Resting behaviour of Anopheles gambiae s.l. and its implication on malaria transmission in Uyui District, western Tanzania

An entomological survey to determine resting behaviour and species composition of malaria vectors was carried out in Uyui District in western Tanzania in May 2009. Mosquitoes were collected using indoor resting catch, window exit trap and outdoor “bed-net” techniques. They mosquitoes were identified using morphological key and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A total of 672 Anopheles gambiae sensu lato were collected. Of these, 661 (98.4%) were collected outdoor whereas few (1.6%) were collected indoor. The exit trap catch: mechanical aspirator catch ratio was 1:1.75. The overall indoor resting density of An. gambiae s.l. as determined by mechanical aspirator and exit trap was 0.7 and 0.5 mosquitoes per room, respectively. The overall density of the host-seeking as determined by bed net trap outdoor was 44.1 mosquitoes per person. A sample of 44 specimens taken randomly from morphologically identified An.gambiae s.l. population was further analyzed to species level using PCR techniques. Of these 44 specimens 26 (59%) and 18 (41%) were Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto respectively. This study contributes to the understanding of the distribution of malaria vectors with respect to species composition and their resting behaviour that could contribute to vector control operations in western Tanzania. A longitudinal study considering dry and wet seasons is recommended to provide more information on the seasonal distribution, abundance and biting behaviour of malaria vectors in the study area

Quantifying the burden of rhodesiense sleeping sickness in Urambo district, Tanzania

Sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis - HAT) is a disease transmitted by tsetse flies and is always fatal if left untreated. The disease occurs in foci affecting poor communities with limited access to health service provision and as such the disease is often left undiagnosed, mistaken for more common afflictions. Even if diagnosed, sleeping sickness is costly to treat, both for health services and patients and their families in terms of costs of diagnosis, transport, hospital care, and the prolonged period of convalescence. Here we estimate the health burden of the acute form T. b. rhodesiense sleeping sickness in Urambo District, Tanzania in terms of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), the yardstick commonly used by policy makers to prioritize disease management practices, representing a year of healthy life lost to disease. In this single district, the burden of the disease over one year was estimated at 979 DALYs and the estimated monetary costs to health services for the 143 treated patients at US$11,841 and to the patients themselves at US$ 3,673 for direct medical costs and US$ 9,781 for indirect non-medical costs. Sleeping sickness thus places a considerable burden on the affected rural communities and health services

Integrating reproductive and child health and HIV services in Tanzania: Implication to policy, systems and services

In Tanzania, reproductive health and HIV services are coordinated by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in two separate units namely Reproductive and Child Health Section and the National AIDS Control Programme. The importance of integrating the two services that are vertically run is expected to improve access to and uptake of key essential services and extend coverage to underserved and vulnerable populations and thus minimizing missed opportunities. Experts around the world recognize the central role of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services in preventing HIV infection. Evidence suggests that improving access to contraception for women to prevent pregnancy is an important and cost-effective way to prevent HIV-positive births. Integrating SRH and HIV services therefore verifies its importance for improving maternal and child health as well as leading to prevention of HIV infection.  The primary objective of this review was to gain an understanding of the current linkages between SRH and HIV within Tanzania’s policies, programmes, systems and services. Policy documents, guidelines, national laws, and published reports on SRH and HIV were reviewed.  The majority of the reviewed documents mentioned fundamentals of integration between SRH and HIV. Majority of policies and guidelines both in family planning (FP) and HIV documents mandate bi-directional linkages. This review suggests that there are linkages between the two services and can be operationalised together. However, policies and guidelines only specify services to be integrated without due consideration of resources and structural orientation for linked services

Study of elderly person's quality of life who reside in residential care in primary health care

<p><b>Note that column totals are independently modeled and may therefore not exactly match age-specific output summaries.</b></p

Rhodesiense sleeping sickness: Re-emerging as a public health problem

No Abstract Availabl

Resting behaviour of Anopheles gambiae s.l. and its implication on malaria transmission in Uyui District, western Tanzania

An entomological survey to determine resting behaviour and species composition of malaria vectors was carried out in Uyui District in western Tanzania in May 2009. Mosquitoes were collected using indoor resting catch, window exit trap and outdoor “bed-net” techniques. They mosquitoes were identified using morphological key and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A total of 672 Anopheles gambiae sensu lato were collected. Of these, 661 (98.4%) were collected outdoor whereas few (1.6%) were collected indoor. The exit trap catch: mechanical aspirator catch ratio was 1:1.75. The overall indoor resting density of An. gambiae s.l. as determined by mechanical aspirator and exit trap was 0.7 and 0.5 mosquitoes per room, respectively. The overall density of the host-seeking as determined by bed net trap outdoor was 44.1 mosquitoes per person. A sample of 44 specimens taken randomly from morphologically identified An.gambiae s.l. population was further analyzed to species level using PCR techniques. Of these 44 specimens 26 (59%) and 18 (41%) were Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto respectively. This study contributes to the understanding of the distribution of malaria vectors with respect to species composition and their resting behaviour that could contribute to vector control operations in western Tanzania. A longitudinal study considering dry and wet seasons is recommended to provide more information on the seasonal distribution, abundance and biting behaviour of malaria vectors in the study area

Integrating reproductive and child health and HIV services in Tanzania: Implication to policy, systems and services

In Tanzania, reproductive health and HIV services are coordinated by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in two separate units namely Reproductive and Child Health Section and the National AIDS Control Programme. The importance of integrating the two services that are vertically run is expected to improve access to and uptake of key essential services and extend coverage to underserved and vulnerable populations and thus minimizing missed opportunities. Experts around the world recognize the central role of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services in preventing HIV infection. Evidence suggests that improving access to contraception for women to prevent pregnancy is an important and cost-effective way to prevent HIV-positive births. Integrating SRH and HIV services therefore verifies its importance for improving maternal and child health as well as leading to prevention of HIV infection. The primary objective of this review was to gain an understanding of the current linkages between SRH and HIV within Tanzania’s policies, programmes, systems and services. Policy documents, guidelines, national laws, and published reports on SRH and HIV were reviewed. The majority of the reviewed documents mentioned fundamentals of integration between SRH and HIV. Majority of policies and guidelines both in family planning (FP) and HIV documents mandate bi-directional linkages. This review suggests that there are linkages between the two services and can be operationalised together. However, policies and guidelines only specify services to be integrated without due consideration of resources and structural orientation for linked services

Information required for the estimation of disability adjusted life years (DALYs) for <i>rhodesiense</i> sleeping sickness.

<p>Information required for the estimation of disability adjusted life years (DALYs) for <i>rhodesiense</i> sleeping sickness.</p

Years of Life Lived with Disability (YLD) due to <i>T.b. rhodesiense</i> HAT in Urambo.

<p>Disability weights of 0.21 (approximating to a limited ability to perform most activities in one of the following areas: recreation, education, procreation or occupation <a href="http://www.plosntds.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pntd.0000868#pntd.0000868-Kibona2" target="_blank">[24]</a>) and 0.81 (needing assistance with instrumental activities of daily living such as meal preparation, shopping and housework <a href="http://www.plosntds.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pntd.0000868#pntd.0000868-Kibona2" target="_blank">[24]</a>) were used for the early and late stage cases respectively in these calculations.</p><p>The results are expressed as mean values with 95% confidence intervals in brackets, these were obtained from 10000 Monte-Carlo simulations of the data derived from 2000–2007 Urambo sleeping sickness cases.</p><p><b>Note that column totals are independently modeled and may therefore not exactly match age-specific output summaries.</b></p