Exclusive breastfeeding practices in the Coast region, Tanzania.

Background: Although breastfeeding in general is common and culturally accepted in many sub-Saharan countries, recommended exclusive breastfeeding infants to 6 months is rare. In rural Tanzania, data on infant feeding practices is rare. Objective: To examine and describe exclusive breastfeeding practices in rural settings (Coast Region) of Tanzania. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Coast Region of Tanzania involving 342 mothers. Only mothers with children aged between 6 and 23 months were interviewed in their residences. Data analyses included descriptive and logistic regression analyses. Results: The majority, 66%, of mothers reported to have breastfed their new born within the first hour of life. About 30% reported to have breastfed exclusively for up to at least six months. Those who did not practice complete exclusive breastfeeding mentioned insufficient milk as the main reason. Correlates of exclusive breastfeeding included maternal education and attitudes towards exclusive breastfeeding. Conclusion: The rate of exclusive breastfeeding in rural areas like the Coast Region of Tanzania is still very low. Programs aimed to promote exclusive breastfeeding must take multi-factorial considerations.

The quality of rapid HIV testing in South Africa: an assessment of testers’ compliance.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the quality of rapid HIV testing in South Africa. Method: A two-stage sampling procedure was used to select HCT sites in eight provinces of South Africa. The study employed both semi-structured interviews with HIV testers and observation of testing sessions as a means of data collection. In total, 63 HCT sites (one HIV tester per site) were included in the survey assessing qualification, training, testing practices and attitudes towards rapid tests. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data was content analysed. Results: Of the 63 HIV testers, 20.6% had a nursing qualification, 14.3% were professional counsellors, 58.7% were lay HIV counsellors and testers and 6.4% were from other professions. Most HIV testers (87.3%) had had a formal training in testing, which ranged between 10-14 days, while 6 (9.5%) had none. Findings revealed sub-standard practices in relation to testing. These were mainly related to non-adherence to testing algorithms, poor external quality control practices, poor handling and communication of discordant results. Conclusion: Quality of HIV rapid testing may be highly compromised through poor adherence to guidelines as observed in our study.