Accessibility to formal education among persons with epilepsy in Mahenge, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is estimated to affect 50 million people globally, with 80% living in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Children with epilepsy (CWE) in SSA are often socially isolated, and many do not get access to school. This study aimed to explore the barriers hindering accessibility to formal education among CWE in Mahenge, Tanzania. METHODS: The study was conducted in June 2022 in four villages (Mdindo, Msogezi, Mzelezi and Sali) using quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative included 203 persons with epilepsy (PWE), while the qualitative involved six focus group discussions and 17 in-depth interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using Stata and Nvivo software, respectively. RESULTS: Of the 203 PWE, 62 (30.5%) had never enrolled in school, while 77 (54.6%) of those enrolled dropped-out before completing it. The perceived barriers to accessing education were categorized as individual barriers (such as frequent seizures, learning difficulties, anti-seizure medication side effects and perceived stigma), Community barriers (such as stigma and discrimination, negative beliefs and misconceptions, relocation to farms and poor socio-economic status), and Institutional barriers (including lack of knowledge about epilepsy among stake-holders, topography and distance to schools). CONCLUSION: There is a high rate of dropouts and non-enrolment of CWE in schools within the Mahenge area. Negative beliefs and low awareness of the community about epilepsy and formal education contribute to this issue. This calls for more advocacy to raise community awareness on epilepsy. The government should enforce an inclusive education policy and provide free and uninterrupted anti-seizure medication for seizure control.

Community knowledge, attitude, practices and beliefs associated with persistence of malaria transmission in North-western and Southern regions of Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Despite significant decline in the past two decades, malaria is still a major public health concern in Tanzania; with over 93% of the population still at risk. Community knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP), and beliefs are key in enhancing uptake and utilization of malaria control interventions, but there is a lack of information on their contribution to effective control of the disease. This study was undertaken to determine KAP and beliefs of community members and service providers on malaria, and how they might be associated with increased risk and persistence of the disease burden in North-western and Southern regions of Tanzania. METHODS: This was an exploratory study that used qualitative methods including 16 in-depth interviews (IDI) and 32 focus group discussions (FGDs) to collect data from health service providers and community members, respectively. The study was conducted from September to October 2017 and covered 16 villages within eight districts from four regions of mainland Tanzania (Geita, Kigoma, Mtwara and Ruvuma) with persistently high malaria transmission for more than two decades. RESULTS: Most of the participants had good knowledge of malaria and how it is transmitted but some FGD participants did not know the actual cause of malaria, and thought that it is caused by bathing and drinking un-boiled water, or consuming contaminated food that has malaria parasites without warming it. Reported barriers to malaria prevention and control (by FGD and IDI participants) included shortage of qualified health workers, inefficient health financing, low care-seeking behaviour, consulting traditional healers, use of local herbs to treat malaria, poverty, increased breeding sites by socio-economic activities and misconceptions related to the use of bed nets and indoor residual spraying (IRS). Among the misconceptions, some participants believed that bed nets provided for free by the government came with bedbugs while others reported that free bed nets caused impotence among men. CONCLUSION: Despite good knowledge of malaria, several risk factors, such as socio-economic and behavioural issues, and misconceptions related to the use of bed nets and IRS were reported. Other key factors included unavailability or limited access to health services, poor health financing and economic activities that potentially contributed to persistence of malaria burden in these regions. Relevant policies and targeted malaria interventions, focusing on understanding socio-cultural factors, should be implemented to reduce and finally eliminate the disease in the study regions and others with persistent transmission.

Community knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding epilepsy in Mahenge, Tanzania: A socio-anthropological study in an onchocerciasis-endemic area with a high prevalence of epilepsy.

