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Assessment of benefits of floodplain recession farming in Mbire District, Mashonaland Central Province, Zimbabwe
No full textFood insecurity is a major challenge in Mbire district as the grain yield (maize and sorghum) from rain-fed farming are low due to erratic rainfall distribution (400 - 650 mm). The inhabitants of this area have resorted to floodplain recession farming as a way of boosting their food production. However, no studies have been carried out to assess whether the adaptation benefits farmers and the environment. A study was conducted to analyse the impacts of floodplain recession farming in Mbire District on household food security, soil fertility, environment and the community. Data was collected using questionnaires, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and soil samples from six fields. Soil samples were analysed for pH, Total nitrogen, Total Organic matter, phosphorus, potassium, soil moisture, calcium and magnesium. The soil analyses were used to create maps of individual fertility parameters through the inverse distance weighted interpolation method in ArcGIS. In the same fields, yield was estimated using the cob weight measurement method. Leaf samples were analysed for nitrogen and phosphorus to relate them to the soil fertility status. 30% of total number of households in each ward of the district have access to fields in the floodplain. The results from the farmers’ survey show that dry-land farming generally produces 0.2t/ha of maize while recession farming contributes 0.71t/ha. Field trials in the floodplain showed a yield of 1.32t/ha. Recession farming had more contribution (47%) to food security, according to the surveys than dry-land farming (24%), although leaving a deficit of 29%. In contrast, recession farming, contributes only 2% to household yearly income. Variability in access to floodplain land does not depend on gender (p> 0.05). However age has a predictive ability for access to floodplain land (p< 0.05), therefore 8.7% of variability (R2 = 0.087) in access depends on age. The analysis of topsoil of the floodplains shows that, there is great potential for maize production. Fertility is significantly higher in floodplains (p< 0.05) than in rain-fed field, which encourages growth of crops such as maize, beans and cowpeas. In conclusion, the potential of recession farming exists but the practice poses a risk on human life through attacks by hippopotami and the environment through cutting down of trees. Crop production is not be limited by fertility but rather the farmers’ management practices and there is potential for yield improvement.WaterNe
The study to determine the relationship between perceptions of PMTCT and PMTCT uptake among antenatal women aged 18 – 40 years attending Highfield polyclinic.
No full textThe Zimbabwe MOHCH Annual Report (2007) highlighted that despite achievements in PMTCT, the national uptake remained fluctuating and low due to social-cultural and economic challenges, lower social status of women, increasing levels of poverty leading to sex work, ignorance and stigmatization. The same Annual Report highlighted that the national PMTCT uptake for Zimbabwe was 71% whilst that of Highfield Clinic was 65%. This is an area of grave concern for the nursing midwifery practice. The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of PMTCT and PMTCT uptake among antenatal women aged 18 to 40 years. The study was guided by King’s Goal Attainment Theory (1981). A descriptive correlational study was used to examine the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Probability, simple, random sampling of 86 subjects were recruited for quantitative data. Data was collected through face to face interview using a structured questionnaire developed by the investigator. The research instruments comprised of demographic, PMTCT uptake and perceptions of PMTCT prograrmme sections. Data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics of Pearson Correlation coefficient for quantitative data. The findings reflected high PMTCT uptake for 75 (87.2%) respondents. The respondents’ perceptions of PMTCT were high,54 (62.8%). Pearson correlation analysis showed a statistical positive significant weak correlation (r = .242* p <0.05) of perceptions of PMTCT and PMTCT uptake among antenatal women indicating that when perceptions of PMTCT increase, PMTCT uptake increases. The regression coefficient was .059 showing that the importance of the perceptions of PMTCT is 5.9% in terms of contribution to the PMTCT uptake. This shows that perception of PMTCT had some effect to a little extent, on positively affecting PMTCT uptake. Further research needs to be done to find out the variance of the effect of perceptions of PMTCT on PMTCT uptak
Evaluation of the Cavidi Exavir load reverse transcriptase assay (version 3.0) for HIV viral load against the Roche Amplicor Monitor (version 1.5) for use in monitoring viral load in patients infected with the HIV -1 virus.
No full textTitle: Evaluation of the Cavidi ExaVir load Reverse Transcriptase Assay (version
3.0) for HIV Viral Load against the Roche Amplicor Monitor (version 1.5) for use in
monitoring viral load in patients infected with the HIV virus.
Introduction. There are two types of HIV, HIV-1 and HIV-2 and both types are
known to cause AIDS, although infection with HIV-1 is more common worldwide.
