Insights Into Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus-Specific Humoral Responses.

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) remains a global health concern. In sub-Saharan Africa, where there is a high burden of HIV-1 infection, there is also a high prevalence of infection by the etiologic agent of KS, the KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). Despite the successes of antiretroviral treatment (ART), the burden of KS and other KSHV-associated malignancies among people living with HIV under ART remained high, stressing the need for a greater understanding of the immune response against KSHV infection.

Access to contraceptive services during the COVID-19 pandemic: clients' perspective at primary health care level from India, Nigeria and Tanzania.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the provision of sexual and reproductive health services, including contraceptive and family planning (FP) services. The World Health Organization conducted a multi-country study in India, Nigeria and Tanzania to assess the impact of the pandemic on the health system's capacity to provide contraceptive and FP services. In this paper, we share the results of a qualitative study aimed at understanding clients' perspectives at the primary healthcare level on accessing contraceptive services in COVID-19-affected areas in the three aforementioned countries.

Coordination and collaboration for strengthening respiratory surveillance at the national level: updates from workshop hosted by the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, 24-25 July 2024.

Recent public health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic, MERS, and Avian Influenza outbreaks, underscore the need for effective surveillance systems for respiratory pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential. In 2022, WHO initiated a project to help national public health professionals identify and address gaps in coordinating multiple surveillance systems for early detection and monitoring of viral respiratory events. The project involved developing country-specific approaches to address these gaps and identifying generalizable best practices.

Unnoticed early pregnancy during myomectomy with favorable outcome: Case report.

Introduction: Uterine fibroids are a common cause of infertility, and myomectomy remains a key surgical intervention to improve reproductive outcomes. However, the occurrence of an undetected pregnancy during myomectomy is rare and poses significant clinical risks.

Case Presentation: We report a 34-year-old woman, nulliparous with a history of secondary infertility and three first-trimester miscarriages.

Exploring nurse educators' experiences and perceptions of healthcare-associated infection prevention and control in two countries of sub-Saharan Africa: An exploratory qualitative study.

Aim: To explore the experiences and perceptions of nurse educators about prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections in two countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Design: Qualitative descriptive study.

Methods: A multimodal approach was employed to investigate the reality of hospital-associated infections.

Sustainability and normalization of an intervention to improve evidence-based myocardial infarction care in Tanzania.

Background The Multicomponent Intervention to Improve Acute Myocardial Infarction Care (MIMIC) was developed to address gaps in AMI diagnosis and treatment in northern Tanzania. Although initial implementation was promising, many quality improvement interventions are not sustained after research support ends, especially in resource-limited settings. Evaluating sustainability and normalization is essential for understanding the long-term impact of implementation research.

Treating rheumatoid arthritis in Zanzibar: a cost effectiveness study comparing conventional, biologic, and targeted-synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory joint disease with low treatment coverage in sub-Saharan Africa. Effective treatment strategies are available. We aimed to evaluate the cost effectiveness of six disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) treat-to-target treatment strategies for patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Zanzibar.

Community Awareness and Health Risk of Heavy Metals Through Consumption of Sardine () From Lake Victoria, Tanzania.

Sardine () is a crucial food source for East African communities around Lake Victoria, providing essential nutrients such as protein, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins. However, heavy metal contamination in aquatic environments threatens its safety and may affect human health. This study assessed community awareness of heavy metal contamination and estimated the health risks from sardine consumption in Lake Victoria, Tanzania.

African Swine Fever Perception, Risk Factors, and Socioeconomic Disparities Among Smallholder Domestic Pig Farmers in Serengeti, Tanzania.

African swine fever (ASF) is a hemorrhagic disease of domestic pigs and wild boars. The ASF virus (ASFV), a sole member of the family Asfarviridae and genus , causes this devastating disease. In sub-Saharan Africa, ASFV is maintained through three interlinked cycles: the domestic cycle, the pig-tick cycle, and the sylvatic cycle, which collectively sustain its endemic presence in the region.

Who is at the table and who has the power? Case study analysis of decision-making processes for the Global Financing Facility in Tanzania.

Background: In 2015, Tanzania joined the Global Financing Facility (GFF), a global health initiative for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH-N). Despite its resource mobilization goals, little is known about power dynamics in GFF policy processes. This paper presents the first power analysis of Tanzania's GFF engagement.

Density-dependent network structuring within and across wild animal systems.

Theory predicts that high population density leads to more strongly connected spatial and social networks, but how local density drives individuals' positions within their networks is unclear. This gap reduces our ability to understand and predict density-dependent processes. Here we show that density drives greater network connectedness at the scale of individuals within wild animal populations.

Barriers to effective communication among nurses and family members of patients admitted to the intensive care unit at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam: A descriptive qualitative study.

Background: Effective communication in healthcare is essential for ensuring quality patient care. As healthcare shifts toward family-centered care, nurses are expected to engage families in information sharing and decision-making about their patients. However, barriers to effective communication in intensive care units (ICUs) exist.

Investigation of Waltheria indica L. (sleepy morning plant) as pathogen killing agent from shallow well water revealed a potential alternative for water disinfection.

