Traditional medicine as an alternative form of health care system: A preliminary case study of Nangabo sub-county, central Uganda

This study was conducted in Nangabo sub-county of Wakiso district. The purpose was to document the common Traditional Medicine (TM) practices; assess the local people's preferences for TM versus western medicine (WM) and lastly to determine the awareness about the importance of TM by local people. Data were collected using semi-structured administered face-to-face with respondents. A total of 120 interviewed. Six focused group discussions (FGDs) were held to validate the questionnaire responses. Data were analyzed descriptively using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings indicated that most (43%) respondents derive their livelihoods from traditional medicine practices. Three forms of TM were reportedherbalism (67%), spiritual counseling (23%) and bone setting (10%). Although the majority (81%) of respondents were quite aware of the importance of TM in the sustenance of health care system, majority (55%) of them shunned TM in preference to WM, largely because of the belief that TM is evil-founded and devilish in nature. Only 45% of the respondents preferred TM to WM. The main reasons given for visiting TM practioners rather than western medical practitioners were that TM is sometimes more effective than WM and that in many instances it has very minimal side effects on the human body. There is, however, a need for Ugandan government to legitimize the practice of TM since it contributes a lot to health care needs in areas where western medicine is insufficiently provided. In addition, there is a need for further research into the efficacy and safety of traditional medicines if it is to be adequately integrated into western medicine.Key words: Traditional medicine, health care, herbalism, spiritual counseling, bone setting, Ugand

Farmers\u27 Attitudes Towards On-Farm Cultivation of Indigenous Fruit Trees in Adwari Sub-County, Lira District, Uganda

This study was conducted in Adwari sub-county, Lira district to (i) determine the conservation status and threats to indigenous fruit trees (IFTs), (ii) assess farmers’ attitudes towards IFT cultivation, (iii) documents local knowledge on propagation and management of IFTs, and (iv) identify opportunities and constraints to promotion of IFTs cultivation. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to a total of 120 randomly selected respondents. MINITAB statistical package was used to analyze the data. Logistic regression analysis was performed to show the influence of socio-economic characteristics on farmers’ towards their attitudes to plant IFTs. The population of IFTs was found to be generally declining. The major reasons for decline were charcoal burning and firewood collection. Although, majority of farmers had positive attitudes towards cultivation of IFTs, their attitudes were influenced by gender, education level, farm size and occupation status. Lack of clear markets for indigenous fruits, unclear information about their food values, lack of seedlings in local nurseries, and dearth of information propagation techniques were the major hindrance to cultivation of IFTs. There is a need especially by local governments and local councils to formulate clear strategies on conservation of IFTs for example by establishing a community nursery and propagation center for IFTs. There is a need to address the issue of marketing and pricing of indigenous tree fruit products. Lastly, there is a need of further study to analyze the market environment for indigenous tree fruits compared with alternative possibilities such as exotic fruits or agricultural crops

Integración didáctica de "apps” relacionadas con la producción animal en la docencia universitaria del Grado de Ingeniería Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental

