Publications by authors named "Pankrasi S Shayo"

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 PDF

In 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 PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the prevalence and resistance patterns of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in clinical isolates from hospitals in Tanzania, particularly focusing on their resistance to quinolones due to acquired resistance gene mecA.
  • A total of 140 S. aureus isolates were analyzed, with 49.3% identified as MRSA; 82.6% of MRSA isolates showed resistance to quinolones, while none of the methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) strains exhibited this resistance.
  • Phylogenetic analysis revealed diverse sequence types among the isolates, with significant dominance of specific spa types and SCCmec type IV among MRSA, highlighting the complex genetic relationships and
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Experiences 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 PDF
Article Synopsis
  • PDAC is a highly aggressive cancer that is hard to treat, often not responding well to standard chemotherapy like Gemcitabine.
  • Researchers found that the transporter protein MRP4 plays a key role in the cancer's growth by excluding cAMP, and they are exploring it as a target for new therapies.
  • In their study, they identified flurbiprofen as the most effective drug among several NSAIDs for inhibiting MRP4, enhancing the effectiveness of Gemcitabine against PDAC cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: 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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A middle-aged woman experienced chronic foot arthritis that led to a non-healing ulcer, which didn't respond to standard treatments.
  • After developing neurological issues, she was treated with antitubercular medications that healed the ulcer but caused other serious complications, including cerebral tuberculoma and tuberculous meningitis.
  • Despite efforts for diagnosis and treatment, she ultimately died from the complications and a likely hospital-acquired infection, underscoring the difficulties in identifying rare disease presentations in endemic regions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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 PDF

Background: 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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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 PDF

Aims: 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 PDF

The 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 PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * A study conducted in Tanzania from August 2022 to April 2023 examined chronic leg ulcer patients, finding that 50% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates were methicillin-resistant (MRSA), with most isolates classified as ST8.
  • * The research highlights potential misclassification of MRSA as susceptible to cefoxitin, which raises concerns about the risk of developing new antibiotic-resistant strains, urging the need for better therapeutic strategies in managing these infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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 PDF

Over 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 PDF

Background: 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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Sub-Saharan Africa is facing a combined challenge of HIV and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), necessitating innovative community-based healthcare solutions beyond traditional facility-based approaches.
  • A study called INTE-COMM is being conducted in Tanzania and Uganda to evaluate the effectiveness of community-based integrated care for managing HIV, hypertension, and diabetes compared to standard care.
  • The evaluation will involve qualitative research methods, including interviews and focus groups, to explore various perspectives on how care delivery is influenced by social and structural factors throughout the trial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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 PDF

Background: 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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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 PDF

Background: 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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF