Traditionally removed mandibular central incisors and oral health-related quality of life: a cross-sectional study among adolescents in Maasai populated areas, Northern Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: The traditional removal of mandibular anterior teeth has been existing for many years in the Sub-Saharan African countries. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and sociodemographic distribution of traditionally removed mandibular central incisors (TRMCI) and its association with oral impact on daily performance (OIDP) among adolescents in Maasai populated areas in the Northern part of Tanzania. METHODS: Using a two-stage cluster sample design, with schools as the primary sampling unit, 23 out of 66 eligible rural schools were randomly selected. From each selected school, one class, expected to contain adolescents aged 12-14 years, was identified. The students from these selected classes were invited to participate in the study. A total of 989 adolescents were invited and 906 (91.6%) accepted to participate and completed both an interview and a clinical oral examination. RESULTS: Mean age was 13.4 years (12-17 years, SD 1.2) and 43.9% were males (n = 398). The participants from Longido district amounted to 47.1%. The Maasai group constituted 79.6% of the study participants. The frequency of the participants missing at least one mandibular central incisor were 18.5%. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that adolescents from Longido district were more likely to report at least one TRMCI (OR = 2.5, 95% CI 1.4-3.3). Adolescents from non-Maasai group were less likely to have atleast one TRMCI compared to adolescents from Maasai ethnic group (OR = 0.02, 95% CI 0.002-0.15). Adolescents with at least one TRMCI were more likely to report impacts on OIDP (OR = 3.3, 95% CI 1.9-5.7) than those without TRMCI. Independent of the TRMCI status, adolescents from Longido district were less likely than their counterparts to report oral impacts (OR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.6). Similarly, adolescents from non-Masaai group were more likely than their counterparts to report oral impacts (OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.4-3.5). CONCLUSION: TRMCI is common among adolescents in the Maasai populated areas in the Northern part of Tanzania and strongly associated with the district of residence and Maasai ethnicity and has a negative impact on oral health related quality of life. There is a need for oral health education in the rural Maasai communities in Tanzania to increase awareness of the negative consequences of this practice.

The efficacy of maternal health education and maternal screening on knowledge and the uptake of infant screening for sickle cell disease in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania; a quasi experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Globally, Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common genetic disease with high childhood mortality. Early identification of babies with SCD through newborn screening (NBS) and linking them to care are among the recommended interventions. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of maternal health education and maternal screening for SCD on knowledge and the uptake of infant screening for SCD among mother-infant pairs attending antenatal clinics at Government health facilities in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania.  METHODS: This study was a pre-test post-test, quasi-experimental which involved pregnant women attending antenatal clinics at three hospitals; Mbagala hospital, Sinza hospital and Buguruni health center in Dar Es Salaam. A structured questionnaire was used in data collection. Knowledge on SCD was assessed for all participants before and after two sessions of health education. Participants in Mbagala and Buguruni were also screened for SCD using Sickle SCAN point-of-care test (BioMedomics Inc, USA). The efficacy for health education intervention was computed as the post-intervention minus baseline knowledge score. For proportions, a two-sample z-test was used. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the efficacy of health education intervention and also predictors of infant diagnosis.  RESULTS: For two sessions of health education intervention, a total of 467 pregnant women completed the sessions. During antenatal visits, a total of 218 were screened for SCD. The proportion of participants with good knowledge of SCD had significantly increased to 85.9% from 12.4% at baseline following the education intervention. In multivariate analysis, sharing the received education on SCD was an independent predictor of the efficacy of health education intervention. Maternal occupation, maternal SCD status as well as sharing the received education on SCD were independent predictors of the uptake of SCD infant diagnosis. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated that maternal health education and maternal screening for SCD are feasible and efficacious interventions in raising knowledge and improving the uptake of infant diagnosis for SCD. These interventions are strongly recommended to be included in the comprehensive care package for pregnant women attending antenatal clinics, particularly in areas with a high burden of SCD.

Building sustainable research capacity at higher learning institutions in Tanzania through mentoring of the Young Research Peers.

