38 research outputs found
The Impact of the Financial Crisis on the Tourism industry : The case study of Tanzania.
No full textTitle: The Impact of the Financial Crisis on the Tourism industry: The case study of Tanzania. Author: Beda Fabian Lyimo Supervisor: Anders Hederstierna Department: School of Management, Blekinge Institute of Technology Course: Master’s thesis in business administration, 15credits (ECTS) Background and Problem Discussion: The tourism industry has been considered to be an important sector in Tanzania for many years whereby it has strong positive effects on the economic development of the country. The positive impact of tourism on the host country is in areas such as foreign exchange earnings, employment opportunities, poverty elimination, provision of social services and improvement of the infrastructure. However the current worldwide top agenda of the financial crisis has weakened the above efforts of the tourism industry towards the economic development of Tanzania. Therefore it is the researcher’s belief that there is a need to conduct an in depth study to scrutinize the impact of the financial crisis on the tourism industry in Tanzania. Purpose: This study will provide an insight into the tourism industry on how the current recession affects this sector. This might help to create sufficient and sustainable measures on how to hedge against the crisis within the sector so as to boost the economic development of Tanzania. Method: The researcher conducted an empirical study by using both secondary and primary source of data from the tourism authorities as well as stakeholders in general. For the primary data the main instrument used was telephone interviews with the tourism officials in Tanzania while questionnaires were added to explore both domestic and international tourists’ views on the financial crisis on the tourism industry. Both interview questions and questionnaires were designed using a semi-structured approach. Theory: The researcher explored theories which link tourism and economic development as there were no direct specific theories on tourism. Analysis: The analysis of the research findings was undertaken by using a qualitative approach to the data analysis whereby the impacts of the financial crisis on the tourism industry in Tanzania were discussed in depth. Conclusion: The analysis showed that there are impacts of the financial crisis on the tourism industry in Tanzania. The analysis also showed that there are measures suggested to mitigate the situation however there is still a problem as most of these measures are not yet effectively implemented which could delay its significance, therefore the tourism sector could lose its potential to boost the economic development of Tanzania. Due to these reasons the researcher provided recommendations and suggested areas for further research to enable an in depth study in the future.Beda Fabian Lyimo 59 Putney Road Handsworth Birmingham UK land:+44 121 5152 305 cell :+44 781 3192 13
An Estimation of the Entomological Inoculation Rate for Ifakara: A Semi-Urban Area in a Region of Intense Malaria Transmission in Tanzania.
Get PDFAn entomological study on vectors of malaria and their relative contribution to Plasmodium falciparum transmission in the semi-urban area of Ifakara, south-eastern Tanzania, was conducted. A total of 32 houses were randomly sampled from the area and light trap catches (LTC) performed in one room in each house every 2 weeks for 1 year. A total of 147 448 mosquitoes were caught from 789 LTC; 26 134 Anopheles gambiae s.l., 615 A. funestus, 718 other anophelines and 119 981 culicines. More than 60% of the total A. gambiae s.l. were found in five (0.6%) LTCs, with a maximum of 5889 caught in a single trap. Of 505 A. gambiae s.l. speciated by polymerase chain reaction, 91.5% were found to be A. arabiensis. Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests were performed on 10 108 anopheles mosquitoes and 39 (0.38%) were positive. Entomological inoculation rate (EIR) estimates were generated using a standard method and an alternative method that allows the calculation of confidence intervals based on a negative binomial distribution of sporozoite positive mosquitoes. Overall EIR estimates were similar; 31 vs. 29 [95% confidence interval (CI): 19, 44] infectious bites per annum, respectively. The EIR ranged from 4 (95% CI: 1, 17) in the cool season to 108 (95% CI: 69, 170) in the wet season and from 54 (95% CI: 30, 97) in the east of the town to 15 (95% CI: 8, 30) in the town centre. These estimates show large variations over short distances in time and space. They are all markedly lower than those reported from nearby rural areas and for other parts of Tanzania
Creating an "enabling environment" for taking insecticide treated nets to national scale: the Tanzanian experience.
