21 research outputs found
An examination of the adoption and implementation of human centred approaches in Malawi's conservation policies and regulatory frameworks
No full textEThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
Born with Voice
No full textBorn with Voice examines the psyche and scrape of the victims of various crimes, especially sexual discrimination-cum-exploitation, rape, and the killing of people with albinism. The author digs deeper into the hearts and minds, and plights of victims to inspire the society to stand with, and support them. The book offers some nuggets such as, understanding the phenomenon, confronting it and stopping wars that cause sufferings such as rape and death. It champions the urgency of voice for all and sundry. It challenges the industries of technologies of crime and violence to rise above selfish self-interest in the interest of human rights and voicing the voiceless victims of their greed
Born Nude
No full textBorn Nude is philosophical poetry that explores myriad themes, from equality to humility and environmental consciousness. It is divided into chapters that pinpoint specific areas of interest. The author delves into human weaknesses and strengths based on nature and nurture. He invites the reader to contemplate the ephemeral nature of all things material, and how to nurture oneself into a higher order and loyalty of being human. The volume's satirical tone is critical of the destructive sterility of zero-sum games of superiority and dominance. It treats as anathema exploitation based on contrived hierarchies of gender, geography, politics and the geopolitik of the modern world
Jokey Horse-Jockey North-South Rapport : Diagnostic-cum-Prognostic-Academic Perspectives on Who Truly Depends on Whom
No full textNo doubt. North-South relationship involving poor and rich countries is very convoluted; based and built on exploitative, unequal and unfair equilibria. It is purely jockey-horse-like connubium that serves one party as it disserves the other. This is why deconstructing and detoxifying this relationship is sine qua non. The author argues that the parties in this relationship must revisit it to make sure it equally benefits both for the benefit of the whole world. Importantly, the major question posed is: Why did the two global halves maintain and tolerate such toxic rapport while knowingly it is but colonial and unjust? The question is answered in this academic treatise which asks the parties to hark back; and thereby do justice to each other by viewing themselves as humans with shared needs and future whose lesson from the past may buttress them to be major thespians in realising world peace. This is because their parasitic relationship has fueled many conflicts revolving around the struggle for controlling resources in the South in order to sell to the North
The role of Plasmodium falciparum var genes in malaria in pregnancy
No full textSequestration of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes in the placenta is responsible for many of the harmful effects of malaria during pregnancy. Sequestration occurs as a result of parasite adhesion molecules expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes binding to host receptors in the placenta such as chondroitin sulphate A (CSA). Identification of the parasite ligand(s) responsible for placental adhesion could lead to the development of a vaccine to induce antibodies to prevent placental sequestration. Such a vaccine would reduce the maternal anaemia and infant deaths that are associated with malaria in pregnancy. Current research indicates that the parasite ligands mediating placental adhesion may be members of the P. falciparum variant surface antigen family PfEMP1, encoded by var genes. Two relatively well-conserved subfamilies of var genes have been implicated in placental adhesion, however, their role remains controversial. This review examines the evidence for and against the involvement of var genes in placental adhesion, and considers whether the most appropriate vaccine candidates have yet been identified
A demographics data exchange for continuity of care: Is it feasible in low-resource settings?
