Ambrose Haule, Hidalinda Mugashe, Karol Marwa, Anthony Kapesa, Kayo Hamasaki, Stanley Mwita
Background: Self-medication is a growing public health concern in developing and developed countries. Objective: This study was designed to assess the prevalence of self-medication practice among undergraduate health science students and to determine its concomitant factors. Methods: This study was conducted in May 2021 among undergraduate health science students studying at the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences (CUHAS) in Mwanza, Tanzania. An analytical cross-sectional design was used in this study. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect information on the sociodemographic characteristics of respondents and to assess their anti-malarial self-medication practice. Results: A total of 340 participants were recruited. The prevalence of self-medication with antimalarials was 55.9%. Among 190 students who ever used antimalarials without a prescription; the majority 143 (75.3%) obtained antimalarials from community drug outlets, and 116 (61.0%) used artemether-lumefantrine. The majority reported the emergence of acute illness (ie, no time to attend health facilities) 82 (43.2%) to be the major reason for self-medication. Students aged 25 years and above were more likely to use antimalarials without a prescription compared to students aged between 18 and 21 years, (aOR=2.99 (95% CI 1.24-0.7.22). Compared to first-year students, third-year (aOR=0.18 (95% CI 0.07-0.41), fourth-year (aOR=0.32 (95% CI 0.13-0.79), and fifth-year students (aOR=0.16 (95% CI 0.04-0.64) were significantly less likely to take antimalarials without a prescription. Conclusion: The study found a high prevalence of self-medication with antimalarials among undergraduate health science students, emphasizing the need for strategies to promote the rational use of antimalarials. It is recommended to improve access to healthcare facilities and educate students about the risks associated with self-medication to reduce its prevalence.
背景:自我药疗是发展中国家和发达国家日益关注的公共卫生问题。目的:本研究旨在了解健康理科生自我药疗行为的流行情况，并探讨其伴随因素。方法:本研究于2021年5月在坦桑尼亚姆万扎天主教卫生与相关科学大学(CUHAS)的健康科学本科学生中进行。本研究采用分析性横断面设计。采用半结构式问卷收集调查对象的社会人口学特征信息，并评估其抗疟疾自我用药行为。结果:共招募了340名参与者。使用抗疟药物自我药疗的患病率为55.9%。在190名曾经在没有处方的情况下使用抗疟药物的学生中;大多数143例(75.3%)从社区药品销售点获得抗疟药物，116例(61.0%)使用蒿甲醚-甲基苯曲明。大多数人报告说，出现急性病(即没有时间去保健设施)是自我药疗的主要原因，占43.2%。与18至21岁的学生相比，25岁及以上的学生更有可能在没有处方的情况下使用抗疟药物，(aOR=2.99 (95% CI 1.24-0.7.22)。与一年级学生相比，三年级学生(aOR=0.18 (95% CI 0.07-0.41)、四年级学生(aOR=0.32 (95% CI 0.13-0.79)和五年级学生(aOR=0.16 (95% CI 0.04-0.64)在没有处方的情况下服用抗疟药物的可能性显著降低。结论:本研究发现卫生科学本科学生自我使用抗疟药物的比例较高，强调需要制定促进抗疟药物合理使用的策略。建议改善获得卫生保健设施的机会，并教育学生了解与自我药疗相关的风险，以减少其流行。
{"title":"Self-Medication Practice with Antimalarials and Associated Factors Among Undergraduate Health Science Students in North Western - Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Study","authors":"Ambrose Haule, Hidalinda Mugashe, Karol Marwa, Anthony Kapesa, Kayo Hamasaki, Stanley Mwita","doi":"10.24248/easci.v5i1.77","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24248/easci.v5i1.77","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Self-medication is a growing public health concern in developing and developed countries. Objective: This study was designed to assess the prevalence of self-medication practice among undergraduate health science students and to determine its concomitant factors. Methods: This study was conducted in May 2021 among undergraduate health science students studying at the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences (CUHAS) in Mwanza, Tanzania. An analytical cross-sectional design was used in this study. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect information on the sociodemographic characteristics of respondents and to assess their anti-malarial self-medication practice. Results: A total of 340 participants were recruited. The prevalence of self-medication with antimalarials was 55.9%. Among 190 students who ever used antimalarials without a prescription; the majority 143 (75.3%) obtained antimalarials from community drug outlets, and 116 (61.0%) used artemether-lumefantrine. The majority reported the emergence of acute illness (ie, no time to attend health facilities) 82 (43.2%) to be the major reason for self-medication. Students aged 25 years and above were more likely to use antimalarials without a prescription compared to students aged between 18 and 21 years, (aOR=2.99 (95% CI 1.24-0.7.22). Compared to first-year students, third-year (aOR=0.18 (95% CI 0.07-0.41), fourth-year (aOR=0.32 (95% CI 0.13-0.79), and fifth-year students (aOR=0.16 (95% CI 0.04-0.64) were significantly less likely to take antimalarials without a prescription. Conclusion: The study found a high prevalence of self-medication with antimalarials among undergraduate health science students, emphasizing the need for strategies to promote the rational use of antimalarials. It is recommended to improve access to healthcare facilities and educate students about the risks associated with self-medication to reduce its prevalence.","PeriodicalId":11398,"journal":{"name":"East Africa Science","volume":"40 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135419912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Introduction: As one of the avenues for implementing universal health coverage, healthcare verification for financing health facilities is receiving increased attention. Verification