[ES] El objetivo de este trabajo es la integración didáctica de apps que se utilizan en la gestión de explotaciones ganaderas en el Grado de Ingeniería Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental. Los resultados académicos indicaron que las calificaciones mejoraron en 1.67 puntos cuando las apps fueron incluidas en la docencia. Además se realizó un cuestionario al estudiantado resultando que más del 66% respondió “Totalmente de acuerdo” a la sentencia “La tarea propuesta me ha facilitado el aprendizaje del tema”. Ésta fue también la respuesta para el 33% del estudiantado a las sentencias “La utilización de las apps me ha ayudado a comprender el tema” y “Recomendaría el uso de apps en otros temas de la asignatura”. “Ni de acuerdo ni en desacuerdo”, fue la respuesta seleccionada por el 66% del estudiantado para la sentencia “La utilización de las apps me ha acercado a la realidad del sector ganadero”. Las conclusiones de este trabajo son que la incorporación de apps en la docencia mejora el rendimiento académico del estudiantado pues facilitan el aprendizaje. Sería aconsejable la utilización de esta metodología en otros temas de la asignatura.[EN] The objective of this work is the didactic integration of apps that are used in the management of livestock farms in the Degree in Agro-Food and Agro-Environmental Engineering. The academic results indicated that the scores improved by 1.67 points when the apps were included in the teaching. In addition, a questionnaire was carried out for the student, resulting that more than 66% of the students answered "Totally agree" to the sentence "The proposed task has made it easier for me to learn the subject". This was also the response for 33% of the students to the sentences "The use of apps has helped me understand the subject" and "I would recommend the use of apps in other subjects of the subject". The answer "Neither agree nor disagree" was the answer selected by 66% of the students for the sentence "The use of apps has brought me closer to that of the livestock sector". The conclusions of this work are that the introduction of apps in teaching improves the academic performance of the student as they facilitate learning. It would be advisable to apply this methodology to other subjects.García, ML.; Agea, I.; Argente, MJ. (2020). Integración didáctica de "apps” relacionadas con la producción animal en la docencia universitaria del Grado de Ingeniería Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental. En IN-RED 2020: VI Congreso de Innovación Educativa y Docencia en Red. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 110-115. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2020.2020.11997OCS11011

Impediments, opportunities and strategies to enhance trade of wild and semi-wild food plants in Bunyoro- Kitara Kingdom, Uganda

This study examined the impediments, opportunities and strategies to enhance trade of wild and semiwild food plants (WSWFPs) in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, Uganda. Semi-structured questionnaire was administered face-to-face to sixty six (66) traders of WSWFPs in the formal markets: five (5) mobile hawkers and eleven (11) home-based/roadside traders. As a result of their small number, all traders that were found selling WSWFPs were interviewed. Data were analysed using simple descriptive statistics in excel spreadsheet and MINITAB statistical package. A number of challenges including high perishability, market dues, inaccurate consumers’ perceptions, seasonal shortfalls and unreliable supply, unorganized markets, little or no value addition, limited market information, and the inexistence of market promotional activities affected the trade in WSWFPs. However, the growing market demands, increasing focus of most service providers in creating awareness on WSWFPs, ever-changing perception on nutritional values of WSWFPs by the public, current government emphasis on value addition of traded agricultural products, little or no capital requirement for starting up trade in WSWFPs, and absence of restrictive regulations on sale of WSWFPs were regarded as good opportunities that could be exploited to enhance trade in WSWFPs. Key strategies for improved marketing WSWFPs included among other things, training gatherers and traders on value adding activities prior to sale, deliberate investment in promotional and awareness campaigns to expose the hidden benefits of WSWFPs, scrapping market dues levied on traders selling WSWFPs, helping gatherers and sellers to organise themselves to form viable supply and market groups, linking gatherers and sellers to good markets, as well as providing them with available market information. There is thus, a need for concerted efforts to implement some of these feasible marketing strategies to improve on the markets of WSWFPs in the kingdom.Key words: Wild edibles, wild food, semi-cultivated food, marketing wild food, Uganda

The Experience of Spanish Prison Nurses with the HIV Pandemic

Introduction: This study discusses the experiences of nurses in Spanish prisons during the HIV/AIDS pandemic, emphasizing administrative changes and adaptive measures, such as the creation of the Subdirectorate General of Penitentiary Health. Objective: We describe the experiences of nurses in Spanish penitentiary centers in the face of the HIV/AIDS. Materials and methods: The interpretative and phenomenological approach explored experiences between 1981 and 2023 through focus groups and convenience sampling. Participants were recruited through telephone calls and telematic meetings using Microsoft Teams. Four key themes were identified: the stigmatization of inmates, changes in nursing, the importance of training and resources, and equal treatment between genders. Results: The nursing vision focused on gathering information, providing comprehensive patient support, and sharing personal experiences. Discussion: This research provides a historical perspective on the adaptation of prison nursing to the pandemic, highlighting coping processes and suggesting future lines of research on the experiences of inmates, prison guards, and surveillance officers. Conclusions: We highlight the low media visibility of the pandemic in prisons, underlining the importance of understanding and valuing the nursing experience in prison settings during health crises

