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Development and Validation of a Mobile Game for Culturally Sensitive Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Education in Tanzania: Mixed Methods Study
Get PDFThis research article was published by JMIR SERIOUS GAMES, 2021Background:
Globally, 3 out of 20 children experience sexual abuse before the age of 18 years. Educating children about sexual abuse and prevention is an evidence-based strategy that is recommended for ending child sexual abuse. Digital games are increasingly being used to influence healthy behaviors in children and could be an efficient and friendly approach to educating children about sexual abuse prevention. However, little is known on the best way to develop a culturally sensitive game that targets children in Africa—where sexual education is still taboo—that would be engaging, effective, and acceptable to parents and caretakers.
Objective:
This study aimed to develop a socioculturally appropriate, mobile-based game for educating young children (<5 years) and parents and caretakers in Tanzania on sexual abuse prevention.
Methods:
HappyToto children’s game was co-designed with 111 parents and caretakers (females: n=58, 52.3%; male: n=53, 47.7%) of children below 18 years of age and 24 child experts in Tanzania through surveys and focus group discussions conducted from March 2020 to April 2020. From these, we derived an overview of topics, sociocultural practices, social environment, and game interface designs that should be considered when designing child sexual abuse prevention (CSAP) education interventions. We also conducted paper prototyping and storyboarding sessions for the game’s interface, storylines, and options. To validate the application’s prototype, 32 parents (females: n=18, 56%; males: n=14, 44%) of children aged 3-5 years and 5 children (females: n=2, 40%; males: n=3, 60%) of the same age group played the game for half an hour on average. The parents undertook a pre-post intervention assessment on confidence and ability to engage in CSAP education conversations, as well as exit surveys on the usability and sociocultural acceptability of the game, while children were quizzed on the topics covered and their enjoyment of the game.
Results:
Parents and caregivers showed interest in the developed game during the conducted surveys, and each parent on average navigated through all the parts of the game. The confidence level of parents in talking about CSAP increased from an average of 3.56 (neutral) before using the game to 4.9 (confident) after using the game. The ability scores, calculated based on a range of topics included in CSAP education talks with children, also increased from 5.67 (out of 10) to 8.8 (out of 10) after the game was played. Both confidence level and ability scores were statistically significant (P<.001). All 5 children were interested in the game and enjoyed the game-provided activities.
Conclusions:
The HappyToto game can thus be an effective technology-based intervention for improving the knowledge and skills of parents and children in CSAP education
Reservoir dynamics of rabies in south-east Tanzania and the roles of cross-species transmission and domestic dog vaccination
Get PDFThis research article was published John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2021Understanding the role of different species in the transmission of multi-host pathogens, such as rabies virus, is vital for effective control strategies. Across most of sub-Saharan Africa domestic dogs Canis familiaris are considered the reservoir for rabies, but the role of wildlife has been long debated. Here we explore the multi-host transmission dynamics of rabies across south-east Tanzania.
Between January 2011 and July 2019, data on probable rabies cases were collected in the regions of Lindi and Mtwara. Hospital records of animal-bite patients presenting to healthcare facilities were used as sentinels for animal contact tracing. The timing, location and species of probable rabid animals were used to reconstruct transmission trees to infer who infected whom and the relative frequencies of within- and between-species transmission.
During the study, 688 probable human rabies exposures were identified, resulting in 47 deaths. Of these exposures, 389 were from domestic dogs (56.5%) and 262 from jackals (38.1%). Over the same period, 549 probable animal rabies cases were traced: 303 in domestic dogs (55.2%) and 221 in jackals (40.3%), with the remainder in domestic cats and other wildlife species.
Although dog-to-dog transmission was most commonly inferred (40.5% of transmission events), a third of inferred events involved wildlife-to-wildlife transmission (32.6%), and evidence suggested some sustained transmission chains within jackal populations.
A steady decline in probable rabies cases in both humans and animals coincided with the implementation of widespread domestic dog vaccination during the first 6 years of the study. Following the lapse of this program, dog rabies cases began to increase in one of the northernmost districts.
