Traditional medicine as an alternative form of health care system: A preliminary case study of Nangabo sub-county, central Uganda

This study was conducted in Nangabo sub-county of Wakiso district. The purpose was to document the common Traditional Medicine (TM) practices; assess the local people's preferences for TM versus western medicine (WM) and lastly to determine the awareness about the importance of TM by local people. Data were collected using semi-structured administered face-to-face with respondents. A total of 120 interviewed. Six focused group discussions (FGDs) were held to validate the questionnaire responses. Data were analyzed descriptively using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings indicated that most (43%) respondents derive their livelihoods from traditional medicine practices. Three forms of TM were reportedherbalism (67%), spiritual counseling (23%) and bone setting (10%). Although the majority (81%) of respondents were quite aware of the importance of TM in the sustenance of health care system, majority (55%) of them shunned TM in preference to WM, largely because of the belief that TM is evil-founded and devilish in nature. Only 45% of the respondents preferred TM to WM. The main reasons given for visiting TM practioners rather than western medical practitioners were that TM is sometimes more effective than WM and that in many instances it has very minimal side effects on the human body. There is, however, a need for Ugandan government to legitimize the practice of TM since it contributes a lot to health care needs in areas where western medicine is insufficiently provided. In addition, there is a need for further research into the efficacy and safety of traditional medicines if it is to be adequately integrated into western medicine.Key words: Traditional medicine, health care, herbalism, spiritual counseling, bone setting, Ugand

Comparative studies on the structure of an upland African stream ecosystem

Upland stream systems have been extensively investigated in Europe, North America and Australasia and many of the central ideas concerning their function are based on these systems. One central paradigm, the river continuum concept is ultimately derived from those North American streams whose catchments remain forested with native vegetation. Streams of the tropics may or may not fit the model. They have been little studied. The Amani Nature Reserve in the East Usambara Mountains of north-eastern Tanzania offers an opportunity to bring these naturally forested systems to the attention of the ecological community. This article describes a comparison made between two lengths of the River Dodwe in this area. The work was carried out by a group of postgraduate students from eighteen European and African countries with advice from five staff members, as part of a course organised by the Tropical Biology Association. Rigorous efforts were made to standardise techniques, in a situation where equipment and laboratory facilities were very basic, through a management structure and deliberate allocation of work to specialists in each area.The article offers a summary of invertebrate communities found in the stream and its biomass. Crabs seem to be the key organism in both sections of the streams

Acquisition of a Unique Onshore/Offshore Geophysical and Geochemical Dataset in the Northern Malawi (Nyasa) Rift

The Study of Extension and maGmatism in Malawi aNd Tanzania (SEGMeNT) project acquired a comprehensive suite of geophysical and geochemical datasets across the northern Malawi (Nyasa) rift in the East Africa rift system. Onshore/offshore active and passive seismic data, long‐period and wideband magnetotelluric data, continuous Global Positioning System data, and geochemical samples were acquired between 2012 and 2016. This combination of data is intended to elucidate the sedimentary, crustal, and upper‐mantle architecture of the rift, patterns of active deformation, and the origin and age of rift‐related magmatism. A unique component of our program was the acquisition of seismic data in Lake Malawi, including seismic reflection, onshore/offshore wide‐angle seismic reflection/refraction, and broadband seismic data from lake‐bottom seismometers, a towed streamer, and a large towed air‐gun source

Comparative studies on the structure of an upland African stream ecosystem

Upland stream systems have been extensively investigated in Europe,North America and Australasia and many of the central ideas concerningtheir function are based on these systems. One central paradigm, the rivercontinuum concept (Vannote et al. 1980) is ultimately derived from thoseNorth American streams whose catchments remain forested with nativevegetation

Monitoring resource allocation at the district level in Uganda: implications and challenges

Includes bibliographical references.Like most developing countries, Uganda works on a very tight health budget and the government has to ensure strict principles of efficiency and equity in the allocation and use of the minimal resources. One of the strategies in the process of improving delivery of public services has been to decentralise them. The district local government is responsible for the planning process, data management, resource allocation and co-ordination with the central government. However the capacity of the districts to stick to the principles of efficiency and equity is not a given. In Uganda, the health system has been further devolved with the creation of health sub- districts. Because there are no clear guidelines from both local and central governments on how to ensure equity in resource allocation at the district level there have been arguments that resources from the centre to the district are not necessarily equitably allocated at the sub- district. The principle of equity that would seem of relevance in this case is that of providing resources to those in most need (most deprived) given the minimal resources available. This study was done to assess how health resources are allocated between sub-districts relative to the level of need/deprivation in each sub district and in the process suggest a resource allocation formula for the district. Using mainly data from a rapid household hold survey and simple additive averaging to aggregate variables to create a deprivation index, the study showed that three sub-districts in Luwero district differed in the level of deprivation and the most deprived sub-district was actually under-resourced. The study therefore showed that there is room for using simple indices in a resource allocation formula at the district level so that budgets in the future are allocated to the most deprived areas hence maintaining the central government goal of ensuring equity in the use and allocation of minimal resources that are usually available