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Malaria is the largest cause of health services attendance, hospital admissions and child deaths in Tanzania. At the Abuja Summit in April 2000 Tanzania committed itself to protect 60% of its population at high risk of malaria by 2005. The country is, therefore, determined to ensure that sustainable malaria control using insecticide-treated nets is carried out on a national scale. CASE DESCRIPTION: Tanzania has been involved for two decades in the research process for developing insecticide-treated nets as a malaria control tool, from testing insecticides and net types, to assessing their efficacy and effectiveness, and exploring new ways of distribution. Since 2000, the emphasis has changed from a project approach to that of a concerted multi-stakeholder action for taking insecticide-treated nets to national scale (NATNETS). This means creating conditions that make insecticide-treated nets accessible and affordable to all those at risk of malaria in the country. This paper describes Tanzania's experience in (1) creating an enabling environment for insecticide-treated nets scale-up, (2) promoting the development of a commercial sector for insecticide-treated nets, and (3) targeting pregnant women with highly subsidized insecticide-treated nets through a national voucher scheme. As a result, nearly 2 million insecticide-treated nets and 2.2 million re-treatment kits were distributed in 2004. CONCLUSION: National upscaling of insecticide-treated nets is possible when the programme is well designed, coordinated and supported by committed stakeholders; the Abuja target of protecting 60% of those at high risk is feasible, even for large endemic countries
Species shifts in the Anopheles gambiae complex: do LLINs successfully control Anopheles arabiensis?
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: High coverage of conventional and long-lasting insecticide treated nets (ITNs and LLINs) in parts of E Africa are associated with reductions in local malaria burdens. Shifts in malaria vector species ratio have coincided with the scale-up suggesting that some species are being controlled by ITNs/LLINs better than others. METHODS: Between 2005-2006 six experimental hut trials of ITNs and LLINs were conducted in parallel at two field stations in northeastern Tanzania; the first station was in Lower Moshi Rice Irrigation Zone, an area where An. arabiensis predominates, and the second was in coastal Muheza, where An. gambiae and An. funestus predominate. Five pyrethroids and one carbamate insecticide were evaluated on nets in terms of insecticide-induced mortality, blood-feeding inhibition and exiting rates. RESULTS: In the experimental hut trials mortality of An. arabiensis was consistently lower than that of An. gambiae and An. funestus. The mortality rates in trials with pyrethroid-treated nets ranged from 25-52% for An. arabiensis, 63-88% for An. gambiae s.s. and 53-78% for An. funestus. All pyrethroid-treated nets provided considerable protection for the occupants, despite being deliberately holed, with blood-feeding inhibition (percentage reduction in biting rates) being consistent between species. Veranda exiting rates did not differ between species. Percentage mortality of mosquitoes tested in cone bioassays on netting was similar for An. gambiae and An. arabiensis. CONCLUSIONS: LLINs and ITNs treated with pyrethroids were more effective at killing An. gambiae and An. funestus than An. arabiensis. This could be a major contributing factor to the species shifts observed in East Africa following scale up of LLINs. With continued expansion of LLIN coverage in Africa An. arabiensis is likely to remain responsible for residual malaria transmission, and species shifts might be reported over larger areas. Supplementary control measures to LLINs may be necessary to control this vector species
The Changing Epidemiology of Malaria in Ifakara Town, Southern Tanzania.