Synthesis and applications. In south-east Tanzania, despite a relatively high incidence of rabies in wildlife and evidence of wildlife-to-wildlife transmission, domestic dogs remain essential to the reservoir of infection. Continued dog vaccination alongside improved surveillance would allow a fuller understanding of the role of wildlife in maintaining transmission in this area. Nonetheless, dog vaccination clearly suppressed rabies in both domestic dog and wildlife populations, reducing both public health and conservation risks and, if sustained, has potential to eliminate rabies from this region
Performance characteristics and costs of serological tests for brucellosis in a pastoralist community of northern Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article was published in the Scientific Reports volume 11, Article number: 5480, 2021The control of brucellosis across sub-Saharan Africa is hampered by the lack of standardized testing and the use of tests with poor performance. This study evaluated the performance and costs of serological assays for human brucellosis in a pastoralist community in northern Tanzania. Serum collected from 218 febrile hospital patients was used to evaluate the performance of seven index tests, selected based on international recommendation or current use. We evaluated the Rose Bengal test (RBT) using two protocols, four commercial agglutination tests and a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, Youden’s index, diagnostic accuracy, and per-sample cost of each index test were estimated. The diagnostic accuracy estimates ranged from 95.9 to 97.7% for the RBT, 55.0 to 72.0% for the commercial plate tests, and 89.4% for the cELISA. The per-sample cost range was 0.79 for the RBT, 1.14 for the commercial plate tests, and $2.51 for the cELISA. The widely used commercial plate tests performed poorly and cost more than the RBT. These findings provide evidence for the public health value of discontinuing the use of commercial agglutination tests for human brucellosis in Tanzania
Design and Performance Analysis of Composite Airfoil Wind Turbine Blade
Get PDFThis research articles was published in Journals Tanzania Journal of Science Issue,Volume.47.No 5, 2021Small horizontal axis wind turbine rotors with composite airfoil rotor blades were designed and
investigated in the present study in order to improve its performance in low wind speed and low
Reynolds number (Re) conditions for standalone system. The geometrical and aerodynamic
nature of a single airfoil small horizontal axis wind turbine blade curtails efficient energy
harnessing of the rotor blade. The use of composite airfoil rotor blade improves energy
production but imposes uncertainty in determining an optimal design angle of attack and the off
design aerodynamic behaviour of the rotor. This research investigated the effects of two airfoils
used at different sections in a composite blade and determined the blade’s optimal design angle
of attack for maximum power generation. The wind turbine rotor blades were designed using
blade element momentum (BEM) method and modelled by SolidWorks software. The SG6042
and SG6043 airfoils were used for the composite airfoil blades. Five wind turbines were
designed with rotor blades of design angles of attack from 3° to 7°. The five wind turbine
blades were simulated in computational fluid dynamics to determine the optimal design angle of
attack. The composite airfoil wind turbine blade showed improved performance, whereas, the
wind power generated ranged from 4966 W to 5258 W and rotor power coefficients ranged
from 0.443 to 0.457. The blade with design angle of attack of 6° showed highest performanc
Effects of agrochemicals on the beneficial plant rhizobacteria in agricultural systems
Get PDFThis research article was published by Springer Nature in 2021Conventional agriculture relies heavily on chemical pesticides and fertilizers to control plant pests and diseases and improve production. Nevertheless, the intensive and prolonged use of agrochemicals may have undesirable consequences on the structure, diversity, and activities of soil microbiomes, including the beneficial plant rhizobacteria in agricultural systems. Although literature continues to mount regarding the effects of these chemicals on the beneficial plant rhizobacteria in agricultural systems, our understanding of them is still limited, and a proper account is required. With the renewed efforts and focus on agricultural and environmental sustainability, understanding the effects of different agrochemicals on the beneficial plant rhizobacteria in agricultural systems is both urgent and important to deduce practical solutions towards agricultural sustainability. This review critically evaluates the effects of various agrochemicals on the structure, diversity, and functions of the beneficial plant rhizobacteria in agricultural systems and propounds on the prospects and general solutions that can be considered to realize sustainable agricultural systems. This can be useful in understanding the anthropogenic effects of common and constantly applied agrochemicals on symbiotic systems in agricultural soils and shed light on the need for more environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural practices
Soil erosion and sediment transport in Tanzania: Part I – sediment source tracing in three neighbouring river catchments
No full textThis research article was published by Earth Surface Processes and Landforms in 2021Water bodies in Tanzania are experiencing increased siltation, which is threatening water quality, ecosystem health, and livelihood security in the region. This phenomenon is caused by increasing rates of upstream soil erosion and downstream sediment transport. However, a lack of knowledge on the contributions from different catchment zones, land-use types, and dominant erosion processes, to the transported sediment is undermining the mitigation of soil degradation at the source of the problem. In this context, complementary sediment source tracing techniques were applied in three Tanzanian river systems to further the understanding of the complex dynamics of soil erosion and sediment transport in the region. Analysis of the geochemical and biochemical fingerprints revealed a highly complex and variable soil system that could be grouped in distinct classes. These soil classes were unmixed against riverine sediment fingerprints using the Bayesian MixSIAR model, yielding proportionate source contributions for each catchment. This sediment source tracing indicated that hillslope erosion on the open rangelands and maize croplands in the mid-zone contributed over 75% of the transported sediment load in all three river systems during the sampling time-period. By integrating geochemical and biochemical fingerprints in sediment source tracing techniques, this study demonstrated links between land use, soil erosion and downstream sediment transport in Tanzania. This evidence can guide land managers in designing targeted interventions that safeguard both soil health and water qualit
Potentially toxic elements status and distribution in Usangu agroecosystem-Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article was published in the Environmental Challenges Volume 4, August 2021,This study was conducted to highlight status and distribution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in Usangu
agroecosystem-Tanzania. The study involved 198 soil samples from 10 irrigation schemes including three land
use. The concentrations of selected PTEs (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, Hg, Co, Nie etc.) were determined to estimate
status, distribution, and contamination hierarchy. The total and bioavailable PTEs were determined by aqua regia
digestion and Mehlich 3 methods, respectively. We observed variable total PTEs concentration (in mg/kg) among
land use and irrigation schemes such as Cr (15), Co (2.9), Fe (7371), Mn (263), and Zn (18.2). Also, concentration
of other PTEs (in μg/kg) were As (1382), Cd (22), Cu (3342), Hg (3.3), Ni (4107), and Pb (5661). It was observed
that 99.5, 87, 66 and 12% of the studied soils had total Fe, As, Se and Hg concentration above allowable threshold
in agricultural soils, respectively. The bioavailable PTEs fraction were lower than total values from different land
use and irrigation schemes, higher values of bioavailable PTEs were associated with agricultural intensifications.
