The University of Zambia Journals
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Effects of Intensive Phase Antituberculous Therapy on Hepatic and Haematological Parameters in Patients at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia
Get PDFZambia is a high tuberculosis burden country. Antituberculous medicines are the mainstay of tuberculosis management. There have been several reports of antituberculous drug-related haematological and hepatic adverse effects noted in other settings. Adverse events have healthcare cost and morbidity implications. Prevalence and severity of these adverse effects is understudied in patients at University Teaching Hospitals hence the purpose of this study was to identify haematological and hepatic abnormalities and compare parameters before treatment and after completion of intensive phase among the patients. Factors associated with abnormalities were also determined. A prospective longitudinal study was undertaken at Chest Clinic between April 2018 and July 2018. Study patients were followed up for 2 months. Full blood count and liver function tests were recorded at base-line and at follow-up. Abnormalities were defined according to 2017 Department of AIDS Table for Grading the Severity of Adult and Paediatric Adverse Events. Data were analysed using SPSS version 22.0 Paired t-test and Wilcoxon matched - pairs signed rank test were used to compare parameters. Logistic regression was performed to determine factors that were predictive of abnormalities. A p< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
A total of 37 patients were involved in the study. 56.8% of patients were male. Mean age of patients was 36.2 years (19 – 57 years) while body mass index was 21.9 kg/m2. Only 37.8% of patients were sputum smear positive at baseline. 56.8% of patients had HIV co-infection. 45.9% of patients were on antiretroviral therapy.45.2% of patients had grade 1-3 aspartate transaminase derangements at follow-up compared to 29.7% at baseline. 5.4% of the patients had grade 1-3 alanine transaminase derangements at baseline while 9.7% of patients had grade 1 at follow-up. Fewer patients (16.1%) had grade 1-2 anaemia at follow-up while 62.2% of patients at baseline had grade 1-4 anaemia. More patients (46.2%) had platelet derangements at follow-up compared to 25.8% at baseline. Fewer patients had differential white cell count derangements at follow-up compared to baseline. Statistically significant differences in haematological parameters: haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit, red, and white cell, eosinophil and neutrophil counts at baseline and follow-up were found. However, no statistical significant differences in red cell indices were observed. Changes in alanine transaminase levels at baseline and follow-up were statistically significant. Logistic regression was performed to determine the effects of age, gender, body mass index, HIV infection, antiretroviral therapy, sputum smear status, and appropriate baseline full blood count/liver function test parameters on the likelihood of study patients having deranged haemoglobin concentration, white cell count and alanine transaminase at follow-up. Logistic regression models to predict deranged haemoglobin concentration and white cell count were statistically insignificant. None of the predictor variables were associated with likelihood of derangements in alanine transaminase.
Findings of this study show that haematological and hepatic adverse effects were relatively fewer at follow-up and were mostly grades 1-3 in severity. Antituberculous therapy is relatively safe for patients during the initial phase
Multi-Facility Economic Zones in Zambia: An Assessment of the Local Manufacturing Industry Readiness
Get PDFChina’s use of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to spur its remarkable economic development was seen as the way to go, particularly for developing economies. Zambia, like most African countries, has established these zones with the help of the Chinese. In Zambia, the zones are called Multi-Facility Economic Zones (MFEZs), and are to operate as platforms for industrial development and creating value chains in addition to the muchneeded jobs that they would create. Based on the Chinese experience and lessons, MFEZs are designed to be integrated into the domestic economy, as they are in China. It is envisaged that this approach would, through foreign direct investment (FDI), enhance the transfer to local industries the much-needed knowledge and technology, a prerequisite for modern industrialisation. If the MFEZs attract a critical mass of FDI, stimulate high value-added manufacturing activities, and generate productivity spillover, their impact on industrial development in Zambia would be dependent on the domestic linkages created and the technology transfer achieved, both of which are a function of the local manufacturing absorptive capacity. This paper reports on the results of a survey undertaken to assess whether the Zambian manufacturing firms had the capacity or "technological readiness" to adopt any spillover and/or absorb any technology transfer that takes place. The variables considered in this assessment were types of technologies and methods of production, manufacturing systems, and human resources development. The study established that there were low levels of advanced technologies, weaker innovative capacity and lower human capital (skills) threshold in local firms. To address these short-comings, recommendations in form of a two-pronged paradigm, involving the local manufacturing industry on one hand and Government on the other hand have been made
Factors Affecting the Main Contractor-Subcontractor Relationship in the Zambian Construction Industry
