Systematic review of economic evaluations for paediatric pulmonary diseases

Background Pulmonary diseases are the leading causes of mortality globally amongst children under five years of age. Economic evaluations (EEs) guide decision-makers on which health care intervention to adopt to reduce paediatric pulmonary disease burden. Methods We systematically reviewed EEs for paediatric pulmonary diseases published globally between 2010 and 2020. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Paediatric Economic Database Evaluation (PEDE), and the Cochrane library. EEs included were specific to paediatric pulmonary diseases in a hospital setting and of children aged from zero to six years old. We extracted data items guided by the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) checklist. We collected qualitative and quantitative data which we analysed in Microsoft Excel and R Software. Results 22 studies met the inclusion criteria. Seven of the articles were cost-effectiveness analyses, five cost-utility analyses, two cost-minimisation analyses, and eight cost analyses. Fourteen studies were conducted in high-income countries, eight in low-middle-income countries (LMICs). Ten studies were on asthma, nine on pneumonia, two on asthma and pneumonia, and one on tuberculosis. Quality assessment of the articles revealed some methodological inconsistencies across the articles. Conclusion Fewer EEs were conducted in LMICs, yet children from these countries are disproportionately affected by pulmonary diseases. Developing standardised methods for EEs and conducting more EEs and for paediatric pulmonary diseases in LMICs could allow for more evidence-based decision-making

Beyond Phenomenology: Teaching African Traditional Religions in a Zimbabwean University

A ZJER article on African traditional religious education in Zimbabwean universities.The crusade by the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe witnessed in I999 during the Constitutional Commission's outreach programme was designed to have Christianity declared the official religion of Zimbabwe. This has the danger of claiming all the religious space for Christianity. This article examines the implications for the teaching ofAfi-ican Traditional Religions (A TRs) in the University of Zimbabwe. It is argued that the preponderance of Christianity and the emergence of church-related universities pose as potential threats to the viability of ATRs as an area of academic enquiry. If ATRs are to retain their status as an important component of human religious history, there is need for a proactive approach. The article argues that although the phenomenological 'method has been popular in the study of ATRs, it may not be adequate. If the marginalisation of ATRs is to be overcome, there is need for more radical pedagogical techniques in religious studies

African Instituted Churches in Southern Africa: Paragons of Regional Integration?

While the role of Christian churches in the struggle for liberation in Southern Africa has been acknowledged, most writers have glossed over the importance of religion to regional integration. Most studies on the churches tend to be limited to specific countries and thus overlook the transnational connections. This study explores the activities of African Instituted Churches (AICs) in Southern Africa. It examines the emphasis of some Apostolic churches on black economic empowerment and outlines their dominance in the informal sector. It argues that AIC members are actively involved in cross-border trading and have formed transnational support systems. Fellow believers in Botswana, South Africa and Mozambique, for example, host AIC traders from Zimbabwe. This study maintains that whilst politicians and technocrats on the continent are still debating issues concerning indigenisation, the NEPAD initiative and other strategies for integration, AICs are already implementing these ideas. The study recognises the importance of religion to Southern Africa and analyses the role of spirituality in the quest for total liberation in the region

Euthanasia and the experiences of the Shona People of Zimbabwe

In this paper, we critically reflect on the concept of Euthanasia as understood in the West and in Africa, and especially in sub-Saharan Africa. From the Western block, we rely on the contributions of Ronald Otremba and James Rachels. In our view, Otremba represents the Traditional Western view of euthanasia, which holds that life is sacrosanct and therefore ought not to be taken away for whatever reasons. Otremba’s defense of passive euthanasia over active euthanasia stems from this understanding. Rachels, on the other hand, does not see any morally significant difference between active and passive euthanasia, for the simple reason that the result is the same - death. Next, as we examine the African view of euthanasia with special reference to Munyaradzi Mawere’s interpretation of the Shona position on it, we want to ascertain whether or not there is something that can be called African euthanasia, and if not, whether or not the understanding of euthanasia in Africa has Western roots. Key words Euthanasia, active euthanasia, passive euthanasia, consent, pre-colonial Shona societ

Academic Freedom and the Problems of Patriotism and Social Responsibility in Post-colonial Africa

