The prevalence of vertical transmission of human immunodeficiency virus and associated factors among exposed infants in Eastern Lake zone and Southern Highland of Tanzania: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Globally, the rate of antiretroviral therapy coverage for pregnant women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) increased by 38% between 2010 and 2015 but only by 2% between 2016 and 2020. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the prevalence of vertical transmission of HIV among infants from mothers living with HIV and associated factors in the Eastern Lake Zone and Southern Highland of Tanzania from January to December 2022. METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study extracted data from the Open Laboratory Data Repository database collected from January to December 2022 at 93 health facilities. A total of 1,411 infants exposed to HIV from the Mbeya (851), Songwe (304), and Mara regions (256) were enrolled. RESULTS: The prevalence for vertical transmission of HIV was 2.48% (35/1411). We observed a non-significant difference in the prevalence of vertical transmission in children whose first test was done below six weeks of life (1.89%) and other age groups (2.52-2.62%) (p < 0.917). Children not given antiretroviral prophylaxis had eleven times higher odds of acquiring infection (AOR 11.39, 95% CI: 3.61-35.97). Mothers who were not on ART during pregnancy had three times the odds of transmitting HIV to their infants (AOR 3.03, 95%CI: 0.91-10.15). CONCLUSIONS: We found a low prevalence of vertical transmission of HIV compared to previous studies done in Tanzania. The use of ART prophylaxis for infants exposed to HIV is significantly associated with the low rate of HIV transmission.

A Model for Accelerating Access to Care and Treatment for Children and Adolescents Living with HIV in Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia: The Faith-Based Action for Scaling-Up Testing and Treatment for the Epidemic Response (FASTER) Initiative.

The number of children newly infected with HIV dropped by 50%, from 320 000 in 2010 to 160 000 in 2021. Despite progress, ongoing gaps persist in diagnosis, continuity of care, and treatment optimization. In response, the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief created the Faith-based Action for Scaling-Up Testing and Treatment for Epidemic Response (FASTER). Faith-based Action for Scaling-Up Testing and Treatment for Epidemic Response addressed gaps in countries with the highest unmet need by working with government to operationalize innovative interventions and ensure alignment with national priorities and with communities living with HIV to ensure the change was community-led. Between 2019 and 2021, FASTER's interventions were incorporated into national policies, absorbed by Ministries of Health, and taken up in subsequent awards and country operating plans. Continued effort is needed to sustain gains made during the FASTER initiative and to continue scaling evidence-based interventions to ensure that children and adolescents are not left behind in the global HIV response.

An exploration of NHS staff views on tuberculosis service delivery in Scottish NHS boards.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial disease and major worldwide killer with an increased UK incidence rate. This study aimed to explore the views of National Health Service (NHS) staff on TB service delivery models of care in NHS boards across Scotland. Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 nurse specialists and five consultants in public health medicine (CPHM) across five Scottish NHS boards. Five main themes emerged and findings showed that: directly observed treatment (DOT) was provided only to patients assessed to be at high risk of poor treatment adherence; contact tracing was conducted by participating NHS boards but screening at ports was thought to be weak; all NHS boards implemented TB awareness campaigns for TB health professionals; three NHS boards conducted team meetings that monitored TB patient progress; participants believed that TB funding should be increased; contact tracing was routinely conducted by TB nurses. Improved TB screening at airports was recommended and a need for TB health education for high risk groups was identified.

Barriers to men who have sex with men attending HIV related health services in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The HIV/AIDS disease burden is disproportionately high among men who have sex with men (MSM) worldwide. If this group will continue to be ignored they will continue to be the focus of HIV infection to the general population. This study explored barriers impeding MSM utilizing the HIV related health services currently available. The objectives of the study were to: (i) determine how stigma and discrimination affect MSM attendance to HIV related health services; (ii) determine how health care worker's (HCW's) practices and attitudes towards MSM affect their attendance to HIV related health service; (iii) learn MSM's perception towards seeking HIV related health services and other factors affecting accessibility of HIV related health services among MSM in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This was a descriptive study whereby qualitative methods were employed, using in-depth interviews for 50 individuals and focus group discussions for 5 groups which were conducted at PASADA premises, in Temeke district in 2012. After transcription data was read through, codes created were then collapsed into themes which were interpreted. The findings of this study show that majority of the study participants access HIV related health services in Dar es Salaam when they need to. However, they reported stigma and discrimination, lack of confidentiality and privacy, lack of availability and MSM friendly HIV related health services, financial challenges, poor practices and negative attitudes directed towards them by health workers, fears and lack of HIV knowledge among them as barriers for them to access these services. With these findings, there is an importance of enabling MSM to overcome the perceived stigma when seeking for HIV related health services. Also there is a need to conduct further research with regards to how HCW's treat this group and their understanding on same sex practices.