Digital Commons Network^™

Tanzania's Compliance To International Covid-19 Standards: Determinants And Extent, Maria Joseph Tairo, Boniphace Shimba Francis

Tanzania Journal of Sociology

This article assesses Tanzania’s level of compliance to international COVID-19 preventive measures, with a focus on the political, economic, and socio-cultural factors that influenced the adherence. A qualitative research approach with descriptive design were adopted. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 28 purposively selected participants, including healthcare workers and government officials from Dar es Salaam and Dodoma. Moreover, relevant documents from health sector were reviewed. Thematic analysis was performed using Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS). The findings revealed that political leadership played a pivotal role in shaping compliance levels. The 5th regime demonstrated skepticism toward WHO guidelines and …

Characterizing Stroke Presenting To A Regional Referral Hospital Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Uganda: A Retrospective Analysis, Christopher Burant, Shirley Moore, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Introduction: Stroke, a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, disproportionately impacts low and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) which reports the highest stroke burden. The COVID-19 pandemic further complicated this situation, emerging as a significant stroke risk factor. The pandemic also disrupted healthcare systems worldwide, affecting stroke management and care accessibility, and leading to deteriorated conditions in stroke patients upon hospital admission. In this pre/during COVID-19 pandemic analysis of acute stroke cases presenting to a Ugandan hospital, we investigated the relationship between stroke admissions, management and treatment outcomes. Methods: This was a retrospective medical record review in …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Nurses’ And Midwives’ Experiences In Designated Covid-19 Healthcare Facilities In Rural And Urban Tanzania, Kahabi Isangula, Lucy Kisaka, Loveluck Mwasha

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background:

Frontline healthcare providers, particularly nurses and midwives, are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection due to frequent patient contact. However, studies examining their experiences, particularly in low-income countries like Tanzania, are limited.

Objective:

This study aimed to explore the experiences of nurses and midwives providing care in COVID-19-designated healthcare facilities in selected regions of Tanzania.

Methods:

A qualitative descriptive approach was used to investigate the experiences of nurses and midwives in COVID-19 care. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 purposefully selected participants from Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga, and Pwani regions. Data were coded with NVivo 12 software and analyzed …

Hpv Vaccination In Africa In The Covid-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Healthcare Providers' Knowledge, Training, And Recommendation Practices, Joel Fokom Domgue, Issimouha Dille, Sharon Kapambwe, Robert Yu, Freddy Gnangnon, Lameck Chinula, Gad Murenzi, Nomonde Mbatani, Mala Pande, Fatoumata Sidibe, Joseph Kamgno, Bangaly Traore, Hicham El Fazazi, Mamadou Diop, Pierre-Marie Tebeu, Mohenou Isidore Diomande, Fabrice Lecuru, Isaac Adewole, Marie Plante, Partha Basu, Jean-Marie Dangou, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Although the burden of cervical cancer in Africa is highest, HPV vaccination coverage remains alarmingly low in this region. Providers' knowledge and recommendation are key drivers of HPV vaccination uptake. Yet, evidence about providers' knowledge and recommendation practices about the HPV vaccine against a backdrop of emerging vaccine hesitancy fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic is lacking in Africa.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021-2022 among healthcare providers involved in cervical cancer prevention activities in Africa. They were invited to report prior training, the availability of the HPV vaccine in their practice, whether they recommended the HPV vaccine, …

Intertextuality And Narrativization Of Multiple Perspectives: Covid-19 Pandemic In Popular Songs In Tanzania, Spemba E. Spemba

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Close to the end of 2019, COVID-19, an infectious disease that still wreaks havoc, was discovered in Wuhan – China. The pandemic has become a major worldwide health problem to date. Its socioeconomic and cultural aftermaths have dominated the world’s public discourse. Media and literary artefacts reflect the ongoing debate, education, and communication regarding the pandemic. This paper examines how popular songs represent multiple (social-cultural, economic, and political) perspectives regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania. The article focuses on secular and religious song lyrics to ascertain how they convey multiple perspectives regarding an understanding of COVID-19, and whether such views …

Bukola Adebayo, Oral History Interview, 2023, You Li

Collective Memory of Women Journalists in COVID-19

Bukola Adebayo is an investigative journalist with over a decade of experience reporting health, science, politics, and education in Africa. She is now the West Africa correspondent for the Thomson Reuters Foundation (Nov. 2022 to now) covering human rights and issues around abuse and exploitation of everyday people in the big economy, environment, and tech space. During COVID, Bukola was the senior producer at the CNN Digital Bureau in Nigeria (Jan 2018- Aug 2021), where she covered many topics, including, human rights, women’s rights, social injustice, political uprisings, and the environment.