BACKGROUND: Throughout Africa, epilepsy is a highly stigmatized condition. It is often considered to be contagious. This study aimed to assess community knowledge, attitude, and practices toward epilepsy in four villages namely Mdindo, Msogezi, Mzelezi, and Sali within Mahenge division, in Morogoro region, Tanzania. These villages are located in an onchocerciasis-endemic area with a high prevalence of epilepsy. METHODS: A qualitative cross-sectional study was conducted between June and July 2019 within the framework of a multi-disciplinary research project investigating the association between onchocerciasis and epilepsy. Focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) were held with persons with epilepsy (PWE) and their caretakers, community resource persons, and program coordinators of the neglected tropical diseases program. RESULTS: The main symptoms of epilepsy were well described by all participants in all villages. PWE and caretakers in all villages considered epilepsy to be a major health problem and some participants ranked it second in importance after malaria. The reported perceived causes of epilepsy included febrile seizures during childhood (locally known as degedege), heredity, evil spirits, and inhaling flatus or touching secretions from PWE, especially during seizures. Knowledge about the association between epilepsy and onchocerciasis was low. People with epilepsy are disregarded, stigmatized, and marginalized from various opportunities such as conjugal rights, schooling, leadership roles, and property inheritance. Traditional healers are often the first contact when seeking care after a person develops epilepsy. CONCLUSION: Epilepsy is a major health burden and public health concern in the Mahenge area. The negative attitudes toward PWE and misconceptions about the causes of epilepsy contribute to delays in seeking care at health facilities. Findings from this study will be used to optimize the comprehensive community-based epilepsy treatment program that was recently initiated in the area.

Trends, patterns and cause-specific neonatal mortality in Tanzania: a hospital-based retrospective survey.

BACKGROUND: Globally, large numbers of children die shortly after birth and many of them within the first 4 wk of life. This study aimed to determine the trends, patterns and causes of neonatal mortality in hospitals in Tanzania during 2006-2015. METHODS: This retrospective study involved 35 hospitals. Mortality data were extracted from inpatient registers, death registers and International Classification of Diseases-10 report forms. Annual specific hospital-based neonatal mortality rates were calculated and discussed. Two periods of 2006-2010 and 2011-2015 were assessed separately to account for data availability and interventions. RESULTS: A total of 235 689 deaths were recorded and neonatal deaths accounted for 11.3% (n=26 630) of the deaths. The majority of neonatal deaths (87.5%) occurred in the first week of life. Overall hospital-based neonatal mortality rates increased from 2.6 in 2006 to 10.4 deaths per 1000 live births in 2015, with the early neonates contributing 90% to this rate constantly over time. The neonatal mortality rate was 3.7/1000 during 2006-2010 and 10.4/1000 during 2011-2015, both periods indicating a stagnant trend in the years between. The leading causes of early neonatal death were birth asphyxia (22.3%) and respiratory distress (20.8%), while those of late neonatal death were sepsis (29.1%) and respiratory distress (20.0%). CONCLUSION: The majority of neonatal deaths in Tanzania occur among the early newborns and the trend over time indicates a slow improvement. Most neonatal deaths are preventable, hence there are opportunities to reduce mortality rates with improvements in service delivery during the first 7 d and maternal care.

Cancer Mortality Patterns in Tanzania: A Retrospective Hospital-Based Study, 2006-2015.

PURPOSE: This retrospective study sought to determine the type, burden, and pattern of cancer deaths in public hospitals in Tanzania from 2006 to 2015. METHODS: This study analyzed data on cancer mortality in 39 hospitals in Tanzania. Data on the age and sex of the deceased and type of cancer were extracted from hospital death registers and report forms. Cancer types were grouped according to the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases. Age-standardized mortality rates and cancer mortality patterns were analyzed. A χ2 test was used to examine the association between common cancers and selected covariates. RESULTS: A total of 12,621 cancer-related deaths occurred during the 10-year period, which translates to an age-standardized hospital-based mortality rate of 47.8 per 100,000 population. Overall, the number of deaths was notably higher (56.5%) among individuals in the 15- to 59-year-old age category and disproportionately higher among females than males (P = .0017). Cancers of the cervix, esophagus, and liver were the 3 major causes of death across all study hospitals in Tanzania. Cancers of the cervix, esophagus, and liver were the largest contributors to mortality burden among females. Among males, cancers of the esophagus, liver, and prostate were the leading cause of mortality. CONCLUSION: There is an increasing trend in cancer mortality over recent years in Tanzania, which differs with respect to age, sex, and geographic zones. These findings provide a basis for additional studies to ascertain incidence rates and survival probabilities, and highlight the need to strengthen awareness campaigns for early detection, access to care, and improved diagnostic capabilities.