The concentration of HIV RNA in plasma is a critical marker for predicting disease
progression and for monitoring the efficacy of antiretroviral drug therapy. However,
most viral load assays are not readily available in Zimbabwe due to the complexity
and the need for nucleic acid amplification hence the need to explore other available
alternatives.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the Cavidi ExaVir load Reverse
transcription Assay Version 3.0 for quantifying HIV-1 viral load using the Roche
Amplicor monitor version 1.5 as the gold standard.
Method
This was a cross sectional comparative study of two kits where 21 whole blood
samples being submitted for viral load testing at Flow cytometry centre were
centrifuged and separated within 2 hours of collection and then stored for batched
testing with 2 aliquots per sample. The samples were then thawed for testing using the
Cavidi Exavir load v 3.0 at flow cytometry centre. The second aliquot was tested
using the Roche Amplicor Monitor v1.5 at UZ-UCSF laboratory. The results were
then correlated using STATA biostatistics software.
Results: There was a very strong linear correlation in viral load measurement
between the Cavidi Exavir Load v 3.0 and the Roche Amplicor Monitor v 1.5 ( r=0.94
and p < 0.05).
85.7% of the samples showed an agreement of 0.68 log 10 between the two
methods (fivefold) which is equal to the total variation that can be expected in viral
load measurements.
Conclusion: The Cavidi Exavir load v 3.0 correlates strongly with the Roche
Amplicor monitor v 1.5 in measuring plasma viral load concentrations and can be
used to monitor viral load in clinical specimens
Burial societies after the multi-currency regime: a case study of work-based burial societies at Mazowe mine
No full textThe study examines emergent changes on the activities of burial societies during the transitional
period from the 2006-2008 Zimbabwe dollar to the present multiple currency regime. Burial
societies are mutual arrangement groups that provide social safety nets in poor communities in
times of illness and death. These societies utilize the concept of collective action as a poverty
reduction strategy. Conceptually the study is grounded in Bourdieu’s theory of practice in order
to show how socio-economic changes affect the organization of burial societies and how actors
employ different survival strategies to safeguard their positions. The study makes use of both
qualitative and quantitative approaches with a view to counteract the weaknesses of each
approach by the strength of the other. Mixed methods that include a self-administered
questionnaire on 50 burial society respondents, key informant, unstructured in-depth interviews
and a review of secondary data sources are conducted. Key findings of the study are that prior
Multiple-Currency regime burial societies have reorganized with varying degrees of success in
the new economic environment. However, there are mild changes in terms of financial
management and organizational outlook. A number of drawbacks, such as, fraudulent claims,
embezzlement, pilfering, restricted funds and lack of investment plans are uncovered. Factors
such as ethnicity, gender. Class and occupation determine worker participation in burial
societies. There are contrasting views of the effectiveness of burial societies as revealed by the
study with some respondents describing the role of societies as negligible. The transition from
the 2006-2008 Zimbabwe dollar era to current multi-currency regime era had positive and
negative impacts on the viability and organizational outlook of burial societies in a mining
community of Mazowe. However, the research also established that these burial societies have
opened up to new sensibilities by adopting a variety of strategies to safeguard their
interests.Recommendations are given highlighting areas that need improvement in burial
societies and a need to understand how wider society burial societies are coping in the multicurrency
environment. The thesis concludes by stating that burial societies still play an integral
role in mining communities and are still popular among immigrants. These societies have largely
remained a preserve of men with comparatively few women
The impact of digital technology on the viability of cinema industry in Zimbabwe : the case of Rainbow Cinemas Private Limited (2007 - 2012)
No full textThe general view from literature on the Impact of Digital Technology on the viability of the Cinema Industry is that most countries have embraced digital technology and this has turned the fortunes of the industry for the better. The technology brings with it huge savings in terms of transportation and storage of the 35mm reels and it enables the cinema industry to screen movies on day and date with countries like America. Digital technology is also a tool that is being used to fight piracy which has become a major threat not only to the cinema industry but to the whole arts and entertainment industry especially the music industry.
In an endeavour to place the problem into perspective, the research objectives were to investigate the impact of digital technology on the viability of the Cinema industry in Zimbabwe. Empirical data was obtained through face-to-face interviews and questionnaires. The respondents were management and staff of Rainbow Cinemas and the movie goers or patrons. Qualitative and quantitative methods were both used and data gathered was analysed through Data Displays in the form of content analytic summary tables and graphs.
The study found that the cinema industry in Zimbabwe is still to embrace new technology as most players in the industry are still to be digitalised and they are still using 35mm projectors which are being phased out in most parts of the world. Only one movie house Ster-Kinekor which is part of the Ster-Kinekor South Africa has fully digitalised its Eastgate branch with two auditoriums equipped with 3D projection system. Piracy have hit hard on the cinema industry in Zimbabwe with the industry struggling to survive in face of huge operating cost like salaries and wages, utility bills and film hire costs and rentals against low cinema attendances. Most movies are released in the cinema 6 months after their release date from Hollywood production studios and they will have flooded the pirated DVD market.