BACKGROUND: Sustainability of research culture in Sub-Saharan Africa is threatened in part by the lack of a critical mass of young researchers with the requisite skills and interest to undertake research careers. This paper describes an intensive mentorship programme combining hierarchical (vertical) and peer-to-peer (horizontal) mentoring strategies among young researchers in a resource limited setting in Sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: A consortium of three partnering large Tanzanian health training institutions (MUHAS, CUHAS and KCMUCo) and two collaborating US institutions (UCSF and Duke University) was formed as part of the five-year Transforming Health Professions Education in Tanzania (THET) project, funded by the NIH through Health Professional Education Partnership Initiative (HEPI). Within THET, the Community of Young Research Peers (CYRP) was formed, comprising of inter-professional and cross-institutional team of 12 Master-level Young Research Peers and 10 co-opted fellows from the former MEPI-Junior Faculty (MEPI-JF) project. The Young Peers received mentorship from senior researchers from the consortium through mentored research awards and research training, and in turn provided reciprocal peer-to-peer mentorship as well as mentorship to undergraduate students. RESULTS: At the end of the first 2 years of the project, all 12 Young Peers were proceeding well with mentored research awards, and some were at more advanced stages. For example, three articles were already published in peer reviewed journals and two other manuscripts were in final stages of preparation. All 12 Young Peers participated in CYRP-wide thematic training workshops on mentoring and secondary data analysis; 11 had undertaken at least three research training short courses in identified areas of need; 9 joined at least one other ongoing research project; 5 made at least one scientific presentation, and 5 participated in at least one submitted grant application. Half of the Young Peers have enrolled in PhD programmes. A collective total of 41 undergraduate students were actively mentored by the Young Peers in research. CONCLUSION: The CYRP has demonstrated to be an effective model for dual vertical and horizontal mentorship in research to young investigators in resource-limited settings. This model is recommended to educators working on developing research competence of early career researchers, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Assessment of CAD-CAM polymers for digitally fabricated complete dentures.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Information on the mechanical properties of the materials used for manufacturing computer-engineered complete dentures is scarce. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the mechanical properties of 3 prepolymerized polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) resins used in the fabrication of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) milled complete dentures (CDs), as well as 2 denture base polymers used for conventionally fabricated CDs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three CAD-CAM materials were evaluated: Degos Dental L-Temp, IvoBase CAD, and Zirkonzahn Temp Basic Tissue. Two materials used for conventionally manufactured dentures were also included as controls (Palapress and Paladon 65). Each material type was sectioned into bars for flexural strength, nanohardness, elastic modulus, and surface microhardness evaluation (n=8/material). Half of the specimens were stored in water for 30 days, while the other half was dry-stored. A 2-way ANOVA was conducted to detect the effect of material and storage on the evaluated properties (α=.05). Linear contrasts were conducted to compare the differences among the 3 types of CAD-CAM material and the conventional ones. RESULTS: Material type and storage had a significant influence on the flexural strength, nanohardness, elastic modulus, and surface hardness of the materials investigated (P<.001). The post hoc Scheffé test for flexural strength revealed a nonsignificant difference in the interaction between Degos L-Temp and Paladon (P=1.000). In terms of nanohardness, no difference was found when comparing Palapress with Paladon, as well as IvoBase CAD with Zirkonzahn Temp Basic (P=1.000). A nonsignificant interaction in terms of surface hardness was also found between IvoBase CAD and Palapress (P=.575). CONCLUSIONS: The tested materials showed variation in their mechanical properties, with satisfactory behavior of the CAD-CAM materials. However, the results obtained when testing the materials used for the conventional fabrication of complete dentures suggest that their use might still be advisable.