is the process of ensuring that healthcare services provided to users meet the predetermined criteria for billing and payment. The objective of this article was to examine the Burundi health system practices in healthcare verification for financing health facilities in order to identify strengths, limitations, and potential solutions for more advancement in universal health coverage implementation. Methods: A critical case study was used as the overall methodological approach and a narrative review design to draw conclusions about the case. Results: The results show that verification helps visualise the country’s level of progression in implementation of universal health coverage. While it promotes efficiency in healthcare service reimbursement by allowing payment for quality care services, verification has proven to be a resilient function to fraud, abuse, and waste in the demand for, and supply of, healthcare services. However, verification has some limitations in terms of services and population targeting, and technical effectiveness of the verification team. The most important way identified for alleviating these limitations is to separate the demand for, and supply of, healthcare services. Conclusions: More investments in research are required to recognise verification as an essential sub-function of health financing for universal health coverage implementation.
{"title":"Importance and Limitations of Healthcare Verification for Accelerating Implementation of Universal Health Coverage in Burundi","authors":"Alexandre Nimubona","doi":"10.24248/easci.v5i1.82","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24248/easci.v5i1.82","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: As one of the avenues for implementing universal health coverage, healthcare verification for financing health facilities is receiving increased attention. Verification is the process of ensuring that healthcare services provided to users meet the predetermined criteria for billing and payment. The objective of this article was to examine the Burundi health system practices in healthcare verification for financing health facilities in order to identify strengths, limitations, and potential solutions for more advancement in universal health coverage implementation. Methods: A critical case study was used as the overall methodological approach and a narrative review design to draw conclusions about the case. Results: The results show that verification helps visualise the country’s level of progression in implementation of universal health coverage. While it promotes efficiency in healthcare service reimbursement by allowing payment for quality care services, verification has proven to be a resilient function to fraud, abuse, and waste in the demand for, and supply of, healthcare services. However, verification has some limitations in terms of services and population targeting, and technical effectiveness of the verification team. The most important way identified for alleviating these limitations is to separate the demand for, and supply of, healthcare services. Conclusions: More investments in research are required to recognise verification as an essential sub-function of health financing for universal health coverage implementation.","PeriodicalId":11398,"journal":{"name":"East Africa Science","volume":"351 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135419941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Antibiotics are useful in treating and managing infections in outpatient and inpatient care settings. However, irrational antibiotic use can lead to improper patient care, antimicrobial resistance, wastage of resources and sometimes even death. The pattern of antibiotic use varies from one medical practitioner to another, infection, patient, wards, country and region. The study was a conducted as a baseline to describe the prevalence and patterns of antibiotic use in Kirinyaga County hospitals. Methodology: The study was a point prevalence survey of antibiotics use among patients admitted to four hospitals in Kirinyaga county and the study utilised the World Health Organization methodology for point prevalence survey of antibiotics in hospitals. Data were abstracted from patients’ files of patients who consented using a pretested tool. The data was exported to MS Excel for cleaning and analysed descriptively Results: The prevalence of antibiotic use in the four hospitals in Kirinyaga county was 44.0% (95%CI 38.6-49.5%). Penicillins were the most prescribed antibiotic class at 29.1%, followed by cephalosporins at 23.0%. Ceftriaxone and metronidazole were the highest prescribed at 22.0% and 19.8%, respectively. Antibiotics were mainly prescribed for community-acquired infections at 58.2%, followed by surgical prophylaxis at 26.0%. Most patients (52.5%) received two antibiotics, predominantly benzylpenicillin and gentamicin, at 40.3%. The majority, 63.0%, of all antibiotics were administered parenterally. There was poor documentation of the administration of medicines on the treatment sheet. Conclusion: There was a relatively high prevalence of antibiotic use, all prescribed empirically. Community acquired infections were the most common indication for antibiotics. There was extensive use World Health Organization “watch” category of antibiotics without microbiological tests. There is a need for antibiotic stewardship program to ensure judicial use of antibiotics.
