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Prevalence of subpatent Plasmodium falciparum infections in regions with varying transmission intensities and implications for malaria elimination in Mainland Tanzania
No full textThis research article was published in the journal of Malaria Journal, 2025Background Subpatent Plasmodium falciparum infections, defined as infections with parasite density
below the detection limit of routine malaria diagnostic tests, contribute to infectious reservoirs, sustain transmission,
and cause the failure of elimination strategies in target areas. This study assessed the prevalence of subpatent P. falci
parum infections and associated risk factors in 14 regions of Mainland Tanzania.
Methods The study used samples randomly selected from RDT‑negative dried blood spots (DBS) (n = 2685/10,101)
collected in 2021 at 100 health facilities across 10 regions of Mainland Tanzania, and four communities in four addi
tional regions. The regions were selected from four transmission strata; high (five regions), moderate (three regions),
low (three regions), and very low (three regions). DNA was extracted by Tween‑Chelex method, and the Pf18S rRNA
gene was amplified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Logistic regression analysis was used to assess
the associations between age groups, sex, fever status, and transmission strata with subpatent infection status,
while linear regression analysis was used to assess the association between these factors and subpatent parasite
density.
Results Of the selected samples, 525/2685 (19.6%) were positive by qPCR for P. falciparum, and the positivity rates
varied across different regions. Under‑fives (aOR: 1.4, 95% CI 1.04–1.88; p < 0.05) from health facilities had higher odds
of subpatent infections compared to other groups, while those from community surveys (aOR: 0.33, 95% CI 0.15–0.72;
p = 0.005) had lower odds. Participants from very low transmission stratum had significantly lower odds of subpatent
infection compared to those from high transmission stratum (aOR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.37–0.78; p < 0.01). The log‑trans
formed median parasite density (interquartile range) was 6.9 (5.8–8.5) parasites/µL, with significantly higher parasitae
mia in the low transmission stratum compared to a very low one (11.4 vs 7.0 parasites/µL, p < 0.001).
Conclusion Even in very low transmission settings, the prevalence of subpatent infections was 13%, and in low trans
mission settings it was even higher at 29.4%, suggesting a substantial reservoir that is likely to perpetuate transmis
sion but can be missed by routine malaria case management strategies. Thus, control and elimination programmes
may benefit from adoption of more sensitive detection methods to ensure that a higher proportion of subpatent
infections are detected
Building the future One Health workforce in Eastern and Southern Africa: Gaps and opportunities
No full textThis research article was published by CABI One Health, Volume 4, 2025The Quadripartite comprised of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and the One Health High Level Expert Panel collectively support enhancing the One Health (OH) capacities of the workforce addressing OH issues; however, competencies for this workforce are not generally agreed upon, applied uniformly, or always relevant in the global South. The objectives of this study were to (1) develop an inventory of OH education offered by higher education institutes in Eastern and Southern Africa, and (2) define OH competencies relevant for OH training in Eastern and Southern Africa. A survey in 11 Eastern and Southern African countries was conducted with OH key informants purposively selected from higher education institutes offering OH education (n = 1–3/higher education institutes). Snowball sampling was used to identify additional higher education institutes/individuals. Results were validated by OH country representatives. Data were collected using questionnaires, and descriptive statistics were used to present the results. Forty-two questionnaires were completed from 29 higher education institutes, and 166 OH education interventions were reported with 69% being courses contributing to a degree, 21% as degree/diploma awarding, and the remainder were missing data (n = 16). Masters were the most common OH degree program of which the highest number of students taught were from public health/OH, food safety, and applied epidemiology. There are many OH educational courses and activities on offer in Eastern and Southern Africa; however, their total breadth is difficult to assess due to limited awareness of the availability of OH education not only between higher education institutes in a country but also even within a higher education institute between faculties. Numerous cross-cutting and technical competencies were considered essential to work in OH; however, this level of expertise is rarely logistically possible to provide in any single degree program. For OH education to be consistently applied, competency frameworks that are relevant to a region are necessary. Technical competencies are important from a disciplinary context; however, necessary cross-cutting competencies should be a focus in developing the future OH workforce
