Economic growth, rural assets and prosperity: exploring the implications of a 20-year record of asset growth in Tanzania

Measures of poverty based on consumption suggest that recent economic growth in many African countries has not been inclusive, particularly in rural areas. We argue that measures of poverty using assets may provide a different picture. We present data based on recent re-surveys of Tanzanian households first visited in the early 1990s. These demonstrate a marked increase in prosperity from high levels of poverty. It does not, however, follow that these improvements derive from GDP growth. We consider the implications of this research for further explorations of the relationship between economic growth and agricultural policy in rural areas

Assets and domestic units: methodological challenges for longitudinal studies of poverty dynamics

Tracking change in assets access and ownership in longitudinal research is difficult. Assets are rarely assigned to individuals. Their benefit and management are spread across domestic units which morph over time. We review the challenges of using assets to understand poverty dynamics, and tracking the domestic units that own and manage assets. Using case studies from longitudinal research we demonstrate that assets can afford useful insights into important change

The multiple meanings of prosperity and poverty : a cross-site comparison from Tanzania

Assets are important to local definitions of poverty and wealth in rural Africa. Yet their use in asset indices can miss locally valued change. We present data from 17 villages across Tanzania to explore differences in the meaning of wealth and poverty across the country. Despite limitations in our site selection we found considerable diversity that makes a single asset index difficult to compile. Current abbreviated asset indices risk counting assets that do not matter locally

Patterns of use, gathering, processing and administration of herbal and alternative medicines among people and livestock in Kenya: a study of local knowledge for One Health

Background Although much has been written about efficacy of various herbal and plant-based medicines, significantly less is known about patterns of use in humans, and even less about how these are used in livestock. This paper addresses that gap in our knowledge through an empirical, ethnographically informed study of indigenous medicines in one rural and one urban site in Kenya. Methods The study utilizes a One Health perspective in order to better understand the intersection of human, animal and environmental health, and focuses on patterns of use in people and their livestock. An ethnographically-informed methodology is employed, including observations, key informant interviews, narrative interviews and focus group discussions. Convenience and snowball sampling were used to identify and recruit participants. Results Gendered uses and administration of medicines, and gendered knowledge custodianship are identified. Practices of gathering and processing plant-based medicines are discussed. A wide variety of common illnesses are reportedly successfully treated by herbal medicines in both study sites, including general pain relief, wound healing, fevers, stomach problems, infertility and skin disorders, and many of these curatives are administered to both humans and livestock. Conclusions By spotlighting first-person narratives gathered over an extended period in the field, this paper sheds light on the importance of understanding local realities for policy, interventions and broader public health debate surrounding access to and use of herbal medicines

Fakes and chemicals: indigenous medicine in contemporary Kenya and implications for health equity

Abstract Background Access to effective biomedical treatments for humans and livestock in Kenya is far from universal. Indigenous healing has a significant role to play in contemporary society in Kenya, yet access is not the only reason for this. Beliefs surrounding the composition of biomedicines, people’s experiences of biomedical care, and issues of counterfeit biomedicines sold over the counter have led to patients seeking care outside of biomedical institutions. Methods This study explores local realities of treatment seeking in one rural and one urban study site, for both humans and their livestock, including when, where and how people access certain types of medicines. Using an ethnographic approach to interviews, focus groups and observations, I explore the role that indigenous healing, both herbal and occasionally spiritual, plays within this context with healers and community members. Results Indigenous healing remains important for many people due to their mistrust and suspicion of biomedicine and big pharma. Their interactions with the healer or doctor, and the equity of these interactions, influence their decisions whether to access herbal or biomedical care, or a combination of the two. Indigenous healing bridges the gap many people experience when they are unable to access biomedical treatments and effectively creates a broader, more equitable coverage for healthcare. The plurality of reasons surrounding decision making is complex, but it is clear that many people often use indigenous healing, improvements in the regulation of both formulas and practice would assist people to access more effective treatment. Conclusions Indigenous healing is an important way in which Kenyans in rural and urban areas access healthcare for themselves and their animals. Issues of counterfeit biomedicines have led to broad mistrust and people favour indigenous healing, depending on the illness or severity of symptoms. Indigenous healing is a vital way in which people in underserved rural and urban populations access care. Herbal medicines and indigenous healing are trusted due to the greater transparency in their creation, and the more equitable relationship between indigenous doctor and patient. The study demonstrates that a pluralistic system is appropriate to increasing equity in access to healthcare in both urban and rural settings, as well as the importance of biomedical care providers respecting indigenous healing and viewing it with legitimacy. By taking a One Health perspective to understand the intersection of humans, livestock and the environment, we can better understand critical aspects affecting decision making for treatment and implications for healthcare equity in a rapidly changing world. </jats:sec