Oral impacts on daily performances and its socio-demographic and clinical distribution: a cross-sectional study of adolescents living in Maasai population areas, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: In a global perspective, oral health among adolescents has improved during recent decades. However, oral problems still persist especially in many underprivileged societies. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of oral impacts in adolescents and to identify important clinical- and socio-demographic covariates. In addition, this study compares Maasai and non-Maasai adolescents regarding any association of socio-demographic and clinical covariates with oral impacts on daily performances. METHODS: A total of 989 adolescents were invited from 23 randomly selected public primary schools in Monduli and Longido districts, Tanzania. All adolescents attending 6th grade classes were invited to participate. A total of 930 accepted and of those 24 were excluded, leaving 906 (91.6%) participants for the study. RESULTS: A total of 143/906 (15.8%) had at-least one oral impact on daily performances (OIDP > 0), 14.6% among the Maasai and 20.5% among the non-Maasai ethnic group. Cluster adjusted logistic regression revealed that: adolescents from Longido district (OR = 0.4) and adolescents with good oral hygiene (OR = 0.7) were less likely to report OIDP> 0 and; non Maasai (OR = 1.6), those with least poor parents (OR = 2.0), DMFT> 0 (OR = 3.1) and those with positive answers to questions regarding TMD pain, 2Q/TMD > 0 (OR = 3.9) were more likely to report OIDP> 0. Stratified logistic regression by ethnicity revealed that, among the non-Maasais, older adolescents (OR = 3.7, 95% CI 1.1-12.8), those with DMFT> 0 (OR = 3.3 (1.2-9.0) and 2Q/TMD > 0 (OR = 9.0, 95% CI 3.3-25.0) were more likely to report at least one OIDP. The corresponding figures among the Maasais were (OR = 0.9, 95% CI 0.5-1.7), (OR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.4-5.5) and (OR = 3.0, 95% CI 1.7-5.2), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of oral impacts was moderate but higher among the non-Maasai- than Maasai-adolescents attending rural primary schools in the Maasai population areas of Tanzania. This study also confirmed socioeconomic and oral clinical disparities in OIDP, some of which differed according to ethnicity. Caries experience and self-reported TMD pain associated more strongly with OIDP among the non-Maasais than among the Maasais. These results are important for public oral health decision makers who plan strategies for optimal primary oral health care and quality of life among adolescents belonging to minority groups in Tanzania.

Oral diseases and oral health related behaviors in adolescents living in Maasai population areas of Tanzania: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Oral diseases, such as dental caries, tooth wear, dental erosion and periodontal diseases are major health problems in many societies. The study aim was to explore the association between oral health related behaviors and the presence of oral diseases in adolescents living in Maasai population areas in the northern part of Tanzania. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted in 2016 using one stage cluster sample design. A total of 989 adolescents were invited and 906 (91.6%; (Maasais n = 721, non Maasais n = 185) accepted the invitation and completed an interview and clinical oral examination in a school setting (mean age 13.4 years, SD 1.2, range 12-17 years). Chi-square test, bivariate analysis and logistic regression were performed to analyze data. RESULTS: Logistic regression revealed that: adolescents with low frequency of tooth cleaning (OR = 10.0, CI 4.3-20.0) was associated with poor oral hygiene and that more regular tooth cleaning (OR = 0.1, CI 0.04-0.14) and the use of plastic type of tooth brush (OR = 0.7, CI 0.53-0.99) were associated with less gingival bleeding. High consumption of biscuits (OR = 2.5, CI 1.7-3.8) was associated with presence of dental caries and the use of magadi (OR = 24.2, CI 11.6-50.6) as a food additive was the covariate for more severe dental fluorosis (TF grade 5-9). Regular intake of carbonated soft drinks (OR = 1.6, CI 1.1-2.5) and regular tooth cleaning (OR = 1.7, CI 1.1-2.6) were independently associated with dental erosion. Using teeth as a tool for: biting nails (OR = 1.9, CI 1.4-2.4), opening soda (OR = 1.8, CI 1.4-2.4) and holding needles (OR = 1.6, CI 1.3-2.1) were covariates for tooth wear. Adolescents who reported to clench/grind their teeth (OR = 2.3, CI 1.5-3.7) was the only covariate for TMD. In several of the investigated factors, there were significant differences between the Maasai and non Maasai ethnic groups. CONCLUSION: Oral health related behaviors have a significant impact on oral diseases/conditions among adolescents attending primary schools in Maasai population areas with obvious differences in behavior between the Maasai and non Maasai ethnic groups. There is a need for addressing oral health and to encourage behaviors that promote good oral health and dental care service utilization in this society.

