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Advances and trends in ecological organic agriculture (EOA) technologies and research on fruit vegetables produced in Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article was published by CABI Reviews 2022Ecological organic agriculture (EOA) is a holistic production management system that can solve many problems in the vegetable crops’ value chain (VC). It is, however, unclear about the EOA technologies for the fruit vegetable VC that have already been validated or are in process of validation in Tanzania. A systematic literature search on EOA technologies relevant in Tanzania was conducted for research articles from 2010 until 2021. Most 10(30.4%) studies on fruit vegetables were equally distributed each 5(15.2%) in the years 2019 and 2020, respectively. A total of 33 records on fruit vegetables covered eight (8) regions of mainland Tanzania and one (1) region from the island of Zanzibar. Most 18(55%) studies were conducted in the Morogoro region. Based on the fruit vegetable VC, 26(68.4%) studies were for field establishment and management. Nine (9) key areas were identified, where most 9(27.3%) studies were on crop productivity and protection. Seventeen (17) EOA technologies were applied in fruit vegetables, mostly biocontrol 7(21%) in tomatoes. Overall, 27(81.8%) studies only researched the EOA technologies, while 3(9.1%) studies validated the EOA technologies, 2(6.1%) researches were in progress, and 1(3.0%) was progressing validation. Few 3(9.1%) studies portrayed the involvement of youth and women using the principles of participatory action research (PAR) during the validation. Generally, the EOA technologies are readily available, require minimal skills and labour, are cost-effective, sustainable, easily implementable in the fruit vegetable VC and can be simply accessed and utilized in cultivating organic fruit vegetables
How public health crises expose systemic, day-to-day health inequalities in low- and-middle income countries: an example from East Africa
Get PDFThis research article was published in the Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control 11, Article number: 34, 2022Background: The current Coronavirus disease pandemic reveals political and structural inequities of the world’s
poorest people who have little or no access to health care and yet the largest burdens of poor health. This is in parallel
to a more persistent but silent global health crisis, antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We explore the fundamental chal-
lenges of health care in humans and animals in relation to AMR in Tanzania.
Methods: We conducted 57 individual interviews and focus groups with providers and patients in high, middle and
lower tier health care facilities and communities across three regions of Tanzania between April 2019 and February
2020. We covered topics from health infrastructure and prescribing practices to health communication and patient
experiences.
Results: Three interconnected themes emerged about systemic issues impacting health. First, there are challenges
around infrastructure and availability of vital resources such as healthcare staff and supplies. Second, health out-
comes are predicated on patient and provider access to services as well as social determinants of health. Third, health
communication is critical in defining trusted sources of information, and narratives of blame emerge around health
outcomes with the onus of responsibility for action falling on individuals.
Conclusion: Entanglements between infrastructure, access and communication exist while constraints in the health
system lead to poor health outcomes even in ‘normal’ circumstances. These are likely to be relevant across the globe
and highly topical for addressing pressing global health challenges. Redressing structural health inequities can better
equip countries and their citizens to not only face pandemics but also day-to-day health challenges
Availability and functionality of neonatal care units in healthcare facilities in Mtwara region, Tanzania: The quest for quality of in-patient care for small and sick newborns.
Get PDFThis research article was published in PLOS ONE, Vol 17, 2022.Background
Evidence shows that delivery of prompt and appropriate in-patient newborn care (IPNC)
through health facility (HF)-based neonatal care and stabilization units (NCU/NSUs) reduce
preventable newborn mortalities (NMs). This study investigated the HFs for availability and
performance of NCU/NSUs in providing quality IPNC, and explored factors influencing the
observed performance outcomes in Mtwara region, Tanzania.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted using a follow-up explanatory mixed-methods
approach. HF-based records and characteristics allowing for delivery of quality IPNC were
reviewed first to establish the overall HF performance. The review findings were clarified by
healthcare staff and managers through in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discus sions (FGDs).
Results
About 70.6% (12/17) of surveyed HFs had at least one NCU/NSU room dedicated for deliv ery of IPNC but none had a fully established NCUs/NSU, and 74.7% (3,600/4,819) of needy
newborns were admitted/transferred in for management. Essential medicines such as tetra cycline eye ointment were unavailable in 75% (3/4) of the district hospitals (DHs). A disparity
existed between the availability and functioning of equipment including infant radiant warm ers (92% vs 73%). Governance, support from implementing patterns (IPs), and access to
healthcare commodities were identified from qualitative inquiries as factors influencing the
establishment and running of NCUs/NSUs at the HFs in Mtwara region, Tanzania.