{"title":"Point Prevalence Survey and Patterns of Antibiotic Use at Kirinyaga County Hospitals, Kenya","authors":"Perpetua Wanjiku Karanja, Anthony Kiunga","doi":"10.24248/easci.v5i1.76","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24248/easci.v5i1.76","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Antibiotics are useful in treating and managing infections in outpatient and inpatient care settings. However, irrational antibiotic use can lead to improper patient care, antimicrobial resistance, wastage of resources and sometimes even death. The pattern of antibiotic use varies from one medical practitioner to another, infection, patient, wards, country and region. The study was a conducted as a baseline to describe the prevalence and patterns of antibiotic use in Kirinyaga County hospitals. Methodology: The study was a point prevalence survey of antibiotics use among patients admitted to four hospitals in Kirinyaga county and the study utilised the World Health Organization methodology for point prevalence survey of antibiotics in hospitals. Data were abstracted from patients’ files of patients who consented using a pretested tool. The data was exported to MS Excel for cleaning and analysed descriptively Results: The prevalence of antibiotic use in the four hospitals in Kirinyaga county was 44.0% (95%CI 38.6-49.5%). Penicillins were the most prescribed antibiotic class at 29.1%, followed by cephalosporins at 23.0%. Ceftriaxone and metronidazole were the highest prescribed at 22.0% and 19.8%, respectively. Antibiotics were mainly prescribed for community-acquired infections at 58.2%, followed by surgical prophylaxis at 26.0%. Most patients (52.5%) received two antibiotics, predominantly benzylpenicillin and gentamicin, at 40.3%. The majority, 63.0%, of all antibiotics were administered parenterally. There was poor documentation of the administration of medicines on the treatment sheet. Conclusion: There was a relatively high prevalence of antibiotic use, all prescribed empirically. Community acquired infections were the most common indication for antibiotics. There was extensive use World Health Organization “watch” category of antibiotics without microbiological tests. There is a need for antibiotic stewardship program to ensure judicial use of antibiotics.","PeriodicalId":11398,"journal":{"name":"East Africa Science","volume":"48 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136002539","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Festus Mulakoli, George Gachara, Eric Ndombi, Samoel Khamadi
The growing demand for donated whole blood and blood products to save lives has both health benefits and health risks for blood recipients at the same time. Dengue virus, a re-emerging viral disease poses a threat to blood safety, and it has spread to over 128 countries in the world. Several studies have documented transfusion-transmitted (TT) dengue, with the first cases being reported in China in 2002 and Singapore in 2008. To understand the magnitude and broader picture of the dengue virus and blood safety, we conducted a mini-review of published literature from the Scopus database. The review focused on the number of publications related to the dengue virus among blood donors. Using keywords ‘Dengue virus’ AND ‘Blood safety’, ‘ Dengue virus’ AND ‘Blood donors’ and ‘Emerging infectious diseases’ AND “Blood safety” were used to extract data from the Scopus database which was downloaded as a CSV Excel file covering a period 2004 to 2021. This was followed by a data-cleaning exercise and a descriptive analysis to generate the frequency of the number of publications. Most studies, as can be seen in the review, were concentrated in tropical regions of the world. Globally, South America and the Asian regions had the largest number of publications; while at the country level, Brazil and India had the highest number. More research output was witnessed during the years 2014 and 2018. The regions that experienced more frequent outbreaks of the disease, with the exception Africa, published most of the research work. Therefore, much more research work is needed to protect the safety of blood donors in Africa.
