Magreat J Somba

• Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences

Introduction Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality for Tanzanian women. Multi-level, intersecting factors prevent access to care along the cervical cancer care cascade. However, there is a paucity of data, especially in non-urban areas, exploring the specificity and nuances of these factors locally, such as perceptions an...

Background Perinatal women living with HIV (PWLH) have a greater risk of depression compared to other women; however, there are limited specialized mental health services available to them. We aimed to determine whether a stepped-care intervention facilitated by trained lay providers can improve mental health outcomes postpartum for PWLH. Methods...

In Tanzania, limited mental health service availability and structural flaws in child protection reporting and justice processes lead to significant underreporting of child victimization. A better understanding of help-seeking behaviors for trauma-affected youth and sociocultural barriers to help-seeking will inform screening, triage, and intervent...

Objective People living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) are experiencing growing co‐morbidities due to an increase in life expectancy and the use of long‐term antiretroviral therapy (ART). The lack of integrated non‐communicable diseases (NCDs) screening and management at the HIV care and treatment centres (CTCs) make it difficult to determine the trends of N...

HIV-related stigma represents a potent risk factor for a range of poor health outcomes, including mental health symptoms, treatment non-adherence, and substance use. Understanding the role of HIV-related stigma in promoting healthcare outcomes is critical for vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women living with HIV, in contexts with continued...

Background Global mortality attributable to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) occurs in more than 36 million people annually with 80% of these deaths occurring in resource limited countries. Among people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHA) studies have reported higher prevalence’s of NCDs compared to the general population but most studies do report a n...

The NAMWEZA intervention was implemented, using a ten-session group format, to build skills targeting psychosocial vulnerabilities and enhancing HIV prevention among people living with HIV (PLH) and their social networks. The overall goal of this intervention is to improve psychological wellbeing and reduce HIV risk behaviours. These analyses aim t...

The aim of the study is to compare sociodemographic characteristics, psychosocial factors, HIV knowledge and risk behaviors of people living with HIV (PLH) and their social network members (NMs) to inform HIV prevention programs that engage PLH as prevention educators in their communities. We compared baseline characteristics of PLH enrolled in an...

Intimate partner violence (IPV) exacts a heavy burden on women, resulting in poor health outcomes. This study had the following aims: (1) estimate the prevalence of IPV post-disclosure of HIV status among pregnant women living with HIV and depression; and (2) evaluate risk and protective factors for IPV post-disclosure. Participants were women acce...

Background: Hope or hopefulness enhances coping and improves quality of life in persons with chronic or incurable illnesses. Lack of hope is associated with depression and anxiety, which impact negatively on quality of life. In Tanzania, where HIV prevalence is high, the rates of depression and anxiety are over four times higher among people livin...

Background: Perinatal women accessing prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services are at an increased risk of depression; however, in Tanzania there is limited access to services provided by mental health professionals. This paper presents a protocol and baseline characteristics for a study evaluating a psychosocial support...

Introduction NAMWEZA is a novel intervention that focuses on preventing HIV and promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights by addressing underlying factors related to vulnerability of acquiring HIV, such as depression, intimate partner violence (IPV) and stigma. The goal of the study was to evaluate the effect of the NAMWEZA intervention o...

Background Major depression has a significant impact on years lived with disability (YLD) globally. In resource-limited countries, depression may accompany daily challenges of economic security that people face, hence there is a critical need to develop depression screening tools at primary levels of health care. The overall goal of the study is to...

Abstract Background Psychosocial factors have been linked with loss to follow-up (LTFU) and clinical outcomes among people living with HIV (PLH), however little is known about the effect of psychosocial support on LTFU among PLH in treatment and care. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of NAMWEZA (“Yes, together we can”) friends’ p...

Background The specific age to which an HIV infected child can be disclosed to is stipulated to begin between ages 4 and 6 years. It has also been documented that before disclosure of HIV positive status to the infected child. Health care providers should consider children’s cognitive-developmental ability. However, observation and situation analys...

Background The rate of premarital sexual activity, unwanted pregnancies and illegal abortions remain higher among university students. This calls for understanding the knowledge on contraceptive use and sexual behaviours among this high risk group if the incidence of unintended pregnancy, illegal abortions and high sexual risky behaviour are to be...