Acceptability of using mobile Health (mHealth) as an intervention tool for people with drug use disorders in Tanga, Tanzania

Evidence on the additional benefit in treatment and recovery process among PWDUD using digital health interventions is lacking. This study aimed to describe the acceptability of using a digital intervention to increase information access for PWDUD in Tanga region, Tanzania. This study was conducted among 465 participants in Tanga, a coastal region on the Northeast of Tanzania has the second highest number of PWDUD in Tanzania. This cross-sectional descriptive study used both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The majority of the PWDUD 67.6% do not own mobile phones. Out of the 156 participants with mobile phones, only 6.4% owned a smartphone. Most of the participants, 83.6%, reported living with someone who owns a mobile phone. Importantly, a significant number of participants, 98.5% from both areas showed readiness to use mobile phones to access information about the harmful use of substance and substance use disorder treatment options. Participants described how mobile phones can be useful to them in accessing information related to treatment and access to treatment options. The findings of this study helped to inform the target audience for the developed Huru App that should not be only PWDUD but the community at large.

Drug use and associated factors in a North Eastern region of Tanzania: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Tanzania has experienced an increase in the number of people who use drugs (PWUDs) and people who inject drugs (PWIDs). Understanding the characteristics of PWUDs is crucial to addressing the increasing burden of drug use in Tanzania. This study was set to examine drug use and its related factors among PWUDs in a North Eastern region of Tanzania.

METHODS

a cross-sectional study conducted among 481 PWUDs in Tanga region, Tanzania. R statistical language was used for analysis and plotting. Logistic regression was performed to establish associations between knowledge and practice scores with drug use. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

people who inject drugs comprised mostly of male (97.5%) and those with primary level education (71.1%). About three in four PWUDs had poor knowledge and practices towards drug use. Factors associated with adequate knowledge and practices towards drug use included residing in urban setting (aOR: 0.47, 95% CI; 0.29 - 0.74, p=0.001) while low level of education and use of drugs for less than 10 years were independent predictors for poor practices.

CONCLUSION

drug use poses a significant threat among male and individuals with low education in Tanga region. Poor knowledge and practices towards drug use was more pronounced among rural and lowly educated PWUDs. Owing to variabilities of predictors, tailored and innovative interventions are needed to curb this growing drug use and associated effects in Tanga and other settings with similar contexts.

High burden of tuberculosis infection and disease among people receiving medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorder in Tanzania

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) disease and infection as well as incident TB disease among people who use drugs (PWUD) attending Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) clinics in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, a total of 901 consenting participants were enrolled from November 2016 to February 2017 and a structured questionnaire administered to them through the open data kit application on android tablets. Twenty-two months later, we revisited the MAT clinics and reviewed 823 of the 901 enrolled participant's medical records in search for documentation on TB disease diagnosis and treatment. Medical records reviewed included those of participants whom at enrolment were asymptomatic, not on TB disease treatment, not on TB preventive therapy and those who had a documented tuberculin skin test (TST) result.

RESULTS

Of the 823 medical records reviewed 22 months after enrolment, 42 had documentation of being diagnosed with TB disease and initiated on TB treatment. This is equivalent to a TB disease incidence rate of 2,925.2 patients per 100,000 person years with a total follow up time of 1,440 person-years. At enrolment the prevalence of TB disease and TB infection was 2.6% and 54% respectively and the HIV prevalence was 44% and 16% among females and males respectively.

CONCLUSION

PWUD attending MAT clinics bear an extremely high burden of TB and HIV and are known to have driven TB epidemics in a number of countries. Our reported TB disease incidence is 12 times that of the general Tanzanian incidence of 237 per 100,000 further emphasizing that this group should be prioritized for TB screening, testing and treatment. Gender specific approaches should also be developed as female PWUDs are markedly more affected with HIV and TB disease than male PWUDs.

First Report of Gender Based Violence as a Deterrent to Methadone Access Among Females Who Use Heroin in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

High prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among females who use drugs in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, contrasts strikingly with their low enrollment in HIV risk reduction services such as methadone assisted therapy (MAT). We conducted a case-control study to examine factors associated with non-enrollment in MAT, with a focus on gender-based violence. We interviewed 202 female heroin users not enrolled in MAT as cases and 93 females enrolled in MAT. We fitted logistic regression models with MAT enrollment as the outcome of interest. The likelihood of MAT enrollment decreased upon being in a violent relationship [odds ratio (OR) 0.23; 95 % CI 0.11-0.40], with experience of discrimination by a healthcare provider (OR 0.11; 95 % CI 0.04-0.35), and having a partner who also uses drugs (OR 0.05; 95 % CI 0.01-0.26). The results indicate that violence and discrimination are major impediments to MAT enrollment, necessitating implementation of interventions to address them.

Active case finding for tuberculosis among people who inject drugs on methadone treatment in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

SETTING

Active case finding is a World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed strategy for improving tuberculosis (TB) case detection. Despite WHO recommendations for active case finding among people who inject drugs (PWID), few studies have been published. The historical focus of case finding has been in populations that are human immunodeficiency virus-positive, incarcerated or at higher occupational risk.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to examine the yield of active case finding among PWID newly started on methadone in Tanzania.

DESIGN

Of 222 methadone clients, 156 (70%) met with study administrators; 150 consented to participate, 139 (93%) of whom were male. The median age was 34 years. A symptom-based questionnaire was developed by the investigators and administered to every consenting patient by a native Swahili speaker.

RESULTS

Of the 150 patients surveyed, 16 (11%) had one or more TB symptoms and were referred for laboratory testing. Six new TB cases were identified in this active case finding program, with a prevalence of 4%.

CONCLUSION

This study presents the first data on TB prevalence in a population of PWID in Tanzania. This prevalence is 23 times that of the general Tanzanian TB prevalence of 0.2%. These results have significant implications for TB control.

Lessons from Tanzania on the integration of HIV and tuberculosis treatments into methadone assisted treatment

To successfully address HIV and TB in the world, we must address the healthcare needs of key populations, such as drug users, and we must do this urgently. Currently in Tanzania, as in many countries, the care for these medical disorders is separated into disease specific clinical environments. Our consortium began working to integrate HIV and TB clinical services into the methadone program in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We present the key lessons learned in this process of integration and the importance of integrating HIV/TB into the methadone program, which serves as a critical anchor for adherence to clinical services. Integrated healthcare for people who use drugs is clearly a long-term goal and different health systems will progress upon this continuum at different rates. What is clear is that every health system that interacts with drug users must aspire to achieve some level of integrated healthcare if the incidence rates of HIV and TB are to decline.