Role of communal and private forestland tenure regimes in regulating forest ecosystem goods and services in Rombo district, Tanzania

Tanzania journal of forestry and nature conservation, 2012; 82 (1): 22-35This study was undertaken to compare provisioning of forest ecosystem goods and services in Manuo Hill Communal Forest and Shirima Private Forest in Rombo District, Tanzania. Fuel wood was a key forest ecosystem good and biodiversity protection was a key forest ecosystem service identified. Manuo Hill communal forest had lower endowments values in terms of number of stems (1376 stems/ha), basal area (2.6 m2/ha), volume (7.3 m3/ha) and carbon stock (2.1 tons/ha) compared to the Shirima private forest with 2214 stems/ha, basal area of 3.2 m2/ha, volume of 11.2 m3/ha and carbon stock of 3.2 tons/ha. Only volume and carbon stock were significantly different between the forests. Species diversity was more or less similar between the forests. Tree removals were higher in communal (1.5 m3/ha) than in private (1.0 m3/ha) but they were not significantly different. Endowments in terms of tenure rights were better in communal forest than in private. More people were entitled to fuel wood from communal forest (78%) than from private (32%). Environmental benefits of biodiversity protection were entitled to everybody in both forests. It was concluded that no single tenure regime can achieve all objectives of forest management. Instead, balancing between different tenures is recommended

Reducing therapeutic injection overuse through patients-prescribers Interaction Group Discussions in Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Inappropriately prescription of injections has been reported in developing and developed countries. Previous studies in Tanzania showed that over 70% of patients attending out- patient clinics at private dispensaries received at least one injection per consultation, a value higher than WHO recommended target of 10%. This is of concern considering the likelihood of adverse effects of possible use of unsafe syringes to transmit HIV, hepatitis B and C, poliomyelitis and added economic impact on the patient and the healthcare system. This study aimed to investigate the impact of Interaction Group Discussion on behavioural change on injection prescribing practices in ten selected public dispensaries in Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Patient records of injection prescriptions were obtained covering the period three months prior to the study from 5 randomly selected control and 5 randomly selected intervention facilities. At each health facility IGDs were conducted for one month on mothers and prescribers followed by a survey 3 months after IGD to determine the impact of IGDs. Chi-square statistical calculations were made to compare data on the percent of prescriptions with an injection prescribed and in those conforming to national standard treatment guidelines (STG) between baseline and 3 months follow up. Results showed no significant difference between the percentage of prescriptions with an injection prescribed at baseline and 3 months follow-up in public dispensaries (P>0.05, Χ2 test). Prescribed injections that complied with STG was low at baseline and did not significantly improve 3 months after (P>0.05, Χ2 test). Comprehensive studies and sensitization of compliance to STG by prescribers are recommended

Legal Environment, Finance Channels and Investment: The East African Example

How do legal environments and finance affect investments by firms in the East African community? Property rights, external and internal finance channels�-�key conduits of the transmission mechanism from 'legal environment' to 'investment'- individually and interactively affect firms' decision to invest. Firms that perceive secure property rights are more likely to invest in fixed capital. The interactions suggest governments in this community would do well to pursue investment/growth policies that slant heavily towards financial markets deepening while not ignoring enhancement of legal infrastructures. Overall, property rights, external finance, internal finance, firm size, and an export-orientation, are important determinants of the investment decision.