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RESYST launches its website The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has launched the website of its new project, RESYST. Resyst is an international research consortium which aims to enhance the resilience and responsiveness of health systems to promote health and health equity and reduce poverty. Ifakara Health Institute is one of the founding member of RESYST. Commenting on the new website, RESYST principal investigator in Tanzania Dr. Fatuma Manzi says the website would facilitate live discussions among partners.
Posted 6 Feb 2012 07:42 by IHI Webmaster
TTCIH and the Swiss TPH announce a malaria course The Ifakara-based Tanzania Training Centre of International Health and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute have jointly organized a malaria course that will take place in April this year. The malaria course is a tutorial that is aimed at strengthening the competence of researchers, public health personnel and care givers to fight malaria in Africa. Course details can be downloaded here.
Posted 6 Feb 2012 07:13 by IHI Webmaster
VP calls for more studies on resistance and side effects of drugs The Vice President of Tanzania H.E. Dr. Mohamed Gharib Bilal has commended the Ifakara Health Institute for establishing world-class research facilities in the country. The VP said this on Friday February 3, 2012 during the inauguration of IHI's clinical trials facility located at Kingani area in Bagamoyo. Dr. Bilal also asked IHI to intensify studies on resistance and possible side-effects of drugs.
Posted 6 Feb 2012 06:43 by IHI Webmaster
"Phase I" clinical trials facility at Kingani to be inaugurated today The Vice President of Tanzania His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Gharib Bilal is expected to inaugurate a new clinical trials facility of Ifakara Health Institute located at Kingani area near Bagamoyo town. IHI Bagamoyo site leader Dr. Kefas Mugittu said the construction of the facility was partly sponsored by the Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) and the government of Norway.
Posted 2 Feb 2012 21:02 by IHI Webmaster
Could high-dose rifampicin shorten TB treatment? On the 27th of January 2012, the Ifakara Health Institute has started recruitment in the PanACEA HIGHRIF tuberculosis trial at the Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre. The PanACEA HIGHRIF study is a phase II clinical trial in Tanzanian tuberculosis patients on the pharmacokinetics, safety/tolerability and efficacy of higher than standard doses rifampicin (900 and 1200 mg versus standard 600 mg). This trial (Site PI: Dr. Klaus Reither) investigates the potential of higher dosages of rifampicin to shorten and simplify the treatment of tuberculosis. The HIGHRIF project is one of the three major components of the overarching plan of the PanACEA Consortium, funded by European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP). The overall aim of the PanACEA Consortium is ...
Posted 27 Jan 2012 05:20 by IHI Webmaster
Ifakara Health Institute launches a phase II TB vaccine trial The Ifakara Health Institute has on January 17, 2012 started the first phase II study aimed to develop a vaccine against tuberculosis (TB). The study is an initiative of IHI’s collaboration with the Statens Serum Institut, the Aurum Institute, the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, and the South African TB Vaccine Initiative. The randomised, double-blind, clinical trial is funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) and aims to assess immunogenicity and safety of a novel tuberculosis subunit vaccine candidate (Ag85B-ESAT-6) and the IC31® adjuvant. First results are expected in 2013. The existing Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is a live vaccine that, when given to newborns, provides partial protection against TB ...
Posted 21 Jan 2012 14:52 by IHI Webmaster
Research must contribute to national development Former Tanzania’s Chief Medical Officer has criticized African scientists for what he described as research driven by the desire “to publish in peer reviewed journals” with less concern about the contribution of research to policy and action at national level. Dr. Gabriel Upunda warned that it is not productive for governments to give money for research if the research does not provide solutions to local problems. “The incentives for the governments to give more money to researchers should be based on the contribution of research to policy,” he said. Dr Upunda insisted that researchers must ensure that data collected are made accessible to the people who need them most. Data is available in solving the people’s problems.
Posted 16 Jan 2012 06:24 by IHI Webmaster
More studies on zoonotic diseases vital--Prof. Marcel Tanner The Director of Swiss Tropical and Public Health (Swiss TPH) has encouraged Tanzanian health researchers to expand studies on zoonotic diseases because that area was neglected for a long time. Prof. Marcel Tanner told participants of an Ifakara Health Institute stakeholders meeting in Dar es Salaam that diseases caused by infectious agents that can be transmitted between (or are shared by) animals and humans are among the neglected tropical diseases worth intensifying research activities as they will be future national and global health challenges.
Posted 16 Jan 2012 03:06 by IHI Webmaster
Tanzania may attain MDG4 target Mortality trends during the past decades suggest that Tanzania may attain the Millennium Goal 4 target "if we maintain the level of coverage of effective interventions." Dr Honorati Masanja said in Dar es Salaam that a re-analysis of DHS data shows prospects of Tanzania achieving MDG4 target. The point estimate for 2010 is 53.5 deaths per 1,000 live births. The MDG4 target for Tanzania is 48 deaths per 1,000 live births from 148 in 1990.
Posted 16 Jan 2012 01:51 by IHI Webmaster
Government keen to translate research into innovation The government of Tanzania has set aside funds to facilitate the translation of research into innovation. Opening the annual IHI retreat at White Sands Hotel in Dar es Salaam on Monday January 16, 2011, COSTECH Director General said the government has funds to support post doctoral programmes leading to innovation. Dr. Hassan Mshinda said the role of the newly established the Arusha-based Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology is meant to promote innovation in science and technology.
Posted 16 Jan 2012 04:33 by IHI Webmaster

