Exploring women's experiences of care during hospital childbirth in rural Tanzania: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Women's childbirth experiences provide a unique understanding of care received in health facilities from their voices as they describe their needs, what they consider good and what should be changed. Quality Improvement interventions in healthcare are often designed without inputs from women as end-users, leading to a lack of consideration for their needs and expectations. Recently, quality improvement interventions that incorporate women's childbirth experiences are thought to result in healthcare services that are more responsive and grounded in the end-user's needs. AIM: This study aimed to explore women's childbirth experiences to inform a co-designed quality improvement intervention in Southern Tanzania. METHODS: This exploratory qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with women after childbirth (n = 25) in two hospitals in Southern Tanzania. Reflexive thematic analysis was applied using the World Health Organization's Quality of Care framework on experiences of care domains. RESULTS: Three themes emerged from the data: (1) Women's experiences of communication with providers varied (2) Respect and dignity during intrapartum care is not guaranteed; (3) Women had varying experience of support during labour. Verbal mistreatment and threatening language for adverse birthing outcomes were common. Women appreciated physical or emotional support through human interaction. Some women would have wished for more support, but most accepted the current practices as they were. CONCLUSION: The experiences of care described by women during childbirth varied from one woman to the other. Expectations towards empathic care seemed low, and the little interaction women had during labour and birth was therefore often appreciated and mistreatment normalized. Potential co-designed interventions should include strategies to (i) empower women to voice their needs during childbirth and (ii) support healthcare providers to have competencies to be more responsive to women's needs.

Women's and maternity care providers' perceptions of pain management during childbirth in hospitals in Southern Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: The majority of women experience pain during childbirth. Offering and supporting women to use different methods for coping with pain is an essential competency for maternity care providers globally. Research suggests a gap between what women desire for pain management and what is available and provided in many low-and middle-income settings. The study aimed to understand how pain management is perceived by those involved: women experiencing childbirth and maternity care providers. METHODS: Individual semi-structured interviews with women (n = 23), maternity care providers (n = 17) and focus group discussions (n = 4) with both providers and women were conducted in two hospitals in Southern Tanzania in 2021. Transcribed interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Coding and analysis were supported by the software MAXQDA. RESULTS: Three main themes were generated from the data. The first, 'pain management is multifaceted', describes how some providers and women perceived pain management as entailing various methods to manage pain. Providers perceived themselves as having a role in utilization of pain management to varying degree. The second theme 'pain management is primarily a woman's task' highlights a perception of pain management as unnecessary, which appeared to link with some providers' perceptions of pain as natural and necessary for successful childbirth. Few women explicitly shared this perception. The third theme 'practice of pain management can be improved' illustrates how women and maternity care providers perceived current practices of pain management as suboptimal. According to providers, this is primarily due to contextual factors such as shortage of staff and poor ward infrastructure. CONCLUSION: Women's and maternity care providers' perceptions ranged from perceiving pain management as involving a combination of physiological, psychological and social aspects to perceive it as related with limited to no pain relief and/or support. While some women and providers had similar perceptions about pain management, other women also reported a dissonance between what they experienced and what they would have preferred. Efforts should be made to increase women's access to respectful pain management in Tanzania.

Community perspectives of Ebola Viral Disease in high-risk transmission border regions of Tanzania: a qualitative inquiry.

BACKGROUND: Tanzania faces ever-rising concerns due to the recurrence of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. This necessitates a better understanding of the community perspectives in high-risk regions for effective risk communication and preparedness. METHODS: This rapid ethnographic assessment study used explorative qualitative methods to collect data. People from diverse backgrounds participated in 59 in-depth interviews, 57 Key Informant interviews, and 35 focus group discussions. Data was analysed using a thematic analysis approach. FINDING: The study revealed existence of awareness of EVD and its symptoms, with radio and television being the main sources of information. However, there were varied perceptions of EVD's cause and transmission, some attributed it to bats, monkeys, and wild animal meat, while others associated it with high fever, a dirty environment, changing dietary patterns, and the COVID-19 virus. Physical contact with an infected person's body fluids and eating meat from infected animals were perceived as EVD transmission routes. Women, school children, boda-boda (motorcycle) riders, and fishermen were considered the most susceptible to EVD infections due to their daily activities. Preventive measures included avoiding physical contact, touching fluids, and refraining from eating wild animal meat. Prompt reporting of suspected cases to health facilities was deemed crucial for earlier outbreak identification and containment. CONCLUSION: The high-risk regions of Tanzania had a high level of awareness and perceived susceptibility to EVD, coupled with varying degrees of misperception about the etiology and its transmission. To improve community perspectives and preparedness in the case of an outbreak, there is a need for ongoing risk communication and participation in EVD prevention and responses.

