East African journal of public health
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Many medical specialties have reviewed the drawbacks of statistical methods in medical diagnosis in specialized areas in their journals. To my knowledge this has not been done in general practice. ⋯ This paper is aimed to highlight to inexperienced statisticians, medical practitioners and personnel as well as other non-statisticians some of the common statistical problems encountered when using statistics to interpret data in medical research. I also comment on good practices to avoid some of these problems.
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East Afr J Public Health · Dec 2008
ReviewProblems associated with substandard and counterfeit drugs in developing countries: a review article on global implications of counterfeit drugs in the era of antiretroviral (ARVs) drugs in a free market economy.
To review the global implications associated with the use of substandard and or counterfeit drugs in developing and may be developed countries. The focus of this review is particularly on antiretroviral (ARVs), antimalarials and other drugs. ⋯ Developing countries should try their best at all costs establish good laboratories for monitoring or checking for quality control for all pharmaceuticals locally manufactured and those imported (entering) or donated to countries to make sure that they meet the set or established international or national standards. Short of that countries will be wasting a lot of money using forex which has been borrowed in a form a loans procuring and distributing to its people sub-standard medications which will do more harm than good to its indigenous people and this is unethical per se to give people drugs not meeting required set international standards.
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East Afr J Public Health · Aug 2008
Poor knowledge on new malaria treatment guidelines among drug dispensers in private pharmacies in Tanzania: the need for involving the private sector in policy preparations and implementation.
To assess the knowledge of dispensers in private pharmacies on new malaria treatment guidelines which involved switching from chloroquine (CQ) to sulfadoxine pyrimethamine (SP) and from SP to artemether-lumefantrine. ⋯ Lack of involvement of the pharmaceutical personnel working in the private pharmacies, from the preparation of new malaria treatment guidelines to their implementation, contributed to their poor knowledge and skill on how to correctly dispense the medicines.
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East Afr J Public Health · Apr 2008
Causes, magnitude and management of burns in under-fives in district hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
To determine the causes, magnitude and management of burns in children under five years of age who were admitted in the district hospitals of Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania. ⋯ Causes of childhood burns are largely preventable requiring active social/medical education and public enlighten campaigns on the various methods of prevention. The government to see to it that hospitals have specialized units for managing burn cases and also the socio-economic status of its people be improved.
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East Afr J Public Health · Apr 2008
Dar es Salaam perinatal care study: needs assessment for quality of care.
Poor obstetric care in low income countries has been attributed to a wide range of factors. We conducted a perinatal care needs assessment in Dar es Salaam health institutions to assess the factors underlying the present poor perinatal outcome. ⋯ This paper reveals the state of inadequate infrastructure, equipments and supplies for perinatal care in Dar es Salaam public health institutions. A major investment is needed to establish new public infrastructure for maternal and neonatal care, upgrade and optimize use of the existing ones, and improve supply of essential material resources in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals set for maternal and child survivals by 2015.