{"title":"Dengue Virus and Blood Safety: A Mini-Review of Research Publications","authors":"Festus Mulakoli, George Gachara, Eric Ndombi, Samoel Khamadi","doi":"10.24248/easci.v5i1.69","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24248/easci.v5i1.69","url":null,"abstract":"The growing demand for donated whole blood and blood products to save lives has both health benefits and health risks for blood recipients at the same time. Dengue virus, a re-emerging viral disease poses a threat to blood safety, and it has spread to over 128 countries in the world. Several studies have documented transfusion-transmitted (TT) dengue, with the first cases being reported in China in 2002 and Singapore in 2008. To understand the magnitude and broader picture of the dengue virus and blood safety, we conducted a mini-review of published literature from the Scopus database. The review focused on the number of publications related to the dengue virus among blood donors. Using keywords ‘Dengue virus’ AND ‘Blood safety’, ‘ Dengue virus’ AND ‘Blood donors’ and ‘Emerging infectious diseases’ AND “Blood safety” were used to extract data from the Scopus database which was downloaded as a CSV Excel file covering a period 2004 to 2021. This was followed by a data-cleaning exercise and a descriptive analysis to generate the frequency of the number of publications. Most studies, as can be seen in the review, were concentrated in tropical regions of the world. Globally, South America and the Asian regions had the largest number of publications; while at the country level, Brazil and India had the highest number. More research output was witnessed during the years 2014 and 2018. The regions that experienced more frequent outbreaks of the disease, with the exception Africa, published most of the research work. Therefore, much more research work is needed to protect the safety of blood donors in Africa.","PeriodicalId":11398,"journal":{"name":"East Africa Science","volume":"33 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135419911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: The National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) in Tanzania uses the Copper Sulphate (CuSO4) gravimetric method to estimate hemoglobin (Hb) in blood donors. However, this and other point-of-care methods, including HemoCue, may provide false results. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the performance of CuSO4 and HemoCue methods for Hb estimation compared with automated haematology analyzer (AHA). Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among (N=204) blood donors in Dar es Salaam. Capillary blood samples were obtained for Hb estimation by CuSO4 and HemoCue methods, 3 mls of venous blood were also collected for Hb quantification by AHA (gold standard), HemoCue and CuSO4 gravimetric method. Data were analyzed by Epi info 7.2.2.6, statistical significance was defined at a P value of <0.05, and kappa agreement was calculated. Results: The median age of the study participants was 30 years (IQR: 20-39). The proportion of false eligible donors was 19.6%, and false deferral donors were 2.9% by the CuSO4 gravimetric method. The specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values, and Kappa agreement for CuSO4 were 28.6%, 95.9%, 78.0%, 72.7%, and 0.1, respectively. In contrast, the specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values, and Kappa agreement for HemoCue were 62.5%, 98.6%, 87.4%, 94.6%, and 0.63, respectively. Conclusion: Our study revealed that the performance of the CuSO4 gravimetric method in Tanzania is relatively poor, with a high proportion of false eligible donors than the HemoCue method. These findings warrant further studies to evaluate the quality control measures for CuSO4 gravimetric method and explore alternative point-of-care methods for Hb estimation among blood donors in similar resource limited-settings.
{"title":"Evaluation of the Performance of Copper Sulphate and Hemocue Methods for Haemoglobin Estimation Among Blood Donors in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania","authors":"Doreen Kamori, Goodluck Mwanga, Clara Chamba, Erius Tebuka, Loveness Urio, Mtebe Majigo, Emmanuel Balandya","doi":"10.24248/easci.v5i1.80","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24248/easci.v5i1.80","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) in Tanzania uses the Copper Sulphate (CuSO4) gravimetric method to estimate hemoglobin (Hb) in blood donors. However, this and other point-of-care methods, including HemoCue, may provide false results. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the performance of CuSO4 and HemoCue methods for Hb estimation compared with automated haematology analyzer (AHA). Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among (N=204) blood donors in Dar es Salaam. Capillary blood samples were obtained for Hb estimation by CuSO4 and HemoCue methods, 3 mls of venous blood were also collected for Hb quantification by AHA (gold standard), HemoCue and CuSO4 gravimetric method. Data were analyzed by Epi info 7.2.2.6, statistical significance was defined at a P value of <0.05, and kappa agreement was calculated. Results: The median age of the study participants was 30 years (IQR: 20-39). The proportion of false eligible donors was 19.6%, and false deferral donors were 2.9% by the CuSO4 gravimetric method. The specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values, and Kappa agreement for CuSO4 were 28.6%, 95.9%, 78.0%, 72.7%, and 0.1, respectively. In contrast, the specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values, and Kappa agreement for HemoCue were 62.5%, 98.6%, 87.4%, 94.6%, and 0.63, respectively. Conclusion: Our study revealed that the performance of the CuSO4 gravimetric method in Tanzania is relatively poor, with a high proportion of false eligible donors than the HemoCue method. These findings warrant further studies to evaluate the quality control measures for CuSO4 gravimetric method and explore alternative point-of-care methods for Hb estimation among blood donors in similar resource limited-settings.","PeriodicalId":11398,"journal":{"name":"East Africa Science","volume":"163 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135419940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Robert Kaaya, Daniel Swai, Sixbert Mkumbaye, Maseke Richard Mgabo, Debora Charles Kajeguka
Background: Diseases caused by Aedes-borne viruses, such as; dengue, chikungunya, and Zika are emerging and re- emerging in different parts of the world. Tanzania has experienced several dengue outbreaks since 2010. The present study aims to determine the seroprevalence and associated symptoms of dengue and chikungunya fever in the Moshi rural district during the 2019 dengue outbreak. Methodology: A facility-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in 15 health facilities in the Moshi Rural district. A total of 397 participants with malaria-like symptoms were enrolled. Participants were screened for seropositivity towards dengue and chikungunya Immunoglobulin G and M (IgG and IgM) using ELISA-based kits. Results: Out of 397 participants, 28 (7.1 %) and 8 (2.0%) were dengue IgM and IgG positive respectively. Chikungunya IgM positives were 34 (8.6%). The most commonly reported symptoms were; headache 189 (27.7%), joint pains 132 (19.4%) and muscle pain 106 (15.5%). Factors such as being a farmer and history of travelling to outside regions was associated with dengue IgM seropositivity (p<.05). Conclusion: Aedes-borne illnesses appear to be endemic in the area, with IgG antibodies against the Chikungunya virus being more prevalent among study participants. These results provide an understanding of arboviral diseases as well as provide an early warning signal on the risk of transmission in north Tanzania. The results inform the allocation of local and national public health intervention to prevent future outbreaks.