Oral diseases and socio-demographic factors in adolescents living in Maasai population areas of Tanzania: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Oral diseases may cause serious health problems, especially in socially disadvantaged populations and in low-income countries. In populations living in the rural areas of Tanzania there is paucity of reports on oral health. The study aim was to estimate the prevalence, severity and socio-demographic distribution of oral diseases/conditions in adolescents living in Maasai population areas of Tanzania and to compare oral diseases/conditions between Maasai and non-Maasai ethnic groups. METHODS: A total of 23 schools were randomly selected from 66 rural public primary schools in Monduli and Longido districts, Tanzania. All pupils in the selected classes, 6th grade, were invited to participate in the study. A total of 989 were invited and 906 (91.6%) accepted the invitation and completed an interview and a clinical oral examination. RESULTS: Out of 906 study participants (age range 12-17 years), 721(79.6%) were from Maasai and 185 (20.4%) from non-Maasai ethnic groups. Prevalence of poor oral hygiene, gingival bleeding, dental caries experience (DMFT> 0), dental fluorosis TF grade 5-9, dental erosion (into dentin), tooth wear (into dentin) and TMD was 65.6, 40.9, 8.8, 48.6, 1.9, 16.5 and 11.8%, respectively. Multiple variable logistic regression analysis revealed that, girls (OR = 2.0) and participants from Longido (OR = 2.6) were more likely to present with good oral hygiene (p < 0.05). Adolescents from Monduli (OR = 1.7), males (OR = 2.1), being born within Arusha region (OR = 1.9) and Maasai (OR = 1.7) were more likely to present with gingival bleeding (p < 0.05). DMFT> 0 increased by age (OR = 2.0) and was associated with non-Maasai ethnic group (OR = 2.2), (p < 0.05). Adolescents from Monduli district (OR = 10.0) and those born in Arusha region (OR = 3.2) were more likely to present with dental fluorosis (p < 0.05). Dental erosion was more common among non-Maasais (OR = 2.0) as well as having mother with high education (OR = 2.3), (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Oral diseases like dental caries and dental erosion were less common, but gingival bleeding, dental fluorosis, tooth wear and TMD were common findings in adolescents attending primary schools in the Maasai population areas of Tanzania. Notable differences between Maasai and non-Maasai ethnic groups and certain correlations to sociodemographic factors were detected. Our findings can be utilized by policy makers in the planning of oral health programs in public primary schools of Maasai population areas of Tanzania.

Outcomes of Hydroxyurea Accessed via Various Means and Barriers Affecting Its Usage Among Children with Sickle Cell Anaemia in North-Western Tanzania.

Purpose: To assess clinical and haematological outcomes of Hydroxyurea accessed via various access means and uncover the barriers to its utilization in children with Sickle cell anaemia (SCA), North-western Tanzania. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted between October 2020 and April 2021 at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) through review of medical files to compare the clinical and haematological outcomes among children with SCA at baseline and followed up retrospectively for at least one year of hydroxyurea utilization, accessed via cash, insurance and projects. Subsequently, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among parents and caregivers to ascertain the barriers to access of hydroxyurea via the various means. The p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: We identified 87 children with SCA who were on hydroxyurea for at least one year. The median age at baseline (before hydroxyurea) was 99 [78-151] months, and 52/87 (59.8%) were male. Compared to baseline, there was a significant reduction in proportion of patients reporting vaso-occlusive crisis, admissions and blood transfusions, a significant increase in Haemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume, conversely a significant reduction in absolute neutrophil and reticulocytes to both insurance and project participants. There was no significant change in most of these parameters among patients who accessed hydroxyurea via cash. Further, a total of 24/87 (27.6%) participants reported different barriers to access of hydroxyurea, where 10/24 (41.7%) reported hydroxyurea to be very expensive, 10/24 (41.7%) reported insurance challenges, and 4/21 (16.6%) reported unavailability of the drug. Conclusion: The paediatric patients utilizing hydroxyurea accessed via insurance and projects, but not cash, experienced significant improvement in the clinical and haematological outcomes. Several barriers for access to hydroxyurea were observed which appeared to impact these outcomes. These findings call for concerted efforts to improve the sustainable access to hydroxyurea among all patients with SCA.

Improved Biorepository to Support Sickle Cell Disease Genomics and Clinical Research: A Practical Approach to Link Patient Data and Biospecimens from Muhimbili Sickle Cell Program, Tanzania.

