Studying the health benefits of improved housing in rural Tanzania: challenges and progress.
Mshamu S., Halifa S., Meta J., Mmbando A., Lindsay SW., Okumu F., Wood HS., Wood OS., Bøjstrup TC., Day NPJ., Knudsen J., Deen J., Pell C., von Seidlein L.
Millions of affordable healthy homes are needed for the rapidly expanding population of sub-Saharan Africa. This enormous challenge is an opportunity to address pervasive health issues linked to housing, where diseases that most impact children-malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory tract infections-are often acquired. A pilot project in northern Tanzania demonstrated the potential of novel house designs to reduce infectious disease transmission in homes. To conduct a randomized controlled trial of one novel-design house, the research team moved to the southeast of the country. This article describes the challenges experienced during the construction and initial evaluation of the novel house.