{"title":"Facility-Based Cross-Sectional Survey on Aedes-Borne Diseases and Associated Symptoms among Febrile Patients During the 2019 Dengue Outbreak in Moshi Rural District, Tanzania","authors":"Robert Kaaya, Daniel Swai, Sixbert Mkumbaye, Maseke Richard Mgabo, Debora Charles Kajeguka","doi":"10.24248/easci.v5i1.72","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24248/easci.v5i1.72","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Diseases caused by Aedes-borne viruses, such as; dengue, chikungunya, and Zika are emerging and re- emerging in different parts of the world. Tanzania has experienced several dengue outbreaks since 2010. The present study aims to determine the seroprevalence and associated symptoms of dengue and chikungunya fever in the Moshi rural district during the 2019 dengue outbreak. Methodology: A facility-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in 15 health facilities in the Moshi Rural district. A total of 397 participants with malaria-like symptoms were enrolled. Participants were screened for seropositivity towards dengue and chikungunya Immunoglobulin G and M (IgG and IgM) using ELISA-based kits. Results: Out of 397 participants, 28 (7.1 %) and 8 (2.0%) were dengue IgM and IgG positive respectively. Chikungunya IgM positives were 34 (8.6%). The most commonly reported symptoms were; headache 189 (27.7%), joint pains 132 (19.4%) and muscle pain 106 (15.5%). Factors such as being a farmer and history of travelling to outside regions was associated with dengue IgM seropositivity (p<.05). Conclusion: Aedes-borne illnesses appear to be endemic in the area, with IgG antibodies against the Chikungunya virus being more prevalent among study participants. These results provide an understanding of arboviral diseases as well as provide an early warning signal on the risk of transmission in north Tanzania. The results inform the allocation of local and national public health intervention to prevent future outbreaks.","PeriodicalId":11398,"journal":{"name":"East Africa Science","volume":"274 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135419943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Iron deficiency with subsequent iron deficiency anemia is the most common micronutrient disorder in children below 5 years of age worldwide. The developing countries bear more weight on the problem as the result of multifactorial factors including but not limited to recurrent infections such as malaria, helminths infestation, and inadequate food security. However, its magnitude in children living in Kinondoni Municipal in Dar es salaam is not well understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and how it is contributed by the presence ofiron deficiency among children between 3-59months of age in the above-mentioned setting. Methods: A facility-based cross-section study was conducted among children 3-59months attending Reproductive and Child Health Services at Kairuki, Sinza Hospital, and Kambangwa dispensary. Children who met the criteria, their basic social demographic information, complete blood count and differentials as well as blood ferritin levels were collected to assess the level of anemia, erythrocytic indices, and iron deficiency. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS version 22). The magnitude of anemia and iron deficiencies were presented in percentages, and the relationship between hemoglobin and blood ferritin was assessed using Spearman’s correlation test for two continuous variables. The p-value of less or equal to 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 350 children were recruited for the study, 255 Children (72.9%) were anemic. Children below 24 months of age were more anemic compared to the older age group (X2 = 50, p <0.001). Furthermore, anemia was significantly associated with low ferritin levels (X2 = 65, p <0.001). Iron deficiency was found in 156 (44.6%) participants while iron deficiency anemia (low MCV, low ferritin, and low hemoglobin) was found in 138 (39.4%) participants. However, among 255 participants with anemia, 147(65.3%) had iron deficiency. There was a significant positive correlation between hemoglobin and blood ferritin levels (Spearman’s correlation coefficient = 0.6; p<0.01. Conclusion: Prevalence of anemia was high among children and was highly associated with younger age and iron deficiency. To overcome this problem, appropriate interventions such as massive promotion of breastfeeding, appropriate complementary feeding, and ensuring food security are warranted.