Get PDFIn recent years there has been a substantial number of projects conducted in the Zambian construction industry. Due to the magnitude and complexity of many of these projects, contractors have resorted to subcontracting to share responsibilities and mitigate project risks. The Zambian government has also invigorated the practice of subcontracting in the construction industry as it plays an imperative role in increasing economy viability and development of local contractors. Ministerial Statement on July 25, 2012 directed RDA to ensure minimum of 20 percent sub-contracting on all major road contracts to Zambian-Owned Companies. Instead of improving project success, subcontracting can act as a catalyst for poor project outcomes. Though there are many reasons that contribute to problems from subcontracting, a strained relationship between main contractors and subcontractors can be seen as a notorious contributor to poor project outcome. The study aimed at investigating the relationship between main contractors and subcontractors in Zambia, establish factors leading to interface problems and those factor that can help improve this relationship. Questionnaire survey was adopted in order to collect data and investigate the relationship. A total of 80 questionnaires were distributed. The questionnaires were distributed by hand and via email. Out of the targeted 80 respondents 56 responded, giving a response rate of 70 percent. The study established that the relationship between main contractors and subcontractors in Zambia needed to improve, as it was not in an effective state. Interface problems were caused by payment issues, poor communication, unexpected price escalations and poor construction work. In order to address interface problems, the study found that there was need for better communication between the parties, timely payments and subcontractors’ access to labour and machinery
Disposal of Used Fumigant Containers in Zambia
Get PDFFumigation involves the use of a highly toxic pesticide known as a fumigant, to kill target organisms under
airtight conditions. After fumigation, the residual containers left are classified as hazardous wastes. Such wastes
enter our environment owing to improper disposal of the containers and poses a huge threat to public health and
the environment. This study assessed the methods of disposal of fumigant containers practiced in Zambia and
the extent to which fumigators comply with Zambian environmental regulations.
Both qualitative and quantitative data collection approaches were used and purposive sampling helped in
establishing the fumigant package disposal sites. Data was collected from 15 districts along the line of rail,
from Livingstone to Chingola. Participants constituted 25 fumigators and 50 assistants conducting fumigation
in the 15 districts. Data from 25 questionnaires distributed to the fumigators was analyzed using the Statistical
Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20 alongside Excel 2010.
The findings revealed that 68 % always buried the fumigant containers in a 1-meter-deep pit. However,
through observations, 17 fumigators from the 15 districts disposed the containers on open surfaces despite
being aware of the environmental regulations. On the other hand, the Zambia Environmental Management
Agency visited only 48 % of fumigators’ premises. Only 21 % of fumigators were compliant with the law in
their disposal methods while the remaining 79 % were non-compliant. Though fumigators were trained before
engaging in fumigation activities, they took little useful action for safe disposal of fumigant containers. Findings
in this study require immediate enactment laws that will help abolish unsafe disposal of fumigant containers in
Zambia. Further, trained fumigators and not their assistants should conduct disposal of fumigant containers. The
Zambia Environmental Management Agency should intensify their inspections combined with law enforcement
and standard fumigant disposal protocols must be devised and made available to the fumigators
Challenges of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Testing in Resource Limited Settings: A Case of Zambia
Get PDFThe global spread of the virus has overwhelmed health systems, and caused widespread social and economic disruption especially in most African countries including Zambia. A review of covid-19 in Africa shows that, inadequate spike in covid-19 has reduced government budgets, leading to underfunded health care , poor governance, significant public debt rises, and large infrastructure gaps. Considering Africa 's weak health systems and its lack of physicians, health care workers, medications and medical supplies, infections with covid-19 are likely to increase, and will mostly lead to unreported humanitarian crisis[2].The covid-19 pandemic has had a huge toll on individuals, families, communities, and societies across the world. People’s daily lives have been profoundly changed, economies have fallen into recession, and many of the traditional social, economic, and public healt
Insights on COVID-19 and Disability: A Review of the Consideration of People with Disability in Communicating the Disease Profile and Interventions
Get PDFIn the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, governments and other key agencies have the responsibility of mainstreaming disability inclusion into pandemic responses to ensure that the rights and wellbeing of persons living with disabilities are safeguarded. While engaging with communities and larger populations in the response to COVID-19, it is important to understand the needs of specific groups that might experience barriers to accessing information, care and support or be at higher risk of exposure and secondary impact, such as children and adults with disabilities, who make up an estimated 15% of the population and are often invisible and excluded. We searched MEDLINE, PubMed, Google, Google scholar and LILACS and reference lists of eligible studies published January 2000–July 2020, reporting on disability challenges and COVID-19 communications to people living with disability. Persons Living with Disabilities are most likely to experience high negative impact on their day-to-day life needs due to the economic downturn brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. There has to be deliberate undertaking to make COVID-19 related medical and quarantine policies and processes accessible and disability-inclusive. Apart from communicators of COVID-19 being inclusive in communicating the profile of the disease and interventions, there is a need to ensure that all pandemic responses are disability- inclusive, including through close consultation, meaningful participation and partnerships with persons with diverse disabilities