"If I die for touching him, let me die": a rapid ethnographic assessment of cultural practices and Ebola transmission in high-risk border regions of Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a rare but contagious disease caused by Ebola Virus (EBOV). The first Ebola outbreaks were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) before subsequent reported cases in Western and East African countries, including Uganda, which borders Tanzania. Proximity to EVD-infected countries raises the prospect of cross-border transmission, raising alarm in Tanzania. This study aimed to explore the cultural practices likely to prevent or escalate EVD transmission in the event of its outbreak in the country. METHODS: This rapid ethnographic assessment employed observation, interviews, and focus group discussions to collect data from people with diverse characteristics in five regions of Tanzania Mainland namely, Kagera, Kigoma, Mwanza and Songwe regions and Zanzibar Island. The qualitative data was then subjected to thematic analysis. FINDINGS: Cultural practices may escalate the transmission of EVD and hinder its prevention and control. These cultural practices include caring sick people at home, confirmation of death, mourning, and body preparation for burial. Communal life, ceremonies, and social gatherings were other aspects observed to have the potential for compounding EVD transmission and hindering its containment in case of an outbreak. CONCLUSION: Cultural practices may escalate EVD transmission as identified in the study settings. As such, Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) activities should be interventionist in transforming cultural practices that may escalate the spread of EVD as part of preparedness, prevention, and control efforts in the event of an outbreak.

"I only seek treatment when I am ill": experiences of hypertension and diabetes care among adults living with HIV in urban Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: For adults living with HIV (ALHIV) and comorbidities, access to comprehensive healthcare services is crucial to achieving optimal health outcomes. This study aims to describe lived experiences, challenges, and coping strategies for accessing care for hypertension and/or diabetes (HTN/DM) in HIV care and treatment clinics (CTCs) and other healthcare settings. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a qualitative study that employed a phenomenological approach between January and April 2022 using a semi-structured interview guide in six HIV CTCs in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We purposively recruited 33 ALHIV with HTN (n = 16), DM (n = 10), and both (n = 7). Thematic content analysis was guided by the 5As framework of access to care. FINDINGS: The majority of the participants were females, between the ages of 54-73, and were recruited from regional referral hospitals. HIV CTCs at regional referral hospitals had more consistent provision of HTN screening services compared to those from district hospitals and health centers. Participants sought HTN/DM care at non-CTC health facilities due to the limited availability of such services at HIV CTCs. However, healthcare delivery for these conditions was perceived as unaccommodating and poorly coordinated. The need to attend multiple clinic appointments for the management of HTN/DM in addition to HIV care was perceived as frustrating, time-consuming, and financially burdensome. High costs of care and transportation, limited understanding of comorbidities, and the perceived complexity of HTN/DM care contributed to HTN/DM treatment discontinuity. As a means of coping, participants frequently monitored their own HTN/DM symptoms at home and utilized community pharmacies and dispensaries near their residences to check blood pressure and sugar levels and obtain medications. Participants expressed a preference for non-pharmaceutical approaches to comorbidity management such as lifestyle modification (preferred by young participants) and herbal therapies (preferred by older participants) because of concerns about side effects and perceived ineffectiveness of HTN/DM medications. Participants also preferred integrated care and focused patient education on multimorbidity management at HIV CTCs. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight significant barriers to accessing HTN/DM care among ALHIV, mostly related to affordability, availability, and accessibility. Integration of NCD care into HIV CTCs, could greatly improve ALHIV health access and outcomes and align with patient preference.

Experiences, acceptability and barriers to calcium supplementation during pregnancy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Calcium supplementation in pregnancy is recommended in contexts with low dietary calcium intake to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia and its complications. The World Health Organisation suggested high-dose calcium supplementation (1500-2000 mg/day), divided into three doses and taken at different times from daily iron-folic supplements. We conducted a mixed methods evaluation study to assess experiences, acceptability and barriers to high-dose calcium supplementation from the perspectives of pregnant women and antenatal health care providers at two public health facilities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to characterise acceptability, barriers and overall experiences of using high-dose calcium supplementation. Pregnant women in the cohort were aged 19-41 years, with 32.4% being primiparous. The proportion of pregnant women who liked calcium supplements 'a lot' decreased from 50.2% at the first visit to 31.8% at the last antenatal follow-up visit. Adherence was 71.3% (interquartile range: 50.5%, 89.3%), with only 24.0% of the participants taking 90% or more of the required supplements. Although participants expressed positive attitudes towards using calcium supplements, they also voiced concerns about the large size, side effects, the potential to forget and the burden of taking calcium supplements three times per day. Antenatal health care providers also affirmed the high burden of taking calcium supplements in addition to iron-folic acid supplements. Participants expressed the acceptability of using calcium supplements during pregnancy, but adherence to three doses per day posed challenges to pregnant women. Reducing the number of calcium supplement doses per day may improve adherence.

