ABSTRACT Curbing water scarcity problems in semi-arid regions is a top priority for economic and social development. Alternative strategies for sustainable domestic water supply are therefore required to augment water supply with affordable cost and technology. Scant research findings in sub-Saharan Africa have, however, reported inefficiency in adapting to water scarcity problems in the region. Therefore, an investigation of domestic rainwater harvesting (RWH) reliability is important to ide...
ABSTRACTS Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is rapidly increasing worldwide. Globally, 17.8 million pregnancies are complicated by GDM. Recently, Tanzania has experienced a dramatic increase in the prevalence of GDM ranging from 0% in 1993 to 19.5% in 2017 in different parts. GDM screening is not part of the routine antenatal services in Tanzania. This contributes to scarcity of data addressing the magnitude and predictors of GDM in Tanzania. Objectives: To determine the preva...
ABSTRACT Background: Tanzania is experiencing post-caesarean surgical site infections, which increases maternal morbidity and mortality. Poor wound care is reported to contribute to these infections and yet there is scanty research to inform about the community knowledge on wound care practice among post cesarean section women. This study attempts to address this gap by assessing the knowledge and practice of wound care and their influence on the presence of surgical site infections among pos...
ABSTRACT Background:Hypertension is a serious public health problem in Tanzania. Adherence of the recommended self-care practices is beneficial against poor health outcomes and health care expenditures among hypertensive patients. This study assessed theself-care practices, lifestyle behaviors and cost Evaluation among adults attending hypertension clinics in selected hospitals in Tanzania. Methods: A mixed approachescross-sectional study involved 329 participants carried from June to Septemb...
ABSTRACT Background: The word “placenta” is a Latin word and the Greek equivalent word is “Plakons” meaning “flat cake on a plate”. The placenta is a fascinating organ of foetal origin; It plays a pivotal mediatory role during pregnancy by being intimately connected to the mother and foetus. Objectives: To explore the effects of the morphology of the placenta and associated maternal factors on foetal birth outcome in Dodoma region, Tanzania. Design: A cross-sectional study. Method...
ABSTRACT Background: In 2007 the World Bank launched Results-based financing (RBF) in order to improve the quality of health services. Since its introduction, RBF has gained much attention among countries with limited resources for health. Tanzania introduced RBF in 2015 to incentivize improved quality of services at participating health facilities. Through RBF, health facilities are expected to be having improved availability of essential health commodities for maternal health care and clie...
ABSTRACT Background: World Health Organization recommends HIV status disclosure to be done to children of age 6-12 years. HIV status disclosure among children is important for improving their self-care behaviours, psychological well-being, and quality of life. However some previous studies revealed that children who received HIV disclosure ended up with depressive symptoms. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of HIV status disclosure on depressive symptoms and quality of life am...
ABSTRACT Background: It is estimated that, 25% of neonatal deaths is due to birth asphyxia, as may lead to permanent injury of the brain. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the major three cause of neonatal death are infection 39%, birth asphyxia 24% and preterm birth 25%. The aim of this study was to determine the predictors of birth asphyxia among neonate delivered in hospitals, in Zanzibar. Method: A matched case control study was used, 107 neonates were cases and 321 controls. Purposive sampling was ...
Abstract Background: Cervical cancer is among the most prevalent cancer among women worldwide and women living with HIV are at increased risk, especially in a resource-limited environment. Objective: This study aimed to determine levels of awareness, knowledge, uptake, and willingness to screen for cervical cancer among women receiving care in an HIV clinic at Dodoma Regional Referral Hospital (DRRH), Tanzania. Methods: Data were collected for a period of three weeks from July 21 to August 11...
ABSTRACT Background: HIV/AIDS pose a direct threat to child health and well-being, which gives a burden of poverty to the household family and increase the risk of mental health problems among HIV infected children. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of HIV status on childhood deprivation, depressive symptoms and quality of life among HIVinfected and uninfected children aged from 7 to 17 years old. Method: A matched case-control study design was conducted by involvin...
ABSTRACT Background: The management of advanced and metastatic prostate cancer is more challenging in low income countries. Bilateral Orchidectomy is useful method in achieving surgical castration for treatment of prostate cancer in Tanzania. Little is known about its early outcome, and there is limited understanding of patients care outcomes, which have potential to improve quality of life of patients post-operatively. Objective: The main aim of this study was to determine early outcome foll...
ABSTRACT Background: Alcohol use is associated with risks, such as intoxication, physical and mental harm, alcohol dependence, distress and illness to the drinker, family and friends. This study, studied the use of brief counseling in treating persons with mild alcohol use disorder (AUD). in order to avoid its progression towards worse condition. Objective: The study objective was to assess the effectiveness of brief counseling in the treatment of persons with mild AUD. Methodology: The study...
Abstract Background: Caretakers/parents or parents figure need to be trained to promote effective communication about sexual and reproductive health to their adolescents. This study assessed the effect of an intervention aiming to improve caretaker-adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health matters through improving information, motivation, and behavioral skills related to sexual health communication. The study also evaluated the relationship of information, motivation, and b...
ABSTRACT Aural myiasis refers to the infestation of the ear by the larvae of certain dipterous flies. The disease-producing flies prefer a warm and humid environment and higher incidence occur in tropics and subtropics of Africa and America. Aural myiasis is rare during neonatal life and children with tendencies of poking the ear need immediate review by otorhinolaryngologists for thorough otological review. The objective is thus to report the case of a 24-day old neonate who was diagnosed to...
ABSTRACT Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most prevalent malignancy among adult men with marked variation in mortality rate across regions globally. Uganda has the highest incidence of prostate cancer in East Africa. This study explored the spectrum of clinical and histopathological profile of patients diagnosed with PCa in Uganda between 2012 and 2014 at the Department of pathology, Makerere College of Health Sciences (MakCHS). Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study ai...