Rice farmers' perceptions and acceptability in the use of a combination of biolarvicide (Bacillus thuringiensis var. israeliensis) and fertilizers application for malaria control and increase rice productivity in a rural district of central Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: The use of larval source management as a supplementary intervention for malaria control has not been widely used in rural Africa due to perceived high costs and complex logistics. To reduce the cost of larviciding in rice farming communities, concurrent application of biolarvicides and fertilizer in rice fields was introduced to control malaria vectors larvae and improve rice grain yields. The present study determined rice farmers' perceptions and acceptability in the use of a combination of biolarvicide and fertilizers in farming practices. METHODS: This was a qualitative study conducted among rice farmers at Kilangali village, south-central Tanzania. Semi-structured interviews and three focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with men and women who participated in the biolarvicide and fertilizer application project. The interviews and discussion focused on knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of participants on the use of the innovation in their farming practices and their willingness to pay for the innovation. RESULTS: A total of 40 (mean age = 38.8 ± 10.12 years) rice farmers were involved in the study. Overall, all farmers agreed that it was possible to apply the two products concurrently with minimal challenges. The trust on the safety of biolarvicides on both human and paddy health was high. Respondents reported no challenge in preparation and applying the product in their rice fields. Over half (56.6%) of the participants reported an average decrease in mosquito density in their households and a quarter (26.6%) of them reported a decrease in mosquito population in their farms. Similarly, 93.3% of the participants reported that the intervention had reduced malaria risk in their households. In general, all participants expressed willingness to contribute to a biolarvicide and fertilizer programme and to use the approach in their farming practices. CONCLUSION: Community-based concurrent application of biolarvicides and fertilizer in rice fields was feasible and led to a perceived reduction in mosquito density. Willingness to pay for the larviciding/fertilizer approach was expressed by participants and they accepted to use the approach in their future farming practices. However, the impact of this approach on malaria transmission and rice grain harvest need to be evaluated in a large-scale programme.

Trends, patterns and causes of respiratory disease mortality among inpatients in Tanzania, 2006-2015.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the causes, patterns and trends of respiratory diseases-related deaths in hospitals of Tanzania 2006-2015. METHODS: Retrospective study involving 39 hospitals. Medical records of patients who died in hospital were retrieved, reviewed and analysed. Sources of data were hospital admission registers, death registers and International Classification of Diseases report forms. Information on demographic characteristics, date of death, the immediate underlying cause of death and co-morbid conditions was collected. RESULTS: Of the 247 976 deaths reported during the 10-year period, respiratory diseases accounted for 12.92% (n = 32 042). The majority of the respiratory mortality was reported among males (55.9%). Overall median age at death was 31 years with an interquartile range (IQR) of 1-47. Median age at death was significantly higher among males (35 years) than females (28 years) (P < 0.0001). Most deaths (37.8%) occurred in eastern Tanzania. About one-third (31.3%) of all respiratory mortality was reported among under-five children, being among girls than boys (34.3% vs. 28.9%, χ2  = 10.3, P < 0.0001). Adolescent and young adult females (15-29 years) had higher age-standardised mortality rates per 100 000 due respiratory diseases than males. Pneumonia (n = 16 639; 51.9%) and pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 9687; 30.2%) accounted for the majority of deaths due to respiratory diseases. Significantly more females (n = 7665; 54.5%) than males died from pneumonia (n = 8878; 49.8%; χ2  = 8.5, P < 0.0001). By contrast, significantly more males (n = 6024; 34%) than females (n = 3596; 26%; χ2  = 15.5, P < 0.0001) died of tuberculosis. The proportion of death due to tuberculosis declined from 32.8% in 2006-2010 to 7.9% in 2011-2015. However, there was a significant increase in the proportion of death due to pneumonia from 49.6% in 2006-2010 to 53.4% in 2011-2015. Co-morbid conditions contributed to 9.1% (2871/31 628) of all deaths due to respiratory diseases. The most common co-morbid condition was HIV which accounted for 1735 (60.4%) deaths and was more common among males (60.8%; n = 957) than among females (59.7%; n = 764). CONCLUSIONS: Respiratory diseases account for a substantial proportion of all causes of hospital death in Tanzania. Pneumonia and tuberculosis contribute to more than three quarters of all deaths due to respiratory diseases. Since most major respiratory illnesses are avoidable, it is important to strengthen the capacity of the health delivery system in managing cases of respiratory diseases.