A scoping review on HIV early infant diagnosis among HIV exposed infants, ART use and adherence in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: HIV Early Infant Diagnosis (HEID) is critical for the timely initiation of HIV treatments and improved health outcomes among HIV-infected infants. However, the uptake of HEID remains largely low in Tanzania. This descriptive scoping review of evidence on HEID among HIV-exposed infants in Tanzania seeks to understand the dynamics of HEID, ART use and adherence to inform targeted interventions and promote its uptake. METHODS: The Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework guided this scoping review. We searched for peer-published articles on HEID in Tanzania through PubMed and Google Scholar with full-text retrieval from HINAR. We included only English language articles published between 2013 and 2022. Further searches for the materials on the reference lists of the publications yielded additional relevant articles. We carried out an inductive thematic analysis to analyze and synthesize the data. RESULTS: In all, nine articles met the inclusion criteria and, hence, qualified for the review. The variations in the uptake of HEID in the empirical literature reviewed indicate an upward trend. HEID increased from 77.2% in 2009 to 97.8% in 2011 in Kilimanjaro, Mbeya and Tanga and from 53.2% in 2014 to 69.2% in 2016 in Dar es Salaam. The median age at the initial test ranged from 5.6 weeks in Kilimanjaro to 8.6 weeks in Mbeya. The uptake of HEID was necessitated by individual, household and health facility factors. Unknown HIV status at conception, low level of education of the household head, and large household size negatively affected uptake of HEID. The health facility factors such as unavailability of the test kits, long distances to the facility and transport costs negatively influenced HEID uptake. The percentage of HIV-positive infants on ART ranged from 52.7 to 61%, and loss to follow ranged from 31 to 61%. CONCLUSION: The uptake of HEID varied among regions depending on individual, household and health facility factors. Multifaced efforts are needed to address these factors for accelerated uptake of HEID and improved health outcomes and survival among this strategic population group.

"A disease that god has given me" patients and caregivers' perspectives on diabetes in southeastern Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Prompt diagnosis and appropriate management of diabetes has the potential of improving survival and patient health outcomes. Yet many diabetes patients present themselves to health facilities at an advanced stage of the disease which complicates its management. Individual perceptions about diseases are known to play a critical role in informing responses and actions including seeking health care and self-care practices. However, little is documented in Tanzania regarding the perspectives of diabetes patients and their caregivers about the disease especially in rural settings. METHODS: We conducted 26 in-depth interviews involving 19 diabetes patients and 7 diabetes patient caregivers to explore in detail their perspectives on diabetes as a disease. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis with the help of NVivo9. RESULTS: Both patients and caregivers expressed mixed perceptions on diabetes causes. In addition to heredity, and the failure of the pancreas to function well, lifestyle factors including lack of physical activity and eating too many sugary and oily foods were common reported causes. However, none of the participants were clear on the mechanisms between the perceived causes and the actual occurrence of the disease. Perception on susceptibility to diabetes was low even among participants with the disease as they reported not having ever thought of getting the condition before they were diagnosed. Some caregivers expressed worry and fear on their susceptibility to inheriting diabetes from their relatives who had the condition. Diabetes was perceived as a severe and life-threatening condition that can easily cause death if not well managed. Participants indicated uncertainty on its prevention. CONCLUSION: This study shows mixed perspectives on the causes, susceptibility, severity and prevention of diabetes which were informed by the participants' limited knowledge and awareness about the disease. Interventions to strengthen responses to diabetes, which include buy-in from the patients and their caregiver's perspectives are essential to improve prevention, early diagnosis and appropriate management in rural settings.

