144 research outputs found
Feminismos originarios o Mwenkanonkano en Uganda: Voces indígenas en la novela The First Woman de Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the novel The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi in the context of indigenous feminism(s). In the narrative, the protagonist discovers “the original state” of women according to the story she hears from the town witch, Nsuuta: before patriarchy, women were free like bodies of water, shapeless, inconstant, untamed. This original state has been suppressed by centuries of male dominance, but mwenkanonkano (the name the author gives to local feminism) is present in the life of many women who defy discrimination every day with their mere existence and the way they conduct their life. Nsuuta, by orally rendering the myths surrounding womanhood and passing them on to Kirabo, is writing (hi)story, legitimating it in their Ugandan context. Therefore, I argue that Makumbi conveys the need of an intersectional feminism which takes into consideration the life experiences of those women who are (and were) speaking up from their (un)comfortable homes. The author proves how significant these overlooked testimonies are since they are powerful examples of female survival in a society dominated by two intertwined forces: phallocracy and colonialism.El objetivo del presente artículo es analizar la novela The First Woman escrita por Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, en el contexto de los feminismos indígenas. En ella, la protagonista descubre el “estado original” de las mujeres que le relata Nsuuta, la bruja de la aldea. Antes del patriarcado, las mujeres eran libres como cuerpos acuáticos, sin forma, inconstantes y sin domesticar. Este estado original ha sido suprimido debido a los siglos de dominación masculina, pero el mwenkanonkano (la forma en que la autora nombra al feminismo local) está presente en la vida de muchas mujeres que desafían la discriminación a diario con su mera existencia y la forma en la que viven sus vidas. Nsuuta, representando oralmente los mitos que rodean a la feminidad y pasando el testigo de estas historias a Kirabo, las rescribe y legitimiza en su contexto, Uganda. De esta forma, concluyo que Makumbi verbaliza la necesidad de un feminismo interseccional que tome en consideración las experiencias vitales de aquellas mujeres que estaban y están alzando la voz desde la (in)comodidad de sus hogares. La autora demuestra lo esenciales que son estos testimonios que se han subestimado, ya que son ejemplos poderosos de supervivencia femenina en una sociedad dominada por dos fuerzas entrelazadas: la falocracia y el colonialismo
Yield stability and mega environment analysis based on the performance of quality protein maize in Sub-Saharan Africa
No full textEnglish: Quality protein maize (QPM) which is nutritionally enhanced, has the potential to alleviate malnutrition and related diseases in communities where maize is a dietary staple and often the only source of proteins. The wide dissemination and utilisation of QPM in Africa depends on the competitiveness of cultivars for grain yield and other agronomic traits compared to normal maize. This study was conducted to (i) evaluate the grain yield performance and stability of newly developed early maturing QPM hybrids under stress and non-stress environments of ESA (ii) analyse mega-environments of SSA based on the primary and secondary traits of QPM (iii) asses the adaptation pattern of QPM in SSA based on multivariate analysis techniques (iv) identify and recommend best performing and widely adapted early maturing open pollinated QPM varieties for large scale production in the region and (v) enhance the role of QPM in combating protein energy malnutrition and attendant diseases in SSA. The result of the evaluation of 96 single cross hybrids (95 QPM and one normal maize) for grain yield and stability showed that the candidate varieties out yielded the normal check based on combined ANOVA across 15 environments. Nine parametric and non-parametric measures were used to analyse grain yield stability. The parameters ranked the entries differently mainly due to the inclusion of extreme (stress) environments in the analysis and the less stable nature of single cross hybrids. Most of the stability parameters were significantly and positively correlated. AMMI and GGE biplots were effective for the analysis of the multi environment data set. The models were used to identify stable genotypes, discriminating environments and adaptation patterns of the entries in ESA. Entries 40 and 37 were the highest yielding while entry 60 was the most stable. The optimum environments in Harare, Zimbabwe were the most discriminating and representative. Mega-environment analysis using the GGE biplot grouped the environments into four groups, with each having more than one site except