Conclusion
Despite the positive progress, the establishment and performance of NCUs/NSUs in provid ing quality IPNC in HFs in Mtwara region is lagging behind the Tanzania neonatal care
guideline requirements, particularly after the IPs of newborn health interventions completed
their terms in 2016. This study suggests additional improvement plans for Mtwara region
and other comparable settings to optimize the provision of quality IPNC and lower avoidable
NMs
Mapping groundwater in ungauged lake basin in Tanzania: A comparison between two topography based methods
Get PDFThis research article published by Elsevier B.V, 2022Groundwater is one of the most critical water resources for Sub Saharan Africa. However, the understanding of the groundwater system in the region is still lacking due to sparse groundwater observations. The influence of topography on the groundwater table is still mostly not evaluated in Sub Saharan Africa. This study applied the analytical hierarchical process to explore and compare the suitability of two secondary topography indices, the Height Above Nearest Drainage (HAND) and Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), to predict groundwater potential. We used shallow and deep wells to validate the groundwater potential zones. The results showed that both HAND and TWI are useful parameters to identify groundwater spatial variability. The water levels and wells depths varied and deepened with reduction in the groundwater potential. The study also showed that both methods are similar in groundwater potential classifications, with an overall accuracy (or similarity) of 70.56% and an overall kappa coefficient of 0.61. The HAND based method, however, showed superiority over the TWI based method. Nevertheless, both methods seemed suitable for preliminary groundwater prospecting with a high potential to minimize prospecting efforts and associated costs and provide insight into locations for future exploitation and optimization of wells drilling success in the study area
Seroprevalence, knowledge, and practices of Dengue and Chikungunya in Dar es salaam and Zanzibar: selected hospital-based cross-sectional study
Get PDFA Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Master's in Life Sciences of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and
TechnologyThe potential shift of significant causes of febrile illnesses from malaria to non-malarial febrile
illnesses, including arboviral diseases such as Chikungunya and Dengue, is of great concern. Two
cross sectional studies were conducted at Mnazi mmoja in Zanzibar and Temeke hospital in Dar es
Salaam Tanzania. The first study assessed the prevalence, knowledge, and practices regarding
Chikungunya and Dengue, among individuals attending outpatient departments at Mnazi mmoja in
Zanzibar and Temeke hospital in Dar es Salaam Tanzania. The second study involved serological
testing of blood samples from the blood bank at Temeke Referral Hospital in Dar es Salaam and
the National Blood Bank Unit in Zanzibar was conducted. Seropositive IgM samples from Temeke
hospital in Dar es Salaam were 3/101 (2.97%) for Chikungunya and 1/101 (0.9%) for Dengue,
while samples from Zanzibar were all IgM negative for both viruses. Chikungunya IgG
seropositivity was significantly higher (p≤0.05) in Temeke hospital in Dar es Salaam 21/101
(21.2%) than Zanzibar 22/180 (12.2%). There was no significant difference in Dengue IgG
seropositivity between Temeke hospital in Dar es Salaam 44/101 (43.5%) and Zanzibar 68/180
(37.8%). A total of 332 patients were recruited through a systematic random sampling technique
from Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam hospitals. Participants from Dar-es-Salaam had demonstrated
lower preventive practices as compared to those from Zanzibar. Only 10.2% of all participants had
high knowledge of Dengue and Chikungunya, while only 4.5% were aware of preventive practices.