背景:缺铁并发缺铁性贫血是全世界5岁以下儿童中最常见的微量营养素失调。由于多种因素，包括但不限于疟疾等反复感染、寄生虫侵扰和粮食安全不足，发展中国家在这一问题上承担的责任更大。然而，在达累斯萨拉姆基隆多尼市生活的儿童中，其严重程度尚不清楚。因此，本研究的目的是确定上述环境中3-59月龄儿童贫血的患病率以及铁缺乏症对贫血的影响。方法:对在Kairuki、Sinza医院和Kambangwa药房接受生殖和儿童健康服务的3-59个月大的儿童进行了一项基于设施的横断面研究。收集符合标准的儿童的基本社会人口学信息、全血细胞计数和差异以及血铁蛋白水平，评估贫血、红细胞指标和缺铁水平。数据分析使用社会科学统计软件包(SPSS version 22)。贫血和缺铁的程度以百分比表示，血红蛋白和血铁蛋白之间的关系采用两个连续变量的Spearman相关检验进行评估。p值小于或等于0.05被认为具有统计学意义。结果:研究共招募了350名儿童，其中255名儿童(72.9%)贫血。24个月以下的儿童比较大年龄组更容易贫血(X2 = 50, p <0.001)。此外，贫血与低铁蛋白水平显著相关(X2 = 65, p <0.001)。156名(44.6%)参与者缺铁，138名(39.4%)参与者缺铁性贫血(低MCV、低铁蛋白和低血红蛋白)。然而，在255名贫血患者中，147人(65.3%)缺铁。血红蛋白与血铁蛋白水平呈显著正相关(Spearman相关系数= 0.6;术;0.01。结论:儿童贫血患病率高，且与年龄小、缺铁密切相关。为了克服这一问题，有必要采取适当的干预措施，如大规模推广母乳喂养、适当的补充喂养和确保粮食安全。
{"title":"Iron Deficiency and Iron Deficiency Anemia Among Children 3 to 59 Months of Age in Kinondoni Municipal, Dar es Salaam: A Facility-Based Cross-Sectional Study","authors":"Joyce Mushi, Leonard Malasa, Ayam Kalingonji, Felician Rutachunzibwa, Maulid Fataki, Florence Salvatory Kalabamu, Esther Mwaikambo","doi":"10.24248/easci.v5i1.74","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24248/easci.v5i1.74","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Iron deficiency with subsequent iron deficiency anemia is the most common micronutrient disorder in children below 5 years of age worldwide. The developing countries bear more weight on the problem as the result of multifactorial factors including but not limited to recurrent infections such as malaria, helminths infestation, and inadequate food security. However, its magnitude in children living in Kinondoni Municipal in Dar es salaam is not well understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and how it is contributed by the presence ofiron deficiency among children between 3-59months of age in the above-mentioned setting. Methods: A facility-based cross-section study was conducted among children 3-59months attending Reproductive and Child Health Services at Kairuki, Sinza Hospital, and Kambangwa dispensary. Children who met the criteria, their basic social demographic information, complete blood count and differentials as well as blood ferritin levels were collected to assess the level of anemia, erythrocytic indices, and iron deficiency. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS version 22). The magnitude of anemia and iron deficiencies were presented in percentages, and the relationship between hemoglobin and blood ferritin was assessed using Spearman’s correlation test for two continuous variables. The p-value of less or equal to 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 350 children were recruited for the study, 255 Children (72.9%) were anemic. Children below 24 months of age were more anemic compared to the older age group (X2 = 50, p <0.001). Furthermore, anemia was significantly associated with low ferritin levels (X2 = 65, p <0.001). Iron deficiency was found in 156 (44.6%) participants while iron deficiency anemia (low MCV, low ferritin, and low hemoglobin) was found in 138 (39.4%) participants. However, among 255 participants with anemia, 147(65.3%) had iron deficiency. There was a significant positive correlation between hemoglobin and blood ferritin levels (Spearman’s correlation coefficient = 0.6; p<0.01. Conclusion: Prevalence of anemia was high among children and was highly associated with younger age and iron deficiency. To overcome this problem, appropriate interventions such as massive promotion of breastfeeding, appropriate complementary feeding, and ensuring food security are warranted.","PeriodicalId":11398,"journal":{"name":"East Africa Science","volume":"67 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135419910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kevin M Rwegoshola, Richard S Mwakapuja, Sixbert I Mkumbaye, Pendo M Ibrahim, Hadija S Semvua, Pius G Horumpende, Jaffu O Chilongola
Background: Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a zoonotic disease that affects both animals and humans. Under reporting, misdiagnosis caused by the broad spectrum of symptoms presented by the disease, and limited access to rapid and accurate laboratory confirmation have led to an undefined burden of RVF. Reports are available that show the circulation of the virus during inter-epidemic periods, implying an endemic circulation of RVFV. This study aimed to determine RVFV transmission across annual seasons and demographic factors that are independently associated with exposure to RVFV. Methodology: Repeated serosurveys were performed during the long rainy, short rainy, and dry seasons in Lower Moshi area of Moshi district, Kilimanjaro region from January to December 2020. The goal was to determine seroprevalence against RVFV antibodies in humans and factors associated with seropositivity. Detection of RVF antibody was performed by competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (cELISA) using serum samples. Stata statistical software version 15 was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics was carried out, whereby categorical variables were summarised using frequencies and percentages. Numeric variables were summarised using median and interquartile range. Logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with RVF seropositivity. Results: A total of 446 individuals were involved in the analysis. RVF seroprevalence was highest during rainy season (20.4%) and lowest in the dry season (4%). The overall annual seroprevalence of RVF was 12.8%. Season, participant age, and large number of residents in a given household were found to be significantly associated with RVF seropositivity (p<.05). Conclusion: RVFV demonstrates an endemic circulation in Lower Moshi area of Kilimanjaro region, suggesting the site is a potential RVF hotspot. Based on this study’s findings, we recommend close surveillance of RVF in the study area and other areas with similar ecology in Tanzania as a means of preparedness for future unpredicted RVF outbreaks.
