Object In Tanzania, there are 4 neurosurgeons for a population of 46 million. To address this critical shortage of neurosurgical care, the authors worked with local Tanzanian health care workers, neurosurgeons, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the Office of the President of Tanzania to develop a train-forward method for sustainable, self-propagating basic and emergency neurosurgery in resource-poor settings. The goal of this study was to assess the safety and effectiveness of this method over a 6-year period. Methods The training method utilizes a hands-on bedside teaching technique and was introduced in 2006 at a remote rural hospital in northern Tanzania. Local health care workers were trained to perform basic and emergency neurosurgical procedures independently and then were taught to train others. Outcome information was retrospectively collected from hospital records for the period from 2005 (1 year before method implementation) through 2010. Analysis of de-identified data included descriptive statistics and multivariable assessment of independent predictors of complications following a patient's first neurosurgical procedure. Results By 2010, the initial Tanzanian trainee had trained a second Tanzanian health care worker, who in turn had trained a third. The number of neurosurgical procedures performed increased from 18 in 2005 to an average of 92 per year in the last 3 years of the study period. Additionally, the number of neurosurgical cases performed independently by Tanzanian health care providers increased significantly from 44% in 2005 to 86% in 2010 (p < 0.001), with the number of complex cases independently performed also increasing over the same time period from 34% to 83% (p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis of clinical patient outcome information to assess safety indicated that postoperative complications decreased significantly from 2005 through 2010, with patients who had been admitted as training progressed being 29% less likely to have postoperative complications (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.52–0.96, p = 0.03). Conclusions The Madaktari Africa train-forward method is a reasonable and sustainable approach to improving specialized care in a resource-poor setting.

No abstract

No abstract

The aim of the study was to chart incidence and clinical features of tick-borne relapsing fever in Tanzania. Consecutive patients with fever and spirochetes demonstrated in a thick blood smear at Haydom Lutheran Hospital from 1 January to 31 December 2003 underwent clinical and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination. Forty-four patients were included, making an estimated minimum annual incidence of 11 per 100 000 population in this region. The mortality rate was 2.3% (95% CI = 0-12). The most frequent complaints were generalized malaise (93%), headache (86%), nausea and vomiting (52%). None of the patients [0% (95% CI = 0-8)] had focal neurological symptoms. Cell count in CSF was normal in 22 and slightly elevated (6-12 leukocytes/mm(3)) in 20 patients. Two of three pregnancies had a poor outcome. Jarisch-Herxheimer reactions, bleeding complications and ocular manifestations were infrequent. In conclusion, tick-borne relapsing fever is a common disease in the Northern highland of Tanzania, but in contrast to other parts of the world, neurological involvement is uncommon in this area.