The role of trust in the implementation and uptake of COVID-19 response measures: a qualitative study of health professionals' experiences in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Even though trust is placed at the central point in ensuring proper functioning of the health systems, studies remain scant on how it affects both the implementation and uptake of COVID-19 response measures in low- and middle-income countries such as Tanzania. This study, therefore, explored the role of trust in the implementation and uptake of recommended COVID-19 response measures including vaccines from the perspective of health professionals in Tanzania. METHODS: This cross-sectional qualitative study was implemented in four of Tanzania's thirty-one regions. Qualitative data was collected through 26 in-depth interviews held with regional and district disease outbreak response teams, district cold chain co-ordinators and health facility in-charges. In addition, five focus group discussions and seven group interviews were conducted with healthcare workers from the lower-level health facilities. Thematic analysis was conducted and applied the trust constructs. RESULTS: Interpersonal trust and health system trust emerged as two major themes in the study. Interpersonal trust was reported to stem from lack of transparency that instigated fear, worries, and confusion regarding the implementation and uptake of the recommended response measures. The distrust was mainly between health professionals in health facilities and those assigned to isolation centres as well as between patients and community members. On the other hand, the health system trust was shaped by mixed feelings regarding COVID-19 vaccine national decisions, and conflicting messages from national officials, politicians and religious leaders on COVID-19 responses, safety, and effectiveness of the vaccines. Questions surrounding the short duration of clinical trials, indeterminate post-vaccination protection duration, impotence-linked beliefs, freemasonry notion and unclear vaccinated cards information are other reported contributory factors to mistrust in the health system. However, after a comprehensive health education and experience in COVID-19 vaccination administration most professionals affirmed the effectiveness of the vaccines in limiting infections and its severe consequences. CONCLUSION: Participants indicated limited trust at both interpersonal and health system levels aggravated by lack of transparency, unclear and conflicting messages on COVID-19 infections and response measures. Enforced transparency on pandemics alongside standardised messages from the reliable sources is crucial in enhancing trust in implementation and uptake of the recommended response measures.

Predictors of mHealth use in promoting adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis among female sex workers: an evaluation of the Jichunge intervention in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective in preventing HIV transmission, and PrEP is recommended by the World Health organization (WHO) for use by individuals at high risk of HIV infection. However, low adherence has been reported to hamper its effectiveness. Some evidence indicates that mHealth interventions may be a promising way of promoting PrEP adherence. Nevertheless, evaluations of mHealth interventions in Africa, the region most affected by HIV, are scarce. This study aimed at identifying the extent of and predictors for use of a smartphone based mHealth application among female sex workers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. METHODS: As part of a quasi-experimental study in Tanzania, 470 female sex workers who were eligible for PrEP and who owned a smartphone were recruited using respondent driven sampling. All participants were provided with an mHealth application called Jichunge, a smartphone-based app designed to promote adherence to PrEP by offering users information, advise and support during start-up and use of PrEP. We collected data through structured interviews at baseline and extracted user data from the app for a period of 30 days. Modified Poisson regression model with robust standard errors was used to identify predictors for the optimal use of the Jichunge app. RESULTS: Overall, the optimal use of the Jichunge app was 46.4%. Optimal use was significantly higher among women who were older (aPR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.10-1.65, p = 0.004 for age 25-34 years, and aPR = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.19-2.07, p = 0.001 for age at least 35 years), who had secondary education or higher (aPR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.08-2.94, p = 0.023), who had suboptimal social support (aPR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.02-1.48, p = 0.030), who had high awareness of PrEP (aPR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.08-1.55, p = 0.005), and who had experience using common mainstream social media applications (aPR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.08-1.71, p = 0.009). CONCLUSION: Optimal use of the Jichunge app was substantially higher among women with higher age, higher education, higher PrEP awareness, less social support, and experience using common social media applications. Individual and interpersonal factors should be considered in planning mHealth interventions. Further studies to determine predictors of longer-term mHealth engagement are needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: International Clinical Trials Registry Platform PACTR202003823226570 ; 04.03.2020.

