Care seeking for childhood illnesses in rural Mtwara, south-east Tanzania: a mixed methods study.

Background: Care seeking was assessed in preparation for a study of the health impact of novel design houses in rural Mtwara, Tanzania.

Methods: A total of 578 residents of 60 villages participated in this mixed-methods study from April to August 2020. Among them, 550 participated in a healthcare-seeking survey, 17 in in-depth interviews and 28 in key informant interviews.

Comparing the roles of community health workers for malaria control and elimination in Cambodia and Tanzania.

The reduction of deaths from malaria in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is stalling, whereas many countries in Southeast Asia are approaching malaria elimination. We reviewed the role of community health worker (CHW) programmes in malaria control and elimination between regions, with a more detailed description of the programmes in Tanzania and Cambodia. Compared with Tanzania, Cambodia has a much more developed CHW network, which has been pivotal in the near elimination of malaria.

Understanding reticence to occupy free, novel-design homes: A qualitative study in Mtwara, Southeast Tanzania.

Introduction: The population of Africa set to reach 2 billion by 2050. There is therefore great demand for housing across the continent. Research on modified novel designs for housing is a priority to ensure that these homes are not sites of infection for diseases transmission such as malaria.

Assessing the impact of a novel house design on the incidence of malaria in children in rural Africa: study protocol for a household-cluster randomized controlled superiority trial.

Background: Traditional rural housing in hot, humid regions of sub-Saharan Africa usually consists of single-level, poorly ventilated dwellings. Houses are mostly poorly screened against malaria mosquitoes and limited airflow discourages the use of bednets resulting in high indoor transmission. This study aims to determine whether living in a novel design house with elevated bedrooms and permeable screened walls reduces malaria, respiratory tract infections, and diarrhoea among children in rural Tanzania.

Old age is associated with decreased wealth in rural villages in Mtwara, Tanzania: findings from a cross-sectional survey.

Objective: In many countries, housing is used for wealth accumulation and provides financial security in old age. We tested the hypothesis that household wealth, measured by housing quality and ownership of durable assets, would increase with age of the household head.

Methods: We conducted a survey of household heads in 68 villages surrounding Mtwara town, Tanzania and recorded relevant demographic, housing and social characteristics for each household.

Knowledge gaps in the construction of rural healthy homes: A research agenda for improved low-cost housing in hot-humid Africa.

Lorenz von Seidlein and colleagues discuss improving house designs in rural Africa to benefit health.

Factors associated with plasma n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in Tanzanian infants.

Background/objectives: To identify factors associated with plasma polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels among 3-month-old Tanzanian infants.

Subjects/methods: Infants (n = 238) and mothers (n = 193) randomly selected from participants in the neonatal vitamin A supplementation randomized controlled trial. A cross-sectional study of maternal-infant pairs at 3 months postpartum.

Affordable house designs to improve health in rural Africa: a field study from northeastern Tanzania.

Background: The population of sub-Saharan Africa is currently estimated to be 1245 million and is expected to quadruple by the end of the century, necessitating the building of millions of homes. Malaria remains a substantial problem in this region and efforts to minimise transmission should be considered in future house planning. We studied how building elements, which have been successfully employed in southeast Asia to prevent mosquitos from entering and cooling the house, could be integrated in a more sustainable house design in rural northeastern Tanzania, Africa, to decrease mosquito density and regulate indoor climate.

Micronutrient Deficiencies among Breastfeeding Infants in Tanzania.

Infant mortality accounts for the majority of child deaths in Tanzania, and malnutrition is an important underlying cause. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to describe the micronutrient status of infants in Tanzania and assess predictors of infant micronutrient deficiency. We analyzed serum vitamin D, vitamin B12, folate, and ferritin levels from 446 infants at two weeks of age, 408 infants at three months of age, and 427 mothers three months post-partum.

The effect of neonatal vitamin A supplementation on morbidity and mortality at 12 months: a randomized trial.

Background: : Neonatal vitamin A supplementation (NVAS) is an intervention hypothesized to reduce infant morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of neonatal vitamin A supplementation in reducing infant morbidity and mortality and assess potential sources of heterogeneity of the effect of NVAS.

Methods: : We completed an individually randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Tanzania.

Risk factors for small-for-gestational-age and preterm births among 19,269 Tanzanian newborns.

Background: Few studies have differentiated risk factors for term-small for gestational age (SGA), preterm-appropriate for gestational age (AGA), and preterm-SGA, despite evidence of varying risk of child mortality and poor developmental outcomes.

Methods: We analyzed birth outcome data from singleton infants, who were enrolled in a large randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of neonatal vitamin A supplementation conducted in Tanzania. SGA was defined as birth weight <10th percentile for gestation age and sex using INTERGROWTH standards and preterm birth as delivery at <37 complete weeks of gestation.

Predictors of Hospitalization During the First Year of Life among 31999 Tanzanian Infants.

Objective: This study explored the risk factors for infant hospitalization in urban and peri-urban/rural Tanzania.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study examining predictors of hospitalization during the first year of life among infants enrolled at birth in a large randomized controlled trial of neonatal vitamin A supplementation conducted in urban Dar es Salaam (n = 11,895) and peri-urban/rural Morogoro region (n = 20,104) in Tanzania. Demographic, socioeconomic, environmental and birth outcome predictors of hospitalization were assessed using proportional hazard models.

Effect of neonatal vitamin A supplementation on mortality in infants in Tanzania (Neovita): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Supplementation of vitamin A in children aged 6-59 months improves child survival and is implemented as global policy. Studies of the efficacy of supplementation of infants in the neonatal period have inconsistent results. We aimed to assess the efficacy of oral supplementation with vitamin A given to infants in the first 3 days of life to reduce mortality between supplementation and 180 days (6 months).

Efficacy of RTS,S/AS01E vaccine against malaria in children 5 to 17 months of age.

Background: Plasmodium falciparum malaria is a pressing global health problem. A previous study of the malaria vaccine RTS,S (which targets the circumsporozoite protein), given with an adjuvant system (AS02A), showed a 30% rate of protection against clinical malaria in children 1 to 4 years of age. We evaluated the efficacy of RTS,S given with a more immunogenic adjuvant system (AS01E) in children 5 to 17 months of age, a target population for vaccine licensure.