In view of these findings this study recommends that the Digital technology is the way to go if the cinema industry in Zimbabwe is to survive. Partnership with suppliers and other strategic partners is recommended in order to mitigate the financial challenges facing the industry for it to fully digitalize. There is also need for government and the financial sector to help in reviving this industry through putting in place strict anti-piracy policies and offering loans respectively.
Exploring grassroots technological innovation: A study of informal sector enterprises manufacturing multi-crop threshers in Harare
No full textThis study sought to understand the development of technological innovation at Mbare Siya So in Harare. The principal thrust of this research was to establish the causative factors or determinants of innovation, the source of skills and social networks which the informal metal manufacturers develop in the process of innovation. A qualitative methodology was used in the collection of primary and secondary data in bid to address the objectives laid out for this study. The study findings revealed that informal sector manufacturers are motivated to innovate so as to improve the way and speed in which the multi-crop threshers work. Customer prescriptions and changing socio-economic and agronomic conditions also stimulate innovations in the informal sector. The study concludes that innovation is a result of demand driven synergies which are prevalent between the rural farmer needs and the informal manufacturers’ skills and knowledge. Interaction and multiple social networks are established by the informal sector manufacturers in the process of innovation based on kinship, friendship ties and manufacturer-client relationships
Basel ll implementation : challenges and implications for the Zimbabwean banking system (2012 - 2013)
No full textThe overall objective of this study is to establish the challenges and implications of implementing Basel II in developing countries, with particular focus on the Zimbabwean banking system. The main objective is to identify the problems being confronted by banks and the supervisory authority in Zimbabwe, being the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, in their journey to Basel II implementation. This purpose arose from the publication on 26 June 2004 of the “International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards, a Revised Framework”, commonly known as Basel II, which has been adopted for implementation by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe set 1 January 2013 as the implementation date for Basel II after which Basel I will no longer be used in Zimbabwe.
Banking institutions in Zimbabwe have been focusing their attention on becoming Basel II compliant since 2012, wherein they started conducting parallel run of the present framework i.e. Basel I with the Basel II rules. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe announced in January 2013 that banks will continue with the parallel through 2013, as banks were at various stages of implementing Basel II and there were weaknesses identified which were being addressed. As such Basel II capital rules were not implemented in full as at 1 January 2013 as initially envisaged by the central bank. Very little attention has been paid on the challenges and implications of Basel II confronting the Zimbabwean banking system.
A literature study was undertaken which included a review of the Basel II framework, impact studies, and a review of the relevant literature on the topic. The framework was studied in order to determine the major challenging themes and implications on developing country banks. Once these challenging themes were identified, the literature on those areas of impact was researched.
The study of the Basel II framework identified a number of challenges that banks in developing countries will face. The first implication is that developing countries that choose to adopt Basel II standards will do so at a considerable cost to both their regulators and the banking sectors. Basel II presents a huge compliance burden. Large banks who are able to bear high compliance costs will survive, whilst the smaller banks will be discouraged. Secondly the perceived benefits of investing in Basel II are likely to be minimal because the new capital rules were not designed for, nor are they appropriate for developing economies. In addition, local banks in developing countries will face capital constraints, making them susceptible to mergers and acquisitions by sophisticated international banks that are able to inject fresh capital and bring in the necessary expertise sought by the regulators. Another difficult aspect of implementation is the cross border challenges. Banks that have cross border operations are more likely concerned with home-host supervisory issues largely emanating from differences in implementation timetables; approaches to implementation and interpretation of Basel II.
Another serious challenge is that the success of Basel II depends on strong and well developed financial systems, which include among others, existing regulatory and supervisory frameworks; sustainability of banking sector reforms; existing level of economic development; political stability; depth and efficiency of financial intermediation; a number of which lack developing countries
Notwithstanding the foregoing, many developing countries feel they are left with no choice but to adopt Basel II, as without it developed country regulators may deny their banks market access. Thus developing countries are in a “Catch-22” situation; compliance implies that developing country local banks may make themselves vulnerable to take-over by advanced international banks; non-compliance would evade this, however, they would be excluded from international financial markets. This will have serious implications on globalization efforts, in particular distribution of income as financial services play an essential role in post industrial economy.