In Africa, sickle cell disease phenotypes' genetic contributors remain understudied due to the dearth of databases that pair biospecimens with demographic and clinical details. The absence of biorepositories in these settings can exacerbate this issue. This article documents the physical verification process of biospecimens in the biorepository, connecting them to patient clinical and demographic data and aiding in the planning of future genomic and clinical research studies' experience from the Muhimbili Sickle Cell Program in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The biospecimen database was updated with the current biospecimen position following the physical verification and then mapping this information to its demographic and clinical data using demographic identifiers. The biorepository stored 74,079 biospecimens in three -80°C freezers, including 63,345 from 5159 patients enrolled in the cohort between 2004 and 2016. Patients were identified by a control (first visit), entry (when confirmed sickle cell homozygous), admission (when hospitalized), and follow-up numbers (subsequent visits). Of 63,345 biospecimens, follow-ups were 46,915 (74.06%), control 8067 (12.74%), admission 5517 (8.71%), and entry 2846 (4.49%). Of these registered patients, females were 2521 (48.87%) and males were 2638 (51.13%). The age distribution was 1-59 years, with those older than 18 years being 577 (11.18%) and children 4582 (88.82%) of registered patients. The notable findings during the process include a lack of automated biospecimen checks, laboratory information management system, and tubes with volume calibration; this caused the verification process to be tedious and manual. Biospecimens not linked to clinical and demographic data, date format inconsistencies, and lack of regular updating of a database on exhausted biospecimens and updates when biospecimens are moved between positions within freezers were other findings that were found. A well-organized biorepository plays a crucial role in answering future research questions. Enforcing standard operating procedures and quality control will ensure that laboratory users adhere to the best biospecimen management procedures.

Prevalence of Hemoglobin-S and Baseline Level of Knowledge on Sickle Cell Disease Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinics in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania.

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the single most important genetic cause of childhood mortality globally. Newborn screening (NBS) is the recommended intervention aimed at early identification of babies with SCD and their linkage to care. To ensure success of NBS, pregnant women need to have the required knowledge on SCD and therefore motivation to screen their babies. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hemoglobin-S and assess the baseline level of knowledge on SCD among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in urban settings in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2020 and February 2021, involving 600 pregnant women at 20-28 weeks of gestation attending antenatal clinics at Buguruni Health Center, Mbagala Hospital, and Sinza Hospital in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. We administered a structured questionnaire to all participants to assess socio-demographic characteristics and baseline level of knowledge on SCD, where those scoring 7 or higher out of 10 questions were considered to have good knowledge. We screened for SCD a total of 300 participants from two centers (Buguruni Health Center and Mbagala Hospital) by using Sickle SCAN point-of-care test (BioMedomics Inc., United States). We used SPSS version 23 to analyze the data. On determining the association between level of knowledge and socio-demographic factors, we used Pearson's Chi-square and multivariate logistic regression in ascertaining the strength of associations. Results: Of the 600 participants, the majority were of the age between 26 and 35 years (51%), with the parity of 1-3 children (55.8%) and secondary level of education (43%), while 56% were self-employed. Only 14.7% had good knowledge on SCD. The majority of the participants had ever heard of SCD (81.3%), most of them heard from the streets (42.4%), and only 2.4% heard from hospitals. Of all 600 study participants, only 2 (0.3%) knew their SCD status while 7.7% declared having a family history of SCD. A proficient level of knowledge on SCD is associated with a high level of education, occupation, and knowing personal status of SCD. Among 300 participants who were screened for SCD, 252 were Hb-AA (84%), 47 were Hb-AS (15.7%), and 1 (0.3%) was Hb-SS. Conclusion: Despite the high prevalence of hemoglobin-S among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in urban settings in Tanzania, there is a poor level of knowledge on SCD and personal knowledge of SCD status. Maternal screening and health education on SCD should be included as part of the comprehensive package for health promotion at antenatal clinics.

Joint Research Mentoring Through the Community of Young Research Peers: A Case for a Unifying Model for Research Mentorship at Higher Learning Institutions.