Chisumbanje, Zimbabwe which was identified as a separate mega-environment. AMMI2 explained 60% of the G x E interaction which was higher than the GGE2 (50%) which in turn was higher than the AMMI1 (35.73%) model. The GGE biplot options allow better visualisation of the complex multi-environment data than the AMMI model. Candidate QPM OPVs out yielded the normal maize commercial variety, Katumani in 37 environments of ECA based on two sets of trials conducted during 2006-2008. However, Katumani was earliest maturing in all the environments. The environments were grouped into different mega-environments based on grain yield and days to anthesis. The classification of environments into similar mega-environments will facilitate germplasm exchange among environments and will assist the large scale production of QPM in similar environments. It was found that recycling of QPM OPVs for more than three years or seasons will result in significant yield reduction. Hence, seeds should be renewed after three generations of recycling. Although this study should significantly contribute to the role of QPM in reducing malnutrition and related diseases in SSA through best performing genotypes, the fast-track deployment of QPM in the region, however, depends upon the presence of a functional maize seed system. A viable maize seed system will improve access and availability of QPM seeds, particularly OPV seeds, to resource poor farmers who are the most vulnerable to food and nutritional insecurity. Future research can also deal with the effect of diverse growing conditions of SSA on the nutritional quality of QPM and how farmers can maintain the seed and protein quality of OPVs.Afrikaans: Kwaliteit proteïen mielies (QPM) wat verhoogde voedingswaarde het, het die potensiaal om wanvoeding en verwante siektes in gemeenskappe uit te wis waar mielies die stapel voedsel en dikwels die enigse bron van proteïen is. Die wye verspreiding en gebruik van QPM in Afrika hang af van hoe kompeterend QPM is in terme van opbrengs en ander agronomiese eienskappe teenoor gewone mielies. Hierdie studie is gedoen om (i) graanopbrengs en stabiliteit van nuut ontwikkelde vroeg ryp QPM basters onder stremmings en optimale toestande in oostelike en suidelike Afrika te bepaal (ii) om mega-omgewings van SSA te bepaal vanaf primêre en sekondêre eienskappe van QPM (iii) om die aanpassingspatrone van QPM in sub Sahara Afrika (SSA) te bepaal volgens multivariaat analise tegnieke (iv) om die bes produserende en aangepaste oop bestuifde QPM variëteite te identifiseer vir grootskaalse produksie in die area en (v) om die rol van QPM in die stryd teen proteïen wanvoeding en verwante siektes in SSA te vergroot.
Die evaluasie van 96 enkelkruis basters (95 QPM en een normale baster) vir graanopbrengs het getoon dat die kandidaat variëteite hoër opbrengs as die normale baster gehad het in die ANOVA van 15 omgewings. Nege parametriese en nie-parametriese stabiliteitsmetings is gebruik om stabiliteit te bepaal. Die parameters het die inskrywings in verskillende volgordes geplaas hoofsaaklike a.g.v. die insluiting van ekstreme (stres) omgewings in die analise en die onstabiele karakter van enkelkruis basters. Meeste van die stabiliteitsparameters was betekenisvol positief gekorreleer.
AMMI en GGE modelle was effektief vir die analise van die multi-omgewing datastel. Die
modelle is gebruik om stabiele genotipes, diskriminerende omgewings en aanpassingspatrone van die inskrywings in oostelike en suidelike Afrika te bepaal. Inskrywings 40 en 37 het die hoogste opbrengs gegee, en inskrywing 60 was die mees stabiel. Die optimum omgewings by Harare-Zimbabwe was die mees diskriminerend en verteenwoordigend. Mega-omgewing analise met die GGE model het die omgewings in vier verdeel, elk met meer as een lokaliteit, behalwe Chisumbanje, Zimbabwe wat as ‘n aparte mega-omgewing gekategoriseer is. AMMI2 het 60% van die G x E interaksie verklaar wat hoër was as GGE2 (50%) wat weer hoër was as die AMMI1 (35.73%) model. Die GGE biplot opsie laat beter visualisering van komplekse multi-omgewing data toe as die AMMI model. Kandidaat QPM OPVs het hoër opbrengste gehad as die gewone kommersiële mielie variëteit, Katumani in 37 omgewings in oostelike en sentraal Afrika, gebasseer op twee stelle proewe wat uitgevoer is in 2006-2008. Katumani was egter die vroegste ryp in al die omgewings. Die omgewings is gegroepeer in verskillende mega-omgewings gebasseer op graanopbrengs en dae tot blom. Die klassifikasie van omgewings in soortgelyke megaomgewings sal kiemplasma uitruiling tussen omgewings fasiliteer en sal bydra tot grootskaalse produksie van QPM in soortgelyke omgewings. Daar is gevind dat die hersirkulering van QPM OPVs vir meer as drie jaar of seisoene betekenisvolle afname in opbrengs sal veroorsaak. Daarom moet saad met vars saad vervang word teen die vierde generasie. Alhoewel hierdie studie betekenisvol behoort by te dra tot die rol van QPM om verminderde wanvoeding en verwante siektes in SSA te weeg te bring deur beter presterende QPM genotipes vry te stel, sal die vinnige verspreiding van QPM in die streek afhang van ‘n funksionele mieliesaad sisteem. ‘n Lewensvatbare saadsisteem sal toegang en beskikbaarheid van QPM saad, veral OPV saad, vir hulpbronarm boere verhoog wat die mees sensitief is vir voedsel en voedings insekuriteit. Die verbetering van die sisteem waar verbeterde QPM variëteite miljoene boere in SSA kan bereik, is noodsaaklik. Toekomstige navorsing kan ook kyk na die effek van diverse produksietoestande in SSA op voedingswaarde van QPM en hoe boere saad en proteïen kwaliteit van OPVs kan onderhou