Hospital mortality statistics in Tanzania: availability, accessibility, and quality 2006-2015.

BACKGROUND: Accurate and reliable hospital information on the pattern and causes of death is important to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of health policies and programs. The objective of this study was to assess the availability, accessibility, and quality of hospital mortality data in Tanzania. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved selected hospitals of Tanzania and was carried out from July to October 2016. Review of hospital death registers and forms was carried out to cover a period of 10 years (2006-2015). Interviews with hospital staff were conducted to seek information as regards to tools used to record mortality data, staff involved in recording and availability of data storage and archiving facilities. RESULTS: A total of 247,976 death records were reviewed. The death register was the most (92.3%) common source of mortality data. Other sources included the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) report forms, Inpatient registers, and hospital administrative reports. Death registers were available throughout the 10-year period while ICD-10 forms were available for the period of 2013-2015. In the years between 2006 and 2010 and 2011-2015, the use of death register increased from 82 to 94.9%. Three years after the introduction of ICD-10 procedure, the forms were available and used in 28% (11/39) hospitals. The level of acceptable data increased from 69% in 2006 to 97% in 2015. Inconsistency in the language used, use of non-standard nomenclature for causes of death, use of abbreviations, poorly and unreadable handwriting, and missing variables were common data quality challenges. About 6.3% (n = 15,719) of the records had no patient age, 3.5% (n = 8790) had no cause of death and ~ 1% had no sex indicated. The frequency of missing sex variable was most common among under-5 children. Data storage and archiving in most hospitals was generally poor. Registers and forms were stored in several different locations, making accessibility difficult. CONCLUSION: Overall, this study demonstrates gaps in hospital mortality data availability, accessibility, and quality, and highlights the need for capacity strengthening in data management and periodic record reviews. Policy guidelines on the data management including archiving are necessary to improve data.

Cause-specific mortality patterns among hospital deaths in Tanzania, 2006-2015.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the causes of inpatient mortality in hospitals is important for monitoring the population health and evidence-based planning for curative and public health care. Dearth of information on causes and trends of hospital mortality in most countries of Sub-Saharan Africa has resulted to wide use of model-based estimation methods which are characterized by estimation errors. This retrospective analysis used primary data to determine the cause-specific mortality patterns among inpatient hospital deaths in Tanzania from 2006-2015. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The analysis was carried out from July to December 2016 and involved 39 hospitals in Tanzania. A review of hospital in-patient death registers and report forms was done to cover a period of 10 years. Information collected included demographic characteristics of the deceased and immediate underlying cause of death. Causes of death were coded using international classification of diseases (ICD)-10. Data were analysed to provide information on cause-specific, trends and distribution of death by demographic and geographical characteristics. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A total of 247,976 deaths were captured over a 10-year period. The median age at death was 30 years, interquartile range (IQR) 1, 50. The five leading causes of death were malaria (12.75%), respiratory diseases (10.08%), HIV/AIDS (8.04%), anaemia (7.78%) and cardio-circulatory diseases (6.31%). From 2006 to 2015, there was a noted decline in the number of deaths due to malaria (by 47%), HIV/AIDS (28%) and tuberculosis (26%). However, there was an increase in number of deaths due to neonatal disorders by 128%. Malaria and anaemia killed more infants and children under 5 years while HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis accounted for most of the deaths among adults. CONCLUSION: The leading causes of inpatient hospital death were malaria, respiratory diseases, HIV/AIDS, anaemia and cardio-circulatory diseases. Death among children under 5 years has shown an increasing trend. The observed trends in mortality indicates that the country is lagging behind towards attaining the global and national goals for sustainable development. The increasing pattern of respiratory diseases, cancers and septicaemia requires immediate attention of the health system.