No full textPrison facilities were not built with a woman in mind’: An exploratory multi-stakeholder study on women’s situation in Malawi prisons
No full textSub-Saharan African prisons have seen a substantial increase in women prisoners, including those incarcerated with children. There is very little strategic literature available on the health situation and needs of women prisoners and their circumstantial children in Malawi. A qualitative exploratory study using in depth key informant interviews (KII) with senior correctional stakeholders (commissioner of prison farms, senior correctional management staff, senior health officials, and senior officers in charge) (n=5); and focus group discussions (FGD) with women in prison aged between 18 and 45 years (n=23), and two FGD with correctional staff (n=21) was conducted in two prisons in Malawi, Chichiri and Zomba. Narratives were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Three key themes emerged: ‘Hygiene and sanitary situation across multiple prison levels and subsequent health implications for women’; ‘Nutritional provision and diets of women and children in prison’ and ‘Women’s access to prison-based and external health services’ Divergence or agreement across perspectives around sanitation and disease prevention, adequacy of nutrition for pregnant or breast feeding women, health status and access to prison based health care are presented. Garnering a contemporary understanding of women’s situation and their healthcare needs in Malawian prisons can inform policy and correctional health practice change, the adaptation of technical guidance and improve standards for women and their children incarcerated in Malawi. There is a strong need for continued research to garner insight into the experiences of women prisoners and their children, with a particular emphasis on health situation
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In order to protect our mothers, we need to prioritize our nurses and midwives
No full textAim: To investigate working conditions and experiences of nurses and midwives in a rural district in southern Malawi, a place where nurse-midwives are at the frontlines of maternal care. Methods: Two focus group interviews were conducted with nurses and midwives (N = 20) in March 2018. Interviews were conducted in person, audio-recorded, and transcribed in Word. Themes were developed during hand-coding by a member of the research team and analyzed in a framework table. All documents were kept on a password protected computer with access limited to the first author and one other member of the team. All participants provided both verbal and written consent prior to the interviews. Results: The major theme that emerged from the group interviews was primarily resource challenges; specifically staffing shortages, poor infrastructure, and lack of essential birthing supplies. Conclusions: The findings suggest that without the tools to do their job in a safe working environment, nurses and midwives may leave nursing and midwifery to pursue alternative careers if they cannot provide safe and comprehensive care. While this problem had been identified in other studies, a dedicated effort to remedy such challenges is necessary at the district and national level
Efficacy and safety of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine during 18 months after vaccination : a phase 3 randomized, controlled trial in children and young infants at 11 African sites
No full textA malaria vaccine could be an important addition to current control strategies. We report the safety and vaccine efficacy (VE) of the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine during 18 mo following vaccination at 11 African sites with varying malaria transmission.; 6,537 infants aged 6-12 wk and 8,923 children aged 5-17 mo were randomized to receive three doses of RTS,S/AS01 or comparator vaccine. VE against clinical malaria in children during the 18 mo after vaccine dose 3 (per protocol) was 46% (95% CI 42% to 50%) (range 40% to 77%; VE, p>0.01 across all sites). VE during the 20 mo after vaccine dose 1 (intention to treat [ITT]) was 45% (95% CI 41% to 49%). VE against severe malaria, malaria hospitalization, and all-cause hospitalization was 34% (95% CI 15% to 48%), 41% (95% CI 30% to 50%), and 19% (95% CI 11% to 27%), respectively (ITT). VE against clinical malaria in infants was 27% (95% CI 20% to 32%, per protocol; 27% [95% CI 21% to 33%], ITT), with no significant protection against severe malaria, malaria hospitalization, or all-cause hospitalization. Post-vaccination anti-circumsporozoite antibody geometric mean titer varied from 348 to 787 EU/ml across sites in children and from 117 to 335 EU/ml in infants (per protocol). VE waned over time in both age categories (Schoenfeld residuals p>0.001). The number of clinical and severe malaria cases averted per 1,000 children vaccinated ranged across sites from 37 to 2,365 and from -1 to 49, respectively; corresponding ranges among infants were -10 to 1,402 and -13 to 37, respectively (ITT). Meningitis was reported as a serious adverse event in 16/5,949 and 1/2,974 children and in 9/4,358 and 3/2,179 infants in the RTS,S/AS01 and control groups, respectively.; RTS,S/AS01 prevented many cases of clinical and severe malaria over the 18 mo after vaccine dose 3, with the highest impact in areas with the greatest malaria incidence. VE was higher in children than in infants, but even at modest levels of VE, the number of malaria cases averted was substantial. RTS,S/AS01 could be an important addition to current malaria control in Africa
Acute rotavirus infection is associated with the induction of circulating memory CD4+ T cell subsets
No full textAbstract Strong CD4+ T cell-mediated immune protection following rotavirus infection has been observed in animal models, but its relevance in humans remains unclear. Here, we characterized acute and convalescent CD4+ T cell responses in children who were hospitalized with rotavirus-positive and rotavirus-negative diarrhoea in Blantyre, Malawi. Children presenting with laboratory-confirmed rotavirus infection had higher proportions of effector and central memory T helper 2 cells during acute infection i.e., at disease presentation compared to convalescence, 28 days post-infection defined by a follow-up 28 days after acute infection. However, circulating cytokine-producing (IFN-γ and/or TNF-α) rotavirus-specific VP6-specific CD4+ T cells were rarely detectable in children with rotavirus infection at both acute and convalescent stages. Moreover, following whole blood mitogenic stimulation, the responding CD4+ T cells were predominantly non-cytokine producers of IFN-γ and/or TNF-α. Our findings demonstrate limited induction of anti-viral IFN-γ and/or TNF-α-producing CD4+ T cells in rotavirus-vaccinated Malawian children following the development of laboratory-confirmed rotavirus infection
