To measure the pattern and frequency of neurologic disease among members of Tanzanian tribal populations who presented to an outpatient neurology clinic for evaluation.

Since 2013, neurology residents from the University of Pennsylvania have conducted a biannual four-week outpatient clinic at the Foundation for African Medicine and ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú in Karatu, Tanzania. There, our department has assembled a patient database that contains information on approximately 1,200 patients with regard to their age, gender, tribal affiliation, disease category, and medications. Because many Tanzanians self-identify by tribe and reside in largely homogeneous communities, we explored whether ethnic variations exist in the pattern of neurologic disease among these tribal populations.

We performed a single-center retrospective chart review to calculate the total number of new patient visits between 2015-2017. Using descriptive statistics, we also calculated the three most common tribal affiliations, along with the frequency of the following disease categories within each ethnic group: cognitive disorders, developmental disabilities, epilepsy, headache, movement disorders, neuroinfectious diseases, neuromuscular disorders, stroke, trauma, or psychiatric disorders.

Between 2015-2017, we conducted 1,520 clinic visits for 1,149 (76%) new patients and 371 (24%) return patients. Of the new patients, 997 (87%) had a self-reported tribal affiliation: 608 (53%) Iraqw, 98 (8%) Chagga, 87 (8%) Maasai, and 204 (18%) from smaller ethnic groups. Among the Iraqw, 148 (24%) patients were diagnosed with headache and 119 (20%) with epilepsy. Among the Chagga, 29 (30%) were diagnosed with headache and 15 (15%) with epilepsy. Among the Maasai, 27 (31%) were diagnosed with epilepsy and 9 (10%) with developmental disabilities. 

Headache disorders, epilepsy, and developmental disabilities are common among tribal populations from Northern Tanzania, though subtle differences exist between ethnic groups. Public health interventions or health care models tailored to these disease processes are likely to have the greatest impact on the outpatient neurologic disease burden.