{"title":"Seasonal Transmission Dynamics of Rift Valley Fever in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania","authors":"Kevin M Rwegoshola, Richard S Mwakapuja, Sixbert I Mkumbaye, Pendo M Ibrahim, Hadija S Semvua, Pius G Horumpende, Jaffu O Chilongola","doi":"10.24248/easci.v5i1.71","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24248/easci.v5i1.71","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a zoonotic disease that affects both animals and humans. Under reporting, misdiagnosis caused by the broad spectrum of symptoms presented by the disease, and limited access to rapid and accurate laboratory confirmation have led to an undefined burden of RVF. Reports are available that show the circulation of the virus during inter-epidemic periods, implying an endemic circulation of RVFV. This study aimed to determine RVFV transmission across annual seasons and demographic factors that are independently associated with exposure to RVFV. Methodology: Repeated serosurveys were performed during the long rainy, short rainy, and dry seasons in Lower Moshi area of Moshi district, Kilimanjaro region from January to December 2020. The goal was to determine seroprevalence against RVFV antibodies in humans and factors associated with seropositivity. Detection of RVF antibody was performed by competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (cELISA) using serum samples. Stata statistical software version 15 was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics was carried out, whereby categorical variables were summarised using frequencies and percentages. Numeric variables were summarised using median and interquartile range. Logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with RVF seropositivity. Results: A total of 446 individuals were involved in the analysis. RVF seroprevalence was highest during rainy season (20.4%) and lowest in the dry season (4%). The overall annual seroprevalence of RVF was 12.8%. Season, participant age, and large number of residents in a given household were found to be significantly associated with RVF seropositivity (p<.05). Conclusion: RVFV demonstrates an endemic circulation in Lower Moshi area of Kilimanjaro region, suggesting the site is a potential RVF hotspot. Based on this study’s findings, we recommend close surveillance of RVF in the study area and other areas with similar ecology in Tanzania as a means of preparedness for future unpredicted RVF outbreaks.","PeriodicalId":11398,"journal":{"name":"East Africa Science","volume":"380 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135419937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Philomena Chepkirui, Elizabeth Kigondu, Margaret Nganga, Ouma Josephine Adhiambo, Bhavna Chohan, Musa Otieno Ngayo, Beatrice Irungu
Introduction: Measurement of antiretrovirals (ARVs) drug concentration in biological matrices such as blood and urine has been used previously for monitoring adherence. Unfortunately, they only reflect ARV doses taken within 1 to 2 days of sampling. Hair testing has become the most preferred tool to determine chronic exposure to some drugs, especially drugs of abuse, because of its long detection window. Objective: This study, evaluated the utility of hair samples in therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) as an indicator of ART adherence. Methods: This study used nevirapine (NVP), an ARV integral component of the first line ART in Kenya, for many years. Matched hair and blood samples were obtained from 234 and 328 consenting HIV patients on first line ART with virologic failure (viral load >1000 copies/mL) and suppressed viral load (VL<1000 copies/mL) respectively. The ARV plasma and hair concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Results: The calculated median; interquartile range (IQR) of NVP levels in hair and plasma samples were 36.8ng/ mL and 19.32ng/mL respectively. There was no significant difference between the level of NVP in hair and matched plasma samples (Wilcoxon signed rank test; Z = -0.93, P> 0.05). Conclusion: The study has demonstrated that analysis of ARV drugs in the hair can determine drug exposure as an alternative to conventional plasma drug analysis, especially in our settings where laboratory facilities and skilled personnel to do phlebotomy are few or lacking.
