A Comprehensive Study on the Livestock Sub-Sector Analysis and its Role in Fostering Sustainable Development in Zambia: Insights from the 2022 Livestock Survey Report

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of Zambia\u27s dynamic livestock sub-sector as of April 30, 2022, drawing insights from the 2022 Livestock Survey Report. With 1,801,075 households actively engaged in livestock activities, the sub-sector emerges as a vital component of the country\u27s rural livelihoods. Understanding the interplay of household characteristics and livestock populations is pivotal for crafting sustainable development policies that enhance the well-being of the sub-sector\u27s participants. Gender dynamics within the livestock sub-sector underscore the central role of men as household heads and primary decision-makers. This necessitates targeted initiatives to empower women, fostering their active involvement and amplifying contributions that lead to improved household prosperity, expanded economic opportunities, and the preservation of indigenous knowledge. Zambia\u27s diverse livestock population, with a significant presence of 4,698,972 cattle, plays a crucial role in ensuring protein availability, bolstering nutritional security, and contributing to household incomes. Goats, sheep, and pigs also feature prominently, meeting various demands for meat, milk and other essentials. Recognizing the unique contributions of each livestock species allows for tailored strategies to improve their productivity and welfare. Addressing provincial disparities in livestock production and resource utilization is imperative for achieving sustainable development goals. Provincial variations in agro-ecological conditions, market access, and infrastructure necessitate context-specific interventions. Such approaches can harness provincial strengths, optimize resource utilization, and stimulate value chain development. Moreover, this study highlights opportunities in honey production and milk output. Apiculture and beekeeping investment can aid biodiversity conservation through pollination services while fostering high-quality honey production. Tailored capacity-building and infrastructure development can address provincial disparities in milk production, benefiting smallholder dairy farmers and the broader dairy industry. This study underscores the livestock sub-sector\u27s pivotal role in sustainable development, food security, and rural livelihood enhancement in Zambia. By embracing responsible, inclusive strategies and evidence-based insights, policymakers, stakeholders, and development practitioners can optimize the sub-sector\u27s potential. Focusing on household well-being, gender inclusivity, and provincial equity will foster a resilient and thriving livestock sub-sector, benefiting all segments of society and paving the way for a brighter and more sustainable future for Zambia

Changes in mobility patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia: Implications for the effectiveness of NPIs in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many facets of human behavior, including human mobility partially driven by the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as stay at home orders, travel restrictions, and workplace and school closures. Given the importance of human mobility in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, there have been an increase in analyses of mobility data to understand the COVID-19 pandemic to date. However, despite an abundance of these analyses, few have focused on Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Here, we use mobile phone calling data to provide a spatially refined analysis of sub-national human mobility patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020-July 2021 in Zambia using transmission and mobility models. Overall, among highly trafficked intra-province routes, mobility decreased up to 52% during the time of the strictest NPIs (March-May 2020) compared to baseline. However, despite dips in mobility during the first wave of COVID-19 cases, mobility returned to baseline levels and did not drop again suggesting COVID-19 cases did not influence mobility in subsequent waves

Preferences of Patients and Providers in High-Burden Malaria Settings for Long-Acting Malaria Chemoprevention.

Antimalarial medications are recommended for chemoprevention as part of malaria control programs to decrease the morbidity and mortality related to more than 200 million infections each year. We sought to evaluate patient and provider acceptability of malaria chemoprevention in a long-acting formulation. We administered questionnaires to patients and providers in malaria endemic districts in Kenya and Zambia. Questions explored preferences and concerns around long-acting antimalarial formulations compared with oral formulations. We recruited 202 patient respondents (Kenya, n = 102; Zambia, n = 100) and 215 provider respondents (Kenya, n = 105; Zambia, n = 110). Long-acting injection was preferred to oral pills, whereas oral pills were preferred to implant or transdermal administration by patient respondents. Of 202 patient respondents, 80% indicated that they 'definitely would try' malaria chemoprevention offered by injection instead of oral pills. Of parents or guardians, 84% of 113 responded that they 'definitely would' have their child age < 12 years and 90% of 88 'definitely would' have their child ≥12 years receive an injection for malaria prevention. Provider respondents indicated that they would be more likely to prescribe a long-acting injectable product compared with an oral product for malaria chemoprevention in adults (70%), adolescents ages 12 years and older (67%), and children <12 years (81%). Potential for prolonged adverse effects with long-acting products was the highest concern for patient respondents, while higher medication-related cost was cited as the most concerning barrier to implementation by providers. Overall, these findings indicate enthusiasm for the development of long-acting injectable antimalarials to provide individual delivery method options across age groups