Publications by authors named "S Mfinanga"

Severe bacterial infections (SBIs) are a leading cause of neonatal deaths in low- and middle-income countries. World Health Organization's (WHO's) guideline for outpatient management of danger signs indicating possible serious bacterial infections (PSBI) when referral is not possible was adopted by three pilot district councils in Mbeya Region, in Tanzania (Busekelo, Kyela and Mbarali Districts) in 2018 (the PSBI project). This study documented changes in practice during the PSBI project, and lessons learned.

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Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis (EPTB) poses challenges from patient and health system perspectives. The cost-effectiveness analysis of the Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) test to diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis is documented. However, there are no economic evaluations for EPTB.

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Background: The parasitic infection caused by Taenia solium represents a significant public health concern in developing countries. Larval invasion of body tissues leads to cysticercosis (CC), while central nervous system (CNS) involvement results in neurocysticercosis (NCC). Both conditions exhibit diverse clinical manifestations, and the potential impact of concomitant HIV infection especially prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa on peripheral and CNS immune responses remains poorly understood.

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COVID-19 vaccine became available in Tanzania during the first wave of the Omicron variant. During that time community seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was already at 50%-80%. To date, it remains largely unknown whether ongoing vaccination with the primary series vaccines has any meaningful immune-boosting effects against newer Omicron subvariants.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess how well participants retained care and managed chronic conditions (hypertension, diabetes, HIV) over two years in East Africa, specifically in Tanzania and Uganda.
  • Involving 2273 participants, the study found that 84.5% were retained in care after roughly 8 months, with a follow-up revealing that 54.3% of the original participants continued to engage with the integrated care services.
  • Outcomes showed that, among those who stayed for longer follow-up, control rates for hypertension, diabetes, and HIV were notable, with many participants effectively managing their health conditions by the end of the study period.
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