EXTENSION EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA: Issues, Problems and Possible Solutions
Get PDFThe desire to respond to the manpower shortage that hit the country at independence culminated into the provision of University Extension Education in Zambia. In order to produce the much-needed manpower to feed the labour market, the University of Zambia employed Resident Lecturers in all the provincial centres. Their role was that of implementing University Education to the community. However, some issues surrounding the policy and execution of University Extension Education have resulted into problems and challenges in its provision and achievements. Some of these issues concern the management style, financing, infrastructure, admission requirements and user fees. The major problems that have resulted from such issues include access and equity, imbalances across fields of study, accessibility and user-friendliness of administrative systems, lack of human resource, lack of teaching and learning materials, poor communication and low participation levels. Some of the recommendations that have been made in this article as a solution to these problems include lowering the user fees, paying tutors attractive allowances, designing courses based on the needs of a particular community and building permanent structures for extension education and of university standard
Personal Name Trends in Independent Zambia: A Reflection on the Fluidity of Living Heritage
Get PDFPersonal name usage in Zambia, as is common elsewhere, has undergone changes –
reflecting the overall cultural and historical changes in the nation. This article identifies the
changes which took place in personal naming patterns in Zambia since independence and
discusses the wider socio-cultural and political factors which caused the changes in personal
naming patterns in independent Zambia. The period after independence in 1964 represents
a complex of various interacting histories of the nation, which have significantly impacted
naming patterns. These include, transitions from mandatory requirement for adherents
of the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian organisations to adopt baptismal
names of European saints and enforcement, by school authorities, of usage of European
first names by indigenous Northern Rhodesians during British colonial domination, to
freedom to choose first names following political independence. Further developments
include the closer mingling of local tribes/languages, the rise of charismatic churches, and
Islam, among others. The methodology includes quantitative text analysis of the publicly
available comprehensive University of Zambia (UNZA) graduate directory which contains
names of all the institution’s graduates for the fifty-year period from its foundation in 1966
to 2016. This work samples 2504 names extracted from the graduate directory between
1976 and 2016 in ten-year-intervals as follows: 1976, 1986, 1996, 2006 and 2016. The
highest institution of learning in Zambia is located in the capital, Lusaka. UNZA students
are drawn from multi-ethnic backgrounds, mostly featuring Zambian language groups. The
period under consideration includes both people who were born/named before and after
independence. Other methods used in the context of the wider thesis were ethnographic
field interviews with 23 respondents in Chongwe, Kafue and Lusaka districts, and personal
communication with seven others by electronic means. Among the field respondents, four
were aged between their mid-60s and 73, while the rest were of varying ages between 20 and
52. The purposive selection criteria for the four elderly participants included age – those
who had some experience of life under British colonial rule. The other group was randomly
selected, observing balance in gender, socio-economic status and political views. The study
confirms an increase in the usage of first names drawn from local languages. Over the study
period, usage of indigenous Zambian personal names increased from 7.9 per cent to 31.6 per
cent. The study also shows different generic patterns of first name usage among the different
ethnic groups
The Robotic Man by Habit: An Existential Analysis of Albert Camus’ The Misunderstanding
Get PDFHuman existence is essentially characterised by habit. It is habit that
carries us most of the times, from one day to another as our daily activities
are mostly routine in nature. As Albert Camus (1942) notes, most of our
daily activities are commanded by habit. This is why Camus compares the
human condition to that of Sisyphus. Camus submits that like Sisyphus, the
same rhythm carries us from one day to another and this makes our actions
automatic, if not robotic. Furthermore, Camus notes that habit usually
leads to monotony, boredom and meaninglessness of our actions. This is
what he refers to as the absurdity of human existence; a feeling of futility we
may experience when we become aware of the repetitiveness of our routines
and rituals (Craig, 2005); grosso modo, a lack of fundamental meaning
in life. In this paper, our analysis of Camus’ play, ‘The Misunderstanding’
(1943) is hinged upon Sartre’s existentialism, which has close affinities with
Camus’ philosophical concept of the absurd. In ‘Being and Nothingness’
(1943), Sartre submits that the problem of being is the most important
phenomenological problem. According to Sartre, there are essentially, two
modes of existence; Being-in-itself and Being-for-itself. Being-in-itself is
the type of being that objects in this world have; for example, Being-foritself is the being of human beings. In this article, we have submitted that
habit robotises the characters in Camus’ play in that it (habit) transforms
them into Being-in-itself whose existence is passive and absurd