Agro-Waste-Derived Hybrid Biochar Exhibits High-Efficiency Removal of Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds
No full textThis research article was published by Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Volume 236, 2025Poor waste management of the products and products used in water sources becomes a problem for living organisms’ health. Using biosorbent from agro-waste materials becomes the solution for waste management and wastewater treatment. This study investigated the removal of progesterone from aqueous solutions using a biochar adsorbent derived from mixed banana and mango peels. The biosorbent shows high progesterone removal of 97.8 ± 0.02% at 700℃ preparation temperature at an optimal biosorbent concentration of 0.50 g and pH of 8. Kinetic studies showed that the adsorption followed a pseudo-second-order model. Isotherm analysis revealed that the adsorption data best fitted the Freundlich model (R2 = 0.96), with a maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of 307 mg g−1, indicating multilayer adsorption with a heterogeneous surface. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area was 652 m2g−1 with abundant functional groups verified by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The Scanning Electron Microscopy image (SEM) indicated that the biochar is porous, contributing to its effectiveness as an adsorbent. Thermodynamics results indicate that the spontaneous nature of adsorption reveals the process. The findings proved the potential of using agricultural mixed waste-derived biochar containing various chemical and physical characteristics as an effective and sustainable adsorbent to remove endocrine disruptors. This technique addresses environmental concerns about water hormone pollution and promotes sustainable waste management practices, but the gradual decrease in adsorption efficiency highlights the importance of optimizing the biochar's chemical composition and structural reliability to maximize its performance
Irish Potato Imagery Dataset for Detection of Early and Late Blight Diseases
No full textThis research article was published by Elsevier on 3 April 2025This dataset comprises of 58,709 annotated images of irish
potato leaves, categorized into three classes (healthy, early
blight and late blight). The data was collected over six
months from smallholder farms in Southern Highlands Tan-
zania, using Samsung Galaxy A03 smartphones with 8-
megapixel camera. Researchers, farmers and agricultural ex-
tension officers were trained to capture images under di-
verse conditions, including varying lighting, angles and back-
grounds to ensure the dataset is diverse and representative.
Plant pathologists were used to validate the images to en-
sure and enhance the reliability of the labels. Pre-processing
steps such as duplicate removal, filtering of irrelevant im-
ages, annotation and metadata integration were applied re-
sulting in a high-quality dataset. The dataset is organized
into three folders (healthy, early blight and late blight) and
is freely available on the Zenodo repository to promote ac-
cessibility for researchers working in the field of plant dis-
eases. This dataset holds significant potential for reuse in
training machine learning models for crop disease detec-
tion, transfer learning and data augmentation studies. By en-
abling early detection and classification of potato diseases,
the dataset supports the development of innovative agricul-
tural tools aimed at reducing crop losses and enhancing food
security in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its robust design and regional
specificity make it a valuable resource for advancing research
and innovation in sustainable farming practices
Optimization of RF-EMF exposure to public in Tanzania using Artificial Neural Network and multi linear regression models
Full text linkThis research article was published by Elsevier Volume 18, April 2025Technology development has triggered the demand for the use of radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). The growing demand for mobile communication, digital industrial evolutions and social services have forced service providers to expand the wireless network technology with additional installation of base stations. The increase in the use of RF-EMF for communication such as television (TV), radio, wireless services, internet and cellular communication have also increased the exposure levels of human to RF-EMF. However, exposure RF-EMF can have advance health effect to human and environmental radiation pollutions. RF - EMF exposure is higher in areas where people are highly concentrated such as hospitals, market places, schools, universities, colleges, shopping malls, than in any other region. Therefore, it is important to be concerned about the RF-EMF exposure to public in order to ensure that the exposure is under the allowable limits. In this study, power density values are measured at different locations in Dodoma, Dar es Salaam and Mwanza where the population density is too high, to examine their power density levels. