Background Late diagnosis of prostate cancer is common in low and middle income countries and contributes to high morbidity and mortality of the disease. Utilization of prostate cancer screening services plays a major role in prevention of adverse outcomes. However, there is limited information on the knowledge about, the perceived risk of, and the utilization of prostate cancer screening in Tanzania. Objective To determine knowledge and perceived risk of prostate cancer, and the utilization of prostate cancer screening services, and associated factors, among men in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Design A population-based cross-sectional study involving men aged 40 years and above living in Dar es Salaam was conducted between May and August, 2018. Methodology Participants were recruited through multistage random sampling and took part in structured face-to-face interviews. Categorical variables were summarized using proportions while continuous variables were summarized as medians and inter-quarterly range (IQR). Chi square test was used to compare differences between proportions, and logistic regression modelling was used to determine factors associated with utilization of prostate cancer screening. Both crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR), with corresponding 95% confidence intervals, are reported. All analyses were two-tailed and the significance level set at 5%. Results A total of 388 men with a median age of 53 years (IQR 44–55) participated. Half (52.1%) had poor knowledge about prostate cancer and prostate cancer screening. A third (32.3%, n = 125) perceived the risk of prostate cancer to be low. Only 30 respondents (7.7%) had ever been screened for prostate cancer. Utilization of prostate cancer screening services was independently associated with age above 60 years [AOR = 21.46, 95% CI: 6.23, 73.93], monthly income above 305 US Dollars [AOR = 15.68, 95% CI: 4.60, 53.48], the perceived risk of prostate cancer [AOR = 16.34, 95% CI: 7.82, 14.92] and knowledge about prostate cancer [AOR = 67.71, 95% CI: 8.20, 559.57]. Conclusions Knowledge about prostate cancer and prostate cancer screening services was low among men in Dar es Salaam with a third perceiving themselves to be at no risk for the disease. Utilization of screening services was low and associated with low income, younger age, low perceived risk of prostate cancer and low knowledge about the disease. Intervention measures aiming to increase knowledge about prostate cancer and screening services, and affordable provision of services, are urgently called for.

Background: The Kigamboni Municipality has been experiencing recurrences of Cholera outbreaks. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate knowledge, attitude and practices associated with Cholera transmission and prevention measures. Method: A cross section descriptive study was adopted. A multistage sampling was used to select 410 respondents. An Interview schedule was used to obtain respondents opinions. Statistical Package for Social Sciences software version 20.0 was used to generate descriptive statistics which were further summarized into contingency tables. Results: Results indicate that the most study population (70.2%) had knowledge on causes, symptoms and the modes of transmission of Cholera. It was also found out that communities treat drinking water to make it safe (76.8%) and are regular in hand washing with soap (80.9%). The result also indicates that the community is willing to vaccination (90%) and to adopting the Cholera prevention measures (92.7%).  Conclusions and recommendations: The supply of pure water and adequate sanitation may serve as the prevention measures against the Cholera outbreak recurrences at Kigamboni Municipality.

Hundred unrelated father-son buccal swab sample pairs collected from consented Tanzanian population were examined to establish mutation rates using 17 Y-STRs loci DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385a, DYS385b, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS448, DYS456, DYS458, DYS635, and Y-GATA-H4 of the AmpFlSTRYfiler kit used in forensics and paternity testing. Prior to 17 Y-STRs analysis, father-son pair biological relationships were confirmed using 15 autosomal STRs markers and found to be paternally related. A total of four single repeat mutational events were observed between father and sons. Two mutations resulted in the gain of a repeat and the other two resulted in a loss of a repeat in the son. All observed mutations occurred at tetranucleotide loci DYS389II, DYS385a, and DYS385b. The locus specific mutation rate varied between 0 and 1.176 x10−3 and the average mutation rate of 17Y-STRs loci in the present study was 2.353x10−3 (6.41x10−4 - 6.013x10−3) at 95% CI. Furthermore the mean fathers' age with at least one mutation at son's birth was 32 years with standard error of 2.387 while the average age of all fathers without mutation in a sampled population at son's birth was 26.781 years with standard error of 0.609. The results shows that fathers' age at son's birth may have an effect on Y-STRs mutation rate analysis, though this age difference was statistically not significant using unpaired samples t-test (p = 0.05). As a consequence of observed mutation rates in this study, the precise and reliable understanding of mutation rate at Y-chromosome STR loci is necessary for a correct evaluation and interpretation of DNA typing results in forensics and paternity testing involving males. The criterion for exclusion in paternity testing should be defined, so that an exclusion from paternity has to be based on exclusion constellations at a minimum of two 17 Y-STRs loci.

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The Government Chemist Laboratory Authority (GCLA) in Tanzania is the only institution offering DNA testing in solving various human identification challenges using Human DNA technology. Globally, forensic DNA typing has undeniably been a useful tool employed in cases such as criminal investigation,, missing persons and parentage testing. In Tanzania, the indispensable need for Human DNA technology in human identification was greatly emphasized in August 2009 following the inferno at Idodi secondary school in Iringa region whereby the fire burnt and razed a girl's dormitory to the ground killing twelve girls student while leaving twenty students severely wounded. The cause of the fire was later determined to have been due to a lit candle by a student aiming to study late into the night even after the power generator had been switched off. DNA typing of 15 autosomal Short Tandem Repeat markers using ABI 3100 Genetic Analyser was performed on samples collected from the recovered deceased bodies and their relatives. Successful human identification was achieved for all twelve recovered bodies and their reunification with their respective families. Therefore, the Idodi gruesome incident marked both an icon in scientific approach towards the utilization of DNA technology for disaster victim identification and usefulness of experts' collaborations from different disciplines in mass fatalities and human identification in Tanzania.