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Paul Chacha Mahere is a Tutorial Assistant in the Department of Behavioural Sciences at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Tanzania. He holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Anthropology from the University of Dar es Salaam, where he specialized in Medical Anthropology. He has over three years of professional experience in qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, and ethnographic research, with expertise in study design, data collection, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and community engagement.
## Research Interests and Activities
Paul Chacha Mahere's academic and professional work is grounded in Medical Anthropology, with a focus on understanding the social, cultural, ecological, and behavioral dimensions of health and disease. His research interests encompass public health, non-communicable diseases, maternal and reproductive health, HIV and AIDS, infectious disease preparedness and response, human ecology, multispecies relationships, invasive species, urban health, and community health systems. He is particularly interested in applying anthropological perspectives to examine how individuals, communities, and non-human actors interact within changing social and ecological environments, and how these relationships shape health, illness experiences, and public health responses.
His research activities are primarily based on anthropological research approaches, with a strong emphasis on ethnographic inquiry, qualitative methodologies, and the exploration of lived experiences, social meanings, cultural practices, and human–environment interactions. He applies anthropological methods including participant observation, ethnographic fieldwork, in-depth interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and community engagement to generate contextual understanding of complex health and social issues. He also integrates quantitative approaches, including surveys and quantitative data analysis, within mixed-methods research designs where appropriate. Beyond research, he is actively engaged in university teaching, research consultancy, and capacity building, contributing to student mentorship, interdisciplinary collaborations, and the translation of anthropological evidence into public health practice, policy development, and improved health systems.
Paul Chacha Mahere is currently serving as the Principal Investigator (PI) of a research project titled “Exploring the Implementation of Physical Activity Programs for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Tanzania: An Anthropological Analysis of Community Structures, Gender Dynamics, and Power Relations.” The project is funded through a competitive internal research grant of USD 25,000 (net) from the East African Centre of Excellence for Cardiovascular Sciences (EACoECVS) at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS). The study applies an anthropological perspective to examine how social structures, gender relations, and power dynamics influence the implementation and adoption of physical activity programs for cardiovascular disease prevention in Tanzania.