{"title":"Use of Hair Samples for Monitoring of Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence","authors":"Philomena Chepkirui, Elizabeth Kigondu, Margaret Nganga, Ouma Josephine Adhiambo, Bhavna Chohan, Musa Otieno Ngayo, Beatrice Irungu","doi":"10.24248/easci.v5i1.70","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24248/easci.v5i1.70","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Measurement of antiretrovirals (ARVs) drug concentration in biological matrices such as blood and urine has been used previously for monitoring adherence. Unfortunately, they only reflect ARV doses taken within 1 to 2 days of sampling. Hair testing has become the most preferred tool to determine chronic exposure to some drugs, especially drugs of abuse, because of its long detection window. Objective: This study, evaluated the utility of hair samples in therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) as an indicator of ART adherence. Methods: This study used nevirapine (NVP), an ARV integral component of the first line ART in Kenya, for many years. Matched hair and blood samples were obtained from 234 and 328 consenting HIV patients on first line ART with virologic failure (viral load >1000 copies/mL) and suppressed viral load (VL<1000 copies/mL) respectively. The ARV plasma and hair concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Results: The calculated median; interquartile range (IQR) of NVP levels in hair and plasma samples were 36.8ng/ mL and 19.32ng/mL respectively. There was no significant difference between the level of NVP in hair and matched plasma samples (Wilcoxon signed rank test; Z = -0.93, P> 0.05). Conclusion: The study has demonstrated that analysis of ARV drugs in the hair can determine drug exposure as an alternative to conventional plasma drug analysis, especially in our settings where laboratory facilities and skilled personnel to do phlebotomy are few or lacking.","PeriodicalId":11398,"journal":{"name":"East Africa Science","volume":"208 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135419938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection during pregnancy is associated with various complications for the mother and baby. In Tanzania, there is a paucity of data on exposure to T. gondii infection among pregnant women and the associated risk factors. Therefore, this study investigated the seroprevalence of T. gondii and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Ilala Municipality, Dar es Salaam. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among 383 pregnant women attending antenatal health care. A five mL of blood sample was collected from each recruited pregnant woman, processed to obtain serum, and tested for the presence of IgG and IgM anti T. gondii specific antibodies. A structured questionnaire was used to gather information on the risk factors predisposing pregnant women to the infection. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: Of the 383 participants, 104 (27.2%) were positive for antibodies specific to T. gondii; 102 (26.63%) were positive only for IgG, and 2 (0.52%) were positive for both IgM and IgG antibodies. Significant risk factors for T. gondii infection were maternal age of 34-39 years (AOR:3.71;95% CI:1.52-9.06), eating unwashed fruits (AOR:7.39;95% CI:3.99-13.66), not washing hand with soap after meat preparation (AOR:7.53; 95% CI:3.40-16.64), consumption of undercooked meat (AOR:3.75; 95% CI:1.95-7.21), and consumption of raw vegetable (AOR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.04- 3.80). Cat ownership was not statistically significantly associated with toxoplasmosis (AOR:1.90; 95% CI: 0.89-4.08). Conclusions: The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection (27.2%) indicates ongoing transmission, hence the need for regular screening during antenatal care and establishment of a control programme.
{"title":"Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Associated Risk factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care in Ilala Municipality, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania","authors":"Mayala Lushina, Vivian Mushi, Donath Tarimo, Emmanuel Oladipo Babafemi","doi":"10.24248/easci.v5i1.73","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24248/easci.v5i1.73","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection during pregnancy is associated with various complications for the mother and baby. In Tanzania, there is a paucity of data on exposure to T. gondii infection among pregnant women and the associated risk factors. Therefore, this study investigated the seroprevalence of T. gondii and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Ilala Municipality, Dar es Salaam. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among 383 pregnant women attending antenatal health care. A five mL of blood sample was collected from each recruited pregnant woman, processed to obtain serum, and tested for the presence of IgG and IgM anti T. gondii specific antibodies. A structured questionnaire was used to gather information on the risk factors predisposing pregnant women to the infection. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: Of the 383 participants, 104 (27.2%) were positive for antibodies specific to T. gondii; 102 (26.63%) were positive only for IgG, and 2 (0.52%) were positive for both IgM and IgG antibodies. Significant risk factors for T. gondii infection were maternal age of 34-39 years (AOR:3.71;95% CI:1.52-9.06), eating unwashed fruits (AOR:7.39;95% CI:3.99-13.66), not washing hand with soap after meat preparation (AOR:7.53; 95% CI:3.40-16.64), consumption of undercooked meat (AOR:3.75; 95% CI:1.95-7.21), and consumption of raw vegetable (AOR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.04- 3.80). Cat ownership was not statistically significantly associated with toxoplasmosis (AOR:1.90; 95% CI: 0.89-4.08). Conclusions: The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection (27.2%) indicates ongoing transmission, hence the need for regular screening during antenatal care and establishment of a control programme.","PeriodicalId":11398,"journal":{"name":"East Africa Science","volume":"51 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135419935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：