In this interview, Adebayo recalled her experience of covering …

Experiences Of Diverse Health Care Workers’ Providing Maternal Care During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study At Five Hospitals In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania., Fatma Zahran

Master of Family Medicine

Background There are drastic changes in patient care with respect to maternity due to the COVID-19 pandemic with negative impact to health care workers. With Interruption of everyday basic services, arose the need to redistribute the scanty health care workers across health care facilities in sub-Saharan Africa. Its effects and involvement on maternity practice in Sub-Saharan Africa are nevertheless to be analyzed. This study aims to explore the likely ramifications for obstetrics and gynecologic practice in Tanzania. At present there are limited studies looking at impacts of COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa and Tanzania. No study has been carried out to …

Leadership, Teaching And Learning In Times Of Crisis In Southern Tanzania, Nipael Mrutu, Peter Kajoro, Hamis Pintson Nkota

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on education provision worldwide. School leaders, teachers and parents found themselves in uncharted circumstances, which hugely impacted their roles in promoting children’s learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles played by leaders, teachers, and parents during the COVID-19 crisis. This paper discusses teaching and learning in this time of crisis. The study sampled 10 head teachers, 60 schoolteachers and 57 parents representing 10 primary schools in five districts in the Lindi region of Tanzania. A postmodernism lens was applied to respond to questions about the …

Investigating Determinants Of The Acceptance Of Zoom Technology Through The Lens Of Getamel, Hamed A. Al-Shahrani

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The present study aims to determine factors influencing graduate students’ intention to use Zoom technology. A questionnaire modified to conform to the General Extended Technology Acceptance Model was distributed to 256 graduate students at King Khalid University in Saudi Arabia. The results indicate that the hypothesized model was a good predictor of intention to use. About 71% of the variance of intention to use Zoom technology was explained. The model’s antecedents significantly predicted intention to use. The most crucial factor was attitude, while perceived usefulness had a negligible impact on predicting intention to use. Both perceived ease of use and …

Modelling The Impacts Of Immigrants On Covid 19 Transmission Dynamics With Control Measures, Alfred K. Hugo, Goodluck M. Mlay, Moses B. Kabigi

Tanzania Journal of Science

The COVID-19 pandemic began in Wuhan City in the Hubei province of China in December 2019. The disease spread quickly in many countries around the world due to mobility of people from one location to another. As a result, a COVID-19 mathematical model with the impacts on immigrants was proposed to study its transmission dynamics and possible control measures. The reproduction number was determined by using the next-generation technique and found to be 0.636, indicating that the transmission could be minimized in the community if all immigrants were effectively controlled. The Pontryagin's Maximum Principle was applied in analysing control strategies …

Lower Sars-Cov-2 Seroprevalence Among Cancer Patients In Sub-Saharan Africa, For Yue Tso, Salum J. Lidenge, John R. Ngowi, Phoebe B. Peña, Ashley A. Clegg, Owen Ngalamika, Chacha J. Mwita, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Despite the high COVID-19 morbidity and mortality rates across the world, the reported rates in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which has a higher burden of other infectious diseases and overwhelmed healthcare systems, remain relatively low. This study aims to better understand the potential factors that contribute to this phenomenon, especially among cancer patients who are considered as a high-risk group for developing severe COVID-19. Methods: Plasma samples collected during the COVID-19 pandemic from SARS-CoV-2 unvaccinated cancer and potential blood donor populations were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 (spike and nucleocapsid proteins) antibodies by an immunofluorescence assay. The relationships between SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalences and …

An Analysis Of The Tanzanian Public Response To Tanzanian Leadership During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Savannah Pipkin

Honors Theses

This thesis discusses the similarities and differences in Tanzanian COVID-19 policies implemented by the late President John Pombe Magufuli and his successor, President Samia Suluhu Hassan. It also analyzes the responses of Tanzanian citizens to these different policies as expressed in the media. The conclusions that were made in this thesis are based on qualitative analysis of articles published in Tanzanian-based newspapers during specific time periods surrounding significant policy changes during each presidency. The situation of COVID-19 policies in Tanzania is unique due to the differences in the COVID-19 policies implemented in comparison to those implemented by other countries and …

The Covid-19 Pandemic: Exploring E-Learning Experience During Schools Closure In Tanzania, Fabian Gallus Mahundu

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

of parents and guardians in supporting their children’s e-learning activities during the COVID-19 lockdown in Tanzania. The study adopted an exploratory qualitative research design. Data were collected using telephone interviews and open-ended questions (using google forms), which inquired parents’ and guardians’ experience in supporting home based e-learning activities among students during the COVID-19 lockdown. The paper argues that giving students free access to online learning materials during COVID-19 lockdowns is paramount. However, parents’ and guardians’ support through sharing one’s phones must be monitored to safeguard learners from accessing irrelevant materials. Findings show that parents and guardians had different experiences in …

