14 research outputs found
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
Determination of risk factors associated with malnutrition among children under the age of five: a case control study at Arthur Davison children’s hospital in Ndola, Zambia
No full textBackground: Malnutrition is one of the conditions that contribute to high mortality rate among children under the age of five. Although risk factors for malnutrition are well known ,they tend to vary from population to population. The main objective of this study was to establish risk factors associated with malnutrition among children under the age of five presenting at Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital in Ndola, Zambia. Method: A case-control study was conducted in the protein calorie malnutrition unit and other units at Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital in Ndola, Zambia from October 2016 to may 2017.Cases were children who were moderately or severely malnourished with or without oedema with weight for height z-score of less than -2 Standard deviation from the median of WHO reference. Controls were children with z-score of greater than -2 Standard deviation. Results: A total of 144 children with 72 cases and 72 controls participated in the study. Independent risk factors which were significantly associated with malnutrition after adjusting for confounders were history of diarrhea (OR=4.20, 95% CI[1.77,9.95], children of fathers who were out of employment (OR= 5.28,95% CI[1.45,19.14]) ,and lack of a balanced diet (OR=0.11,95% CI[ 0.04,0.28]).Conclusion: Diarrhea illnesses, low social-economic status and lack of balanced diet were identified as risk factors significantly associated with malnutrition among children under the age of five presenting at Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital, Zambia. As such Mortality rate due to malnutrition may be reduced by coming up with programmes to create more job opportunities, intensive measures to combat diarrhea illnesses such as use of Oral Rehydration Therapy and educating people on how to take a balanced diet
Determination of risk factors associated with malnutrition among children under the age of five: a case control study at Arthur Davison children’s hospital in Ndola, Zambia
No full textRecommended from our members
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
Prison 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
Improved household nutrition through home-grown produce and consumption of nutritious and healthy products
No full textBook chapterUndernutrition causes stunting, underweight,
and wasting, and these are major health issues
throughout Africa, adversely affecting the phys-
ical and mental growth and development of chil-
dren. High rates of stunting are seen throughout
East and Southern Africa (ESA), with rates of
34% and 26% in the Africa RISING project coun-
tries of Malawi and Tanzania (MoHCDGEC et al.,
2016; NSO and ICF, 2017). Micronutrient defi-
ciencies (e.g., iron, zinc, and calcium), described
as hidden hunger, remain rife in both countries,
especially among women of reproductive age, in-
fants, and young children. These deficiencies
have significant consequences for maternal and
child health, mortality, the global burden of dis-
ease, and economic development. In Malawi, for
example, it is estimated that child undernutrition
resulted in economic losses equivalent to 10.3%
of gross domestic product in 2012. To this end,
the Government of Malawi has reviewed its
nutrition policy to redirect the national focus on
nutrition programming and align its goals with
the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy III
(Government of Malawi, 2018). Tanzania has
also shown commitment to addressing undernu-
trition by articulation of the National Nutrition
Strategy (United Republic of Tanzania, 2016).
Both national policies recognize the need for
multi-sectoral approaches to address malnutri-
tion by promoting dietary diversity.
A dietary approach needs to target the key
growth window of opportunity in children, par-
ticularly between 6 and 23 months of age, when
growth is rapid and at risk of faltering when nu-
trition is lacking (Ferguson et al., 2015). This co-
incides with the weaning period and is an ideal
time to introduce affordable, acceptable, and
nutrient-rich foods.
Dietary diversity can be improved through
both nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive
agricultural interventions. Nutrition-specific
interventions address the immediate causes of
undernutrition, i.e., inadequate diets and ill-
nesses caused by nutrient deficiency. Nutrition-
sensitive interventions incorporate nutrition
objectives in wider disciplines; for example, ad-
vice on producing crops and varieties that are
rich in nutrients, and improved post-harvest
processing and storage to minimize loss and im-
prove quality and nutritional composition
Exploring barriers and facilitators to blood donation in secondary schools in Malawi
No full textBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Despite the Malawi Blood Transfusion Service (MBTS) increasing the amount of blood collected since its inception in 2004, Malawi remains with a 27% deficit in required blood supplies nationally. We sought to understand the facilitators and barriers to blood donation among secondary school students in Malawi. METHODS: We utilised a qualitative exploratory design, with a sample of 135 participants purposefully selected from 16 secondary schools across Malawi. Data collection methods included in-depth interviews with 20 participants (inclusive of first-time and repeat donors, lapsed and non-donors), 20 key informant interviews (including community leaders, policy-level stakeholders and MBTS staff), and 16 focus group discussions involving 95 participants (community stakeholders and all donor categories). We used the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR) to assess barriers and facilitators of blood donation, focusing only on four CFIR domains: internal and external factors; the implementation process and individual characteristics influencing blood donation. RESULTS: Blood donation among students are facilitated by altruism, incentives including milestone awards, knowledge, motivation, transport, peer pressure and individual health status. Common barriers cited included: negative experiences with the blood donation process, fear, unsupported environment, poor incentives, privacy issues and the donation activities starting late than scheduled. CONCLUSION: While there have been efforts to motivate students to donate blood, significant barriers to blood donation still exist. Intensifying education and awareness campaigns may help dispel misconceptions and fears surrounding donation experiences and blood usage. Also, continuing with the provision of appropriate incentives including milestone awards may also encourage students
