KCMUCo organized a national project meeting at the Weru Weru River Lodge on the foothills of Kilimanjaro. All participants were welcomed to the meeting by a group of local Maasai dancers.
A total of 60 participants attended including the SeroSelectTB team members from KCMUCo, research assistants from the 21 healthcare facilities involved in the field research, invited SeroSelectTB project partners from other countries, TB researchers from KCMUCo and Kibong’oto Infectious Disease Hospital, and the Regional and District TB and Leprosy Coordinators and Regional Medical Officer. We were especially grateful to have the Provost and Deputy Provost at KCMUCo, Professors Kaaya and Mushi, respectively, in attendance.
Presentations addressed updates from partners in Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Africa, project data management at KCMUCo and a summary of the data management systems by Aether Dynamics, a report from the field sites, and other TB projects conducted at KCMUCo and Kibong’oto. The Regional TB and Leprosy Coordinator presented an overview of TB detection in Tanzania. Challenges we have experienced since the project start and the way forward during the next two years were discussed.
An excellent presentation by three research assistants from Pasua Health Center, Kibosho Hospital, and Mageriza Dispensary clearly illustrated the importance of the work conducted at the field sites. The comment that most impressed the audience was from the research assistant at the Chekereni Dispensary who asked the Regional TB and Leprosy Coordinator if team members from the field sites could attend the World TB Day events to be held in Kilimanjaro Region on March 24th and “talk about SeroSelectTB”!
Invited guests visited Kibosho Hospital, Narumu Dispensary, Kirua Vunjo Dispensary, Pasua Health Center, and/or Shirimatunda Health Center after the conclusion of the meeting.
The project team members look forward to the activities to be conducted during the next two years. 2024 will be devoted to participant enrollment, which must be completed by the end of December 2024. Activities in 2025 will focus data analysis and publications.
The SeroSelectTB team at KCMUCo organized an excellent meeting, both scientifically and socially. Hongera sana!