"In a situation of rescuing life": meanings given to diabetes symptoms and care-seeking practices among adults in Southeastern Tanzania: a qualitative inquiry.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is an emerging public health problem in Tanzania. For the community and the health system to respond adequately to this problem, it is important that we understand the meanings given to its symptoms, and the care-seeking practices of individuals. METHODS: To explore collective views on the meanings given to diabetes symptoms, we conducted nine focus group discussions with adult diabetes patients and members of the general community. To gain a better understanding of how the meanings in the community inform the care-seeking practices of individuals, 19 in-depth interviews were conducted with diabetes patients. The data were analyzed using principles of grounded theory and applying cultural schema theory as a deductive framework. RESULTS: In the communities and among the patients, knowledge and awareness of diabetes are limited. Both people with diabetes and community members referred to their prevailing cultural meaning systems and schemas for infectious diseases to interpret and assign meaning to the emerging symptoms. Diabetes patients reported that they had initially used anti-malarial medicines because they believed their symptoms-like headache, fever, and tiredness-were suggestive of malaria. Schemas for body image informed the meaning given to diabetes symptoms similar to those of HIV, like severe weight loss. Confusion among members of the community about the diabetes symptoms instigated tension, causing patients to be mistrusted and stigmatized. The process of meaning-giving and the diagnosis of the diabetes symptoms was challenging for both patients and health care professionals. Diabetes patients reported being initially misdiagnosed and treated for other conditions by medical professionals. The inability to assign meaning to the symptoms and determine their etiologies informed the decision made by some patients to consult traditional healers, and to associate their symptoms with witchcraft causes. CONCLUSION: The meanings given to diabetes symptoms and the care-seeking practices described in the study are shaped by the prevailing cultural schemas for infectious diseases and their treatments. Efforts to educate people about the symptoms of diabetes and to encourage them to seek out appropriate care should build on the prevailing cultural meaning system and schemas for diseases, health and illness.

"It is the medicines that keep us alive": lived experiences of diabetes medication use and continuity among adults in Southeastern Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a chronic condition which requires many patients to use medications for the remainder of their lives. While this regimen is demanding, little research has been done on the experiences individuals have with diabetes medication use and the continuity of use, especially patients from rural areas of Tanzania. This study explores the lived experiences of diabetes medication use and the continuity of use among adult diabetes patients from rural communities with limited access to diabetes medicines. METHODS: We conducted 19 in-depth interviews to explore patients' experiences with diabetes medication use and the continuity of use. We employed the 5As of access to care to situate the behavioral practices surrounding diabetes medication use in the study settings. The data analysis followed grounded theory principles, and was conducted with the help of NVivo 9. RESULTS: Study participants expressed positive attitudes toward the use of diabetes medicines, but also concerns about affordability. The patients employed two main strategies for dealing with the cost. The first was to increase their available funds by spending less money on family needs, selling household property, asking family and friends for money, or borrowing cash. They also reported sourcing medicines from pharmacies to save on consultation and laboratory costs. Second, participants reported using less than the recommended dosage or skipping doses, and sharing medicines. The geographic accessibility of diabetes service providers, the availability of medication, and the organization of the diabetes services were also cited as barriers to taking medications and to using them continuously. CONCLUSIONS: The strategies employed by the people in this study illustrate their resilience in the face of poverty and failing health care systems. More comprehensive strategies are therefore needed to encourage consistent medication use among people with chronic conditions. These strategies could include the reduction of prices by pharmaceuticals, the strengthening of community risk-pooling mechanisms and sustained health campaigns aimed at patients and the community.

"We have become doctors for ourselves": motives for malaria self-care among adults in southeastern Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Prompt and appropriate treatment of malaria with effective medicines remains necessary if malaria control goals are to be achieved. The theoretical concepts from self-care and the health belief model were used to examine the motivations for malaria self-care among the adult population. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted through eight focus group discussions with adult community members to explore their general opinions, views and perceptions of malaria and of its treatments. These groups were followed by 15 in-depth interviews of participants with a recent malaria experience to allow for an in-depth exploration of their self-care practices. The analysis followed principles of grounded theory and was conducted using Nvivo 9 qualitative data management software. RESULTS: The self-treatment of malaria at home was found to be a common practice among the study participants. The majority of the participants practiced self-medication with a painkiller as an initial response. The persistence and the worsening of the disease symptoms prompted participants to consider other self-care options. Perceptions that many malaria symptoms are suggestive of other conditions motivated participants to self-refer for malaria test. The accessibility of private laboratory facilities and drug shops motivated their use for malaria tests and for obtaining anti-malarial medicines, respectively. Self-treatment with anti-malarial monotherapy was common, motivated by their perceived effectiveness and availability. The perceived barriers to using the recommended combination treatment, artemether-lumefantrine, were related to the possible side-effects and to uncertainty about their effectiveness, and these doubts motivated some participants to consider self-medication with local herbs. Several factors were mentioned as motivating people for self-care practices. These included poor patient provider relationship, unavailability of medicine and the costs associated with accessing treatments from the health facilities. CONCLUSIONS: Malaria self-care and self-treatment with anti-malarial monotherapy are common among adults, and are motivated by both individual characteristics and the limitations of the existing health care facilities. There is a need for public health interventions to take into account community perceptions and cultural schemas on malaria self-care practices.