Background: Mentorship is pivotal for sustainability of a successful research culture at higher learning institutions. Various models have been proposed for provision of research mentorship in health sciences but are challenged by utilizing predominantly hierarchical mentoring, as well as being centred on one discipline or one institution. This paper describes the approach and successes of an inclusive mentorship model employed in a resource-limited setting in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: Through the NIH-funded Transforming Health Professions Education in Tanzania (THET) project, a consortium of three prominent health sciences higher learning institutions in Tanzania (MUHAS, CUHAS and KCMUCo) and two collaborating US institutions (UCSF and Duke University) was formed. Within THET, the Community of Young Research Peers (CYRP) was constituted, comprised two cohorts of undergraduate students and young faculty (fellows), and senior scientists. Besides mentorship and research training, fellows received funded research awards and in turn mentored undergraduate students. Results: By the first quarter of project year four, the number of fellows and mentored undergraduate students had increased from 12 to 24 and from 41 to 67, respectively. Fellows in the second cohort (junior fellows) included medical doctors, nurses, dentist, biomedical scientist, sociologist and education psychologist. In fostering peer-to-peer mentoring, the cross-institutional pairs of fellows from the first cohort (senior fellows) were assigned to reciprocal pairs of junior fellow mentees and took a leading role in research training. Furthermore, the senior fellows had made significant strides, including eight enrolled in PhD programmes, eight publications from mentored research projects, and six small to medium-size research grants won. Conclusion: The unifying model of research mentorship employed by the CYRP has been demonstrated as an effective model for joint research mentorship of the diverse group of young investigators from collaborating higher learning institutions in Tanzania. This model is recommended for scale-up, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

Barriers and Facilitators of Availability of Hydroxyurea for Sickle Cell Disease in Tanzania; A Qualitative Study of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, Importers, and Regulators.

Despite three decades of proven safety and effectiveness of hydroxyurea in modifying sickle cell disease (SCD), its accessibility is limited in Sub-Saharan Africa, which shares 75% of the world's SCD burden. Therefore, it is time to explore the barriers and facilitators for manufacturing and importation of hydroxyurea for SCD in Tanzania. This was qualitative research that employed a case study approach. Purposive sampling followed by an in-depth interview (IDI) using a semi-structured questionnaire aspired by data saturation enabled us to gather data from 10 participants. The study participants were people with more than three years of experience in pharmaceuticals importation, manufacturing, and regulation. The audio-recorded data were verbatim transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Two themes were generated. The first comprised barriers for importation and manufacturing of hydroxyurea with sub-themes such as inadequate awareness of SCD and hydroxyurea, limited market, and investment viability. The second comprised opportunities for importation and manufacturing of hydroxyurea with sub-themes such as awareness of activities performed by medicines regulatory authority and basic knowledge on SCD and hydroxyurea. Inadequate understanding of SCD, hydroxyurea, and orphan drug regulation are major issues that aggravate the concern for limited market and investment viability. Existing opportunities are a starting point towards increasing the availability of hydroxyurea.

Healthcare Workers' Knowledge and Resource Availability for Care of Sickle Cell Disease in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a global public health priority due to its high morbidity and mortality. In Tanzania, SCD accounts for 7% of under-five mortality. Cost-effective interventions such as early diagnosis and linkage to care have been shown to prevent 70% of deaths but require knowledge among healthcare workers and availability of resources at health facilities. In Tanzania, data on these critical determinants are currently lacking. Objective: To assess healthcare workers' knowledge and resource availability for care of SCD at health facilities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methodology: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2020 and February 2021 among 490 nurses and clinicians at Regional Referral Hospitals (Temeke, Amana, and Mwananyamala) and Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire consisting of 13 knowledge questions (scored good knowledge if correct response in >7) and an inventory check list to record available resources. Pearson's χ2 was used to determine the association between level of knowledge and demographic factors. Multivariate logistic regression was used to ascertain the strength of associations. A two-tailed p-value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Of the 490 participants (median age 28 years [IQR = 26-35]), only 25.1% had good knowledge on SCD. The odds of good knowledge was 82% lower in nurses than clinicians (AOR = 0.177; 95% CI: 0.090, 0.349; p < 0.001); 95% lower in diploma than Master's degree holders (AOR = 0.049; 95% CI: 0.008, 0.300; p = 0.001) and 4.6 times higher in those with 5-9 years than ≥10 years of experience (AOR = 4.564; 95% CI: 1.341, 15.525; p = 0.015). The regional-level hospitals lacked diagnostic tests and hydroxyurea therapy. Conclusion: There was general lack of knowledge on SCD among healthcare workers and limited availability of critical resources for the diagnosis and care of SCD, especially at regional-level hospitals. Efforts are needed for their improvement to enhance care to patients, thus reducing the morbidity and mortality due to SCD in Tanzania.