A success story: the burden of maternal, neonatal and childhood mortality in Rwanda - critical appraisal of interventions and recommendations for the future

Globally, the burden of maternal, neonatal and childhood mortality is disproportionately shared between the least developed nations and the developed nations. While the global maternal mortality has been almost halved since 1990, 99% of maternal deaths occur in developing regions. This invariably highlights the impact of poverty and, to combat poverty in its different elements, the United Nations (UN) established eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including improving maternal health (MDG 5) and reducing child mortality (MDG 4). Rwanda is one of the few countries that have met both MDGs 4 and 5 ahead of time. In 2015, the UN established 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a renewed version of targets to be achieved by 2030, including Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3). SDG 3 aims to achieve a global maternal mortality rate (MMR) of 70 or less by 2030, requiring an annual reduction in MMR by 7.5%. Rwanda is on track to achieving its SDG targets with the support of local government, donors, and international and local agencies. The multipronged approach initiated by the Rwandan government, backed by international organizations, is to be credited for this success. Studying these proven strategies and interventions will allow us to identify gaps, further develop and eventually transfer them to the rest of the world, with suitable contextualization.Keywords: Sub-Saharan Africa, Rwanda, Maternal Mortality, Childhood Mortality, Neonatal Mortalit

Stability of Modified Host-Parasitoid Model with Allee Effect

This paper deals with a host-parasitoid model subject to Allee effect and its dynamical behavior. Steady state points of the proposed host-parasitoid model are computed. Stability properties are analyzed with eigen values of Jacobian matrix which are determined at the steady states. Theoretical findings are supported by numerical illustrations and enhanced by pictorial representations such as bifurcation diagrams, phase portraits and local amplifications for different parameter values. Existence of chaotic behavior in the system is established via bifurcation and sensitivity analysis of the system at the initial conditions. Various phase portraits are simulated for a better understanding of the qualitative behavior of the considered model

Nonoscillatory solutions of discrete fractional order equations with positive and negative terms

summary:This paper aims at discussing asymptotic behaviour of nonoscillatory solutions of the forced fractional difference equations of the form \begin{align} \Delta ^{\gamma }u(\kappa )&+\Theta [\kappa +\gamma ,w(\kappa +\gamma )]\\=&\Phi (\kappa +\gamma )+\Upsilon (\kappa +\gamma )w^{\nu }(\kappa +\gamma ) +\Psi [\kappa +\gamma ,w(\kappa +\gamma )],\quad \kappa \in \mathbb {N}_{1-\gamma },\\ u_{0} =&c_{0}, \end{align} where $\mathbb {N}_{1-\gamma }=\{1-\gamma ,2-\gamma ,3-\gamma ,\cdots \}$, $0<\gamma \leq 1$, $\Delta ^{\gamma }$ is a Caputo-like fractional difference operator. Three cases are investigated by using some salient features of discrete fractional calculus and mathematical inequalities. Examples are presented to illustrate the validity of the theoretical results

Synthesis of novel 2-substituted benzimidazole derivatives as potential anti microbial agents

In the present study, a novel series of 2-substituted benzimidazole derivatives were synthesized and characterized by means of IR, 1H-NMR, 13C- NMR, mass spectral and elemental analysis. The compounds were screened for antibacterial (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC9144,  Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 155, klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 29665 and Esherichia coli ATCC 25922) and antifungal (Candida albicans ATCC 2091 and Aspergillus niger ATCC 9029) activities. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations was determined by agar streak dilution method. 1-(4-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)phenyl)-3-chloro-4-(4-nitro phenyl)azetidin-2-one (3a) was found to exhibit the most potent in vitro antimicrobial activity with MIC of 15, 17, 19, 9, 11 and 15 μg/mL against E.coli, K.pneumoniae, S.aureus, S.epidermidis, C.albicans and A.niger respectively. All the other compounds exhibited moderate activity against the bacterial and fungal organism tested

A Discrete Model of Three Species Prey- Predator System

ABSTRACT: This paper investigates an eco-system with two prey species and a predator. The model equations constitute a set of three first order non-linear coupled difference equations. All possible positive equilibrium points of the model are computed and criteria for the stability of all equilibrium states are established. Simulations are performed in order to illustrate the theoretical results and gain further insight into the behaviour of the system

Mucormycosis: A Brief Review

Mucormycosis is an angio invasive infection that occurs due to the fungi mucorales. It is a rare disease but increasingly recognized in immunocompromised patients. It can be categorized into rhino-orbito-cerebral, cutaneous, disseminated, gastrointestinal, and pulmonary types. Overall increased mortality rate is reported, even though the aggressive treatment is given. The main aim and purpose of this review related to overview and Etiopathogenesis of Mucormycosis, fatality of rhinocerebral Mucormycosis, recent advances in diagnostic and treatment methods