The readiness of the national health laboratory system in supporting care and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Strong health laboratory systems and networks capable of providing high quality services are critical components of the health system and play a key role in routine diagnosis, care, treatment and disease surveillance. This study aimed to assess the readiness of the national health laboratory system (NHLS) and its capacity to support care and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Tanzania. METHODS: A documentary review was performed to assess the structure of the health system with reference to the status and capacity of the NHLS to support HIV diagnosis. Key informant interviews were also held with laboratory staff in all levels of the health care delivery system in four regions with different levels of HIV prevalence. Information sought included availability and utilization of laboratory guidelines, quality and the capacity of laboratories for diagnosis of HIV. RESULTS: The findings indicate that a well-established NHLS was in place. However, the coordination of HIV laboratory services was found to be weak. Forty six respondents were interviewed. In most laboratories, guidelines for HIV diagnosis were available but health care providers were not aware of their availability. Utilization of the guidelines for HIV diagnosis was higher at national level than at the lower levels. The low level of awareness and utilization of guidelines was associated with inadequate training and supervision. There was a shortage of human resource, mostly affecting the primary health care level of the system and this was associated with inequity in employment and training opportunities. Laboratories in public health facilities were better staffed and had more qualified personnel than private-owned laboratories. CONCLUSION: Tanzania has a well established national health laboratory network sufficient to support HIV care and treatment services. However, laboratories at the primary health care level are constrained by inadequate resources and operate within a limited capacity. Improving the laboratory capacity in terms of number of qualified personnel, staff training on the national guidelines, laboratory diagnostic tools and coordination should be given a higher priority.

Community perception on biomedical research: A case study of malariometric survey in Korogwe District, Tanga Region, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Community perception in biomedical research remains critical in Africa with many participants being driven by different motives. The objective of this study was to explore the perceived motives for women or females guardians to volunteer for their children to participate in biomedical research and to explore experiences and challenges faced by Community Owned Resource Persons (CORPs) when mobilizing community members to participate in biomedical research. METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted in Korogwe district, in north-eastern Tanzania. Qualitative methods combining random and purposive sampling techniques were used for data collection. A randomly selected sample using random table method from the existing list of households in the ward office was used to select participants for Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). A purposive sampling technique was used for In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) with CORPs. Thematic framework analysis was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Need for better health services, availability of qualified clinicians, and better access to services provided at the research points were reported as main motives for community members to participate in biomedical research. With regard to experience and challenges faced by CORPs, the main reasons for mothers and guardians not participating in biomedical research were linked to misconception of the malariometric surveys, negative perception of the validity and sensitivity of rapid diagnostic tests, fear of knowing Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) sero status, and lack of trust for the medical information provided by the CORPs. Challenges reported by CORPs included lack ofawareness of malariometric surveys among participants, time consumption in mobilization of the community, difficulties in identifying individual results, and family responsibilities. CONCLUSION: This study has shown that majority of community members had positive perceptions of the about malariometric surveys services provided. The availability of free health services was the major determining factor for community members' participation in malariometric surveys. CORPs are instrumental in mobilizing community members participation during malariometric surveys, despite their experiences and the challenges they face.