Our results show continuing exposure of Dengue and Chikungunya virus in Tanzania, it associates
with low awareness and poor preventive practices. If steps are not taken, may act as a template for
big outbreaks when an appropriate condition occurs. Therefore the inclusion of Dengue and
Chikungunya in active surveillance program is proposed
Beneficial effects of curcumin in the diabetic rat ovary: a stereological and biochemical study
No full textThis research article was published by Research Squire, 2022Study investigated the effects of curcumin treatment on diabetic ovaries at different periods of the disease. Fifty-six female Wistar albino rats
(250–300 g) aged 12 weeks were divided into seven groups. No treatment was applied to the control group. The sham group was given 5 mL/kg
of corn oil, and the curcumin group 30 mg/kg curcumin. In the DM groups, diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal dose of 50 mg/kg
streptozotocin (STZ). The DM-treated groups received 30 mg/kg curcumin after either seven days (DC1 group), or 21 days (DC2 group), or
simultaneously with STZ injection (DC3 group). Numbers of follicles in the ovaries were estimated using stereological method. FSH, LH, and
SOD levels and CAT activity were measured in serum specimens. Follicle numbers and volumes of corpus luteum, blood vessel and cortex
volumes, gonadosomatic index, and FSH and SOD levels all decreased signicantly in diabetic ovaries, while relative weight loss, connective
tissue volume, and CAT activity increased (p < 0.01). Curcumin treatment had a protective effect on the number of primordial follicles in the DC2
group and on antral follicle numbers in the DC3 group. Curcumin also exhibited positive effects on CAT activity and SOD levels, blood glucose
levels, and corpus luteum, connective tissue and blood vessel volumes in the DC2 and DC3 groups. Curcumin also ameliorated FSH levels in the
DC1 and DC3 groups (p < 0.01). Curcumin exhibits protective effects on ovarian structures and folliculogenesis, especially when used
concurrently with the development of diabetes or in later stages of the diseas
Application of mobile phone-based system for improved crop production recommendation in arusha, Tanzania
Get PDFA Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master’s in Information and Communication Sciences and Engineering of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyAgriculture is a dominant activity globally as without which, food would not be produced,
consequently depriving human development. Despite the massive role of agriculture in food
security, its growth in crop production in Tanzania is being threatened by various challenges
including limited access to agricultural information. This study focused on developing a
mobile phone-based application for improved crop production recommendations. The study
survey involved a total of 156 simple randomly selected respondents in Arusha district to
assess whether or not they know how or can use mobile phones to search for internet-based
agricultural services as a base for developing a mobile phone-based agricultural information
app, and the data collected were analyzed by tableau software. The results show that about
three-quarters of respondents possess smartphones and nearly one-third (32.7%) of all
respondents use internet-based platforms to search for agriculture information. In terms of
the specific need for a well-structured system such as the use of agriculture apps that would
quicken access to agriculture information, 75.6% of all respondents said that they would
appreciate having it. Also, about 80% of all respondents indicate the readiness for such
platforms if availed online for the facilitation of processes in accessing agricultural
information. Following these results, a Rapid Application Development (RAD) model was
used along with software specific for the development of a mobile app and environments
such as Android Studio, PostgreSQL Database and PostGIS to develop an android
application. The developed mobile application takes into consideration soil types of different
locations found within the Arusha district. Moreover, the app provides the farmer with
information concerning soil type found in a specific location. Finally, a testing survey from
the farmer’s acceptance concluded that this mobile app was accepted to be used by the
farmers. Thus, the developed app is recommended for further testing and where possible,
improvement on wider coverage and more functions that farmers will need in the future
Sustainability assessment of existing septic systems in residential buildings: a case study of Mwanza city, Tanzania
Get PDFA Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master’s in Hydrology and Water Resource Engineering of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologySeptic system (SS) is the oldest anaerobic wastewater treatment system still widely employed
today in suburban and urban areas. The sustainability of SS in developing countries, including
Tanzania, is restricted by several constraints (e.g., poor installation and hydraulic overloading
(technical issues), poor resource recovery practices (economic issue), maintenance and awareness
(social issues), etc.). Efforts have been done to improve SSs’ sustainability, but the improvement
is hindered by a lack of information on how to guarantee SSs sustainability mainly, at the
household level. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the SSs’ sustainability in residential
buildings in Mwanza city, Tanzania emphasizing economic, environmental, technical, and social
aspects. The sustainability assessment (SA) was accomplished by study area and sustainability
indicators (SIs) selection methods, diverse data collection methods, and the Fuzzy-based Indices
Approach (FIA) (data analysis method). The results from SA show that 18 out of 50 indicators
were selected as appropriate indicators for SA of 200 households having SSs in the Nyegezi area.
