Global Programs Tanzania welcomes new hires

Mwantumu Masudi

Data Analyst Mwantumu Masudi will develop protocols, survey tools, and training materials while supporting research and surveillance implementation. She will be involved in data analysis and contribute to the writing and development of abstracts, reports, and manuscripts and also focus on triangulating HIV program data from sources such as CTC3, the monthly portal, and DHIS.Mwantumu holds an MSc in statistics and a BA in economics and statistics from the University of Dar Es Salaam.

Goodluck Mlungusye

Junior HIS Developer Goodluck Mlungusye will ensure Agile software development by participating in SCRUM ceremonies and managing the software development life cycle. He will design and implement interoperability between health information systems, develop APIs, and optimize data systems for performance. Additionally, he will oversee software testing, validation, and documentation, and prepare user materials such as operating instructions, diagrams, and clean code. Mlungusye holds a BS in computer science from the University of Dar Es Salaam.

Global Programs Tanzania helps faculty investigators get project back on track

Mariastella Njau

On the morning of September 21, 2023, a fire in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania destroyed the study laboratory of Dr. Teresa Kortz, UCSF associate professor of Clinical Pediatrics. The laboratory, which is a crucial part of her NIH research project, is operated in collaboration with Dr. Joel Manyahi, a clinical microbiologist at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the fire resulted in the complete loss of all laboratory equipment and consumables, bringing the project to a halt having enrolled only half of the target sample size.

Kortz immediately reached out to Global Programs Tanzania for assistance. The staff, particularly Project Support Officer Mariastella Njau, quickly mobilized to contact vendors, arrange rapid payments, and coordinate deliveries. With their support, the necessary equipment and consumables were replaced, allowing the study to resume subject enrollment in less than three months. What initially seemed like a major setback turned into a testament to the efficiency of Global Programs, highlighting their unwavering commitment to supporting UCSF research.

User-centered TEPI dashboard launched for improved pediatric HIV identification

TEPI dashboard

The Global Programs Tanzania team successfully launched the TEPI (Targeted Enhanced Pediatric Identification) dashboard in May 2024, aiming to enhance HIV case identification among pediatric populations in Tanzania. The dashboard's development focused on user needs, with continuous feedback from implementing partners and field staff in Dodoma, Mbeya, and Mwanza regions. Designed to provide near-real-time data analysis, the dashboard integrates data from systems like CTC-Analytics and UCS, offering visualizations on crucial indicators such as pediatric contacts tested for HIV and early infant diagnosis rates. This approach allows stakeholders to monitor, evaluate, and improve pediatric identification initiatives effectively.

The team's user-centered development process, championed by HIS Director Peter Lubambi and supported by Data Analyst Beatrice Octavian, ensured the dashboard met user expectations while staying on schedule. With the first phase completed, the dashboard is set to address user feedback in its second phase, further enhancing its utility and impact on pediatric HIV identification efforts.