In recent years, a wide range of diagnostic tests has become available for use in resource-constrained settings. Accordingly, a huge number of guidelines, performance evaluations and implementation reports have been produced. However, this wealth of information is unstructured and of uneven quality, which has made it difficult for end-users, such as clinics, laboratories and health ministries, to determine which test would be best for improving clinical care and patient outcomes in a specific context. This paper outlines a six-step guide to the selection and implementation of in vitro diagnostic tests based on Médecins Sans Frontières’ practical experience: (i) define the test’s purpose; (ii) review the market; (iii) ascertain regulatory approval; (iv) determine the test’s diagnostic accuracy under ideal conditions; (v) determine the test’s diagnostic accuracy in clinical practice; and (vi) monitor the test’s performance in routine use. Gaps in the information needed to complete these six steps and gaps in regulatory systems are highlighted. Finally, ways of improving the quality of diagnostic tests are suggested, such as establishing a model list of essential diagnostics, establishing a repository of information on the design of diagnostic studies and improving quality control and postmarketing surveillance.

BackgroundInformation on extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) patients is limited in many African countries including Ghana. The study objective was to describe the epidemiology of EPTB patients diagnosed from different categories of health facilities in Accra, Ghana compared to pulmonary TB (PTB) patients and identify risk factors for mortality among EPTB patients.MethodWe conducted retrospective analyses of demographic and clinical data accessed from medical records of EPTB and PTB patients from different types of health facilities from June 2010 to December 2013. Factors at diagnosis associated with EPTB compared to pulmonary TB (PTB) and factors associated with treatment outcome death among EPTB patients were assessed using logistic regression.ResultsOut of 3,342 new TB patients ≥15 years diagnosed, 728 (21.8%) had EPTB with a male: female ratio of 1.17. The EPTB sites commonly affected were disseminated 32.8%, pleura 21%, spine 13%, and Central Nervous System (CNS) 11%. Treatment success rate for EPTB was 70.1% compared to 84.2% for PTB (p<0.001). In logistic regression, HIV positivity (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 3.19; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.69–3.79) and female gender (aOR 1.59; 95% CI 1.35–1.88) were found to be significantly associated with EPTB compared with PTB. Older age, being HIV positive (aOR 3.15; 95% CI 1.20–8.25) and having CNS TB (aOR 3.88; 95% CI 1.14–13.23) were associated with mortality among EPTB patients. While more EPTB patients were diagnosed in the tertiary hospital, health facility type was not associated with mortality.ConclusionEPTB patients in Accra have a worse treatment outcome compared to PTB patients with mortality of EPTB being associated with HIV, older age and CNS TB. Being HIV positive and female gender were found to be significantly associated with EPTB. Increased awareness of these factors may facilitate early case finding and better management outcomes for these patients.

Background: The objective of this study was to establish 1) the performance of chest X-ray (CXR) in all suspects of tuberculosis (TB), as well as smear-negative TB suspects and 2) to compare the cost-effectiveness of the routine diagnostic pathway using Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) sputum microscopy followed by CXR if case of negative sputum result (ZN followed by CXR) with an alternative pathway using CXR as a screening tool (CXR followed by ZN).

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A daily intake of 5 portions of fruit and vegetables (FV) is recommended for protection against non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Inadequate FV intake is a global problem but resource-poor countries like Tanzania are most deprived and constitute settings where little is known for informing public health interventions. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of inadequate FV intake, frequency of FV intake, portions of FV intake and their associations with socio-demographic/lifestyle factors in South-Eastern Tanzania. Data on FV dietary indicators, socio-demographic factors, smoking, alcohol and healthcare use were collected from 7953 participants (≥15 years) of the population-based MZIMA open community cohort (2012–2013). Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations between FV intake outcomes and their socio-demographic/lifestyle determinants. Most (82%) of the participants did not meet the recommended daily FV intake While only a fraction consumed fruits daily (15.5%), almost half consumed vegetables daily (44.2%). However, the median (IQR) number of vegetable portions consumed was lower (2(1)/person/day) than that for fruits (2(2)/person/day) People with higher education were more likely to consume fruits daily. Independent correlates of inadequate FV intake included young age, being male, low education, low-income occupations, low alcohol, high tobacco and low healthcare use. Public health interventions should target the socio-economically deprived and culturally-rooted preferences while prioritizing promotion of vegetable for most immediate gain in overall FV intake.