Nutritional value of commonly consumed desert date tree products

The desert date ( Balanites aegyptiaca , Del. L.) is one of the neglected staple crops of growing importance in the drought and famine-prone areas of Uganda. Unfortunately, information on its nutritional composition is still lacking, thus limiting their wider use and promotion. This study was designed to determine the nutritional composition of various parts of B. aegyptiaca eaten by Ugandans. Samples were collected from Katakwi, Adjumani and Moroto districts in Uganda. Dry matter content of the leaves, flowers and fruit pulp ranged from 95% in fruit pulp, to 98% in leaves and flowers. Ash content of the leaves and flowers was 8.07%; while that of the fruit pulp was 6.97%. Fat content of the leaves (2.29%) was significantly higher than that in fruit pulp (0.37%). Similarly, crude protein content was greater in the leaves and flowers (16.95%) than in the fruit pulp (5.4%). The leaves and flowers were generally richer in macronutrients than in fruit pulp in the order of K>Na>Mg with mean values of 19.54, 3.32 and 1.26 mg g-1. Iron was the most abundant micronutrient in all Balanites parts. This was followed by Mn, Zn and Cu with mean values of 452.21, 60.65, 35.69 and 25.49 \ub5g g-1, respectively. A similar trend was found in fruit pulp. There is a need to determine the level of anti-nutritional factors in Balanites products and the effect of different leaf preparation methods on nutrient availability to further guide their wide usage.Le dattier du desert ( Balanites aegyptiaca , Del. L.) est une culture de base negligee qui cro\ueet dans les milieux \ue0 s\ue9cheresse et sujets aux famines en Uganda. Malheureusement, l\u2019information sur sa composition nutritionnelle est encore manquante, ainsi limitant son utilisation et sa promotion. Cette Vtude Vtait conduite pour d\ue9terminer la composition de B.aegyptiaca dans diff\ue9rentes parties consomm\ue9es par les ougandais. Des \ue9chantillons \ue9taient collect\ue9es dans les districts de Katakwi, Adjumani et Moroto en Ouganda. Le contenu en mati\ue8re s\ue8che des feuilles, des fleurs et des pulpes de fruits variait de 95% dans les pulpes de fruits, \ue0 98% dans les feuilles et fleurs. Le contenu en cendre des feuilles et fleurs \ue9tait 8.07% et 6.97% dans les pulpes de fruits. Le contenu en mati\ue8res grasse dans les feuilles (2.29%) \ue9tait significativement plus \ue9lev\ue9es que celui des pulpes de fruits (0.37%). De fa\ue7on similaire, le contenu en protein brute des fleurs \ue9tait plus \ue9lev\ue9 dans les feuilles et fleurs (16.95%) que dans la pulpe de fruits (5.4%). Les feuilles et les fleurs \ue9taient g\ue9n\ue9ralement plus riches en macronutriements que dans la pulpe de fruits dans l\u2019ordre de K>Na>Mg avec de valeurs maoyennes de 19.54, 3.32 et 1.26 mg g-1. Le fer \ue9tait le miconutriment plus abundant dans toutes les parties de Balanites. Ceci \ue9tait suivi de Mn, Zn et Cu avec pour valeurs moyennes 452.21, 60.65, 35.69 et 25.49 \ub5g g-1, respectivement. Une tendance similaire \ue9tait observ\ue9e dans la pulpe de fruits. Le besoin s\u2019impose de d\ue9terminer le niveau des facteurs anti-nutritionnels dans les produits de Balanites et l\u2019effet de diff\ue9rentes m\ue9thodes de pr\ue9paration des feuilles sur la disponibilit\ue9 de nutriments pour guider leur vaste usage

The buzz about bees and poverty alleviation: Identifying drivers and barriers of beekeeping in sub-Saharan Africa

