Empowering Young Sex Workers for Safer Sex in Dowa and Lilongwe Districts of Malawi

No Abstrac

Repositioning family planning through community based distribution agents in Malawi

No Abstrac

Costing of Community Health Service Packages - The Malawi Social Action Fund (MASAF) Experience

No Abstract Malawi Medical Journal Vol. 20 (1) 2008 pp. 7-1

Factors influencing college students' attitudes toward technology

The present study assessed the views of students on school-related determinants with respect to liking or disliking technology. In determining students' views, two self-report instruments, the Classroom Learning Environment Survey (CLES) and Attitudes Toward Science Scale (ATSS) were used. Also, an interview schedule was arranged with a selected group. Participants were 200 first years registered for Diplomas in Primary -, Secondary -, and Technology Education. Results indicated a positive relationship between attitudes towards technology and each of teacher characteristics, student characteristics and the classroom environment. Regression analysis showed that attitudes toward technology were predicted by the three study variables. On the other hand, no statistically significant gender differences were established. Recommendations and suggestions for further research are also advanced.Mathematics, Science and Technology EducationM. Sc. (Technology Education

Low birth weight and fetal anaemia as risk factors for infant morbidity in rural Malawi

Low birth weight (LBW) and fetal anaemia (FA) are common in malaria endemic areas. To investigate the incidence of infectious morbidity in infants in rural Malawi in relation to birth weight and fetal anaemia, a cohort of babies was followed for a year on the basis of LBW

Test offering, not additional information, may increase HIV testing uptake in a knowledgeable population

A CAJM journal article.Objectives: To evaluate patient HIV knowledge and testing experience and assess the effect of an HIV informational handout on HIV testing propensity. Design: Cross sectional, descriptive techniques were employed to assess demographics, HIV knowledge and HIV testing experience. A randomized controlled trial was performed to determine if an HIV/AIDS information sheet influenced testing propensity. Setting: Blantyre Adventist Hospital Outpatient Clinic. Subjects: Non-emergency patients over 18 years old attending during consulting hours. Interventions: All subjects answered a questionnaire. For the randomized controlled trial component, half received an HIV information handout. Main Outcome Measures: Proportions were calculated to evaluate testing experience. Logistic regression was used to assess impact of written information and demographics on HIV testing propensity. Results: 490 participants were recruited, of whom 57% had never been tested for HIV. Of the untested, 88% had never been offered an HIV test. Of those that had never been offered a test, 46% desired one. The sample was highly knowledgeable about HIV. Reading an information sheet had no impact on HIV knowledge (p=0.736 to 0.788) or desire for testing (p=0.387). However, age (OR=0.97,95%CI (0.95,0.99)) and gender (OR=1.85, 95%CI (1.06, 3.23)) significantly correlated with testing propensity. Conclusions: A large percentage of patients who have never been offered HIV testing desire testing. More frequent HIV test offering by clinicians could improve testing rates. Clinician education programmes should be developed to increase test offering. Furthermore, written health information in a setting of high HIV/AIDS knowledge may not change behaviour. Alternative methods should be employed to encourage HIV testing uptake

Use of indigenous knowledge and traditional practices in fisheries management: a case of Chisi Island, Lake Chilwa, Zomba

This paper presents results of a study, which examined local ecological knowledge and traditional management practices in lake resources management on Chisi Island. A combination of household questionnaires, semi structured interviews with key informants and focus group discussions were used to collect the required data for the study. The paper also includes review of other scientific studies done in the area to validate the survey results. The study found that Chisi inhabitants have developed and maintained some local ecological knowledge and practices that can have significant implications in scientific studies and on the management of lake resources on the Island. The practices included restricted cutting of Typha, fishing and access in sacred sites and conservation of mabawe. These traditional practices encouraged regeneration and sustainable utilisation of fish. The knowledge systems have been conserved and passed on from generation to generation through religious beliefs, taboos and myths. Some indigenous knowledge systems have been eroded over the past years due to changes in social structures, immigration and advent of new religions, adoption of new resource harvesting techniques and changes in life styles. Although these knowledge systems were not specifically meant for conservation of natural resources, the study argues that to achieve sustainable designs or implementation of natural resource management projects, there is need to integrate relevant existing indigenous knowledge systems that promote conservation of resources.Keywords: sustainable utilisation and conservation

Термостимулированная десорбция кислорода в Sr2FeMoO6-δ

Polycrystalline Sr2FeMoO6-δ specimens have been obtained by solid state synthesis from partially reduced SrFeO2.52 and SrMoO4 precursors. It has been shown that during oxygen desorption from the Sr2FeMoO6-δ compound in polythermal mode in a 5%H2/Ar gas flow at different heating rates, the oxygen index 6–δ depends on the heating rate and does not achieve saturation at T = 1420 K. Oxygen diffusion activation energy calculation using the Merzhanov method has shown that at an early stage of oxygen desorption from the Sr2FeMoO6-δ compound the oxygen diffusion activation energy is the lowest Еа = 76.7 kJ/mole at δ = 0.005. With an increase in the concentration of oxygen vacancies, the oxygen diffusion activation energy grows to Еа = 156.3 kJ/mole at δ = 0.06. It has been found that the dδ/dt = f(Т) AND dδ/dt = f(δ) functions have a typical break which allows one to divide oxygen desorption in two process stages. It is hypothesized that an increase in the concentration of oxygen vacancies V ·· leads to their mutual interaction followed by ordering in the Fe/Mo–O1 crystallographic planes with the formation of various types of associations.Методом твердофазного синтеза из частично восстановленных прекурсоров SrFeO2,52 и SrMoO4 получали поликристаллические образцы Sr2FeMoO6-δ. Установлено, что в процессе выделения кислорода из соединения Sr2FeMoO6-δ в политермическом режиме в потоке газовой смеси 5%Н2/Ar при различных скоростях нагрева величина кислородного индекса «6-δ» зависит от скорости нагрева и при Т = 1420 К не выходит на насыщение. При расчете энергии активации диффузии кислорода методом Мержанова обнаружено, что на начальном этапе десорбции кислорода из Sr2FeMoO6-d энергия активации имеет минимальное значение Еа = 76,7 кДж/моль при δ = 0,005. По мере увеличения концентрации кислородных вакансий она увеличивается до значения Еа = 156,3 кДж/моль при δ = 0,06. Замечено, что зависимости dδ/dt = f(Т) и dδ/dt = f(δ) претерпевают характерный излом, который позволяет условно разделить процесс десорбции кислорода на две стадии развития. Сделано предположение, что с увеличением концентрации кислородных вакансий V ·· происходит взаимодействие между ними с последующим протеканием процессов их упорядочения в кристаллографических плоскостях Fe/Mo-O1 с образованием ассоциатов различного типа