Perceived access to social support during and after TB treatment in Mbeya and Songwe regions, Tanzania: perspectives from TB patients and survivors set against health care providers.

Introduction: Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) remains a life-threatening disease in Tanzania, with negative physical, financial, economic and psychosocial consequences to individuals and the society. It mainly lowers the quality of life of patients, survivors and their families, especially those in the poorest and socially deprived categories.

Objectives: To report and discuss a qualitative study that assessed the nature of social support desired and received by PTB patients and survivors.

Implementing maternal and newborn health quality of care standards in healthcare facilities to improve the adoption of respectful maternity care in Bangladesh, Ghana and Tanzania: a controlled before and after study.

Introduction: Many women worldwide cannot access respectful maternity care (RMC). We assessed the effect of implementing maternal and newborn health (MNH) quality of care standards on RMC measures.

Methods: We used a facility-based controlled before and after design in 43 healthcare facilities in Bangladesh, Ghana and Tanzania.

Institutionalising maternal and newborn quality-of-care standards in Bangladesh, Ghana and Tanzania: a quasi-experimental study.

Introduction: Facility interventions to improve quality of care around childbirth are known but need to be packaged, tested and institutionalised within health systems to impact on maternal and newborn outcomes.

Methods: We conducted cross-sectional assessments at baseline (2016) and after 18 months of provider-led implementation of UNICEF/WHO's Every Mother Every Newborn Quality Improvement (EMEN-QI) standards (preceding the WHO Standards for improving quality of maternal and newborn care in health facilities). 19 hospitals and health centres (2.

Effect of leaf powder supplementation on reducing anemia in children below two years in Kisarawe District, Tanzania.

Anemia is a nutritional disorder that affects mostly children below 2 years and is mainly contributed by iron deficiency. leaves are rich in iron and other essential nutrients necessary for iron metabolism. We investigated the effect of leaf powder supplementation on reducing anemia among children below 2 years.

Practice of emergency obstetric care signal functions and reasons for non-provision among health centers and hospitals in Lake and Western zones of Tanzania.

Background: The Lake and Western Zones of Tanzania that encompass eight regions namely; Kagera, Geita, Simiyu, Shinyanga, Mwanza, Mara Tabora and Kigoma have consistently been reported with the poorest Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) indicators in the country. This study sought to establish the provision of Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) signal functions and reasons for the failure to do so among health centers and hospitals in the two zones.

Methods: All the 261 public and private hospitals and health centers providing Obstetric Care services in Lake and Western Zones were surveyed in 2014.

Migration for obstetric care: the impact of regional Obstetric Care Facility Density disparities in Tanzania.

Objective: This is an extended analysis of the previously published data to demonstrate the relationship between high Obstetric Care Facility Density (OCFD) and migration for obstetric services in Tanzania.

Results: Overall, regions with excess institutional deliveries had significantly higher OCFD compared to other regions. A consistent pattern was observed whereby regions with excess Institutional deliveries also exhibited the most outstanding OCFD of all the neighbouring regions.

Magnitude of HIV infection among older people in Mufindi and Babati districts of the Tanzania mainland.

Introduction: According to the 2011-2012 HIV and Malaria Indicator Survey, the prevalence of HIV infection in Tanzania is 5.1%, with limited information on its magnitude among older people, as the community believes that the elderly are not at risk. Consequently, little attention is given to the fight against HIV and AIDS in this group.

Community knowledge and acceptance of larviciding for malaria control in a rural district of east-central Tanzania.

The use of microbial larvicides, a form of larval source management, is a less commonly used malaria control intervention that nonetheless has significant potential as a component of an integrated vector management strategy. We evaluated community acceptability of larviciding in a rural district in east-central Tanzania using data from 962 household surveys, 12 focus group discussions, and 24 in-depth interviews. Most survey respondents trusted in the safety (73.

Integrating reproductive and child health and HIV services in Tanzania: Implication to policy, systems and services.

In Tanzania, reproductive health and HIV services are coordinated by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in two separate units namely Reproductive and Child Health Section and the National AIDS Control Programme. The importance of integrating the two services that are vertically run is expected to improve access to and uptake of key essential services and extend coverage to underserved and vulnerable populations and thus minimizing missed opportunities. Experts around the world recognize the central role of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services in preventing HIV infection.

Experiences, opportunities and challenges of implementing task shifting in underserved remote settings: the case of Kongwa district, central Tanzania.

Background: Tanzania is experiencing acute shortages of Health Workers (HWs), a situation which has forced health managers, especially in the underserved districts, to hastily cope with health workers' shortages by adopting task shifting. This has however been due to limited options for dealing with the crisis of health personnel. There are on-going discussions in the country on whether to scale up task shifting as one of the strategies for addressing health personnel crisis.

The potential of involving traditional practitioners in the scaling up of male circumcision in the context of HIV prevention in Tanzania.

Male circumcision (MC) has been practiced worldwide for religious, cultural, social and medical reasons. Recent studies in Africa have indicated MC to be highly protective against HIV transmission. However, incorporating MC in HIV/AIDS prevention programme will increase its demand in Tanzania where traditional male circumcision is common and the health care system is weak.