Outcomes Of Surgical Tracheostomy On Mechanically Ventilated Covid-19 Patients Admitted To A Private Tertiary Hospital In Tanzania, Nadeem Kassam, Ally Zain, Sajida Panjwani, Kamran Hameed, Samina Somji, Hanifa Mbithe, Fatma Bakshi, Bonvetura Mtega, Gloria Kinasa, Blessing Mathew, Harrison Chuwa

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in an increase in the number of patients necessitating prolonged mechanical ventilation. Data on patients with COVID-19 undergoing tracheostomy indicating timing and outcomes are very limited. Our study illustrates outcomes for surgical tracheotomies performed on COVID-19 patients in Tanzania.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational study conducted at the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Results: Nineteen patients with COVID-19 underwent surgical tracheotomy between 16 th March and 31st December 2021. All surgical tracheostomies were performed in the operating theatre. The average duration of intubation prior to tracheotomy …

Modelling The Impact Of Undetected Cases On The Transmission Dynamics Of Covid-19, Herieth Rwezaura

Tanzania Journal of Science

The spread of COVID-19 globally has caused negative impacts to the public, making understanding the dynamics of transmission a necessity. Essential factors such as undetected cases, asymptomatic cases, and several non-pharmaceutical interventions have played significant roles in the spreading mechanism of COVID-19 in the human population. It is imperative to understand the significance of these factors in order to determine whether COVID-19 will be eradicated or will continue to persist in the population. A mathematical model is formulated to investigate the impacts of vaccination and several non-pharmaceutical interventions on the dynamics of a COVID-19 accounting for asymptomatic cases, detected (identified) …

Residency Training On The Frontlines Of The Covid-19 Pandemic - A Qualitative Study From Tanzania, Mariam Noorani, Hussein Manji, Elizabeth Mmari, Samina Somji, Nahida Z. Walli, Sherin Kassamali, Shabbir Adamjee, Nancy Matillya, Hanifa Mbithe, Aliasger Nagri, Neelam Ismail

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Introduction: the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic has affected residency training globally. The aim of this study was to understand how the pandemic affected teaching and learning in residency programs in low resource settings where residents and faculty were working on the front line treating patients with the disease.

Methods: this qualitative study enrolled residents and faculty from the Aga Khan University in Tanzania who were providing front line care during the pandemic. Purposeful sampling was used and data was collected using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews between August and September 2020. Analysis was done using qualitative content analysis.

Results: …

Factors Associated With Mortality Among Hospitalized Adults With Covid-19 Pneumonia At A Private Tertiary Hospital In Tanzania: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Nadeem Kassam, Eric Aghan, Omar Aziz, Hanifa Mbithe, Kamran Hamid, Reena Shah, Salim Surani, James Orwa, Samina Somji

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: The emergence of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused millions of deaths worldwide. There has been paucity of data for hospitalized African patients suffering from COVID-19. This study aimed to identify factors associated with in-hospital mortality in patients suffering from COVID-19 in Tanzania.

Methods: This was a single center, retrospective, observational cohort study in adult patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infection. Demographics, clinical pattern, laboratory and radiological investigations associated with increased odds of mortality were analyzed.

Results: Of the 157 patients, 107 (68.1%) patients survived and 50 (31.8%) died. Mortality was highest in patients …

Companions On An Ignatian Journey: A Reflection On The Universal Apostolic Preferences, Beth Ford Mcnamee

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

The Universal Apostolic Preferences[i] focus my sense of mission and vocation in Jesuit higher education. I offer these personal and professional reflections as a fellow pilgrim and companion on the journey. I am a lay woman striving to embody the Jesuit, Catholic mission of Saint Joseph’s University (SJU). All Jesuit university students, staff, and faculty are also colleagues in this common mission. Together we are invited to prayer, accompaniment, discernment, conversion of heart, and action in light of these preferences.

Notes

[i] Society of Jesus, Universal Apostolic Preferences, accessed January, 2021, https://www.jesuits.global/uap/.