A tale of two rivers: development, destruction, and despair in Ongata Rongai, Kenya

IntroductionOngata Rongai is a rapidly growing peri-urban space in Nairobi Metropolitan, Kenya. The last 10 years have seen exponential population growth and building development leading to overcrowding and pressure on water and environmental resources. This original research sheds light on interactions among humans, animals, and this rapidly changing urban environment. It is therefore a quintessentially One Health study.MethodsQualitative and ethnographically informed methods are employed to better understand the impact of rapid growth on the riparian environment and the effect of this on those who depend on it. The reflexive use of archival material and a historical ethnographic approach enabled in-depth narratives to address these issues within a longitudinal context, and the use of deliberate walking alongside visual methodologies and more traditional anthropological methods make this study novel both in terms of methodological approach and findings.ResultsThis study finds that people cite high levels of pollution from solid waste and sewage have made the rivers almost unusable and a hazardous place for both humans and animals. Yet, in the past, these rivers played key roles in daily life. There is frustration with structural-level actors' moribund attitude to the environment. The poor health of the rivers and riparian environment leads to human and animal health challenges, increased pressure on water resources, and economic pressure due to a loss of livelihoods.DiscussionThe study contributes to what is currently a fairly small literature on urban riparian spaces globally, but one which is of growing and vital importance given the rapidly increasing percentage of humans who now reside in urban spaces. It contributes to WASH and urban clean water knowledge as well as One Health, public health, and urban growth narratives, and directly addresses challenges faced by SDG 6.</jats:sec

Visible and invisible risks: Exploring washing and hygiene practices with women living on low income in Kenya

Shifting environmental conditions and poor or insufficient hygiene facilitates the transmission of bacteria and viruses between and within species of animals; between humans; and between humans and animals. Taking a One Health perspective, we used interviews to explore with 20 women living on low income in Kenya: their gendered hygiene practices and daily contact with animals; how and why they access water and sanitation facilities for themselves, their families, and any livestock; and their understandings of (zoonotic) health risks and disease transmission within their local environments. The women described how they worked every day to keep bodies and homes clean by washing bodies, surfaces and clothes. Women's hygiene practices focussed on removing visible dirt partly because of concerns for health but also to support their families’ social standing in their community. While they were less aware of any ‘invisible’ risks to health through contact with animals or other hazards present in their daily living environments, most exercised care to source and manage water for drinking. Contaminated water was recognised as a risk to health suggesting that in this case, women accepted that there were ‘invisible risks’ to health, even in clear water, and took steps to mitigate them

Understanding water security and household water hygiene in resource-limited settings in Kenya

No abstract available

Women’s Tears or Coffee Blight? Gender Dynamics and Livelihood Strategies in Contexts of Agricultural Transformation in Tanzania

The transformations of the coffee sector have posed major challenges to rural farmers who have lost an important source of income. However, the way in which such shocks are experienced by families hinges on the gender relations governing families’ production and sale of coffee. In this article, it is argued that in Meru, Tanzania, which once had a strong coffee economy, the production of coffee depended on the subjugation of women by men. The collapse of coffee has created new opportunities for women. They do not mourn its demise, as one might expect from a merely financial perspective. At the same time, women’s new opportunities for income earning and business are also contested by men. The changes in this part of Tanzania in response to recent transformations can only be understood through the gender dynamics, and the contests, they fuel