This article interrogates the meaning of academic freedom in African universities after the attainment of political independence. It explores the nuances of the concept of academic freedom and traces its appropriation in African contexts. The article contends that African scholars operate in challenging political environments due to the quest by political leaders to dabble in philosophy. African ‘philosopher kings’ have sought to articulate grand visions and narratives of development and they brook no dissent in this ‘sacred quest’. As a result, African academics are generally expected to tow the line and endorse the grandiose philosophies articulated by the ambitious presidents. We argue that this is dangerous and results in loss of academic freedom. The article concludes by emphasising that African intellectuals can make more effective contributions to the nations by refusing to be co-opted and remaining faithful to the tenets of academic freedom

Naming the phenomena : the challenge of African Independent Churches

Peer reviewedThe academic study of religion emphasises the accurate description and naming of religious phenomena. Using precise and unambiguous labels has been particularly encouraged. However, the study of Christianity in Africa has, over the years, used a vanity of terms for African Independent Churches (AICs). This article surveys the dominant labels and analyses the methodological difficulties that emerge from adopting some of them. The essay maintains that utilising insights from the history of religions may mitigate some of the terminological difficulties that characterise the study of Christianity in Africa.Research Institute for Theology and Religio

Introduction: Religion-Regime Relations in Zimbabwe:Co-operation and Resistance

This chapter provides the background to the volume. It outlines the longstanding debate on the relationship between politics and religion in scholarship in general. The chapter illustrates how the debate has been handled in diverse contexts and draws out the implications for the discourse in Zimbabwe. It highlights how the concepts of politics and religion are inventions and states the volume’s preferred approach, namely regarding politics and religion as mutually interacting systems of power. It draws attention to how the post-Mugabe and post-Tsvangirai context in Zimbabwe calls for new investment in seeking to understand the politics-religion dynamic. Focusing on the dynamics of the “Second Republic,” the chapter describes how Emmerson Mnangagwa, the President, and Nelson Chamisa, his closest challenger, have appropriated and deployed religious ideas in their politics. It also summarises the chapters in the volume

‘Citizens of both Heaven and Earth’: Pentecostalism and Social Transformation in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya

As Pentecostalism enjoys unparalleled growth in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa, greater attention has been paid to its problematic expressions by some scholars. Media images of the abuse of believers in different contexts have been widely circulated. These include sexual abuse by charismatic (male) prophets, financial scandals, as well as the degrading treatment of clients/members by forcing them to eat grass/snakes and other questionable acts. While conceding that these aspects are challenging, this article seeks to provide a more balanced perspective by highlighting the extent to which selected Pentecostal churches in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya have sought to contribute to social reconstruction in their respective countries. By examining the sermons and teachings on personal responsibility and having effective marriages by the Pentecostal leaders, the article contends that they mobilise their members and audiences to become agents of social transformation. The article highlights the potential role of Pentecostalism in social reconstruction in the selected countries

Narrating gender and danger in selected Zimbabwe woman's writing on HIV and AIDS

This thesis investigates how selected Zimbabwean female writers narrate HIV and AIDS. It argues that, generally, the prevailing images of women in Zimbabwean society and literature are incapacitating. Male authors have been portraying women in disempowering ways as loose, dangerous, weak and dependent on men. This unjust portrayal of women has been worsened by the prevalence of HIV and AIDS. Women have been depicted as vectors in the spread of HIV, thus perpetuating sexist ideologies. Presuming that women authors can do better in their depiction of female characters, this research investigates whether female authors differ in their representation of female characters in contexts of HIV and AIDS. The works critiqued are Virginia Phiri’s Desperate (2002), Sharai Mukonoweshuro’s Days of Silence (2000), Valerie Tagwira’s The Uncertainty of Hope (2006), Tendayi Westerhof’s Unlucky in Love (2005) and Lutanga Shaba’s Secrets of a Woman’s Soul (2006). The study further explores the extent to which Zimbabwe female authors sanction, conform, undermine, assess critically or do away with unconstructive images of women in contexts of HIV and AIDS. This study emphasized the possibility of literature to offer a platform for the liberation of women, or a counter- platform for reactionary politics. Predicated on the notion of gender and danger, the study questions whether female authors perpetuate the stereotypes of women’s roles as destructive, or whether some view ‘dangerous’ images of women in literature as liberating. Overall, this thesis argued that contrary to the postulation of female authors being similar in their understanding and depiction of the concept of gender and danger, they are not. It is at this juncture that this study breaks new ground by utilizing the concept of agency to show how different female writers interpret and narrate gender and danger in contexts of HIV and AIDS. This study applies the notion of agency as a means of evaluating the extent to which women employ nonconformist acts in order to undercut patriarchy and other oppressive socially constructed ideologies.English StudiesD. Litt et Phil. ( English Studies