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Featured Content

The INDEPTH Effectiveness and Safety Studies of Antimalarials in Africa (INESS) started in 2009. The project aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of antimalaria combination therapies in seven Health and Demographic Surveillance Sites (DSS) within four sub-Saharan African countries including Tanzania. An initial meeting was held in Dar es Salaam in July 2009, where the main roadmap was endorsed. In addition, the following papers were presented:

1. The history of INDEPTH Network

2. IHI Development and Strategy leading to INESS

3. Health Facility Surveys (HFS)

4. HDSS-Concepts and activities

5. Drug deployment and strengthening district health facilities

6. Data linkage

7. Costing and cost effectiveness

8. Safety, efficacy and effectiveness

9. INESS milestones

10. Outline of INESS

In the absence of a comprehensive vital registration system, Tanzania is unable to produce annual estimates of key demographic variables. The census (every ten years) and demographic & health surveys (every five years) provide periodic estimates, but without information on cause of death. Existing demographic surveillance produces annual estimates, including cause of death – but these statistics are not representative of the whole country. The Sentinel Panel of Districts (SPD) offers the opportunity to fill these information gaps. Presentations delivered at the Monitoring and Evaluation Forum held on October 6, 2011, are the:

1. Health Sector Performance 2011

2. HMIS Strengthening Initiative in Lindi Region

3. Monitoring and Evaluation Initiative overview

4.HMIS implementation

5. Sentinel Panel of Districts, an M&E platform

6. Role of NBS

7. Under five mortality trends in Rufiji DSS site

IHI published a special Spotlight "Tanzania DHS 2010: What has changed?" to complement the presentations made at the forum.

On April 20, 2011, malaria stakeholders held the "Tanzania Malaria Control Forum 2011" as part of the year’s commemoration of the World Malaria Day in Tanzania. The forum brought together researchers, government officials, development partners, civil society organizations and media. Presentation delivered at the forum:

Presentations delivered at the Tanzania National Malaria Control Forum 2011.

1. Recent developments and achievements in malaria control in Tanzania Mainland

2. Recent developments and achievements in malaria control in Zanzibar

3. Malaria epidemiology in Tanzania

4. Diagnostics for case management

5. Changes in malaria entomology

6. New developments in vector control

7. Malaria Case management at different levels

8. Drugs and vaccines diagnostics technologies

9. Malaria surveillance: the way forward towards malaria elimination

The 2010 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey is a nationally representative survey of 10,300 households selected from 475 sample points throughout Tanzania. The Tanzania DHS 2010 full report was published in April 2011 by the National Bureau of Statistics.

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