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Multi Linear Regression (MLR) models are developed to estimate the total power density values of different locations from RF-EMF exposure sources. The results show that both models are significant with coefficient of determination R2 = 0.999 for MLR and R2 = 0.966 for ANN model. The results of these models show how the study are of significance and valuable for monitoring and evaluating, hence the optimization of exposure dose from RF-EMF sources is adhered
Modern Versus Traditional Irrigation Systems: Implications for Technical Efficiency and Input-Output Relationship in Northern Tanzania’s Horticulture Sector
Full text linkThis research article was published by Global Academic Journal of Economics and Business Volume 7, 2025This study evaluates the technical efficiency (TE) of modern and traditional
irrigation methods and their subsequent impact on farm productivity, profitability, and
sustainability. The research uses a sample of 540 smallholder farmers from water stress
region of northern Tanzania. The study reveals significant differences between adopters of
modern irrigation techniques (MITs) and non-adopters using furrow irrigation: tomato
yield was 732.94 kg vs. 387.35 kg, onion yield was 2952.57 kg vs. 395.53 kg, and pepper
yield was 552.34 kg vs. 505.02 kg; input usage also varied, with adopters using 1.58 vs. 1.38
acres (tomatoes), 1.30 vs. 1.50 acres (onions), and 1.56 vs. 1.18 acres (peppers), as well as
differences in seed, fertilizer, and agrochemical quantities. Using Stochastic Frontier
Analysis (SFA), this study estimated the technical efficiency scores for farmers, the findings
reveal that land cultivated (β1=0.537, p=0.000) and fertilizer use (β3=0.353, p=0.000) were
significant drivers of productivity, indicating that increasing these inputs substantially
boosts agricultural output. In contrast, herbicide use negatively impacts productivity
(β6=−0.268, p=0.005), suggesting a need for more efficient or reduced usage of herbicides.
The inefficiency effects model highlights that farming experience (δ2=10.53, p=0.012)
positively influences technical efficiency, underscoring the value of practical expertise in
optimizing resource use. The technical efficiency of the farmers varies widely, with a mean
of 88.43%, a minimum of 45.28%, and a maximum of nearly 100%, suggesting room for
improvement in less efficient operations. The analysis of technical efficiency across
irrigation methods shows a significant advantage for modern irrigation techniques over
furrow irrigation. For onions, sprinkler irrigation achieved a mean technical efficiency of
0.928 (p=0.000) compared to 0.589 under furrow irrigation. Similarly, for tomatoes, drip
irrigation resulted in a mean efficiency of 0.850, substantially higher than 0.430 for furrow
irrigation (p=0.000). For peppers, drip irrigation also outperformed furrow irrigation with
mean efficiencies of 0.813 and 0.338, respectively (p=0.000). The study also revealed that
while traditional irrigation methods had lower efficiency scores, proper management of
resources such as fertilizers and pest control was crucial in mitigating inefficiency. The
results highlight the importance of efficient farm management practices, including the use
of appropriate technologies and optimized resource allocation, in achieving higher technical
efficiency. The study recommends targeted subsidies, capacity-building programs,
improved infrastructure, and public-private partnerships to promote the adoption of
modern irrigation technologies among smallholder farmers
Effects of different lengths and doses of raw and treated sisal fibers in the cement composite material
Full text linkThis research article was published by Scientific Reports , volume 15, (2025)Sisal fiber moisture sensitivity and degradation are treated by alkaline and pozzolanic methods, such as silica fume and kaolin surface coating. However, it is novel that the treatment of sisal fiber by calcined bentonite slurry can coat sisal fiber from moisture and protect it from cement hydration by consuming free lime and reducing cement matrix alkalinity. Therefore, the present study treated sisal fibers with calcined bentonite slurry and investigated the effect of using different lengths and doses of treated and raw sisal fibers in a mortar. The results indicate that the treatment of sisal fiber with bentonite slurry improved the roughness of the fiber, reduced fresh bulk density, improved resistance in acid, salt, and alkaline conditions, and increased compressive and flexural strength at 28 and 56 days compared to the control mixture and raw sisal fiber-employed mortar. Therefore, TS1L10 improved compressive strength by 30.62% and 1.8% at 28 and 56 days, respectively. Also, TS1L10 enhanced strength and residual strength in 5% HCl by 54.54% and 72.25%, respectively, compared to the control mixture at 56 days. Generally, the present study revealed the importance of calcined bentonite-treated sisal fibers in a mortar mixture for improved durability, physical and mechanical properties