This paper investigates the challenges and implications of Basel II implementation in developing countries, specifically in Zimbabwe. It begins by giving a brief background of the Zimbabwean banking system and an overview of Basel I and Basel II. This is followed by a discussion of the implications and challenges of Basel II and the reasons for its widespread adoption in developing countries
Design of a rice transplanter for Zimbabwean farmers
No full textRice is a crop of growing importance in Zimbabwe but with a production of only 700 metric tonnes. This is because in wetlands it is largely grown by broadcasting of seeds and seedlings; and manual transplanting of seedlings. In practicing the said method however, farmers are exposed to musculosketal disorders as well as back problems due to the repetitive bending as well as the awkward posture needed in performing the task. Though manual transplanting gives uniform crop stand it is quite expensive and requires lot of labour besides involving lot of drudgery. Singh et al., 1985 reported that transplanting takes about 250-300 man hours/ha which is roughly 25 per cent of the total labour requirement of the crop. The rice production in Zimbabwe has also been very low because the common rice types were affected by the local climatic conditions however in 2014 businessman and farmer struck a deal with renowned Chinese agricultural scientist for National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Centre in Changsha in Hunan Province to start a pilot hybrid rice production exercise that could easily transform Zimbabwe into a major rice growing hub in the SADC region using varieties suitable to local conditions. This paper aims to design an ergonomic rice transplanter suited for the Zimbabwean climate and terrain. The mechanical transplanting of rice has been considered the most promising option, as it saves labour, ensures timely transplanting and attains optimum plant density that contributes to high productivity. Mechanization of rice sector will lead to higher productivity with releasing of work force to other sectors
Blood and Urine Lead Levels in Adults Attending Harare Polyclinics
No full textLead is a toxic environmental pollutant and exposure to it can produce serious adverse health effects in adults and children. There is no safe exposure to lead, however the CDC recommends adult blood lead level (BLL) of < 20μg/dl to be safe and <5 μg/dl for children. However evidence suggests subclinical toxicity at lower levels. In Harare, people are exposed to lead from exhaust fumes from leaded petrol, old leaching lead plumbing and flaking leaded paint.
The main objective of the study was to evaluate the level of lead exposure of ordinary residents in Harare. The secondary objective was to determine if lead levels were affected by serum protein levels.
Three urban areas were chosen for their potential of increased risk of environmental exposure. One rural area was chosen to act as a control. Water lead levels were also measured from the different study areas. The lead levels were measured using the inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Protein levels were determined using the Lowry method.
The mean blood lead levels that were obtained for the urban areas were 0.80±0.69μg/dl and 0.96±0.98μg/dl for the rural clinic. The urine lead levels for the urban areas were 0.57±0.67 μg/dl and 0.51±0.13μg/dl for the rural clinic. The water lead levels from the different study populations were 1.1μg/dl for Mbare, 1.6μg/dl for Highfield, 0μg/dl for Goromonzi and 0.4μg/dl, for Mabvuku/Tafara respectively.
The mean serum protein levels were 24.45±3.76g/l for the study population. The Pearson correlation coefficient for the serum protein levels and blood lead levels was 0.225 at a p-value of 0.124.
The ordinary residents in Harare urban have minimal environmental exposure to lead. There was no significant correlation between serum protein levels and blood lead levels
Factors associated with chronic malnutrition in Mazowe district, Mashonaland Central province, 2012
No full textIntroduction: The rate of stunting in Zimbabwe was recorded as 35% in 2012. Mashonaland Central Province recorded 2168 cases of malnutrition and 964(44%) were from Mazowe District, despite the fact that the district has the best in terms of food security. The objective was to determine the factors associated with chronic malnutrition in Mazowe District in 2012.
Methods: A 1:1 unmatched case control study was carried out in health facilities in Mazowe District to determine the factors associated with chronic malnutrition. A case was defined as a mother or caregiver of any child <5years in Mazowe district who is chronically malnourished registered in the malnutrition register at the health facility and is stunted (children whose height for age z score is below -2 standard deviation from the median of the reference population) during the period January 2012 and December 2012. A control was defined as mother or caregiver of any child less than five (5) years who was suffering from conditions other than malnutrition and was not stunted, during the period January 2012 to December 2012 in Mazowe District. Interviewer administered questionnaires were used to collect data from both cases and controls and Epi Info 3.5.1 statistical software was used to analyze data.
Results: A total of 78 cases and 78 controls were enrolled into the study. Factors independently associated with chronic malnutrition were; a child who had diarrhea in the last three months (adjusted OR=6.33, CI 2.8-14.00) and failing to breastfeed because of pressure of work (adjusted OR=3.37, CI 1.1-10.00). Fever was a significant risk factor (adjusted OR=3.57, CI 1.84-6.90).
Conclusion: Chronic malnutrition was associated with diarrhea, failure to breastfeed and fever in Mazowe District. We recommend early treatment of diarrhea, childhood illness and promotion of breastfeeding in Mazowe district. Mothers were given health education on breastfeeding