The status of PTEs in Usangu agroecosystem observed to be at level potentially to cause damaging effect to soil
invertebrates, plants, animals and human if remain unregulated. This study highlights baseline information and
evidence for site-specific environmental management planning and a scientific basis required to establish PTEs
management in agricultural soils to ensure health food and environmental safety
Design of an Interactive Geo-Location Mobile Application for Civil Societies in East Africa
Get PDFThis research article was published by Scientific Research Publishing Inc 2021This paper reports the developed mobile application through the use of ad-
vanced technologies such as mobile computing, cloud computing and Global
Positioning System (GPS) in order to solve the challenges. The purpose of
this study is to find out how the recent advances and mass adoption of ICT by
the public can best be leveraged to enhance the performance of Civil Society
Organizations (CSOs) in East Africa. The data collection techniques used are
through questionnaires, observations and conducting interviews with differ-
ent stakeholders in the civil society arena
i.e., the donors, the CSOs and the
people in society that are given a voice by civil societies. In the system devel-
opment phase, agile development methodology was used. Analysis of the data
collected showed that there is a gap in the availability of a single or a centra-
lized platform which can be easily accessed, user-friendly and reliable where
different actors can readily get reliable and up-to-date information about the
available CSOs they are interested in. To address this problem, an interactive
online directory of CSOs has been developed. The platform is mobile based
and enables CSOs to register and fill up their current details, thus ensuring
that there is always correct and updated information. The platform is equipped
with, among other features, a geo-mapping facility which enables users of the
system to correctly geo-locate their civil societies of interest on a map view.
The results of system evaluation showed that 88.125% of users were satisfied
with the system basing on the evaluation criteria
Remote radiation monitoring system at uranium exploration site in Mkuju river
Get PDFA project Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Embedded and Mobile Systems of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyUsage of radioactive materials in a number of countless activities has increased rapidly
worldwide, thus, increasing Uranium exploration in different countries including Tanzania. As
Uranium decays, it emits ionizing radiations, which has health risks associated with it. The major
threats occur when ionizing radiations produced during uranium decay exceed their levels.
Causing skin burns and acute radiation syndrome, though in the long-term cause cancer
and cardiovascular disease, are the substantial health effects to mention a few. Thus real-time
and remote monitoring of radiation at uranium mining sites is mandatory to ensure
environmental and human safety. Radiation detectors are used to monitor radiation at uranium
mining sites by frequently visiting however achieving real-time and remote monitoring is still
the challenge. This method is time-consuming and the existing radiation detectors used in
Tanzania are exported from developed countries and are expensive.
This design science study presents an effective and affordable system for remote monitoring of
radiation at uranium mining sites using internet of things (IoT) technology. The system used
prototype methodology and the radiation detector was programmed by using ESP32
microcontroller board. Which through its inbuilt Wi-Fi it was able to send data to the cloud data
storage. The Message Queuing Telemetry Transport protocol facilitated remote visualization of
radiation levels from the cloud storage dashboard and the developed mobile application. The
end-users monitored radiation data and received notifications in case of excess radiation through
the developed mobile application. The internet of things technology facilitated the end-users to
visualize and monitor radiation levels anytime and anywhere via the internet
Potential of Mobile-Based Apps Online Platforms in Fast-Tracking Access of Agriculture Information
Get PDFThis research article was published by Indian Journal of Science and Technology, Volume: 14, Issue: 39, 2021Objectives: This paper report the potential of online mobile phone-based platforms in fast-tracking access of agricultural information to farmers, with a case study of Arusha, Tanzania. Method: We used the questionnaire-based and focus group discussion methods and a total of 156 respondents were randomly selected for data collection. Findings: The results showed that 77.6% of respondents possess smartphones and 32.7% of them use internetbased platforms to search for agriculture information which usually is not applicable or specific in their local Arusha context. Such finding raised a need for developing internet-based platform for accessing agricultural information by farmers for use in their local context. Thus, the same respondents were assessed for their readiness to use a mobile-based agricultural app if developed. The results indicated that 80% of the respondents were willing and would use the app. Novelty: The paper demonstrated how mobile phonebased apps can be used to quicken accessibility of agricultural information in a local-based, context-specific location