Predictors of Mothers Living with HIV Uptake of HIV Early Infant Diagnosis Services in Iringa District, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Uptake of HIV early infant diagnosis (HEID) among HIV-exposed infants is the key to timely initiation of Antiretroviral Treatment (ART). However, despite the availability of HEID services in Tanzania, its uptake is low. We aimed to determine predictors of mothers living with HIV' with HIV-exposed infants' uptake of HEID services in Iringa District, Tanzania. METHODS: A health facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Iringa District from May to June 2023. Mothers with HIV-exposed infants were recruited in the study through a multistage sampling technique and interviewed using pre-tested structured questions. Logistic regression analysis was employed to determine potential predictors of HEID uptake. RESULTS: A total of 309 mothers with HIV-exposed infants participated in the study. About 78.3% of the HIV-exposed infants had initial DNA PCR for HEID within 6 weeks of age and 86.1% within 8 weeks. Most mothers had high perceived benefits on uptake of HEID with a mean score of 4.3, high perceived self-efficacy with a mean score of 3.8 and 2.7 perceived risk of HIV infection on their HIV-exposed infants on the 5 scale Likert scale with 5 showing the highest perceived benefit, self-efficacy and risk. High perceived self-efficacy and being a businesswoman were the predictors of uptake of HEID. The odds of self-efficacy on the uptake of HEID by 2.4 times (aOR 2.4 95% CI 1.6-3.2) within 6 weeks of age and 1.9 (aOR 1.9 95% CI 1.3-2.7) within 8 weeks. The odds of being a businesswoman were 0.4 for 6 weeks and 0.3 for 8 weeks (aOR 0.4 95% CI 0.2-0.8) and (aOR 0.3 95% CI 0.1-0.8) respectively. CONCLUSION: Over three-quarters of the HIV-exposed infants had initial DNA PCR for HEID testing as recommended. Perceived self-efficacy was the main factor influencing HEID uptake. These findings highlight the need for strengthening HIV-positive mother's self-efficacy for improved uptake of HEID services.

Predictors of mothers living with HIV' uptake of HIV early infant diagnosis services in Iringa District, TanzaniaThis study aimed to find out the factors associated with the uptake of HIV early infant diagnosis (HEID) services among mothers living with HIV in Iringa District, Tanzania. The uptake of HEID in Tanzania is still below the 95% national and global target of ending AIDS as a public health by 2030 We employed a cross-sectional study design and collected data from May to June 2023 to determine predictors of mothers with HIV-exposed infants' uptake of HEID in Iringa District, Tanzania. The analysis was done by descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. A total of 309 mothers with HIV-exposed infants participated in the study. About 78.3% of the HIV-exposed infants had initial DNA PCR for HEID within 6 weeks of age and 86.1% within 8 weeks. Most mothers had high perceived benefits on uptake of HEID with a mean score of 4.3, high perceived self-efficacy with a mean score of 3.8 and 2.7 perceived risk of HIV infection on their HIV-exposed infants. High perceived self-efficacy was positively associated These findings highlight the need for strengthening HIV-positive mother's self-efficacy for improved uptake of HEID services.

Opportunities and challenges for the integration of managing non-communicable diseases within HIV care and treatment services in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: People living with HIV and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are reported to experience challenges in accessing affordable and high-quality NCD care services. Consequently, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends care integration of NCDs within the HIV services in resource-limited regions. The available opportunities and challenges need to be understood and addressed for an effective integration process. This study explored opportunities and challenges for integrating NCDs within HIV care and treatment services in Tanzania. METHODS: An exploratory qualitative case study was conducted in Tanzania between April and July 2022. A total of 22 key informants working at the ministerial level, supervising the provision of healthcare services in Tanzania, were recruited purposefully for in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was employed during the study. RESULTS: Several opportunities were identified in the study for HIV/NCD services integration including the existence of an integration policy, the availability of regulations and guidelines, the existence of donor support, the presence of physical space and reliable information and communication systems, human resources adequacy, and political will to support the process. However, participants voiced concerns over the costs related to service integration, difficulties in reallocating donor funds, and hesitance of the healthcare providers as likely challenges to effective integration. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study underscore that the effective and sustainable care integration of NCDs within HIV services relies on the availability of policy, funds, infrastructures, human resources, and stakeholders' willingness to support the process.