Also, the entire systems in the city had an index of 0.42 and fall in a danger state. It was concluded
that the SIs assessed were relevant to the studied system. They demonstrate the importance of
matching any set of indicators to the characteristics of the specific sanitation system being
examined. Indeed, corrective measures must be suggested for immediate livelihood improvement
and sustainability considerations. The study provided a tool and framework for assessing the
sustainability of SSs in Tanzania using a set of most 18 relevant SIs
Industrial oven monitoring with an exhaust system for health improvement and safe working environment: a case of Sosoma industries ltd (Rwanda)
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 TechnologyFood processing industry, specifically flour production from cereals like maize, sorghum, millet,
and wheat, became more important for value additions in presently according to the cooking
restrictions and the quality needed for good products, particularly at SOSOMA industries LTD in
Rwanda. To get a quality product, various processing stages including cereals roasting, milling,
sieving, fortification and vitamins premixes, and packaging must be monitored and controlled on
real time. During roasting, the status of an industrial oven affects the quality of the product, and
needs to be considered and followed up on a real time basis. It uses wood fuel as a source of energy,
and when not controlled, can produce smoke flames and carbon monoxide in the working
environment that may affect the respiratory system of employees who are closer in proximity and
the working environment itself. When controlled well, it adds nutrients in the roasted cereals. In
this study, a qualitative approach of data collection like unstructured interviews, discussion and
field visit observation was used and data have been analyzed using content analysis techniques just
to obtain system requirements. Various electronic components such as sensors to capture the
physical environment, microcontroller to define tasks, SPI protocol to enable communication
between devices, and output devices to react to environmental change have been used to design and
develop a fully monitored and controlled industrial oven. Ultimately, the developed system was
tested positively and found to meet the industry oven requirements, so it was accepted at
SOSOMA industries due to its effective low cost, secured and friendly system
Detection and genetic characterization of sylvatic and outbreak African swine fever virus isolates in selected zones of Tanzania
Get PDFA Thesis Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Life Sciences of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyThis thesis is about African swine fever (ASF), a severe disease of domestic pigs that is notifiable
according to OIE. Virus strains circulating in Tanzania have been changing from time to time
making surveillance studies imperative. This research aimed at understanding the African Swine
Fever Virus (ASFV) setting in the sylvatic cycle devoid of domestic pigs and genetic
characterization of the ASFV genotypes circulating in the domestic pig cycle by genome
sequencing of the virus so as to provide information such as the relatedness of the virus strains
for other studies. In the study, blood and tissue samples from outbreaks and from selected seven
agro-ecological areas of Tanzania (Northern (n=58) Southern (n=18), Southern highlands (n=60),
Coastal (n=30), Western (n=40), Central (n=40) and lake zone (n=56)) were screened for ASFV
using antibody ELISA and PCR techniques. The study population included domestic cycle hosts
(domestic pigs (n=302) and sylvatic cycle hosts (warthogs (n=9) and soft ticks (n=300)).
Snowball sampling was applied for domestic pigs following outbreak notifications from the
Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries for the areas that experienced outbreaks (Southern highlands,
Lake Victoria, Coastal and Northern zones). Convenient sampling was implied for non-outbreak
areas (Central, Western and Southern zones) and the Saadani National Park. Blood and tissue
samples from domestic pigs (n=302), blood samples from warthogs (n=19) and whole ticks
(n=300) from warthog burrows (n=5) were collected from the field and transported to the
laboratory for analysis. Serum samples extracted from blood were analysed for the presence of
ASFV antibodies. DNA was extracted from the tissues, ticks and whole blood samples for ASFV
diagnosis. Representative positive samples were Sanger sequenced for genotyping and tissue
cultured for whole genome sequencing. While using standard OIE recommended ASF diagnostic
and genotyping primers, positive and negative controls were used in each process to ensure
reliability and validity of the obtained results. ELISA results confirmed the exposure of warthogs
to ASFV although none of the animals were found to be in active viremia. As opposed to
warthogs, domestic pigs did not react positively to an ELISA test but they were in active viremia
following a PCR test with ASFV primers. This study reported four ASFV genotypes currently
present in Tanzania. Genotypes II, IX and X were reported from domestic pigs whereas genotype
XV was reported from the ticks in the sylvatic cycle. This is the first study to report the presence
of genotype XV from an ecosystem that has never recorded interaction with domestic pigs. The
study also released the first full genome sequence of a genotype II ASFV strain from Africa
(Tanzania/ Rukwa/2017/1) generated using Illumina sequencing (Deposited in the INSDC
databases through the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) under accession number LR813622).
The reported strain was observed to have a 99.961 percentage identity with the updated Georgia
ii
2007/1 reference isolate (FR682468.2), 99.960% identity with Polish isolate Pol16_29413_o23
(MG939586) and 99.957% identity with Chinese isolate ASFV-wbBS01 (MK645909.1). This
gave a proposition on the relatedness of genotype II strains of the virus from the known
geographical hotspot given that this was the most globally spread genotype. Findings from this
study add an information on what was known regarding ASFV in the sylvatic cycle in the
country, and as a global hotspot for ASF. The first ASF vaccine is likely to focus on genotype II
as it is the most widespread genotype. This has an implication on the global efforts to control
ASF while being able to follow the molecular changes of the virus from the hotspot areas. There
is also a possibility that in Tanzania, ASFV is present in new areas and distributed widely than it
was previously anticipated. Information on circulating genotypes and spatial distribution is
paramount for devising control interventions in Tanzania