The inability to detect all individuals with active tuberculosis has led to a growing interest in new approaches to improve case detection. Policy makers and program staff face important challenges measuring effectiveness of newly introduced interventions and reviewing feasibility of scaling-up successful approaches. While robust research will continue to be needed to document impact and influence policy, it may not always be feasible for all interventions and programmatic evidence is also critical to understand what can be expected in routine settings. The effects of interventions on early and improved tuberculosis detection can be documented through well-designed program evaluations. We present a pragmatic framework for evaluating and measuring the effect of improved case detection strategies using systematically collected intervention data in combination with routine tuberculosis notification data applying historical and contemporary controls. Standardized process evaluation and systematic documentation of program implementation design, cost and context will contribute to explaining observed levels of success and may help to identify conditions needed for success. Findings can then guide decisions on scale-up and replication in different target populations and settings.

Diabetes prevalence in Tanzania was estimated at 9.1% in 2012 among adults aged 24–65 years — higher than the HIV prevalence in the general population at that time. Health systems in lower- and middle-income countries are not designed for chronic health care, yet the rising burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes demands chronic care services. To inform policies on diabetes care, we conducted a study on the health services in place to diagnose, treat and care for diabetes patients in rural Tanzania. The study was an exploratory and descriptive study involving qualitative methods (in-depth interviews, observations and document reviews) and was conducted in a rural district in Tanzania. Fifteen health providers in four health facilities at different levels of the health care system were interviewed. The health care organization elements of the Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions (ICCC) framework were used to guide assessment of the diabetes services in the district. We found that diabetes care in this district was centralized at the referral and district facilities, with unreliable supply of necessary commodities for diabetes care and health providers who had some knowledge of what was expected of them but felt ill-prepared for diabetes care. Facility and district level guidance was lacking and the continuity of care was broken within and between facilities. The HMIS could not produce reliable data on diabetes. Support for self-management to patients and their families was weak at all levels. In conclusion, the rural district we studied did not provide diabetes care close to the patients. Guidance on diabetes service provision and human resource management need strengthening and policies related to task-shifting need adjustment to improve quality of service provision for diabetes patients in rural settings.

Summary Recent advances in treatment have achieved a large drop in the prevalence of active leprosy cases, but the incidence is at best decreasing slowly. Most people within leprosy-endemic populations have been exposed to Myco bacterium leprae, but few develop disease and it seems likely that the majority of the population develops protective immunity. If the site of initial infection is in the nose, dissemination of bacilli around the body to skin and nerve implies that the initial infection is bacilliferous and it has been shown that nasal M. leprae are detectable by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of nasal swabs. Since salivary anti-M. leprae IgA (sMLIgA) levels are correlated with protection, 5 we have surveyed groups ofleprosy patients, contacts and the general population for both their sMLIgA and nasal PCR positivity. A total of 304 subjects were enrolled in the study: PCR and mucosal challenge tests were performed in 204 of these individuals. sMLIgA was present in 66% of treated patients, 76% of leprosy workers and 72% of healthy contacts. However, only 33% of indigenous subjects were sMLIgA+, in contrast to the earlier studies showing 74% positivity. 5 PCR for M. leprae was present in both household contacts (2%) and indigenous controls (5%). In a subsequent fo llow-up study, nasal swabs were taken from 97 of those studied in the first series: three PCR+ individuals followed up after one year became negative, while of the remaining 94 PCR-individuals retested, 2