Impact of Capital Structure on the Portfolio Behaviour of Commercial Banks in Tanzania

This study examined the impact of bank capital structure measured by leverage ratio as defined in Based III based on tier 1 capital to total assets, on the portfolio behaviour of commercial banks in Tanzania by using fixed balance panel of annual financial statements data of 20 banks from 2002 to 2017. The studied banks had more than 89 percent of the total commercial banks’ assets in 2017 and 79 percent of total loans. Consideration of portfolio behaviour was explained based on choice assets (loans, investment in government securities and interbank loans) and non-choice items (non-earning assets including cash, required reserved and investment in fixed assets). The study examined the impact of capital structure on the bank portfolio holding with respect to the size of the bank and ownership. Findings revealed that only 35% of the banks are undercapitalized as at the end of 2017. The variables tested were significant at p <0.01 and p <0.001 except for the bank size measure. This means size of the bank is not a measure for its leverage structure, but with positive relationship

Unfair Payment Issues in Construction: Re-thinking Alternative Payment Method for Tier-1 Contractors to Subcontractors

Recent statistics reveal substantial increase in late payments cases from 18% to 27%; with over £30 billion unpaid invoices to UK contractors. Furthermore, 82% of overdue invoices are monies owed to subcontractor by tier-1 main contractors. Indeed, tier-1 contractors are deemed to be the main elephant in the room despite various contractual, government and private initiatives designed to curb late payment menace. Yet, there is little research concerning use of Alternative Payment Method (APM) to leverage tier-1 contractors paying subcontractors’ invoices promptly. The aim of this study is to assess the use APM to enhance pragmatic and sustainable payment practices between tier-1 contractors and subbies. The research question is: what are the industry specific factors that influences unfair payment practices and how can alternative payment method help to leverage fair payments to subbies? The study adopted sequential exploratory design type of mixed method supported by questionnaire and structured interviews. The study population are drawn from experienced industry stakeholders including clients, contractors, designers, professionals in addition to use of computer simulation to validate proposed APM model. Initial findings reveal an optimism bias tendency of most subcontractors agreeing to lengthened and unfair payments terms induced by Tier 1 contractors. The study identified over five industry and business specific influential factors that encourages tier-1 contractors to clinch to unpropitious late payment practices. In specific terms, there are overwhelming evidences that APM has significant potential to minimize late payment in the UK construction industry if there is political, business and legislative will to implement the model

Managment of diabetic ketoacidosis in children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa: A review

Background: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a complex metabolic state of hyperglycaemia, ketosis, and acidosis. Diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa is, in many patients a serious disease with a poor prognosis. Most deaths, however, are due to preventable causes.Objective: To improve knowledge on the management of DKA in sub-Saharan Africa.Data sources: Literature review from different published sources. Data synthesis: Health systems in sub-Saharan Africa are currently organised for the treatment of episodes of illness and not long-term conditions like diabetes. Therefore the high rates of DKA is essentially due to lack of training of health professionals, lack of facilities in most hospitals, lack of public awareness as well as lack of health education to individual patients/families. In addition erratic insulin supply coupling with infections, low parental education, poor insulin storage and lack of facilities for self monitoring of blood glucose.Conclusion: A complex unfavourable social and economic environment is the basis of the high prevalence of DKA in sub-Saharan Africa. Several episodes of DKA can be prevented by effective public awareness programmes and education to healthcare providers

A prospective study of stroke sub-type from within an incident population in Tanzania

Objectives. We aimed to establish the pathological types of stroke in two incident populations in Tanzania, one rural and one urban, and to examine the clinical utility of the Siriraj and Allen scores in identifying stroke sub-types. Design. This prospective community-based study identified cases as part of a stroke incidence study. Each patient underwent a full assessment including recording demographic information, taking a medical and drug history, and physical examination. A computed tomography (CT) head scan was used to classify strokes as resulting from a cerebral haemorrhage or ischaemia. The results were compared with the Siriraj and Allen scores, obtained from clinical findings. Results. One hundred and thirty-two incident stroke cases were identified in the rural Hai demographic surveillance site (DSS) and 69 in the urban Dar-es-Salaam DSS; 63 patients with stroke due to ischaemia or cerebral haemorrhage from Hai and 17 from Dar-es-Salaam had a CT scan within 15 days of the stroke. Stroke was identified as due to ischaemia in 52 cases (82.5%) and to cerebral haemorrhage in 11 (17.5%) in Hai, and as due to ischaemia in 14 cases (82.4%) and to cerebral haemorrhage in 3 (17.6%) in Dar-es-Salaam. In both sites Siriraj and Allen scores were found to be of little value in predicting stroke sub-type. Conclusions. The ratio of ischaemic to haemorrhagic stroke is much higher in our cohort than previously reported in sub-Saharan Africa, and is closer to that in high-income countries

Reducing child undernutrition through dietary diversification, reduced aflatoxin exposure, and improved hygiene practices: the immediate impacts in central Tanzania

Open Access Article; Published online: 28 Nov 2019The study aimed to quantify the immediate effects of dietary diversification, food safety, and hygiene interventions on child undernutrition in four rural villages in Kongwa district of central Tanzania. One hundred mothers with their children of less than 24 months old were recruited for this study. The difference-in-difference (DID) method was used to assess the effects of intensive intervention through a learning-by-doing process on the topic of aflatoxin free diversified food utilization and improved hygiene practices. Periodic anthropometric measurements were conducted on the 0th, 7th, 14th, and 21st days, and DID estimator showed the significant and positive average marginal effects of the intervention on Z-Scores being 0.459, 0.252, and 0.493 for wasting, stunting, and underweight, respectively. Notably, at the end of the study, the mean aflatoxin M1 level in urine samples decreased by 64% in the intervention group, while it decreased by 11% in the control group. The study provides quantitative evidence on intensive 21-day training for mothers incorporating integrated technologies yielded positive impacts on their children’s nutritional outcomes

Sustainable intensification of maize-based systems through improved use of phosphorus fertilizers

United States Agency for International Developmen

New crop and fodder genotypes for sustainable intensification in semi-arid agro-ecologies of Tanzania

United States Agency for International Developmen

Correlates of short- and long-term case fatality within an incident stroke population in Tanzania

Background. This study aimed to identify correlates of case fatality within an incident stroke population in rural Tanzania.Methods. Stroke patients, identified by the Tanzanian Stroke Incidence Project, underwent a full examination and assessment around the time of incident stroke. Records were made of demographic data, blood pressure, pulse rate and rhythm, physical function (Barthel index), neurological status (communication, swallowing, vision, muscle activity, sensation), echocardiogram, chest X-ray and computed tomography (CT) head scan. Cases were followed up over the next 3 - 6 years.Results. In 130 incident cases included in this study, speech, language and swallowing problems, reduced muscle power, and reduced physical function were all significantly correlated with case fatality at 28 days and 3 years. Age was significantly correlated with case fatality at 3 years, but not at 28 days post-stroke. Smoking history was the only significant correlate of case fatality at 28 days that pre-dated the incident stroke. All other significant correlates were measures of neurological recovery from stroke.Conclusions. This is the first published study of the correlates of post-stroke case fatality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from an incidentstroke population. Case fatality was correlated with the various motor impairments resulting from the incident stroke. Improving poststrokecare may help to reduce stroke case fatality in SSA

Gliricidia-based doubled up legume for improving crops production and agroecosystem resilience in Kongwa and Kiteto districts

United States Agency for International Developmen

Africa RISING genetic intensification in Central Tanzania and Zambia

United States Agency for International Developmen