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis use during periods of unprotected sex among female sex workers in Tanga city, Tanzania: a control arm analysis of the pragmatic quasi-experimental trial.

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) prevention-effective adherence is of critical importance but challenging particularly among key populations where periods of high HIV risk are frequent. We assessed the use of PrEP with reference to periods of unprotected sex among female sex workers in the city of Tanga. Methods: This was part of the pragmatic quasi-experimental trial for HIV PrEP rollout in Tanzania involving a control cohort of 313 female sex workers aged ≥18 years recruited by respondent-driven sampling and followed for 12 months. PrEP use and periods of condomless or unprotected sex were assessed at the 6th and 12th month of follow-up. Prevention-effective adherence was defined as PrEP use of ≥2 pills/week and ≥6 pills/week for anal and vaginal condomless sex. Multivariable modified Poisson regression was conducted to determine factors influencing PrEP use (≥2 pills/week). Results: Overall, 59.2 and 45.9% of participants had unprotected anal and vaginal sex with a client, respectively. The prevention-effective adherence for anal sex ranged from 8.0% (months 6) to 10.0% (months 12) while that of vaginal sex was from 10.1% (month 6) to 3.8% (month 12). Participants who lived with friends were 25.5 times more likely to use ≥2 PrEP doses per week than those who lived alone (aPR = 25.5; 95%CI: 2.55-255.42, p = 0.006). Compared to self-reporting poor health status, self-reporting good health status significantly increased the use of ≥2 PrEP doses per week (aPR = 17.4; 95%CI: 3.01-101.02, p = 0.001). Refusing condomless sex with a steady partner increased the likelihood of using ≥2 PrEP doses per week than accepting condomless sex with a steady partner (aPR = 11.2; 95%CI: 1.55-80.48, p = 0.017). The prevalence of using ≥2 PrEP doses per week was less among participants accepting condomless sex at high pay than those who refused (aPR = 0.1; 95%CI: 0.03-0.26, p = 0.000). Conclusion: Use of PrEP during periods of unprotected sex was rare among female sex workers. Living with friends, self-reporting good health status, and refusing condomless sex with steady partners were associated with increased use of ≥2 PrEP doses per week. However, accepting condomless sex for increased payment was associated with reduced use of ≥2 PrEP doses per week. This calls for an in-depth study to understand the perspectives and circumstances shaping poor adherence during periods of unprotected sex among female sex workers.

Development and Piloting of Implementation Strategies to Support Delivery of a Clinical Intervention for Postpartum Hemorrhage in Four sub-Saharan Africa Countries.

INTRODUCTION: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) remains the leading cause of maternal mortality. A new clinical intervention (E-MOTIVE) holds the potential to improve early PPH detection and management. We aimed to develop and pilot implementation strategies to support uptake of this intervention in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania. METHODS: Implementation strategy development: We triangulated findings from qualitative interviews, surveys and a qualitative evidence synthesis to identify current PPH care practices and influences on future intervention implementation. We mapped influences using implementation science frameworks to identify candidate implementation strategies before presenting these at stakeholder consultation and design workshops to discuss feasibility, acceptability, and local adaptations. Piloting: The intervention and implementation strategies were piloted in 12 health facilities (3 per country) over 3 months. Interviews (n=58), case report forms (n=1,269), and direct observations (18 vaginal births, 7 PPHs) were used to assess feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity. RESULTS: Implementation strategy development: Key influences included shortages of drugs, supplies, and staff, limited in-service training, and perceived benefits of the intervention (e.g., more accurate PPH detection and reduced PPH mortality). Proposed implementation strategies included a PPH trolley, on-site simulation-based training, champions, and audit and feedback. Country-specific adaptations included merging the E-MOTIVE intervention with national maternal health trainings, adapting local PPH protocols, and PPH trollies depending on staff needs. Piloting: Intervention and implementation strategy fidelity differed within and across countries. Calibrated drapes resulted in earlier and more accurate PPH detection but were not consistently used at the start. Implementation strategies were feasible to deliver; however, some instances of limited use were observed (e.g., PPH trolley and skills practice after training). CONCLUSION: Systematic intervention development, piloting, and process evaluation helped identify initial challenges related to intervention fidelity, which were addressed ahead of a larger-scale effectiveness evaluation. This has helped maximize the internal validity of the trial.

The use of PrEP among men who have sex with men and transgender women as Biomedical Prevention Work: A conceptual framework.