Get PDFBetween 1995 and 2000 there were marked changes in the epidemiology of malaria in Ifakara, southern Tanzania. We documented these changes using parasitological and clinical data from a series of community- and hospital-based studies involving children up to the age of 5 years. There was a right shift and lowering in the age-specific parasite prevalence in the community-based cohort studies. The incidence of clinical malaria in placebo-receiving infants in additional study cohorts dropped from 0.8 in 1995 to 0.43 episodes per infant per year in 2000, an incidence rate ratio of 0.53 (95% confidence interval: 0.404, 0.70, P<0.0001). At the same time, there was an increase in the total number of malaria admissions and a marked right shift in the age pattern of these admissions (median age in 1995 1.55 years vs. 2.33 in 2000, P<0.0001). However, the burden of malaria deaths remained in infants. We discuss how these dramatic changes in the epidemiology of malaria may have arisen from the use of currently available malaria control tools. Caution is required in the interpretation of hospital-based data as it is likely to underestimate the impact of anaemia on mortality in the community, where most paediatric deaths occur. Even in low/moderate malaria transmission settings, where older children suffer most malaria episodes, targeting effective malaria control at infants may produce important reductions in infant mortality caused by malaria
Evaluating preservation methods for identifying Anopheles gambiae s.s. and Anopheles arabiensis complex mosquitoes species using near infra-red spectroscopy.
Get PDFBACKGROUND: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been successfully used on fresh and RNAlater-preserved members of the Anopheles gambiae complex to identify sibling species and age. No preservation methods other than using RNAlater have been tested to preserve mosquitoes for species identification using NIRS. However, RNAlater is not the most practical preservative for field settings because it is expensive, requires basic laboratory conditions for storage and is not widely available in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to test several cheaper and more field-friendly preservation methods for identifying sibling species of the An. gambiae complex using NIRS. METHODS: In this study we describe the use of NIRS to identify sibling species of preserved An. gambiae s. s. and An. arabiensis. Mosquitoes of each species were placed in sample tubes and preserved using one of the following preservation methods: (i) refrigeration at 4°C, (ii) freezing at -20°C, (iii) drying over a silica-gel desiccant, (iv) submersion in RNAlater at room temperature, (v) submersion in RNAlater at 4°C, and (vi) submersion in RNAlater at -20°C. Mosquitoes were preserved for 1, 4, 10, 32 or 50 weeks before they were scanned. RESULTS: Storage at 4°C was the only preservation method that, up to 32 weeks, did not result in significantly lower predicted values than those obtained from fresh insects. After 50 weeks, however, refrigerated samples did not give meaningful results. When storing for 50 weeks, desiccating samples over silica gel was the best preservation method, with a partial least squares regression cross-validation of >80%. Predictive data values were analyzed using a generalized linear model. CONCLUSION: NIRS can be used to identify species of desiccated Anopheles gambiae s.s. and Anopheles arabiensis for up to 50 weeks of storage with more than 80% accuracy
Can smartphones and tablets improve the management of childhood illness in Tanzania? A qualitative study from a primary health care worker’s perspective
Get PDFThe impact of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy has been less than anticipated because of poor uptake. Electronic algorithms have the potential to improve quality of health care in children. However, feasibility studies about the use of electronic protocols on mobile devices over time are limited. This study investigated constraining as well as facilitating factors that influence the uptake of a new electronic Algorithm for Management of Childhood Illness (ALMANACH) among primary health workers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.; A qualitative approach was applied using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with altogether 40 primary health care workers from 6 public primary health facilities in the three municipalities of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Health worker's perceptions related to factors facilitating or constraining the uptake of the electronic ALMANACH were identified.; In general, the ALMANACH was assessed positively. The majority of the respondents felt comfortable to use the devices and stated that patient's trust was not affected. Most health workers said that the ALMANACH simplified their work, reduced antibiotic prescription and gave correct classification and treatment for common causes of childhood illnesses. Few HWs reported technical challenges using the devices and complained about having had difficulties in typing. Majority of the respondents stated that the devices increased the consultation duration compared to routine practice. In addition, health system barriers such as lack of staff, lack of medicine and lack of financial motivation were identified as key reasons for the low uptake of the devices.; The ALMANACH built on electronic devices was perceived to be a powerful and useful tool. However, health system challenges influenced the uptake of the devices in the selected health facilities
