousands of years, constitute a renewed resource for drug discovery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfect Genet Evol
September 2024
Objectives: Diabetes care remains unavailable and unaffordable for many people. Adapting models of care to low-income and middle-income country contexts is a priority. Digital technology offers substantial potential yet must surmount health system, technological and acceptability issues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOver 98% of stillbirths and neonatal deaths occur in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, such as Tanzania. Despite the profound burden of perinatal loss in these regions, access to facility or community-based palliative and psychosocial care is poor and understudied. In this study we explore perinatal loss through the lens of front-line healthcare providers, to better understand the knowledge and beliefs that guide their engagement with bereaved families.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Escherichia coli is known to cause about 2 million deaths annually of which diarrhea infection is leading and typically occurs in children under 5 years old. Although Africa is the most affected region there is little information on their pathotypes diversity and their antimicrobial resistance.
Objective: To determine the pathotype diversity and antimicrobial resistance among E.
BMJ Open
March 2024
Tanzania has experienced several waves of COVID-19 since it was first detected in the country. During the first wave, Tanzania took several measures to prevent wider virus transmission with school closures being one of them. All areas and institutions were targeted, including the refugee camps in Kigoma region.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Uptake of evidence-based care for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is suboptimal in Tanzania, but there are currently no published interventions to improve AMI care in sub-Saharan Africa.
Objectives: Co-design a quality improvement intervention for AMI care tailored to local contextual factors.
Methods: An interdisciplinary design team consisting of 20 physicians, nurses, implementation scientists, and administrators met from June 2022 through August 2023.
Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome represent two closely intertwined public health challenges that have reached alarming epidemic proportions in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, the current study aimed to determine the weighted pooled prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus in sub-Saharan Africa as defined by the 2004 National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATP III 2004) and/or the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria.
Methods: A systematic search was conducted to retrieve studies published in the English language on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among type 2 diabetic individuals in sub-Saharan Africa.
Objectives: To determine the community's perception on the magnitude of Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) disease and healthcare-seeking practices in Micheweni, Pemba in response to the public widespread information on the increased burden of the disease.
Design: Mixed-methods cross-sectional study.
Setting: Micheweni district, Pemba.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a major public health concern worldwide. It forced many countries to enforce lockdowns, leading to the closure of higher learning institutions. The abrupt shift in the lifestyle of students had a profound impact on their mental health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Little academic research has been conducted on how people conceptualise 'violence' and 'discipline', especially in humanitarian settings. This may limit the transferability of violence prevention interventions. This paper examines the understanding of violence and discipline concepts among students, teachers, and parents in the Nyarugusu Refugee Camp in Tanzania.
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