Original Feminsims Or Mwenkanonkano In Uganda: Indigenous Voices In Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi’s The First Woman
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the novel The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi in the context of indigenous feminism(s). In the narrative, the protagonist discovers “the original state” of women according to the story she hears from the town witch, Nsuuta: before patriarchy, women were free like bodies of water, shapeless, inconstant, untamed. This original state has been suppressed by centuries of male dominance, but mwenkanonkano (the name the author gives to local feminism) is present in the life of many women who defy discrimination every day with their mere existence and the way they conduct their life. Nsuuta, by orally rendering the myths surrounding womanhood and passing them on to Kirabo, is writing (hi)story, legitimating it in their Ugandan context. Therefore, I argue that Makumbi conveys the need of an intersectional feminism which takes into consideration the life experiences of those women who are (and were) speaking up from their (un)comfortable homes. The author proves how significant these overlooked testimonies are since they are powerful examples of female survival in a society dominated by two intertwined forces: phallocracy and colonialism
"After my husband's circumcision, I know that I am safe from diseases": Women's Attitudes and Risk Perceptions Towards Male Circumcision in Iringa, Tanzania.
No full textWhile male circumcision reduces the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission and certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs), there is little evidence that circumcision provides women with direct protection against HIV. This study used qualitative methods to assess women's perceptions of male circumcision in Iringa, Tanzania. Women in this study had strong preferences for circumcised men because of the low risk perception of HIV with circumcised men, social norms favoring circumcised men, and perceived increased sexual desirability of circumcised men. The health benefits of male circumcision were generally overstated; many respondents falsely believed that women are also directly protected against HIV and that the risk of all STIs is greatly reduced or eliminated in circumcised men. Efforts to engage women about the risks and limitations of male circumcision, in addition to the benefits, should be expanded so that women can accurately assess their risk of HIV or STIs during sexual intercourse with circumcised men
Emerg Infect Dis
No full textIn September 2014, a single fatal case of Marburg virus was identified in a healthcare worker in Kampala, Uganda. The source of infection was not identified, and no secondary cases were identified. We describe the rapid identification, laboratory diagnosis, and case investigation of the third Marburg virus outbreak in Uganda
BMC Infect Dis
No full textBackgroundOn 28 March, 2016, the Ministry of Health received a report on three deaths from an unknown disease characterized by fever, jaundice, and hemorrhage which occurred within a one-month period in the same family in central Uganda. We started an investigation to determine its nature and scope, identify risk factors, and to recommend eventually control measures for future prevention.MethodsWe defined a probable case as onset of unexplained fever plus 651 of the following unexplained symptoms: jaundice, unexplained bleeding, or liver function abnormalities. A confirmed case was a probable case with IgM or PCR positivity for yellow fever. We reviewed medical records and conducted active community case-finding. In a case-control study, we compared risk factors between case-patients and asymptomatic control-persons, frequency-matched by age, sex, and village. We used multivariate conditional logistic regression to evaluate risk factors. We also conducted entomological studies and environmental assessments.ResultsFrom February to May, we identified 42 case-persons (35 probable and seven confirmed), of whom 14 (33%) died. The attack rate (AR) was 2.6/100,000 for all affected districts, and