Prevalence and factors associated with tuberculosis among the mining communities in Mererani, Tanzania

Mbuya, Alexander W.; Mboya, Innocent B.; Semvua, Hadija H; Mamuya, Simon; Msuya, Sia E.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0280396

Cited by 16 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Mine workers with history of suffering from TB in South Africa were reported to have reduced lung function with FEV 1 of about 180mls-lower and FVC of about 120mls-lower relative to those who never suffered TB [33]. As reported in our previous study report [15], the prevalence of TB among the mining communities in Mererani was around 7.0% which is about 18-times higher compared to the national prevalence of around 0.4% (WHO TB burden estimates 2021; https://www.who.int/teams/global-tuberculosis-programme/data). Unexpectedly, the TB burden was higher (7.9%) in the PMC compared to 6.1% for SSM.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…We have previously described in details our study methods [15]. In brief however, we conducted a cross-sectional study in Mererani mines located in Simanjiro district, in northern Tanzania.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tuberculosis is common among mining communities, and silicosis has been shown to significantly increase the risk of tuberculosis, particularly in the context of HIV [12], [13]. Little is known about tuberculosis rates among SSM, however some evidence available from Ghana suggests the prevalence is high [14] and also recent report among SSM in Mererani has shown the prevalence 5 to be around 7.0% [15]. Both OLD and RLD are associated with occupational dust exposure [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prevalence and determinants of evidence of silicosis and impaired lung function, among small scale tanzanite miners and the peri-mining community in northern Tanzania

Mbuya,

Mboya,

Semvua

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Among mining communities in Tanzania, the limited data available suggests the prevalence of silicosis, obstructive lung diseases (OLD) and restrictive lung disease (RLD) to be around 1.6%, 1.9% and 8.8% respectively. Our study therefore aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with evidence of silicosis and ILF among tanzanite mining community in northern Tanzania.We conducted a cross-sectional study, involving 330 randomly selected miners and 330 conveniently selected non-mine workers from the peri-mining community (PMC) in Mererani mines, northern Tanzania. Evidence of silicosis was defined based on study participants’ history of exposure to mining dust and digital chest radiological findings with reference to the 2011 ILO classification of pneumoconiosis. Impaired lung function was determined by spirometry using American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) recommended system 3. Association between evidence of silicosis/impaired lung function and presumed risk factors were determined using binary logistic regression analyses. The study found that 99/330 (30.0%) of miners had evidence of silicosis, of whom 97.0% had accelerated silicosis. Among miners and community members, 75 (11.4%) had ILF, of whom 30 (4.5%) had COPD, 9 (1.4%) had asthma, 29 (4.4%) had restrictive lung disease and 7 (1.1%) had mixed pattern of both obstructive and restrictive lung disease. We found that having a daily income of more than USD 4.3 was associated with lower odds of silicosis (aOR 0.57, 95% CI 0.37-0.89, p<0.05) while ILF was associated with being a miner (aOR 2.06, CI=1.38-3.07, p<0.001).We found a concerningly high prevalence of evidence of silicosis despite short durations of exposure among small scale tanzanite miners. Immediate dust control measures including deployment of wet drilling, wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) and regular monitoring of dust exposure need to be enforced by the OSHA (Tanzania).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prevalence and determinants of evidence of silicosis and impaired lung function, among small scale tanzanite miners and the peri-mining community in northern Tanzania

Mbuya,

Mboya,

Semvua

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…From a total of 357 titles and abstracts, 56 studies were full-text screened and 18 eligible studies of 13 distinct populations from 10 countries included in our analysis (Fig 2) (30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47). Of these studies, six reported on silicosis prevalence (30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35), six on tuberculosis prevalence (33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38), eight on dust or respirable silica exposures (30,32,(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44), three on spirometry findings (39,46,47) and three on respiratory symptoms (32,43,45). There was moderate agreement for title and abstract review, Cohen's kappa of 0.56 (HM) and 0.49 (BS).…”