In many parts of the world, shallow well drinking water is contaminated and often consumed without treatment, contributing to over 3.4 million deaths annually due to water-related diseases. This research aims to assess the efficacy of Waltheria indica plant root extracts as an affordable method for disinfecting shallow well water in rural Tanzania.

Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Trends of Bloodstream Infections During and After the Implementation of the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance in Mwanza, Tanzania: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.

Background And Purpose: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, especially WHO-Bacterial-Priority-Pathogens (WHO-BPPs), contribute to significant mortality. The current study determined the prevalence of BSIs, causative bacterial pathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, and factors associated with laboratory-confirmed BSIs by WHO-BPPs during and after National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) implementation in Mwanza, Tanzania.

Patients And Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among sepsis patients in District, Regional, and Zonal Referral Hospitals from June 2019 to June 2020 (during NAP-AMR) and March to July 2023 (after NAP-AMR).

Phytosanitary Challenges and Solutions for Roots and Tubers in the Tropics.

Vegetatively propagated crops such as cassava, potato, sweetpotato, and yam, or roots and tubers (RTs), play a major role in food security in low- and middle-income countries, yet phytosanitary issues in the tropics lead to substantial yield and quality losses. Challenges to production include institutional limitations that prevent effective responses and potential buildup of pathogens during clonal propagation. Addressing these challenges in a climate change context and diverse sociocultural environments requires a multifaceted approach, including improving access and availability to clean seed by strengthening seed systems; breeding for host resistance and disseminating resistant varieties; strengthening on-farm seed management; and designing effective policies and regulations to deal with seedborne diseases.

Improving the reporting on health equity in observational research (STROBE-Equity): extension checklist and elaboration.

Data on health equity to inform societally relevant evidence based decisions and policy making are lacking in the research literature. Observational studies have the potential to provide data on health equity. Yet, guidance on how to report health equity data and considerations in observational research is inadequate.

Strengthening pathogen and antimicrobial resistance surveillance through environmental monitoring in sub-Saharan Africa: stakeholder perspectives.

Wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES) is an emerging tool for monitoring emergence and trends of waterborne, respiratory, and antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) pathogens. In many developing countries with limited pathogen surveillance systems, WES can complement and support existing monitoring efforts and strengthen pathogen surveillance capacity. This study explored priority pathogens for WES and assessed existing surveillance practices, including WES, in Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Stocking African catfish in Lake Victoria provides effective biocontrol of snail vectors of Schistosoma mansoni.

In areas of high infection prevalence, effective control of schistosomiasis - one of the most important Neglected Tropical Diseases - requires supplementing medical treatment with interventions targeted at the environmental reservoir of disease. In addition to provision of clean water, reliable sanitation, and molluscicide use to control the obligate intermediate host snail, top-down biological control of parasite-competent snails has recently gained increasing interest in the scientific community. However, evidence that natural predators can effectively reduce snail abundance and, ultimately, transmission risk to vulnerable human populations remains limited.

Sex differences in the prevalence of high-risk oral and anal human papillomavirus infections among heterosexually active populations in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Purpose: To determine sex differences in the prevalence of oral and anal high-risk HPV infections among heterosexually active males and females in Ibadan.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis from the Sexual Behavior and HPV Infections in Nigerians in Ibadan (SHINI) study that involved sexually active males and females aged 18-45 years. After a face-to-face interview, samples were collected from the mouth, cervix, vulva, and anus by a sex-matched trained nurse.

Integrating sickle cell disease care into primary healthcare in Uganda: a narrative review.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) poses a significant public health challenge in Uganda, affecting approximately 1.6 million individuals and contributing to high morbidity and mortality rates. Current SCD management is often fragmented, with care primarily concentrated in specialized centers, leading to disparities in access and delayed interventions.

Birth asphyxia: its role in neonatal mortality, consequences and recommended courses of action for healthcare in Tanzania.

Globally about 9 million neonates are diagnosed with birth asphyxia yearly, of these 25% end up dying and among those who survive 25% end up with permanent neurological deficit. It remains a significant unpopular contributor to neonatal mortality not only in Tanzania but also globally. This article aims to unveil the causes, consequences, its contribution to Neonatal Mortality and recommended course of action in Tanzania.

Caesarean section for stillborn babies, Benin, Malawi, Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania.

Objective: To understand why caesarean sections are performed for stillborn babies by investigating caesarean section rates and indications in sub-Saharan African countries and to examine whether fetal vital status at admission is associated with caesarean section.

Methods: The study involved registry data on 105 872 babies weighing 1000 g or more born to women aged 13 to 50 years at 16 hospitals in Benin, Malawi, Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2023. We assessed caesarean section rates and indications, and used multivariable logistic regression analyses to estimate associations between fetal heartbeat at admission and caesarean section, by birth outcome.

Improving the Reporting on Health Equity in Observational Research (STROBE-Equity): Extension Checklist and Elaboration.

Importance: Observational studies can provide valuable insights to inform decisions on health equity. Existing guidelines for reporting such studies, such as the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement, currently lack specific considerations for reporting on health equity. Health equity is defined as the absence of avoidable and unfair differences that may exist across individuals and populations due to structural and systematic inequities in living and working conditions, opportunities, and resources.