Modeling the influence of fear and patients’ attitudes on the transmission dynamics of tuberculosis
No full textThis research article was published in the journal of Modeling the influence of fear and patients’ attitudes on the transmission dynamics of tuberculosis, Volume 11, article number 67, 2025In this study we discussed the ongoing global health challenge of tuberculosis (TB), which is caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. While in several studies, the transmission dynamics of TB were examined, it is noted in this work that the impacts of social processes like disease-induced fear and patient attitudes toward hospital treatment have been receiving a poor discussion on understanding the disease transmission and its control. In this paper we present and discuss a deterministic mathematical model to investigate how these social processes influence the transmission dynamics of TB. The basic reproduction number
is calculated and used to examine the stability of steady states. Additionally, we conducted a sensitivity analysis which tells what are the parameters that most significantly affect
. The key findings from the analytical and numerical simulations indicate that high levels of disease-induced fear in the population, coupled with positive attitudes toward hospital treatment, can significantly reduce TB prevalence. Based on these results, the study recommends implementing control programs that address these social processes as part of the ongoing efforts to combat the TB burden
Harnessing traditional principles and guidelines for utilization compliance and sustainability of Maasai Alalili systems in northern Tanzania
No full textThis research article was published by Sustainable Environment Volume 11, 2025Resilience in Indigenous communities and their lands faces challenges from multiple fronts, including climate change, biodiversity loss, altered biogeochemical flows, and socio-cultural transitions. Innovative solutions like Indigenous local knowledge featuring the community repositories that could enable policy practice are needed to explore, shift, and articulate such trajectories towards sustainable and desired futures. The study used a mixed-method approach to gather information on the extent to which Maasai communities practice traditional principles and guidelines for sustainable management of the Alalili systems. Purposive and stratified random sampling techniques facilitated data collection from literature review, direct field observation, key informant interviews, focused group discussions, and household surveys, which were analyzed using Chi-square and t-tests, narrative, and descriptive techniques. The findings indicate a variation between the traditional principles and guidelines reported from the surveyed literature and those recorded from the field survey. We found that the literature sparingly reported six aspects of the traditional principles and guidelines, whereas the field survey from the community comprehensively reported four harmonized aspects. More than 50% of the surveyed Alalili systems are currently not complying with documented management principles and guidelines from the literature and community traditions, thus increasing their proximity to the effects of degradation. We reveal that the probability of compliance is higher in the private Alalili category. We recommend their official recognition by policymakers and putting them into practice as a conservation initiative for supporting future rangeland sustainability and the pastoral communities’ livelihood development
Ecological consequences of microplastic pollution in sub-Saharan Africa aquatic ecosystems: An implication to environmental health
Full text linkThis research article was published by HydroResearch Volume 7, 2024Microplastic pollution (MPs) emerged as a significant environmental concern due to its persistent nature. These MPs particles endure in waters, soils, and even the atmosphere, posing potential threats to the entire ecosystem. Aquatic organisms are at risk of ingesting MPs, leading to accumulation in tissues, ultimately affecting entire food chain. This study aims to provide an overview of sources of MPs, distribution, and potential environmental impacts. MPs have been documented in various substances such as bottled water, salts, seafood, and even the air. However, the full extent of the health consequences on human exposure remains uncertain. Therefore, it is imperative that we draw public attention to the presence of these pollutants in the environment. To mitigate adverse effects of MPs, reducing plastic consumption, implementing improved waste management practices, and advocating sustainable behaviors are essential for well-being of natural ecosystems and the health human populations