How experiences become data: the process of eliciting adverse event, medical history and concomitant medication reports in antimalarial and antiretroviral interaction trials.

BACKGROUND: Accurately characterizing a drug's safety profile is essential. Trial harm and tolerability assessments rely, in part, on participants' reports of medical histories, adverse events (AEs), and concomitant medications. Optimal methods for questioning participants are unclear, but different methods giving different results can undermine meta-analyses. This study compared methods for eliciting such data and explored reasons for dissimilar participant responses. METHODS: Participants from open-label antimalarial and antiretroviral interaction trials in two distinct sites (South Africa, n = 18 [all HIV positive]; Tanzania, n = 80 [86% HIV positive]) were asked about ill health and treatment use by sequential use of (1) general enquiries without reference to particular conditions, body systems or treatments, (2) checklists of potential health issues and treatments, (3) in-depth interviews. Participants' experiences of illness and treatment and their reporting behaviour were explored qualitatively, as were trial clinicians' experiences with obtaining participant reports. Outcomes were the number and nature of data by questioning method, themes from qualitative analyses and a theoretical interpretation of participants' experiences. RESULTS: There was an overall cumulative increase in the number of reports from general enquiry through checklists to in-depth interview; in South Africa, an additional 12 medical histories, 21 AEs and 27 medications; in Tanzania an additional 260 medical histories, 1 AE and 11 medications. Checklists and interviews facilitated recognition of health issues and treatments, and consideration of what to report. Information was sometimes not reported because participants forgot, it was considered irrelevant or insignificant, or they feared reporting. Some medicine names were not known and answers to questions were considered inferior to blood tests for detecting ill health. South African inpatient volunteers exhibited a "trial citizenship", working to achieve researchers' goals, while Tanzanian outpatients sometimes deferred responsibility for identifying items to report to trial clinicians. CONCLUSIONS: Questioning methods and trial contexts influence the detection of adverse events, medical histories and concomitant medications. There should be further methodological work to investigate these influences and find appropriate questioning methods.

Saleability of anti-malarials in private drug shops in Muheza, Tanzania: a baseline study in an era of assumed artemisinin combination therapy (ACT).

BACKGROUND: Artemether-lumefantrine (ALu) replaced sulphadoxine-pymimethamine (SP) as the official first-line anti-malarial in Tanzania in November 2006. So far, artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) is contra-indicated during pregnancy by the national malaria treatment guidelines, and pregnant women depend on SP for Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPTp) during pregnancy. SP is still being dispensed by private drug stores, but it is unknown to which extent. If significant, it may undermine its official use for IPTp through induction of resistance. The main study objective was to perform a baseline study of the private market for anti-malarials in Muheza town, an area with widespread anti-malarial drug resistance, prior to the implementation of a provider training and accreditation programme that will allow accredited drug shops to sell subsidized ALu. METHODS: All drug shops selling prescription-only anti-malarials, in Muheza town, Tanga Region voluntarily participated from July to December 2009. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with owners or shopkeepers on saleability of anti-malarials, and structured questionnaires provided quantitative data on drugs sales volume. RESULTS: All surveyed drug shops illicitly sold SP and quinine (QN), and legally amodiaquine (AQ). Calculated monthly sale was 4,041 doses, in a town with a population of 15,000 people. Local brands of SP accounted for 74% of sales volume, compared to AQ (13%), QN (11%) and ACT (2%). CONCLUSIONS: In community practice, the saleability of ACT was negligible. SP was best-selling, and use was not reserved for IPTp, as stipulated in the national anti-malarial policy. It is a major reason for concern that such drug-pressure in the community equals de facto intermittent presumptive treatment. In an area where SP drug resistance remains high, unregulated SP dispensing to people other than pregnant women runs the risk of eventually jeopardizing the effectiveness of the IPTp strategy. Further studies are recommended to find out barriers for ACT utilization and preference for self-medication and to train private drug dispensers.