Monitoring of IAQ is one of the foundations of the preventative actions prompted by the worldwide recognition of COVID-19 transmission. The measurement of CO₂ has emerged as one of the most popular, dependable, and easy ways to indirectly evaluate the state of indoor air renewal. Reducing the risk of respiratory diseases transmitted by aerosols is attainable through implementing and validating prevention measures made possible by CO₂ control. Isolation centers are like health facilities in that they are linked to IAQ, and the presence of natural ventilation can significantly improve the circulation of fresh air, which speeds up the removal of contaminants. This is true even though healthcare facilities are among the environments with the highest rate of COVID-19 propagation. Our investigation revealed, however, that no substantial critical data on air quality in Tanzanian isolation centers is presently available. The process of metabolic CO₂ creation and accumulation within health isolation center cubicles was investigated in this study. Crucially, we suggest comparing settings under various conditions using the indicator ppm/patient. In this research, we experimentally assessed the value of changing a few HVAC system characteristics. We looked at the data to see how well the filtration system worked concerning the submicron particle concentration. Study recommendations for CO₂ detectors and ways to reduce infection risk in shared isolation center cubicles are provided. We also show the correlation between particle size and CO₂ concentration, the correlation between CO₂ concentration derivatives and air volume presented per patient in isolation cubicles, the correlation between patient occupancy and CO₂ concentration levels in isolation cubicles, and how to improve air quality by adjusting the patient’s bed position. The study also found that for exposure lengths of two to three hours, a typical hospital cubicle with fifty to one hundred people should have an average interior CO₂ value of less than 900 ppm. Carers’ length of stay in the hospital substantially impacted the permissible CO₂ concentration. By establishing a connection between indoor air monitoring and healthcare goals, this study will aid in determining the feasibility of establishing regulations for interior CO₂ content depending on occupancy settings, strengthening preventive efforts against COVID-19. In the post-pandemic era, it will be essential to find ways to make health facilities air cleaner so that infectious diseases cannot spread in the future.

In the constantly changing urban landscape of Tanzania, a paradox exists whereby large family homes, once a source of pride for the homeowner, now sit empty as the ageing parents of the family occupy the space originally designed for the bustling family now gone. This qualitative research seeks to explore the appropriateness of the homes being designed for the changing needs of families through a gap in the literature that has been focused on deficits rather than the outcomes. Using a multiple case study approach with 28 empty nest homes, through the lens of Bourdieu’s Theory of Capital, this research identifies the construction of the homes through the lens of socio-cultural factors such as legacy building, status and the long-standing hospitality-based cultural value of hospitality (ukarimu). This approach to construction design does not consider rational long-term space planning; therefore, the homes sit empty and underutilised, often with a sense of tension between the homeowner’s pride and the cost of upkeep. While the household adapts through functional space conversions and entrepreneurial ventures, inflexibility in design and increasing lifecycle costs work against the household, particularly the ageing member.

An airborne transmission of COVID-19 in resource-constrained healthcare facilities, such as isolation centres in Tanzania, poses significant infection risks owing to insufficient ventilation. This study employs Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to analyse airflow patterns within the 716 m ² isolation centre of Shinyanga Regional Referral Hospital, aiming to identify high-risk regions and provide architectural remedies. A steady-state k-epsilon turbulence model with an 11×10 ⁶ element mesh simulated both unoccupied and occupied conditions at breathing heights of 1.0 m and 1.7 m. Results demonstrate notable height-dependent airflow variations: the male ward maintained acceptable velocities (1.34–1.33 m/s) conducive to contaminant removal, but the triage and ante-lobby displayed insufficient inflow (0.08 and 0.031 m/s, respectively) when occupied. At a height of 1.0 m within the respiratory zone of bedridden patients, velocities diminished by up to 57% near bed railings, leading to the formation of stagnation pockets. Medical apparatus disrupted local airflow, diminishing velocities by 25-40% around ventilators. Turbulence kinetic energy was increased at 1.7 m (standing HCW level), indicating improved mixing. The airlock operated efficiently at 0.71–0.72 m/s. This work identifies airflow velocity and turbulence kinetic energy as verified surrogate indicators for the potential of contaminant dispersion, instead of employing direct virus dispersion modelling. Proposed resilience techniques include hybrid natural-mechanical ventilation, adaptable spatial reconfiguration, real-time indoor air quality monitoring, and sustained airflow maintenance (≥1.5 m/s at patients' bedsides). These findings provide a replicable, data-driven approach for improving airborne infection control in resource-limited hospital settings.