Patient and caregiver experiences of living with dementia in Tanzania
Get PDFIntroduction: Tanzania is a low-income country with an increasing prevalence of dementia, which provides challenges for the existing healthcare system. People with dementia often don't receive a formal diagnosis, and with a lack of formal healthcare, are often predominantly supported by family relatives. There are very few published data relating to lived experiences of people with dementia in Tanzania. This study aimed to understand people with dementia, and their caregivers' experiences of living with dementia in Tanzania and the perceived needs of people with dementia.Methods: Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 people with dementia and 12 caregivers in Moshi, Tanzania. Interviews were audio-recorded, translated, transcribed and analysed using a Framework Analysis approach.Results: Three sub-themes were identified within data describing the experience of 'Living with Dementia in Tanzania': 'Deteriorations in Health', 'Challenges to living with Dementia in Tanzanian Culture', and 'Lack of Support': people with dementia faced challenges due to social isolation, stigmatisation, and lack of caregiver knowledge on how best to provide support. Collectively, these impacted on both the physical and mental health of people with dementia. Misconceptions about dementia aetiology related to age, stresses of daily life and other co-morbidities. People with dementia were motivated to access treatment, exhibiting pluralistic health-seeking behaviours. There was an overall preference for non-pharmacological interventions over medication, with high levels of trust in medical professional opinions.Conclusions: Living with dementia in Tanzania is influenced by both cultural and religious factors. More work is needed to target supplementary healthcare (with efforts to promote accessibility), support for caregivers and public health education about dementia to overcome existent misconceptions and stigma
A troubled past, a challenging present, and a promising future: Tanzania's tourism development in perspective
Get PDFDespite the many assets the continent possesses, tourism in Africa has mostly operated below its potential, and its often poorly planned development has had irreversible negative consequences for both people and the environment. In order to develop sustainable forms of tourism, respectful of the rich natural and cultural African heritage, industry leaders and policy makers must consider the broader historical and socio-economic contexts in which tourism is implanting itself. Inspired by an anthropological perspective, this paper takes Tanzania as a case study. Tourism in this East African country, as in other African countries, is firmly embedded in encompassing – and sometimes conflicting – processes of localization, nationalization, regionalization, and globalization. Only by having a solid understanding of how these different scales are connected, disconnected, and reconnected, and by taking into account the interests of all stakeholders involved, can we begin to build an integrated African hospitality industry that is sustainable as well as economically beneficial. Archival records and recent ethnographic data are combined to show the kinds of challenges and opportunities this poses in the case of Tanzania.sponsorship: This article is based on research supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. BCS-0514129, and additional funding from the School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania (USA), the European Community (PIRG03GA-2008-230892), and the Research Foundation Flanders (Belgium). The ethnographic fieldwork in Tanzania was conducted under the auspices of the Tanzanian Commission for Science and Technology (Research Permit No. 2007-16-NA-2006-171) and kindly sponsored by the University of DaresSalaam. Thanks to Sandra Barnes, Steven Feierman, Paul Kaiser, Peter Rogers, and Monica Espinoza for their useful comments and support. The author is indebted to Rita Daneels, Vedasto Izoba, Victor Izoba, Samwel Rwahura, Francis Lyimo, Mustafa Akunaay, Asumpta Ngonyani, Frederick Helfrich, the late Chachage Seithy Chachage, Kassim Kulindwa, Samuel Wangwe, Josaphat Kweka, Cyril Chami, Joseph Semboja, and all the people of the ViaVia in Arusha. Asante sana! (National Science Foundation|BCS-0514129, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania (USA), European Community|PIRG03GA-2008-230892, Research Foundation Flanders (Belgium), Tanzanian Commission for Science and Technology|2007-16-NA-2006-171, University of DaresSalaam)status: Publishe