The potential of beekeeping to mitigate the exposure of rural sub-Sahara African farmers to economic stochasticity has been widely promoted by an array of development agencies. Robust outcome indicators of the success of beekeeping to improve household well-being are unfortunately lacking. This study aimed to identify the key drivers and barriers of beekeeping adoption at the household level, and quantified the associated income contribution in three agro-ecological zones in Uganda. Beekeepers were generally the most economically disadvantaged people in the study areas and tended to adopt beekeeping following contact with non-government organisations and access to training. Whilst incomes were not statistically lower than their non-beekeeping counterparts; their mean household well-being scores were significantly lower than non-beekeeping households. The inability of beekeeping to significantly improve well-being status can in part be attributed to a lack of both training in bee husbandry and protective equipment provision such as suits, gloves and smokers. These are critical tools for beekeepers as they provide the necessary confidence to manage honey bees. Rather than focussing solely on the socio-economic conditions of farmers to effectively adopt beekeeping, future research should also attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of development agencies’ provision to the beekeeping sector

Effectiveness of Fosfomycin for the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli Bacteremic Urinary Tract Infections

IMPORTANCE The consumption of broad-spectrum drugs has increased as a consequence of the spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli. Finding alternatives for these infections is critical, for which some neglected drugs may be an option. OBJECTIVE To determine whether fosfomycin is noninferior to ceftriaxone or meropenem in the targeted treatment of bacteremic urinary tract infections (bUTIs) due to MDR E coli. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This multicenter, randomized, pragmatic, open clinical trial was conducted at 22 Spanish hospitals from June 2014 to December 2018. Eligible participants were adult patients with bacteremic urinary tract infections due to MDR E coli; 161 of 1578 screened patients were randomized and followed up for 60 days. Data were analyzed in May 2021. INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized 1 to 1 to receive intravenous fosfomycin disodium at 4 g every 6 hours (70 participants) or a comparator (ceftriaxone or meropenem if resistant; 73 participants) with the option to switch to oral fosfomycin trometamol for the fosfomycin group or an active oral drug or pa renteral ertapenem for the comparator group after 4 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was clinical and microbiological cure (CMC) 5 to 7 days after finalization of treatment; a noninferiority margin of 7% was considered. RESULTS Among 143 patients in the modified intention-to-treat population (median [IQR] age, 72 [62-81] years; 73 [51.0%] women), 48 of 70 patients (68.6%) treated with fosfomycin and 57 of 73 patients (78.1%) treated with comparators reached CMC (risk difference, -9.4 percentage points; 1-sided 95% CI, -21.5 to infinity percentage points; P = .10). While clinical or microbiological failure occurred among 10 patients (14.3%) treated with fosfomycin and 14 patients (19.7%) treated with comparators (risk difference, -5.4 percentage points; 1-sided 95% CI. -infinity to 4.9; percentage points; P = .19), an increased rate of adverse event-related discontinuations occurred with fosfomycin vs comparators (6 discontinuations [8.5%] vs 0 discontinuations; P = .006). In an exploratory analysis among a subset of 38 patients who underwent rectal colonization studies, patients treated with fosfomycin acquired a new ceftriaxone-resistant or meropenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria at a decreased rate compared with patients treated with comparators (0 of 21 patients vs 4 of 17 patients [23.5%]; 1-sided P = .01). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study found that fosfomycin did not demonstrate noninferiority to comparators as targeted treatment of bUTI from MDR E coli; this was due to an increased rate of adverse event-related discontinuations. This finding suggests that fosfomycin may be considered for selected patients with these infections

Addressing constraints in promoting wild edible plants’ utilization in household nutrition: case of the Congo Basin forest area

It is worth raising the question, why are wild edible plants (WEPs) which are rich in diverse nutrients and widely abundant underutilized despite the increasing rate of undernourishment in poor regions? One reason is that their culinary uses are not quantified and standardized in nutrition surveys, and therefore, they are not properly included in household diet intensification and diversification across regions and cultures. Active steps are needed to bridge this gap. This paper outlines the constraints to including WEPs in nutritional surveys as the lack of standard ways of food identification of diverse WEPs, lack of specific food categorization and therefore difficult dissemination across regions and cultures. As a way forward, a functional categorization of 11 subgroups for WEPs is introduced and discussed. In labeling these sub-food groups, the paper advocates that more WEPs food items and culinary uses should be enlisted during household nutrition surveys. Food researchers could then capitalize these enlisted species and disseminate them to promote diverse food use of WEPs in other regions where they exist but are not utilized as food