Dr Kifai Engerasiya Julius Kifai is a cardiology specialist in the Department of Cardiology at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Dar es Salaam. In published research, Dr Kifai is affiliated with the Department of Adult Cardiology at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, a specialist cardiovascular hospital in Dar es Salaam. Dr Kifai's work centres on diagnosing and managing heart disease in adults, with a strong focus on cardiac imaging.
Dr Kifai's research addresses several major causes of heart disease in Tanzania. Dr Kifai has co-authored studies on atrial fibrillation among patients with hypertension, arrhythmias in people with rheumatic heart disease, and interventional compared with medical therapy for rheumatic mitral valve stenosis. Dr Kifai has also contributed to research on non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy in a Tanzanian cohort through the MOYO study. Echocardiography is a recurring theme in this work. Examples include a study of the range of cardiac diseases detected by echocardiography in younger and older adults, and a study of cardiovascular screening of professional athletes using echocardiography and electrocardiography.
Dr Kifai's clinical practice is based at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute. There, Dr Kifai has helped produce research drawn from the institute's adult cardiology services, including outpatient care, echocardiography and the treatment of valve disease. This work links everyday clinical care to the evidence needed to improve it.
Dr Kifai works closely with academic colleagues at the MUHAS School of Medicine and has co-authored studies led by researchers in its Department of Internal Medicine. Dr Kifai also takes part in international research. With partners from the Medical University of South Carolina in the United States, Dr Kifai helped assess whether clinicians at health centres in Tanzania could perform point-of-care cardiac ultrasound. The aim of that work is to bring heart assessment closer to the communities where patients live. Through clinical service and collaborative research, Dr Kifai contributes to cardiovascular care and research in Tanzania.