Based on ethnographic fieldwork among men who have sex with men and transgender women in Tanzania, this article explores the various types of work that may go into enrolment into PrEP programming and using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP protects against HIV acquisition and is widely touted as an essential tool in 'ending AIDS by 2030'. While taking PrEP has often been portrayed as 'just taking a pill a day' in public health campaigns, a striking observation during fieldwork was that enrolling in PrEP programming and adhering to PrEP involved a wide range of tasks. Inspired by this fieldwork experience and the literature on sociology of work, more specifically illness work and patient work, we started to think of these tasks as work. This paper identifies the range of tasks that PrEP users in Dar es Salaam had to perform as part of their enrolment and usage of PrEP. We provide a description of these tasks, organised into three categories of work that we refer to as (a) readying work, (b) user work, and (c) social navigation work that jointly make up what we propose to call biomedical prevention work. We further suggest that this analytical framework can be applicable to other biomedical prevention methods in other contexts.

Ecological aspects shaping child labour in Tanzania's artisanal and small-scale gold mines: A qualitative inquiry.

Background: This study describes factors promoting child labour in small-scale gold mines in rural Tanzania, a pernicious problem despite the country's adoption of laws and regulations intended to curb it. Methods: Employing a phenomenological design, we collected qualitative data using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews to describe factors promoting children's engagement in small-scale gold mining activities in three districts in Tanzania. Data analysis applied constructs from the ecological system theory. Results: Child labour was reported to be common in the small-scale gold mines and abject household poverty was reported as the main factor pushing children to work in the mines because of their respective households' inability to provide for their basic needs. Other underlying factors stated included divorce and family disintegration and limited diversification of income-earning activities. The migratory nature of artisanal mining led some miner parents to not prioritize the education of their children. Furthermore, peer pressure and parental influence, especially of mothers, promoted entry into mining or reinforced its continuation. Early socialisation of children as future miners and lack of perspective and societal expectations of other life trajectories contributed to persistent child labour within mining communities. At the government level, the study participants mentioned poor reinforcement of mining regulations as another factor that legitimised child labour in the mines. Conclusion: Since factors promoting child labour in small-scale gold mines are multifaceted, efforts for its elimination require a multi-layered approach aimed at addressing the root-causes at the micro-, meso-, exo- and macro-level systems.

Retention in an mHealth App Aiming to Promote the Use of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Female Sex Workers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Increasing access to smartphones in sub-Saharan Africa offers an opportunity to leverage mobile health (mHealth) technology to improve access to health care in underserved populations. In the domain of HIV prevention, mHealth interventions can potentially contribute to solving the challenges of suboptimal adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and low retention in PrEP services among populations most vulnerable to HIV acquisition. However, there is a gap in the knowledge about the use of such interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the extent and predictors of retention in an mHealth app (Jichunge) that aims to promote adherence to PrEP and retention in PrEP care among female sex workers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods: A prospective cohort of female sex workers residing in Dar es Salaam were recruited, using respondent-driven sampling. All participants were provided with the Jichunge app as they started PrEP. A questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographics and other structural factors, while app use data for the 60-day period following the first 150 days of being in the intervention arm were extracted from the app's back end. A multivariable log-binomial model was used to determine predictors of 6-month retention in the Jichunge app. Results: A total of 470 female sex workers were recruited. Nearly three-quarters of participants (206/284, 72.5%) who came to the 6-month follow-up interview no longer had the Jichunge app on their phones. The majority of these participants (193/206, 93.7%) no longer had access to the app because of issues related to their phones. Data extracted from the back end of the app showed that the use of the app declined over time, and only 13.4% (63/470) of the participants were retained (continued to use the app) after 6 months of intervention. At 6 months, women aged ≥35 years were >2 times more likely to use the app than women aged 18 to 24 years (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] 2.2, 95% CI 1.2-4.1; P=.01). Furthermore, retention in the app was higher among participants who demonstrated high PrEP awareness at baseline (aRR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3; P=.01) and among those who had experienced financial difficulties due to health care spending (aRR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2-3.2; P=.01). Conclusions: Most female sex workers (206/284, 72.5%) who were enrolled in PrEP care in Tanzania no longer used the Jichunge app after 6 months. Retention in the app at 6 months was predicted by older age, high PrEP awareness, and financial difficulties due to health care spending. Strategies for the long-term retention of participants in mHealth apps, such as systems for reinstallations of apps, should be considered during the design phase.