Trends of productivity of water in rain-fed agriculture

Rain-fed farmingProductivityCrop productionWater requirementsEvapotranspiration

Productivity of water and economic benefit associated with deficit irrigation scheduling in maize

Water deficitIrrigation schedulingMaizeEvapotranspirationCrop yieldEconomic aspects

Trends of productivity of water in rain-fed agriculture: historical perspective

Rain-fed farmingProductivityCrop productionWater requirementsEvapotranspiration

Productivity of water and economic benefit associated with deficit irrigation scheduling in maize

Water deficitIrrigation schedulingMaizeSoil moisturePlant growthCrop yield

A Qualitative Study of Perceived Risk for HIV Transmission among Police Officers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Understanding people's views about HIV transmission by investigating a specific population may help to design effective HIV prevention strategies. In addition, knowing the inherent sexual practices of such a population, as well as the risky circumstances that may facilitate HIV transmission, is crucial for the said strategies to become effective. In this article, we report how police officers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, perceived the problem of HIV and AIDS in their local context, particularly in relation to unsafe sexual practices. The study was done with the view to recommending ways by which HIV transmission could be minimised within the police force. The study was conducted among members of the police force in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Eight focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted, with a total of 66 participants who were mixed in terms of age, gender, and marital status. Some of these were caregivers to patients with AIDS. Data were analysed using the interpretive description approach. The participants believed that both individual sexual behaviour and work-related circumstances were sources of HIV infection. They also admitted that they were being tempted to engage in risky sexual practices because of the institutional rules that prohibit officers from getting married during their training and for three years after. Nevertheless, as members of the Police Force, they stressed the fact that the risky sexual behaviour that exposes them to HIV is not limited to the force; it is rather a common problem that is faced by the general population. However, they complained, the nature of their job exposes them to road accident victims, subjecting them further to possible infection, especially when they have to handle these road accident casualties without proper protective gear. Individual sexual behaviour and job-related circumstances are worth investigating if proper advice is to be given to the police regarding HIV prevention strategies. In order to improve the lives of these police officers, there is a need to review the existing institutional rules and practices to accommodate individual sexual needs. In addition, improving their working environment may minimize the risk of HIV transmission from handling casualties in emergency situations

Antipyretic, parasitologic, and immunologic effects of combining sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine with chloroquine or paracetamol for treating uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (SP) is increasingly used against malaria in sub-Saharan Africa because of chloroquine resistance. However, chloroquine may have a beneficial antipyretic effect. We therefore compared the combination of SP plus chloroquine, chloroquine alone, SP alone, and SP plus paracetamol in the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in 175 Tanzanian children (1-4 years old) in a randomized trial. Outcome variables were axillary temperatures every six hours, daily parasitemias, and serum levels of IgG antibodies to P. falciparum. Lower mean temperatures (6-48 hours) were achieved with SP plus chloroquine or paracetamol than with SP alone (P \u3c 0.001) or chloroquine alone (P \u3c 0.05). All three SP-treated groups showed high and similar parasite reduction (0-48 hours), whereas treatment with chloroquine alone was much less effective. Levels of IgG antibodies to P. falciparum increased significantly (P \u3c 0.001) and similarly in the four treatment groups between days 0, 2. and 3. Thus, the addition of chloroquine or paracetamol to SP improved the clinical outcome, but did not affect the parasitologic response or antibody production

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Associated Risk factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care in Ilala Municipality, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

ABSTRACT Background: Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection during pregnancy is associated with various complications for the mother and baby. In Tanzania, there is a paucity of data on exposure to T. gondii infection among pregnant women and the associated risk factors. Therefore, this study investigated the seroprevalence of T. gondii and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Ilala Municipality, Dar es Salaam. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among 383 pregnant women attending antenatal health care. A five mL of blood sample was collected from each recruited pregnant woman, processed to obtain serum, and tested for the presence of IgG and IgM anti T. gondii specific antibodies. A structured questionnaire was used to gather information on the risk factors predisposing pregnant women to the infection. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: Of the 383 participants, 104 (27.2%) were positive for antibodies specific to T. gondii; 102 (26.63%) were positive only for IgG, and 2 (0.52%) were positive for both IgM and IgG antibodies. Significant risk factors for T. gondii infection were maternal age of 34-39 years (AOR:3.71;95% CI:1.52-9.06), eating unwashed fruits (AOR:7.39;95% CI:3.99-13.66), not washing hand with soap after meat preparation (AOR:7.53; 95% CI:3.40-16.64), consumption of undercooked meat (AOR:3.75; 95% CI:1.95-7.21), and consumption of raw vegetable (AOR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.04-3.80). Cat ownership was not statistically significantly associated with toxoplasmosis (AOR:1.90; 95% CI: 0.89-4.08). Conclusions: The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection (27.2%) indicates ongoing transmission, hence the need for regular screening during antenatal care and establishment of a control programme