Section: Study Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The number of ASM enrolled in all 14 clinical studies ranged from 18 to 21,136 participants (median 441, IQR 258 -867) with an overall total of 29,562 participants. There were 14 studies from Africa (33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46), two studies from Asia (30,47) and two from South America (31,32). Most of the included studies were in gold (10/18) and gemstone (5/18) mining communities and were exclusively underground (10/18) or both under and above ground ASM (5/18).…”

Section: Study Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silicosis, tuberculosis and silica exposure among artisanal and small-scale miners: A systematic review and modelling paper

Howlett

Mousa²,

Said

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Background An estimated 44 million artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM), largely based in developing economies, face significant occupational risks for respiratory diseases. We aimed to review studies that describe silicosis and tuberculosis prevalence and respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposures among ASM and use background evidence to attempt to understand the relationship between exposures and disease outcomes. Methods We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase for studies published before the 24th March 2023. A systematic review and narrative synthesis was performed and risk of bias assessed. Logistic and Poisson regression models with predefined parameters were used to estimate silicosis prevalence and tuberculosis incidence at different distributions of cumulative silica exposure. Results We identified 18 eligible studies of 13 distinct populations in 10 countries. Silicosis prevalence ranged from 11 to 37%, despite four of five studies reporting an average median duration of mining of <6 years. Tuberculosis prevalence was high; microbiologically confirmed disease ranged from 1.8 to 12% and clinical disease 3.0 to 17%. Average RCS intensity was very high (range 0.19-89.5 mg/m3) and respiratory symptoms were common. Our modelling demonstrated decreases in RCS result in reductions in silicosis and tuberculosis, with greater effects at higher mean exposures. Discussion Prevalence of silicosis and tuberculosis were high in the studies identified in this review. Our modelling demonstrated the greatest respiratory health benefits of reducing RCS are in those with highest exposures. ASM face a high occupational respiratory disease burden which can be reduced by low-cost and effective reductions in RCS.

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Review: Artisanal Gold Mining in Africa—Environmental Pollution and Human Health Implications

Ondayo,

Watts,

Mitchell

et al. 2023

Expo Health

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About nine million Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) workers in Africa and people living near ASGM activities are highly exposed to geogenic and anthropogenic potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Despite the hazards and risks posed by ASGM being well characterized, coordinated multidisciplinary environmental characterization with combined public health studies are limited, with often piecemeal and snapshot studies reported, as highlighted by this review. Furthermore, studies are often not connected with efforts to minimize hazards holistically. Given this, we systematically reviewed the scientific literature on human health hazards associated with ASGM in Africa through Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Pubmed databases. One hundred and seventy-three peer-reviewed papers published between 1996 and June 2023 from 30 African countries were identified. Toxicological environmental hazards were reported in 102 peer-reviewed papers, notably As, Cd, CN, Cr, Hg, Pb, respirable SiO2-laden dust, and radionuclides. Exposure to PTEs in human biomonitoring matrices and associated health impacts were documented in 71 papers. Hg was the most reported hazard. Gaps in research robustness, regulation and policy framework, technology, risk detection, surveillance, and management were found. Despite international and in-country mitigation efforts, ASGM-related hazards in Africa are worsening. This review paper highlights the need for coordinated action and multidisciplinary collaborative research to connect dispersed isolated studies to better characterize the associated disease burden associated with ASGM in Africa and sustainably maximize the wider benefits of ASGM whilst protecting public health and the environment.

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Prevalence and factors associated with tuberculosis among the mining communities in Mererani, Tanzania

Cited by 16 publications

References 20 publications

Prevalence and determinants of evidence of silicosis and impaired lung function, among small scale tanzanite miners and the peri-mining community in northern Tanzania

Prevalence and determinants of evidence of silicosis and impaired lung function, among small scale tanzanite miners and the peri-mining community in northern Tanzania

Silicosis, tuberculosis and silica exposure among artisanal and small-scale miners: A systematic review and modelling paper

Review: Artisanal Gold Mining in Africa—Environmental Pollution and Human Health Implications

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