Influence Of Covid-19 On The Psychological Wellbeing Of Tertiary Institution Students In Nigeria, Seun Akorede, Ayodotun Ajayi, Atanda Toyin, Gilbert Uwadia

Tanzania Journal of Science

The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to a global lockdown, pending the time medical researchers find a vaccine for the coronavirus. This study examined if loneliness, depression and stress are influences of COVID-19 on the psychological wellbeing of tertiary institutions students in Nigeria. A descriptive research design of survey type was employed for this study. The population comprised all students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria totaling about 4,406,000. One hundred and thirty-seven (137) respondents were sampled for the study. A validated researcher developed questionnaire tested for reliability was used for the study. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. …

Covid-19 And Teleneurology In Sub-Saharan Africa: Leveraging The Current Exigency, Philip Adebayo, Olusegun John Oluwole, Funmilola Tolulope Taiwo

Faculty of Health Sciences, East Africa

tion residing in rural areas that have poor access to medical experts. Despite having a ridiculously huge, underserved population, very few African countries currently have any form of sustained and organized telemedicine practice, and even fewer have dedicated tele-neurology services. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be one of the most significant disruptors of vital sectors of human endeavor in modern times. In the healthcare sector, there is an increasing advocacy to deliver non-urgent care via telemedicine. This paper examined the current state of tele-neurology practice and infrastructural preparedness in sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, there is over 70% mobile phone …

High Prevalence Of Pre-Existing Serological Cross-Reactivity Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (Sars-Cov-2) In Sub-Saharan Africa, For Yue Tso, Salum J. Lidenge, Phoebe B. Peña, Ashley A. Clegg, John R. Ngowi, Julius Mwaiselage, Owen Ngalamika, Peter Julius, John T. West, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Significant morbidity and mortality have occurred in the USA, Europe, and Asia due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), whereas the numbers of infections and deaths in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have remained comparatively low. It has been hypothesized that exposure of the population in SSA to other coronaviruses prior to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in some degree of cross-protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and pathogenesis. We evaluated this hypothesis by comparing SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive antibodies in pre-pandemic plasma samples collected from SSA and the USA.

Method: Pre-COVID-19 pandemic plasma samples from SSA and the USA were collected and tested by …

The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Catalyst For Creativity And Collaboration For Online Learning And Work-Based Higher Education Systems And Processes, Tashmin Khamis, Azra Naseem, Anil Khamis, Pammla Petrucka

Office of the Provost

The purpose of this research is to focus on work-based problems catalysed by the COVID-19 global pandemic, based on a case study of a multi-continental, multi-campus university distributed across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Pakistan. Higher education institutions (HEIs) in developing countries lacked pre-existing infrastructure to support online education and/or policy and regulatory frameworks during the pandemic. The university's programmes in Pakistan and East Africa provide lessons to other developing countries' HEIs. The university's focus on teaching and learning and staff development has had a transformational organisational effect.

Covid-19 And Teleneurology In Sub-Saharan Africa: Leveraging The Current Exigency, Philip Adebayo, Olusegun John Oluwole, Funmilola Tolulope

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Africa has over 1.3 billion inhabitants, with over 60% of this population residing in rural areas that have poor access to medical experts. Despite having a ridiculously huge, underserved population, very few African countries currently have any form of sustained and organized telemedicine practice, and even fewer have dedicated tele-neurology services. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be one of the most significant disruptors of vital sectors of human endeavor in modern times. In the healthcare sector, there is an increasing advocacy to deliver non-urgent care via telemedicine. This paper examined the current state of tele-neurology practice and infrastructural …

High Prevalence Of Pre-Existing Serological Cross-Reactivity Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (Sars- Cov-2) In Sub-Saharan Africa, For Yue Tso, Salum Lidenge, Phoebe B. Peña, Ashley A. Clegg, John R. Ngowi, Julius Mwaiselage, Owen Ngalamika, Peter Julius, John T. West, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Significant morbidity and mortality have occurred in the USA, Europe, and Asia due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), whereas the numbers of infections and deaths in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have remained comparatively low. It has been hypothesized that exposure of the population in SSA to other coronaviruses prior to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in some degree of cross-protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and pathogenesis. We evaluated this hypothesis by comparing SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive antibodies in pre-pandemic plasma samples collected from SSA and the USA.

Method: Pre-COVID-19 pandemic plasma samples from SSA and the USA were collected and tested by …

Covid-19 Information Seeking Strategies Of Rural Dwellers In Delta North, Nigeria, Rhima Tracy Efe

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study assessed the COVID-19 information seeking strategies of rural dwellers in Delta North, Nigeria. This study adopted a survey research design. Fifty (50) respondents were randomly selected from each of the rural communities in Delta North used for the study, which amounted to 450 respondents used for the study. Out of the 450 copies of the questionnaire distributed to the respondents, the researcher was able to retrieve 418 copies of the questionnaire from the rural dwellers, thus there was 92% response rate. The method of data analysis adopted was descriptive statistics covering frequency count and percentage. The finding of …