highest in Masaka District (AR\u2009=\u20096.0/100,000). Men (AR\u2009=\u20094.0/100,000) were more affected than women (AR\u2009=\u20091.1/100,000) (p\ua0=\u20090.00016). Persons aged 30\u201339\ua0years (AR\u2009=\u200914/100,000) were the most affected. Only 32 case-patients and 128 controls were used in the case control study. Twenty three case-persons (72%) and 32 control-persons (25%) farmed in swampy areas (ORadj\ua0=\u20097.5; 95%CI\u2009=\u20092.3\u201324); 20 case-patients (63%) and 32 control-persons (25%) who farmed reported presence of monkeys in agriculture fields (ORadj\ua0=\u20093.1, 95%CI\u2009=\u20091.1\u20138.6); and 20 case-patients (63%) and 35 control-persons (27%) farmed in forest areas (ORadj\ua0=\u20093.2; 95%CI\u2009=\u20090.93\u201311). No study participants reported yellow fever vaccination. Sylvatic monkeys and Aedes mosquitoes were identified in the nearby forest areas.ConclusionThis yellow fever outbreak was likely sylvatic and transmitted to a susceptible population probably by mosquito bites during farming in forest and swampy areas. A reactive vaccination campaign was conducted in the affected districts after the outbreak. We recommended introduction of yellow fever vaccine into the routine Uganda National Expanded Program on Immunization and enhanced yellow fever surveillance.20182018-11-03T00:00:00Z001/World Health Organization/InternationalGH001353-01/President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cooperative Agreement number GH001353-01 through Makerere University School of Public Health to the Uganda Public Health Fellowship Program, MoH/30390621PMC62156071060
Yellow fever vaccination coverage following massive emergency immunization campaigns in rural Uganda, May 2011: a community cluster survey
No full textA Qualitative Analysis of Vaccine Safety Perceptions and Concerns Among Caretakers in Uganda
No full textHigh accuracy of home-based community rapid HIV testing in rural Malawi.
No full textOBJECTIVE: To assess the performance of rapid HIV antibody tests when used as part of a home-based community wide counseling and testing strategy in northern Malawi. DESIGN: A cross-sectional population survey of HIV infection, 2007 to 2008. METHODS: Adults aged 15 years or older in a demographic surveillance area were counseled and then offered an HIV test at their home by government-certified counselors. Two initial rapid tests (Determine and Uni-Gold) were performed on all samples and a third, tie-breaker test (SD Bioline) used to resolve discordant results. All people who wanted to know were posttest-counseled and informed of their results with referral to local clinical services if found to be HIV-positive. Laboratory quality control comprised retesting all positive and every tenth negative venous blood sample collected. RESULTS: A total of 10,819 adults provided venous blood samples for HIV testing, of whom 7.5% (813) were HIV-positive. The accuracy of the parallel testing strategy used was high with 99.6% sensitivity, 100.0% specificity, 99.9% positive predictive value, and 99.9% negative predictive value. CONCLUSION: Face-to-face rapid testing by health personnel with minimum training at the client's home performs well when used on a wide scale in the community setting
Transmutation and Temporality: Shifting Figures of African Women in Jennifer Makumbi’s Historical Novel Kintu (2014)
No full textThe role of African women writers in employing the unique style of presenting several generations of women characters in the same historical novel to narrate how the world of women has been transformed across time cannot be naysaid. Through this style, female authors have been able to re-examine, re-construct, re-structure and re-invent the (mis)representation of female gender as construed by male authors who were the first to acquire formal education and embark in creative writing. Thus the choice of this distinctive style often serves as an important marker of backdating the true depiction of women across the historical trajectory as well as demonstrating the gainful transmutation that women have gone through towards their liberation from the chains of patriarchy. Among the African women writers who have adopted this style is Jeniffer Makumbi the author of Kintu. Grounded in both New historicist and feminist theoretical frameworks, we interrogate how women have gradually and gainfully changed towards liberation across the four epochs specific to Africa; namely: Pre-colonial, Colonial, postcolonial and contemporary. Using purposively selected Jenniffer Makumbi’s novel – Kintu – the article provides a textual analysis of the behaviours, speeches and actions exhibited by different generations of female characters who fall within the aforementioned epochs to demonstrate their historical transmutation towards liberation
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